Planning Virtual Field Trips for Distance Learning

Virtual field trips in kindergarten, while not a substitute for the real thing, certainly have their advantages.  They are free, not limited to one/year, and put a teacher’s mind at ease knowing that no one will get lost or hurt.

I’m embarrassed to say that I once called in sick on a field trip day during my first year of teaching kindergarten.  It was October, and we were headed to the pumpkin patch.  I was stressed out at the thought of being responsible for 22 kinders, who at that time, I couldn’t manage inside the classroom, let alone outside of it.

So, needless to say, I wasn’t exactly disappointed when our field trip for this year was cancelled at the beginning of our distance learning journey.  It was probably the only thing that I wasn’t mourning the loss of.

And it propelled me into planning some kindergarten friendly virtual field trips that we could take via our Zoom meetings or use in the classroom once we returned.

Here are my tips for planning your own virtual field trips for distance learning.

Choose a Virtual Location for your Field Trip

While you are limited as to how far you can go with local field trips, virtual field trips can take you anywhere!  You might even begin by asking the children where they would like to go or pose a few choices and let them pick their favorite.  The possibilities are endless and nothing is out of reach.

Consider “traveling” to a particular habitat, a place of work, or planning an event such as a beach day or camping trip.  Look for opportunities to connect to curriculum like taking a trip to space or to a weather center.

List Virtual Field Trip Possibilities

Once you know where you are going, brainstorm a list of the things you might see and do on your virtual field trip. This might include viewing how something works, taking a tour, observing plants or animals, or learning about someone’s job.

Search for Virtual Resources

Now that you know where you are going and what you will do there, spend some time searching the web for resources that will virtually transport you.  I try to include a variety of experiences to keep kindergarten kids engaged that include movement songs, games, educational videos, virtual simulations, yoga/meditation, directed drawing, and stories.

Plan the Virtual Tour

Sequence the experiences in an order that makes sense for your virtual field trip. For example, you might use a “day in the life of a…” structure where the children move through a typical day in the life of a zoo worker. Or you might align the trip with the steps one might take in preparing for and carrying out a camping trip such as pitching a tent and building a fire.

Pack Some Real Imagination

Most importantly, bring a playful attitude to your kindergarten virtual field trip by inviting children to apply sunscreen for their trip to the beach or wash their sticky hands after eating cotton candy at the theme park.  Children will enjoy playing along with you and it will help bring your virtual field trip a little closer to reality.

Above are the virtual field trips we’ll be taking to end this school year and make our distance learning journey as memorable as possible.

I think we all are in need of an “escape,” and while I find myself dreaming of a REAL trip to the beach, this will just have to do for now!

UPDATE: I am now back in the classroom and Field Trip Fridays work just as well in-person as they did virtually.  We’ve had so much fun taking this trips that I’ve created two more bundles:   Fall Field Trips include a trip to the apple orchard, a day at the pumpkin patch, a firehouse visit , a haunted house trip, and a White House visit.

And Winter Field Trips include a Trip to the North Pole, A Post Office Visit, A Day in the Arctic, A Day in Antarctica, and Earth Academy Training.

All of these can be done during an online meeting, or if you are lucky enough to do it in person, they work equally well there too!

For more kindergarten ideas and resources, be sure to check out the Roots & Wings Resource Library.