Field Trip: Off to the Exploratorium

I love going on field trips. No really. I do. I just hate all the nervous build-up to them. I always feel like there is so much to worry about when getting ready for a field trip but the happiness on the kids' faces always makes up for that in the end. This year is no different.

As a Title 1 school in Northern California, we are able to go to the SF Exploratorium for free.
Schools just have to pay for the buses to get there. Since it is so cost effective, I like to make sure that we are able to go each year. (We are generally allowed only one field trip a year.) This was the third year we have been able to make it happen and the second at their new location on the pier. It is a beautiful place. If you are ever able to visit, I suggest you block out the entire day to explore and engage in all of the hands-on activities.

This year we had four parents plus two teachers for our class (one of the

many upsides of having a co-teacher). As such we assigned 4 - 5 students to each parent and we were able to walk around and monitor the various groups and their behaviors. After this experience, I will never go back to assigning myself a group to watch. This was much less stressful and much more entertaining.

Where do you go on your field trips? How often are you allowed to go on field trips each year?