What field trips does your elementary school offer?

[Anonymous]

My kid is in Kindergarten, this year they went to Black Hill Regional Park for an ecology lesson, The Phillip’s Collection, a play at Glen Echo, and a visit to a farm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG these are wealthy districts.
We had one field trip period in k-6.

This is OP and I was actually thinking these are mostly not that fancy for private schools (aside from the multi day trip to Maine). I thought there might be some behind the scenes visits at Smithsonian institutions etc. Or something off the beaten path that is very hands on for kids (eg outdoor adventures). The FCPS elementary school in our area does trips to Jamestown, and the science centers in Baltimore and Richmond but these are the big trips for those years (3rd and 4th I think). Maybe my expectations are too high and field trips are not a priority for most schools/ teachers.

At Capitol Hill Day School my kids go on field trips weekly. It is a big part of their approach.

[Anonymous]

Our 2nd graders go to Seneca Schoolhouse, in Poolesville, MD, and get the experience of being in a one-room school in the 1880s. It is absolutely fantastic. The lady who runs it is top notch. Lots of actual education, experience, and a side of entertainment. Lots of reports of it as a favorite all-time field trip. I lucked into being a chaperone for one kid, and you better believe I was waiting at midnight for the sign-up sheet to drop for chaperones for my next kid's class. Hosts up to 28 kids, I think easily adaptable through to 6th grade. Maybe higher, but you'd need to check with the lady who runs it.

https://www.historicmedley.org/visit/seneca-schoolhouse/

Slightly less exciting, off the beaten path trips that either went well or I was told went well:

Virginia Arboretum (3rd)

Overnight trip to Port Isobel Island, in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. (8th)

Huntley Meadows Park, raised trail goes through wetlands. Lots of turtles, birds, snakes, frogs, etc. (3rd)

Air and Space Museum Annex (3rd)

Overnight @ Camp Highroad (7/8)

Museum of the Bible plays (Horse and His Boy, Pilgrim's Progress, others) (4-6)

Ford's Theatre (6)

Hidden Pond Nature Center for an "Erosion Hike, Rocks & Minerals Talk, and a Pond Netting" (2)

Washington National Cathedral (5/6)

Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in Washington DC (5)

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (5)

Gunston Hall (4)

I am blanking on a bunch of others. I feel like I should've been keeping better track.

[Anonymous]

Virginia camping 2x a year
Supreme Court
Minimesters in 5-8 grade have included Planet Word, DC Central Kitchen, the Kennedy Center, NPR, Ben’s Chili Bowl, Monumental Sports, Dupont Circle, the FBI, Shakespeare Theater, Embassy of Japan, Mansion on O Street and many more

Gala Theater
An environmental research boat
Air and Space Museum
National Gallery of Art
Urban Garden
Building Museum
American History Museum

8th grade trip to Montgomery, AL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Virginia camping 2x a year
Supreme Court
Minimesters in 5-8 grade have included Planet Word, DC Central Kitchen, the Kennedy Center, NPR, Ben’s Chili Bowl, Monumental Sports, Dupont Circle, the FBI, Shakespeare Theater, Embassy of Japan, Mansion on O Street and many more

Gala Theater
An environmental research boat
Air and Space Museum
National Gallery of Art
Urban Garden
Building Museum
American History Museum

8th grade trip to Montgomery, AL

Can you explain the minimester?

[Anonymous]

OP here— these are all helpful!

[Anonymous]

OP again— feel free to keep adding if you have other suggestions. These are great.

[Anonymous]

Zoo, science center, DC museums, theater, Orchard, Hershey Park, Strathmore, Farm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Overnight trip to Williamsburg/Jamestown, and while DC has graduated I saw in FB that they did one to Birmingham AL this year. For field trips, there’s no way I can remember them all. Various Smithsonian/National Gallery trips, the Word Museum, Lincoln’s Cottage, that sort of thing.

I’m this pp. literally just noticed that the OP asked for elementary. The multi day Wmsburg/Jamestown trip was MS. Elementary had day trips. In addition to what I noted above (which again, were MS, but DC went to a lot of the same places in ES with a different school), local parks, a Native American demonstration, a play at the Kennedy Center, National Zoo, an apple/pumpkin farm place every year, and a local bakery. Probably some others - DC is in HS now and I can’t remember everything.

[Anonymous]

^ also a three-night Camp Friendship trip each year, an arboretum trip, multiple Smithsonians (although I think I said those earlier). I keep remembering things in pieces!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG these are wealthy districts.
We had one field trip period in k-6.

You’re in the private schools forum.

[Anonymous]

Rochambeau elementary students do:
Eighth grade trip to London
Fifth grade trip to Paris
Fourth grade trip to Montreal

(80% of each class attends)

Third grade is too little for international travel sans parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Overnight trip to Williamsburg/Jamestown, and while DC has graduated I saw in FB that they did one to Birmingham AL this year. For field trips, there’s no way I can remember them all. Various Smithsonian/National Gallery trips, the Word Museum, Lincoln’s Cottage, that sort of thing.

I’m this pp. literally just noticed that the OP asked for elementary. The multi day Wmsburg/Jamestown trip was MS. Elementary had day trips. In addition to what I noted above (which again, were MS, but DC went to a lot of the same places in ES with a different school), local parks, a Native American demonstration, a play at the Kennedy Center, National Zoo, an apple/pumpkin farm place every year, and a local bakery. Probably some others - DC is in HS now and I can’t remember everything.

OP here. I had asked for elementary but your suggestions were very helpful because some of the places have elementary options also. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our 2nd graders go to Seneca Schoolhouse, in Poolesville, MD, and get the experience of being in a one-room school in the 1880s. It is absolutely fantastic. The lady who runs it is top notch. Lots of actual education, experience, and a side of entertainment. Lots of reports of it as a favorite all-time field trip. I lucked into being a chaperone for one kid, and you better believe I was waiting at midnight for the sign-up sheet to drop for chaperones for my next kid's class. Hosts up to 28 kids, I think easily adaptable through to 6th grade. Maybe higher, but you'd need to check with the lady who runs it.

https://www.historicmedley.org/visit/seneca-schoolhouse/

Slightly less exciting, off the beaten path trips that either went well or I was told went well:

Virginia Arboretum (3rd)

Overnight trip to Port Isobel Island, in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. (8th)

Huntley Meadows Park, raised trail goes through wetlands. Lots of turtles, birds, snakes, frogs, etc. (3rd)

Air and Space Museum Annex (3rd)

Overnight @ Camp Highroad (7/8)

Museum of the Bible plays (Horse and His Boy, Pilgrim's Progress, others) (4-6)

Ford's Theatre (6)

Hidden Pond Nature Center for an "Erosion Hike, Rocks & Minerals Talk, and a Pond Netting" (2)

Washington National Cathedral (5/6)

Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in Washington DC (5)

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (5)

Gunston Hall (4)

I am blanking on a bunch of others. I feel like I should've been keeping better track.

Also a day trip to Jamestown + Williamsburg in 4th grade. It is a long day, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rochambeau elementary students do:
Eighth grade trip to London
Fifth grade trip to Paris
Fourth grade trip to Montreal

(80% of each class attends)

Third grade is too little for international travel sans parents.

EW Stokes (DC public charter) does a week in Martinique in 5th grade (or Panama for the spanish track.) They also did a 3-day history/ battlefields trip through Virginia I think in 4th grade?

For the more traditional field trips, they did a museum 2-3 times a year, and a play once or twice a year.