What information do I need to schedule a field trip?
Over the years I have learned there are major benefits to planning ALL of the grade's field trips by the beginning of the school year:
You can look at the entire year layout to plug in options for the best weeks - avoid testing dates, plan field trips by weather patterns, find pockets of curriculum you can connect field trip ideas to, etc.
Some locations may have limited availability and fill up for the year by September so you can get those requests in ASAP. (Those “teacher-planner-types” always be working ahead!)
Bus reservations can be hard to come by for busy field trip months (September, April, & May) so you can get your name in early
So, why am I talking about this in May?
Well, this is the perfect time to set intentions and start dreaming about next year. August can be crazy so if you can go into the year with a tentative field trip plan and dates, you can hit the ground running instead of realizing on October 29th that you need to find a pumpkin patch with availability for 89 second graders.
This is also a great time to reflect on your trips from this year. Any you’d like to change? Are there months you’d like to try to fit another one in? This is the time to make those notes while it’s still fresh on your mind!
What information do I need to be able to schedule a field trip?
Figure Out Your Options - Dates and Locations
My goal is always at least one fun learning experience for my students in each quarter. I start with my curriculum map, factor in weather, and any other special considerations, then try to fit the schedule "puzzle" together in a way that makes sense (and we can afford).
I include seasonal ideas and how I set up our schedule in my free Field Trip Guide - just enter your name and email below and I’ll send it your way!
Contact the Locations
Make some initial contacts with all the locations you are interested in. Ask about the dates you are considering, when you would need to let them know, costs, times you can be there, number of chaperones allowed or required, costs for those chaperones, whether food can be brought in, etc. Get as much information as you can!
Contact Your Secretary!
Check with your secretary to determine how and when you will need to schedule buses, collect fees, complete paperwork, etc.
Speaking of paperwork…that’s what we are going to touch on tomorrow!
For now, get started dreaming and use this planner to help you organize your ideas:
Want my full Field Trip guide filled with tips, checklists, organizing pages and more? Enter your name and email below and I will send it to you for FREE!
Looking for more Field Trip tips? Check out these posts!
