Planning a field trip for kids can feel like an organizational nightmare, even when you’ve done it before. After all, it’s important to balance the fun with an educational experience while managing the demands of dozens of dependents. Here are a few tips to help make your next trip a smooth journey:
1. Purchase Travel Insurance
You’ve put lots of thought and planning into this educational trip, but one unexpected emergency could throw the whole thing into disrepair if you don’t plan ahead. In this case, it’s likely a good idea to get travel insurance to cover trip cancellation, injuries, baggage loss, or any other reason that could throw a wrench into the trip.
2. Plan Rest Stops
Think about how many restroom breaks you may need to take on the way to your destination. To help you estimate this, think about how far you’re traveling, how old your students are, and whether any of them have special needs. It’s also a good idea to plan a few breaks on longer drives to stretch your legs and get some food, too.
3. Use the Buddy System
It may be a cliche to some, but this is the case for a reason; the buddy system, in which students are assigned a “buddy” to stay with throughout the trip, is an effective way to cut down on problems with bathroom breaks and other scenarios. If there is an odd number of children, you can assign groups of three buddies.
4. Choose the Right Chaperones
Chaperones are arguably necessary for any field trip; after all, the more adults that can keep an eye on the kids, the better! How many you need will depend on the trip, of course. For example, for trips that involve staying overnight, leaving the country, or kids with special needs, you’ll likely want to have more chaperones.
5. Keep a List of Emergency Contacts
Of course, it’s not enough to just throw on travel insurance and call it a day. If a student emergency should come up for any reason, it’s crucial that you know ahead of time who to contact.
Likewise, be sure to have the list of emergency contacts easily available throughout the entire trip. You might even want to make copies in case something happens to the original or to give to each chaperone.
6. Note Any Allergies
If any student has allergies, you must know this information ahead of time as well. Keep the list of allergies wherever the list of emergency contacts is, and be sure each chaperone knows about it.
7. Give a Clothing Guide
No matter where you’re going, a packing list for the kids would be useful; never assume the parents will already know what their kids will need. After all, overnight trips always require multiple changes of clothing, and the destination may call for different weather.
8. Share the Itinerary
Everyone involved in the trip should have a copy of the itinerary to avoid any confusion on the day of an activity. Parents should also have this information to know where their children are at any given time.
If you are taking students on any type of trip, use the above tips to ensure that the trip is a success for both you and your students.
