Field Trip Friday

One of the best homeschooling tips I received when starting homeschooling was to institute “Field Trip Friday”. It gives us something to look forward to, something new to learn about or a way to explore an area we are already studying. Each Friday, The Homeschool Scientist will be posting a field trip idea for you. It might be science oriented. It might not.

Creation Museum

We kicked off Field Trip Fridays this year with a road trip to the Cincinnati area. I’ve been reading a lot about evolution vs. creationism lately and wanted to check out the Creation Museum just outside of Cincinnati. Our friends from the area, also, recommended the Newport Aquarium. Both venues were amazing.

Even if you are not a believer in creation as the origin of life, I would recommend going to the Creation Museum. The museum is Christian based and has lots of Bible history and beliefs throughout. However, there are scientific facts and research presented that gives strong evidence for an intelligent creator of life and/or major problems in some of the evidence commonly given for evolution. It certainly gave us all lots to think about.

The kids are really into paleontology and dinosaurs right now, so the fossil hunt and the dinosaur exhibits were a HUGE hit!

 

The gardens and pond outside the museum building were amazing. I want to go back and spend a few days doing a plant study. The variety and quality of flora there is incredible.

I’ve heard of breeding horses and donkeys to get a mule, but I’ve never heard of breeding horses and zebras! This zorse was pretty cool looking.

The Creation Museum is an amazing place for a field trip. You can read about a great resource from New Leaf Publishing that we used to prepare for our trip HERE.

Newport Aquarium

If you live near an aquarium or can take a quick overnight trip to one, do it. I am always amazed at the diversity of life  found in the oceans, lakes and streams – from the beautiful to the bizarre. We found it all at the Newport Aquarium.

These huge Japanese Spider Crabs kind of freaked us out. They can get up to 12 ft from claw to claw.

We were fresh off of shark week, so the kids were super excited to see sharks up close and personal.

Touching a horseshoe crab, a whelk and a shark were field trip highlights for the kids, as was seeing Big Mike. Big Mike is a huge 14 ft alligator that lives at the aquarium.

Our first Field Trip Friday was awesome! I’m not even going to try and top that anytime soon.

Do you take field trips? How often? Get more field trip inspiration at the Field Trip Friday blog hop at It’s A Boy’s Life.