by Elena dal Friuli

Created on: July 27, 2011   Last Updated: July 28, 2011

Learning is not all about listening to lessons and doing homework. It is also about discovering the concepts through activities that allow direct and tangible examples of things learned while having fun. 

Children who are homeschooled have a more flexible schedule than students who are in a traditional classroom setting. This allows for more field trip opportunities, which make learning more fun. 

Even if your board of education might not require you to follow the state education standards, it will most likely want you to teach your children the same subjects learned by the students in their school district. 

The following homeschooling day trip ideas will list the subject areas they will cover allowing you to choose the one that will best fit into your lesson plans. 

The Discovery Museum 

This museum is probably one of the most fun places to visit. All states have at least one museum of this kind, although the name might be a bit different. To find one that is closest to your location visit the Children’s Museums website. 

As the name implies, this is the only type of museum where touching is not only allowed but even encouraged. Majority of these museums are science museums with exhibits covering various branches of science.  

Orchestra Concerts 

Going to a concert can satisfy the requirements of music, math, and history. 

If you have a connection with one of the orchestra members, you might be able to get a copy of the program in advance. If such is the case, you will be able to discover with the children the history behind a particular piece. Encourage the children to ask questions such as “why was this piece written?” and “what was happening during this particular time period in that part of the world?” 

If you have access to the music score, explore with the children the world of fractions by identifying the value of the notes within each measure. Have them count the number of measures and how many of them are repeated. 

After learning about the pieces, go to the concert and enjoy a lesson in music appreciation. 

If you don’t have a connection that allows for this kind of preparation before the concert, reverse the activity. Enjoy the concert first and then work with the different elements of the activity. 

Canoeing 

If doing jumping jacks is not your idea of physical education, and if your family is lucky enough to live close to suitable

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