No Summer Learning Loss Here! Resources to Help ALL Summer Long!---Part 4

Part 4: FREE & Low-cost Educational Field Trips for Families
(The 4th in a series of 5 articles)

For the past several weeks, we have been receiving many great comments from our readers about our summer series of articles here. Thank you to all who have given us such positive feedback. These comments have been most inspiring for us to "keep on keeping on" here for parents and teachers who want to help children prevent learning loss over the summer vacation period.

We've even heard from some of our subscribers in other parts of the world who plan to use the online resources for the children they serve. A few have mentioned that the materials, information and support we've presented in the articles are not readily available in some locations outside the U.S. and Canada. We're pleased that what we do here to help families and educators maintain literacy and learning skills is making a difference---nearly everywhere!

The previous articles in this series provided information to help you:

A. Part 1---Discover how to Build a GREAT Book List!

B. Part 2---Create a collection of Reading and Learning Games That Count! to further promote literacy in order to prevent summer learning loss.

C. Part 3---Learn how to Discover MORE Reading & Learning Activities to KEEP Them Engaged!---ALL summer long.

This week, we are adding to this list of ideas and resources with the fourth installment in our series---FREE & Low-cost Educational Field Trips for Families. This list includes links to help you find events and resources available in your community that will help promote and support critical thinking, problem solving, the arts (plays, art shows, craft demonstrations, etc.) and other areas of educational interest to children of all ages and their families.

As you may know, these are the kinds of things that help prevent summer learning loss (and at other times of the year, too!) These resources should make for a wonderful collection of local family field trip ideas that will also help encourage good quality time for parents and their children. Happy Reading AND Learning!

FREE & Low-cost Ideas for Educational Field Trips

1. Explore and discuss your local architecture or take a walk around town to locate some of the best buildings in your community. See if you can discover the oldest and the newest building in your area. You can also look for different shapes and colors in all the buildings you visit.

2. Find FREE museums to visit in your area.

3. Compare the current landscape with old aerial photographs of your community or of the nearest major city. This is a great way to show children how things in your area have changed over time.

4. Visit your local seat of government. This works well with units of study in civics, history or government.

5. Take a tour of your local churches or a cathedral (where possible). Many churches have very interesting histories and have contributed much to their local communities.

6. Take advantage of free community events - air shows, vintage car rallies or historical re-enactments.

7. Take a nature walk and collect items for your homeschool or classroom's nature table. Even a local park can unearth some wonderful finds.

8. Visit your local farm or orchard. Take advantage of pick-your-own programs and pricing. Take advantage of picking your own pumpkins, strawberries, apples or blackberries when in season. Combine these experiences with a learning unit on farming or gardening.

9. Explore different environments in your area (if possible). See how many various land formations or environments you can discover---beaches, wetlands, highlands, lakes, agricultural areas, etc.

10. Experience pond dipping or bug hunting. Butterfly or dragonfly catching is a favorite with many children.

11. Visit bird sanctuaries or animal rescue centers - or at the very least, go feed the ducks at your local park (where permitted).

12. Open gardens - many areas hold Open Garden Days, where people open their home gardens to the public. Discover programs like this in your community.

13. Take advantage of free performances - Street performances or theatre in the park.

14. Visit art galleries or free art exhibitions - Some local art groups have regular exhibitions in local churches or other locations.

15. Visit nearby art studios. Many areas run an 'Open Art Studio' scheme where artists open their studio doors to the public for a few days a year. This is a great opportunity to meet the artists and talk about their work.

16. Ask to visit a local craft group - Craft groups are usually very interested in sharing their skills and welcome visitors in their communities. Try your local groups in spinning, quilting, weaving, pottery and painting.

17. Visit some of your local businesses. They are often happy to arrange visits by families or small groups. If you have to visit one of these business in the course of your day, then why not turn it into a field trip. Some suggestions might include the following:

-Pet Store - Make a list and price up everything needed when caring for a pet BEFORE adopting one.
-Grocery Store/Supermarket - Encourage the children to look at package branding, differences in item prices or nutritional values of various foods.
-Library - Take a look at how books are organized or categorized.
-Art Store - Check out the different art mediums and ask how they are used - some stores will be happy to demonstrate.
-Fire Station - Discover the training required to become a fireman or learn about how to prevent fires in one's home environment
-Veterinarian - Learn what is required in the education of a doctor who cares for animals
-Real Estate Agent - Learn what is involved in this occupation
-Travel Agent - Discover free information, brochures and resources about cities and countries

18. Visit your local Chamber of Commerce or Visitor's Center. These offices can give you ideas and alert you to upcoming events. Make sure to sign up for their email list so you won’t miss anything!

19. Tour a local college or university. They often have special events for the public such as free movies, tours, and lectures. These are events that you can sometimes discover from the newspaper---so keep an eye out for them!

20. Visit a nearby greenhouse. Such locations often give tours and let children plant their own potted flower for a minimal charge.

