As a child I loved Field Trips. And so when I began doing children’s ministry I incorporated field trips. They are a great way to encourage your kids to bring friends and create opportunities for children to learn in a different environment. Do you know some of the best practices for ensuring you have a successful trip? Here is my list of 10 do’s and don’ts concerning field trips.
Do:
- Do Have Emergency and Medical Info on every child with you.
- Do Sign in and sign out every child.
- Do have a map of where you are headed. (It is best to drive there a day or two prior to the event.)
- Do recruit enough volunteers or paid helpers (I try to keep a ratio of no worse than 1:5 when traveling off-site with Elementary or Preteens).
- Do have a first-aid kit with each vehicle.
Don’t:
- Don’t forget to count your kids.
- Don’t forget to communicate details about the trip (Like Wear a Swimming Suit).
- Don’t wait to book your location- as soon as you know where you would like to go, book it.
- Don’t advertise your event until you have booked it.
- Don’t forget to check with your administrator about church policies regarding how to transport children. (My church can only transport in church approved vehicles with pre-approved drivers in town, charters with Professional drivers must be used for anything over 50 miles. )
This episode is sponsored by the Unwrapped Conference. This is a one day workshop in OKC for training and inspiring preschool teachers August 5. Get the full schedule and faculty at www.mrmarksclassroom.com/unwrapped.
