Virtual field trips for kids were used high and low during the 2020-2021 school year. Do they have a place in the upcoming school year? Ummm… hello! YES! Virtual field trips for kids in the classroom are an AMAZING way to make learning fun for your students. My favorite way to use them is actually in person! Use these tips to make the most of a virtual field trip in your classroom next year!
The Most Important Thing
The most important thing you can do as a teacher when thinking of using a virtual field trip in your classroom is to PREP ahead of time. Plan out the trip as if you were actually going on it. Go through all the motions and see what works and what doesn’t. Create a schedule for the trip while you go through it. You don’t have to put time limits on parts of your trip, but do create an order of what to do and how it should be done. Will you be guiding during this time? Will students be exploring on their own? This one thing can make or break your trip. Perfect example: You take a virtual field trip to a museum. You haven’t planned. You get started, but you can’t figure out how to navigate through the museum. PREP beforehand!
So What’s the Purpose?
In most cases, a virtual field trip will enhance and supplement what your students are learning in the classroom. However, after the No Wheels Virtual Field Trips came out, I noticed that many of the teachers using them commented they were using them for rewards or fun friday. Their students actually asked for virtual field trips as rewards which is AMAZING, but they are still learning so much even if it’s for fun because they are engaged. Make good use of student engagement! Is the virtual field trip possibly a new way to deliver instruction?
Got HYPE?
Get them engaged before they even work through a virtual field trip! You create HYPE for an off-campus field trip. Do the same for a virtual one! Announce it ahead of time. Send an invite. Reference multiple times before the day comes! Virtual field trips for kids and the classroom are always better when you can’t wait for it!
Transform the Classroom and Create Atmosphere
This is what makes it so fun. Transform your room! Now, you may be thinking… I’m not extra like that, but I will tell you. Anytime I hosted a virtual field trip, I transformed my room in about 15-30 minutes.
Top items for easy transformation:
- Plastic table cloths
- Old sheets
- Signs
- LED projector lamp
- Old decorations
You don’t have to go crazy like some of the classroom teachers I have seen. Although, that’s so FUN! If you kill yourself making it happen, you may not do it again for a while. Make it easy. Cover a few things, turn out the lights, invest in some cool lighting, and rummage through your old decor. BOOM! Room transformed! Kids love it! In the image above, I used black plastic and a drainpipe that is used for outdoor storage to make a tunnel to the International Space Station. I keep old flat sheets in the classroom that can be draped over tables and chairs to start an easy transformation. Once the projector lamp is on and the lights are off… DONE! They LOVE it!
The NEW Type of Virtual Field Trip for Kids and the Classroom
When No Wheels Field Trips came out, I really felt like the term: virtual field trip wasn’t the best term to use. However, I wanted teachers to be able to find them easily so, virtual field trip was the best term to label them. Really they are more of an interactive learning experience. There isn’y just a place you get to see… There are videos, activities, and opportunities to really enhance learning through comparison within the No Wheels Virtual Field Trips for kids and the classroom.
Students LOVE to Share Virtual Trips at Home
Many of my students took their virtual field trips home through Google Classroom and attended them again with parents or by themselves multiple times. This is unbelievably amazing! Homework they asked for never happens, but it did!
Make Virtual Field Trips for Kids and the Classroom Last
A great way for students to retain what they learn is to stretch the virtual field trip out over a week or a few days. Take time to stop and allow for discussion. Stop and complete a hands-on activity that complements the trip. Create a souvenir! Age and attention span should really be considered. Kindergartners probably can’t just watch something for longer than 20 minutes. Stretching out the trip will help make it last. Always start as a group together, and then when students understand the navigation, let them explore. If you have the time, let them explore as long as they are engaged. **Remember: Please allow them to talk and converse during independent exploration time. Sharing what they are excited about is another way to help them retain information!
No Wheels Virtual Trips
The No Wheels Virtual Field Trip Bundles have something for everyone! The first No Wheels Bundle includes all the best fall field trips and Christmas. Read more about that bundle in an earlier post: A Season of Virtual Field Trips. The second No Wheels bundle includes seasonal favorites and STEM focused trips. If you just can’t decide on a bundle, go ahead and grab the MEGA bundle that includes the first 50 trips and make this school year AMAZING!
Good News! Would you like to learn how to create your very own virtual field trips or interactive learning experiences? Make sure you are on the emailing list for I Heart STEAM. Announcements will be coming soon on a virtual field trip creation workshop for July 2021!
Even more good news! Try out one of the No Wheels Field Trips totally FREE!! Let’s go to the Rainforest! Try out the tips for creating the best experience with your students and visit the Rainforest with a virtual field trip!
