Field trips are just as important now that your students are teens as they were back in elementary school. There’s no need to stop taking them, but you’ll want to change how you approach them…and you can do some pretty interesting things!
Here are some field trip ideas for middle and high school students. There are both local and travel options, ranging from free to need-to-plan-ahead. What are your teens favorite places to visit, and would you add to this list?
Here are some FREE, local field trip options:
- Local historic architecture
- Air Shows
- Historic Re-enactments
- Climb Rocks
- Historic Museums (some are free)
- Pick-Your-Own Farm Visit
- Rivers & Lakes
- Zoo (only free on certain days, or with a pass)
- Local Newspaper
- Factory Tours (some are free)
- Visit the Beach
- Visit the local Airport
Around Town
- Most of the free trips listed above are in-town
- Lots of hospitals offer presentations, and these could count toward a health credit
- Most teens are able to sit quietly in a courtroom to see how the judicial system works
- Every city has a history, and most have city history museums – explore yours!
- A local small business owner may give a tour and explains the pros and cons of ownership
History-Based
- State capitols are a good place to see the legislative system in action
- National parks offer both nature and history with one beautiful hike
- Civil War battlefield locations are often free and relatively easy to find in the eastern US
- Living history museums (think Williamsburg) are fun for all ages
Science Lovers
- Amusement parks are a good place to see how physics works in the real world
- Indoor skydiving spots are also a great place to test physics
- Caves, caverns, and wildlife refuges are all great outdoor adventures
- Many aquariums have programming for older students
- Factories and manufacturing plants are in more places than you’d expect, and very interesting
- Space centers, including NASA, offer all sorts of programming for older students
- Our boys were lucky to spend an entire day with Astronaut Christina Koch at the Johnson Space Center once…and they say it was the best field trip ever!
Specialty Adventures
- Symphony and theater performances are cultural experiences
- Art museums are as well, and you can tie them to history or culture
- TV / Radio Stations give tours and presentations, and they love going in depth with older students
- Music recording studios are another great option for sound enthusiasts
- Our boys really enjoyed a unique adventure to learn about fermentation and physics
After the field trip, take time to debrief. This may be an art project, an essay comparing or contrasting different aspects of the topic, or even a lab report, timeline, or research paper. These last few ideas are perfect for high schoolers doing virtual/simulated science labs, deep-diving into history, or creating a senior thesis or research project. Talk about:
- The results or outcomes of the field trip.
- What did they know before they went on the field trip? What did they learn?
- What new insights can they take from the experience and apply to daily life?
- What connections can be made between anything at the field trip with other aspects or topics they’re learning about?
- What was the most interesting or fun? Why?
- What else would they like to learn about this topic?
More Inspiration
Finally, even though these aren’t free, educational subscription boxes are a great way to bring the field trip into your home. Here are some of our favorites!
Need some field trip inspiration? Here are a list of adventures from across the United States – find one for your next local or vacation journey!
