Autumn Field Trip Ideas

My brain is stuck on all things autumn, so I’m going with it.  I’m a huge fan of field trips, I think they are an amazing way to make learning real-life and to expose children to places and concepts that they otherwise might not come into contact with. I also think that they are perfect for introducing children to all of the concepts that you’ve been exploring in the classroom.

I completely understand that not all programs are equipped to take field trips for a variety of reasons – I’ve worked in programs where this was certainly the case, so I’ve got a lot of tips for working around this creatively, those are at the bottom of the post.  First, let’s get to the list of autumn field trip ideas:

The Pumpkin Patch
The Apple Orchard
A Local Farm – historical or modern
A Farmer’s Market
A Local Park – to explore changing trees
A Nature Preserve
Living History Exhibits
A Cider Mill
Local Fall Festivals
A Corn Maze
A Grain Mill

All of these opportunities give children insight into different aspects of fall. Some of them may be easier to access in your community than others. The best part about each of these places is that they are all open to families, so if you cannot take a field trip you might consider scheduling an evening or weekend day for families to meet there together. Then the children can explore and the parents can see their children’s learning first-hand.

You might also think about asking a representative from these organizations to visit your classroom, or even asking a family to go on a visit and bring back items and information to share with the class.

What kind of special learning experiences do you introduce to your children in the fall?