It's easy to go stir crazy on a sunny day, especially when the kids are home from school. If your family is finding ants in their pants, maybe it's time to take a break from the same old, same old and try what homeschooling families use for learning and fun: field trips.
That's right, they aren't just for busloads of students with permission slips. Field trips can be loads of fun for families too. Here are just a few great ideas from Deborah Taylor-Hough. I can vouch for the free concerts and having an annual pass to the zoo - our family has made good use of both!
SIMPLE FAMILY FIELD TRIP IDEASCopyright 2002/2004 Deborah Taylor-Hough
Used with permission. All right reserved.
http://hometown.aol.com/dsimple/
Family field trips are a simple, fun, and fairly inexpensive
educational enrichment activity you can enjoy regularly
with your children. Here are some quick ideas to get
you started:
1) Many manufacturing plants offer free tours to families or
small groups, and any free samples given out make great
souvenirs when on vacation. Call ahead to find out about
tour availability.
2) Field trips to local attractions such as zoos or aquariums
can be expensive, but purchasing an annual family pass
pays for itself in just a couple trips. Knowing you can come
back again and again, frees your family to thoroughly enjoy
themselves without feeling the need to hurry and see every-
thing in one day to get your money's worth out of the
admission price. Return to the same site whenever you
want a family outing, and then buy a pass to a different
educational attraction next year.
3) If your family enjoys attending live performances, check
for free concerts, plays and other cultural events in local
parks during the summer months.
4) You can also contact college or community performance
groups (drama, ballet, orchestra, etc.) to see if they'll
allow you to watch them rehearse for free.
5) Many local theater groups need volunteer ushers for
their live performances. Volunteering in this manner is an
excellent way for the older members of your family to gain
free admission to a wide variety of cultural events, plus it
provides a useful service to the local arts community.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
--Deborah Taylor-Hough is a full-time mother of three, free-
lance writer, and author of the bestselling book, "Frozen
Assets: How to cook for a day and eat for a month." She also
edits the Bright-Kids e-newsletter. To subscribe to this free
resource for fun and easy educational ideas for the kids in
your life, email: join-bright-kids@hub.thedollarstretcher.com
Visit Debi online at: http://hometown.aol.com/dsimple/
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