05/07/2020
This time of year children usually take field trips. Why not create some of your own trips in quarantine!?
One idea for a trip is to explore your backyard. Pack lunch in their lunch bag and bring a clipboard, paper, a magnify glass, binoculars, a sketch book, pencil crayons/paint & any reference books you have on flowers, plants, birds, insects etc. in their backpacks. Maybe even bring a story to have an outdoor read aloud!
Then let your child explore, unlike a real field trip they can wander off without danger. Let them explore and follow their own interests, don’t force them to investigate a certain plant or flower, they might find an interesting rock or a feather or seed that interests them more and that’s ok! Encourage their questions and let them take notes on anything the choose.
If you chose to make the trip for “scientists” instead of for children than perhaps consider dressing the part. Men’s white collared shirts make excellent lab coats. My dad has donated many old shirts to me over the years for this very purpose. Also safety googles usually make a big impact on making children more engaged in science based activities.
Make a day of the trip, have your morning exploration time gathering questions. Then break for a read aloud and snack. Have some “recess” and a picnic lunch. Then have them pick one question they had and start a project. This is ! Get them to collect data, make notes of observations and take photos and even some plant samples (with your permission & help). End the field trip with some art time and have them pick a spot where they feel inspired and they can sketch or paint something they found interesting or beautiful.
Then for the following days you can use their questions and observations to create a research project that they will be much more engaged and excited about than if you just forced a topic on them and sat them behind a computer!
Give children as much control as you can and they will be more invested and engaged in the task at hand! And remember to always... !