One great field trip for elementary schoolers is a trip to adopt a tree. This is an easy and inexpensive idea. You take your class to the park and have each of them take a notebook and pencil. Allow them to explore the park and pick a tree to “adopt.” Then they need to take the vital statistics of their tree. They must first draw a detailed picture. Make sure they look at the details, such as the texture of the bark, the shape of the leaves, the number of veins in a leaf, etc. After they have drawn the tree, then have them take down details. Use a measuring tape to have them take the circumference of the tree. Then you return to the park throughout the year for them to check on their tree during different seasons. You will get high praise from elementary schoolers for this trip!
Another great idea for a field trip for elementary schoolers is a trip to the post office. This should follow the English unit on letter writing. Practice writing a letter to someone the students know, and then have them seal, address, and stamp their letter. Have them take the letter with them to the post office. After the tour, have them drop the letters off in the outgoing mail! When it arrives at their friend’s house, they will know exactly where it came from.
Next on the list of field trips for elementary schoolers is a trip to any type of local farm. Whatever type of agriculture you have in your area is what your children need to learn about. Contact a farmer and ask if you can come and tour his farm. A dairy farm is an excellent choice, as the students can sample milk straight from the cow. After the trip, have the students explore the different types of food that are made from the product you saw being grown.
If you have a museum in your area, contact them for a field trip idea. Many museums have discounted or even free rates for school groups. Find out if they have activities for you to do with your class before your visit. Prepare your class carefully for their field trip. This will help keep the fieldtrip from being a boring, run-of-the-mill trip to a museum. Also, consider visiting the museum yourself first, to make sure it will be enjoyable for elementary schoolers. You do not want to be stuck at a museum with twenty bored third graders!
Most communities have some sort of historical village. These make great fieldtrips for elementary schoolers. During the school day, they are usually not as crowded. Your children can explore how life was in bygone years. They can interact with actors who portray characters from the time period of the village. Look for this type of place for another great fieldtrip idea!