I know I sound like a scratched disk sometimes, but FIELD TRIPS are my #1 favorite thing about homeschooling, and I built LOTS of them into the Discover Texas program.

• Field trips provide the ultimate multi-sensory learning experience.

See it. Hear it. Smell it. Taste it. Touch it. DO it! Tactile learners can be further differentiated as small-muscle “touchy-feely” types and large-muscle “gotta-move” types. Field trips appeal to both.

• Field trips are, by definition, learning in context.

Your students can literally walk where heroes walked. They can learn skills and employ them immediately, ending that age-old complaint of “When will I ever need to know this?”

• Some field trips give your children access to experts.

Museums and parks come with docents and rangers–trained guides to the very topics you’re hoping to bring to life. Students can ask all the questions they like, and well-mannered, engaging children may be an encouragement to the docents and rangers, as well.

• Field trips give students time to process what they’re learning.

They can see how the pieces fit and begin to ponder how we got to this point in history and what comes next.

• Field trips are a near-perfect way for many ages to learn together.

No matter their age or educational level, everyone will learn information that is new and interesting to them. Each student will have a unique perspective on what they experience which will, in turn, enrich the group experience.

• Field trips are affordable and accessible!

When it comes to Texas history, we live in the middle of a field trip. All it takes is a spark of inspiration, a smidgen of advance planning, and a sense of adventure.

What are you waiting for?