I recently presented for a group of museum educators at a national history conference. The presentation was focused around best practices in education and how to engage student audiences. The main take-away? NOT with a “I’m standing up, you’re sitting down” presentation! Indeed, rather than ‘research’ what students are looking for in a field trip, I simply asked. Here’s what an 11 year old had to say about his favorite field trip experiences:

Surprising? Not really. Kids want to DO something at a field trip. They want physical involvement and intellectual engagement. In a nutshell, they want an experience, not a ‘show.’ So keep this in mind whenever you are planning a field trip with your little ones!