Topic Two: Field Trip Planning

In topic one, we clearly identified the multiple benefits of field trips to young children. It is definitely worth the effort to take children out into the community but we must also recognize the need to plan carefully to ensure a safe and fun experience. 

Suitability of Field Trips

There is no set list of experiences as we mentioned in topic one, we need to consider the interests and play scripts of the children as well as the possibilities in our communities and neighbourhood. We do need to think about the ages of the children and recognize that the younger toddlers and young threes might be getting used to childcare and not yet comfortable or secure enough to venture too far out of the centre. Keep the field trips for these children simple, close to the centre and with very few children.

Four and Five year olds are usually ready for new adventures but individual children may need varying levels of support to be prepared and comfortable to know where they are going, how they will get there and whether their mom or dad will know how to get them to take them home. We need to determine if the children are secure enough to leave the centre. We also need to determine how many children will participate and how many staff/helpers will be required to have a successful field trip with this particular group of children.

Time Required

We need to identify the time required for the planning of the trip as well as for completing the full trip including transportation there and back and the experiences at the site.

Costs

Some field trips are free but some require admission or include transportation costs (mileage or bus fare for the adults).

Dangers and Risks

• If you are using volunteer drivers, you must ensure that each driver has an adequate amount of liability insurance ($2 million), the cars are in good repair and the drivers have a clean driving record (take a copy of the driver’s license and insurance).
• Child safety seats must be used in the cars and must be toggled to the frame in order to be safe.
• You may need to hire an additional staff person depending on your group or you may need to arrange for one/one supervision for specific children.
• You must bring a first aid kit and emergency consent forms for all of the children which identify their medical number, doctor and dentist contact info, current parent contact information for home and work and parent permission to take their child to emergency if it is necessary to do so. See a copy of an emergency consent form.
• You should have a cell phone to use in emergencies.

Early Childhood Educator’s Preparation

Educators must do research before setting up a field trip so that they are knowledgeable about what the children will experience on the field trip, why this location is a good idea, how they will travel, and when they will go. Here is a list of things to complete before you head out:

• Visit the place ahead of time to check the site or facility and identify potential hazards, supervision needs, parking, bathrooms, etc. Take pictures to share with the children in preparation for the trip.
• Inform the visit guide (eg: grocer, police education officer, park ranger, librarian, etc) of the level of learning and attention span of your group as well as your hopes/wishes for children’s experiences.
• Select a date early in the week so children can respond and represent their experience at the centre after the trip.
• Plan alternate activities in case of cancellation
• Secure transportation and sufficient adult helpers (you should have an enriched ratio of adults to children in order to support the children in an unfamiliar location. One adult to four or five children is usually sufficient depending on your group).
• Have signed permission slips from all parents.
• Inform parents of planned trips a week ahead of time so that they can help to prepare their children and accommodate any changes in their schedules.
• Thoroughly inform adult helpers of all responsibilities and make sure you discuss expectations of parents whose child will be participating, to oversee a small group. This is sometimes tricky if their own child needs them.
• Prepare the children by reading a related story, setting clear limits, reminding children of what to bring and appropriate clothing to wear, and answering their questions. It is a good idea to take pictures of the site when you do the pre-trip visit and to put these on a poster board to share during the pre-trip circle so that the children can picture where they will be going and you can point out specific limits and boundaries.
• Be aware that children may act in unpredictable ways in new environments and that playground equipment or the site itself may contain materials or equipment that is unfamiliar to the children, and may stimulate risk taking behaviour – for example, climbable trees, poisonous plants in a forest, open fields, streams, etc. You must know what to expect and prepare children with information and behavioural expectations.
• Plan follow up activities and ensure you have the materials you need for children to represent their experience and to extend their play.
• Visit the following link from Island Health for more in depth information.

Children’s Preparation

We should have a pre-field trip circle to discuss the trip with the children and connect it with their interests and curiosities. We can present photos of the site to stimulate the children’s questions and to discuss safety rules and expectations. It is a good idea to invite children to give their ideas for staying safe.

Thinking about safety with children:

• Practice how to walk together with a partner and to stay with the group. This might not be necessary if the children have taken lots of field trips.
• Show children pictures of the site and identify where the bathrooms are, expectations for children to go to the bathroom with an adult and to never leave the group.
• Talk about keeping each other safe and telling an adult if the children have worries or concerns during the field trip.
• It is a good idea to identify the children by having a coloured piny or centre t-shirt that can be worn over a coat if necessary. This is better than a name tag which can assist a possible abductor to lure a child away.
• Plan related activities with pictures, stories, songs, role-playing and discussions before and after the trip.

The Field Trip itself

It is important to have a calm atmosphere for children and adults as you get ready on the day of the field trip.

• Gather the children for a brief review of the expectations.
• Take attendance, count the number of children and put the attendance sheet in the back pack so you can ensure you come back with the exact children you leave with.
• Send children to the bathroom and then to the coat room to dress appropriately for the weather.
• Assign children to adults for transportation and for supervision during the field trip.
• Give adult helpers maps and other important information about the site as well as the field trip leader’s cell phone number in case of emergency.
• Secure children in car seats, boosters or seat belts if big enough.
• Field trip leader takes first aid kit, emergency cards, attendance sheet, cell phone, Kleenex, camera, hand wipes, snacks and drinks and is also familiar with any allergies to watch out for.
• Give children ample time to observe, interact and ask questions while on the trip.
• When ready to return, gather together with each adult leader with their small group. Use the attendance sheet to account for all children. Secure children back into car seats for the return trip.

Post Trip Activities

Create a pedagogical narration of the trip with children’s experiences and related comments. It is great to share this with the children afterwards to reflect on the experience and to include children’s further comments on the narration. This can be posted and shared with parents.

Based on children’s comments and interests, set up the environment with materials mentioned in topic one to further explore concepts and for children to represent their understanding.

Use a variety of natural and open-ended materials for children to share what was meaningful to them about the field trip.

Be prepared to support children’s further research in topics that emerged during the field trip by having a variety of books, pictures and related materials. For example, if the children were interested in birds that they saw during the field trip, have books about birds available, bring in materials that birds use to make their nests and put them with magnifying glasses for children to explore more closely and perhaps bring in a variety of materials that children can use to make their own child-sized nests.