GUEST BLOG POST: 10 Reasons Why We Love Field Trips Over Classroom Learning

Please welcome Abbie and Carter, two grade five students who have shared their thoughts with us today about learning outside on a field trip.  Written from their own experiences and all the wisdom that 10 years of life can bring, we (and they) are eager to hear what you think!  We are very excited to have their input on this interesting topic, and honestly, we find their points quite compelling! Take a read and enjoy!

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In both classroom learning and on a field trip, you learn.  You do math.  You learn about language.  You learn about the world.  You learn about cultures.  You learn how to live.  You learn how to work together.
 
But, in classrooms you’re limited to whatever the teacher has planned for you in the day, You’re limited to whatever you can do in the classroom.  You’re limited to what your classmates have to say.  You’re limited to the walls around you. 
 
A field trip is like outside learning.  You can experience learning. You have more to explore, more to think about, and more chances to express yourself.  Here's Abbie and Carter's 10 reasons why we love learning outside on a field trip!
 
1. More Activity
You’re walking all day, you’re playing, you’re being a kid. When you’re in a classroom, you feel like an adult stuck in an office all day.  All you want to do is run, play, and have fun.  Just by being outside, you’re being active and using your body to learn.  Your mind thinks more as you touch and learn about the world.
 
2. Less Stress
When you’re in a classroom, having to do your work, you might worry about not getting it done on time, or not having enough done, or doing it wrong. When you’re outside on a field trip, you’re less stressed because you don’t have to worry about things.  You have lots of things on your mind that are exciting.  Your mind is racing because you can’t wait to keep exploring new things.  
 
3. Easier to Focus
When you’re in a classroom, there’s distractions that take you away from the one thing you’re supposed to be doing.  It's really easy to not do your work and not learn anything.  On a field trip, there’s never just one thing you’re supposed to be doing.  The fresh air, the wide spaces, the freedom makes it easier to focus.  You remember the things you do because you're living it.  
 
4. More Social
On a field trip, you have to work together do discover things or make things.  When you’re outside learning, you might meet people, Talking, working together, and learning how to get along with others is a normal thing that happens on a field trip.  In a classroom, you could work alone all day or never get to work with anyone, or be sad and no one might notice. 
 
5. Hands On
When you get to feel and experience your lesson, you really get to know more about it.  In a classroom, you have to force yourself to listen because you don't get to touch it or be in it.  But when you see or do it for yourself, you really learn it.
 
6. Spend Time Wisely
Sometimes you take class for granted because you say to yourself, "Oh, I'll do this next time because I have class every day", but when you go on a field trip or outside somewhere you spend your time wisely. You get to experience it all.  You know that this may be a special time and you need to soak it all up.   You actually want to learn this stuff at the time you’re supposed to learn it.
 
7. Think Creatively
There’s more things to ask about on a field trip.  It really gets your brain thinking more. There’s more things to see and to do out there than being stuck in a classroom.  It’s like the classroom is a box and you’re thinking you can only go so far.  There’s only so much to inspire you to think creatively.  When you’re going on a field trip its feels like there’s a hole in the box and everybody is ‘freeeee’ to explore beyond using their own thoughts and ideas!
 
8. Try new things
In a classroom you do try new things, but you can only try things that are offered to you or can work with what you have.  When you’re on a field trip it opens more opportunities, like ‘POP’! Things happen on a field trip like they happen in real life.  You will learn from experiencing things and you'll use it again or remember it more. Sometimes you're more interested in them because it's outside of the classroom and by trying it there, you might like learning and it could change your life and way of thinking. 
 
9. Better Night’s Sleep
When you’re in a classroom, all day, even lunch and snack, the energy that you needed to get out doesn’t leave you.  At home that night, when you need to go sleep, you still have that energy and it can make you go coo-coo!  You may not want to go to sleep and you'll stay up too late, which makes you cranky the next day.  When you’re on a field trip, you are more active, and thinking a lot, so you are ready for a good sleep that night. Which means you're in a better mood the next day, too.
 
10. More Fun
Outside or on a field trip you have fun.  You can do different things and you can do what you usually don’t.  You get to explore, be yourself, hang out with other people, and see the world!  In a classroom, you don’t remember every single day because it all kind of blurs together.  On a field trip, you remember the moments because they are filled with fun and laughter.