by Tracy Weissman Dunbar
How does one give a quality education in today’s economy, especially if one is living on a single income? Homeschooling does not have to be an expensive venture.
In this article, I discuss fantastic, fun and educational field trips in Southern California for little or no money. Yes, Parents, it can be done, and done well. Remember, some of the reasons we choose to educate our children on our own is to make our children’s learning fun, relevant, and rewarding for all.
There are so many opportunities wherever one might live to raise well-educated, well-rounded students. For the fine arts, many museums are free of charge to students under 18. Most art museums have free visitor days each months. Check out the websites under education for downloadable activities for families and classes. There is a plethora of information available: everything from age-appropriate lesson plans, games, family rooms, and special events. Pick a particular period or topic to study beforehand so you have a plan when you go. We try to do one museum a month. Research community concerts, operas and chorales. If your student plays an instrument, there are local amateur bands and orchestras that take members of the community upon a basic audition. They are free or nominal cost to join, with the proviso that rehearsals are attended regularly as well as performances. Take advantage of local college performances for ballets, child-appropriate plays and concerts. Most offer deeply discounted student tickets. In the summer in our area, free Shakespeare in the Park is put on at several locations. Bring a picnic and blanket and enjoy the show!
What about Science? Sure, plenty of field trips and activities for that also. Trips to the zoo aren’t just for looking at animals. Look for classes offered and educational opportunities there, too. One of my daughter’s favorite memories was as “Assistant Zookeeper” at the Santa Barbara Zoo. She was able to help feed the otters, clean out the giraffe pen, and hose down the elephants!!!
Another daughter practiced her photography at the zoo – not just animals, but people and landscape details. Is your child into astronomy? Most community colleges have nighttime observation pads with great telescopes for community stargazing events. See if you have a nearby planetarium. Especially around the holidays, low cost family friendly shows are offered.
Always check websites for show times and special deals. How about geology? Look up your local Gem Society for their offerings. These people are all volunteer, and are more than willing to help out. Go on a rock finding, classifying, and sorting hike in your area.
Mountain hikes (physical education as well) to view the changing of the leaves, flora, and fauna are great ways to take your science classes to that wonderful outdoor lab nearest you. We live near the beach, so in addition to shell collecting, we look up the lowest tides of the year and plan a whole class around that one subject. Study the tides and the plant and animal life found in your area, then time your trip accordingly. We can walk out quite far finding octopi, squid, anemones, sea slugs and sea cucumbers that squirt purple ink, and all sorts of life usually hidden from view!
For history, are there any battlefields, old homes, presidential libraries, plantations, ranches, missions, churches, synagogues, or historical sights in your vicinity? Take advantage of your own local or state history. Many seniors love to volunteer as docents, so make use of your own local history expert. See if there are any historical reenactments in your area, whether they be battles, famous authors, signing of documents, or pioneer or colonial life. Don’t forget old cemeteries either. There is a wealth of hidden history there, from style of headstones to war memorials – from famous people buried there to local legends. You’ll never know what you will find. Look into geneological societies and cultural festivals too.
We have attended Greek festivals, Italian street fairs, Scots Fests, Irish Feiches, Mission Days, Rancho Days, Native American PowWows (the kids LOVED the drumming and were able to enter into some of the circle dances), and Chinese New Year celebrations. The food is great, and you learn so much about different cultures. It’s like a trip around the world without the expense.
Instead of paying a fortune to take the whole family to a professional sporting event, go to a minor league game instead. Watch a marathon (better yet enter into a family friendly partial marathon!), bicycle race, surfing or rowing competition. Several homeschool groups in our area take advantage of special bowling rates during school hours. Our kids went bowling a couple times a month for only $5 a piece, shoes included. Now that’s what I call a deal! Wee ones love to visit fire stations, local stores or bakeries, some industrial plants (we visited a coffee roasting and tea-making company last month!). Call in advance with a specific date, time, and number of people in your party. Most managers or community liasons are more than willing to tailor fit a tour to your group for free. Many include free samples at the end. It’s a great way to find out about your community and the people who make it special.
The main thing is to have a general goal or lesson plan. Do your students need to learn something specific? Does the event or website offer educational plans? Afterwards, throw in a discussion time, so the kids can tell you what they learned, liked, or disliked about the field trip. Can they write a paper or poem about it? Or perhaps come up with a little jingle? All of this will reinforce and enhance the learning process. Field trips are a great time for family bonding and group togetherness as well as being fun and educational. It is a also important to teach your children simple etiquette: how to act during a performance; when to be quiet; when to shout and clap; to remember to say thank you to your guide – and always have them write a short note of thanks afterwards. It makes a great impression and teaches the student a valuable lesson in common courtesy. There are incredible educational opportunities for low cost or free all over. School does not have to remain indoors or be boring. Think out of the box, do a little research, and get creative. Watch out for exciting adventures near you, and stay tuned for my next article when I tackle that dreaded question, “But what about socialization?”
