Plan a Primary School Field Trip

A successful elementary school field trip requires looking at the curriculum and budget, contacting venues and volunteers, and setting an agenda for the day.

Planning a field trip for your primary school students doesn’t have to be stressful if you start early and stay organized.

Look at Curriculum and Brainstorm Field Trip Ideas

Make a list of potential places in your area that are age appropriate for your students. Choose an educational outing that complements a topic that the students will be studying.

Determine Field Trip Budget and Fundraising Needs

Talk to your principal or fellow teachers to find out if there is field trip money set aside in the school budget. If not, or if that will not cover your planned trip, make arrangements to hold fundraisers to cover the cost.

Contact Field Trip Venues

Once you have chosen a field trip and arranged to pay for it, you need to call the place and set up a time to go. For an enhanced experience go on the field trip after the students have already studied the complemetary topic.

Plan an Agenda for the Field Trip

Create a timeline for the day of the field trip. Make sure to include travel time, bathroom breaks, and time for lunch or snacks.

Ask for Field Trip Volunteers and Chaperones

As close to the beginning of the school year as possible enlist adult help for the trip. Depending on school policy your helpers can be other faculty or staff members, classroom parents, or older students.

Send Home Field Trip Permission Slips

Follow the guidelines of your building for obtaining permission in writing to take the students off campus. Include a medical release form for treating students in the case of an emergency and distributing medication.

The day of the field trip it is helpful to have all the students dress in the same bright colored T-shirts so they are easy to spot and to specify a meeting place for any who gets separated from the group.