FREE & Low-cost Resources for Educational Field Trips

1. The Field Trip Factory: A great resource for FREE field trips in your local area is The Field Trip Factory. They help organize and arrange field trips to local businesses that offer special programs for students. Since the rising cost of bus transportation is always an issue, they offer suggestions for bus funding and even have some sponsors that completely fund the field trip – bus and all!
http://www.fieldtripfactory.com/

2. A Virtual Field Trip with Skype: With a webcam, a microphone, and a computer, you can talk with another family ten miles away or around the world. ePals is an online pen pal matching service for teachers, home educators and classrooms that use Skype. It is free to have an online video conference, and it is a great way to expand your children's or students’ knowledge of different areas and cultures in your community or in the world.
http://www.epals.com/#!/main

3. Factory Tours USA: 562 tours and counting! This site celebrates American imagination and industry. What better way to appreciate those qualities than to visit and tour America at work. The information on this site is maintained by many people throughout the United States who enjoy visiting American industry. Click here for more information about becoming a contributing member for Factory Tours USA.
http://www.factorytoursusa.com/

Sources

3 Ideas for Free and Low-Cost Field Trips---by Brandi Jordan
http://blog.reallygoodstuff.com/3-ideas-for-free-low-cost-field-trips/

Field Trip Ideas for Homeschoolers
http://www.homeschooling-ideas.com/free-field-trips.html

Free and Low Cost Field Trip Ideas---by Tonya Prater
http://www.reallifeathome.com/free-and-low-cost-field-trip-ideas/

Fun Field Trip Ideas
http://www.lessonplansplus.com/Field%20trip%20ideas.html

For information on customizable low-tech & digital reading tools for all kinds of challenged readers, please visit:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info and support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Image courtesy of:
Brennan Innovators, LLC at www.focusandread.com

GREAT Reading & Learning Resources for School Breaks, Vacations or Anytime!

Alternative Ideas & Activities for Spring Break

Have a special family get-away planned for this year's spring break? Is a roadtrip with children in your very near future? Do you know a challenged reader for whom a break from school could mean a loss of content or even a disruption in the daily learning routine? You are certainly not alone! Many families are about to embark on their annual spring break vacations, and more than a few parents wonder if this time away from the classroom will negatively impact their children's learning at this critical time of the year.

Every educator (and nearly every parent) is more than aware that annual achievement tests will be conducted in most US schools during the month of April. With these tests looming, is a March vacation a wise idea? Well, family time is very important, but not all family time needs to be in the pool, at the beach or playing games and sports together. In fact, parents and their children might wisely consider a spring break that involves some time with these activities but also a good amount of time spent in other pursuits---together.

Since many families will begin their spring break sometime during this month, we wanted to provide some good resources here to help parents make this spring break's time together more beneficial for all members of their families. What's more, we also wanted these resources to help keep students' brains sharp and ready to successfully complete the school year upon their return to the classroom.

First of all, you will find a brief list of ideas for this spring's vacation that you may not have considered in the past. Then to follow that list, you will discover a second list of links to materials, activities, ideas and other resources to enhance your family's time together this spring (or anytime!)

We hope you'll agree that these resources could make ALL the difference in helping your children stay on-track academically, decrease the chances of a loss of learning and yet truly enjoy the time together as a family this spring break! We guarantee that all of these activities and resources will keep the creative juices flowing and help promote continuous learning throughout the season---AND and well into the summer for your children! Have a wonderful spring break!

Alternative Ideas for Spring Break

1. For a vacation away from home, choose an educational destination for this year's trip to help your child or teen better understand a past or upcoming unit of study at school. For example, a visit to Williamsburg, Virginia, would provide much for learning about Colonial America. For a trip closer to home, consider a visit to your state capital that might include witnessing the legislature in-session (depending on government scheduling, etc.) You can incorporate some swim time at a hotel pool or practice a few shots together at a local playground near your motel, but time spent learning together just might create some of the best memories for all of you.

2. For quality time spent in-town, plan together a visit to a different "learning location" each day of the spring break week. Consult with your child or teen as to what and where they would like to visit and learn more about---locally. Your child's input will provide you with excellent guidance and give you many in-depth insights about him that you may not have known previously. Your teen who is crazy about video games may want to see the local museum's exhibit of Heroes from Baseball's Early Years. Your daughter who really enjoys playing with dolls and their miniature fashions might suggest visiting a local fabric store for a free demonstration of Sewing for Beginners. Your 'tween son who already shows a penchant for programming and coding might recommend attending or even participating in a local "hackathon" to try or even improve his skills. You yourself might even learn the rudiments of writing code! These are just a few of the great possibilities that exist.

3. Talk with your children about the opportunity to visit an organization that could really use your family's assistance for a day or two. A local kitchen that serves the needy might truly benefit from just a couple of hours of your time plating meals, cleaning tables or doing other important work. Your children and you will experience and learn much during such a visit. Don't be afraid to return at a future time, too! Of course, always call ahead to plan helping sessions like these rather than just appear at the location and then offer assistance.

4. Spend time at home cleaning and re-organizing storage areas, particularly clothes closets that are overstuffed and needing your attention. Then donate any unneeded or outgrown garments to your local Goodwill or Salvation Army to help others. Prior to your visit, ask if the organization might need your help with any activities on the planned day of visitation. You never know, but this could be the beginning of a long-term relationship between that charitable group and your good family!

5. All the while that you are riding in the car or a train, flying in a plane or waiting in an airport, have plenty of things to READ---for everyone! If an e-reader is your thing, bring it along. Let your children SEE you reading for enjoyment. Of course, don't forget to read TO them, too. If a toddler's board books will chase away "the boredom blues" for your little one, then pack them into your carry-on bag or purse. Reluctant teen readers will rarely turn down a comic book. Plan to have a few of these handy if your teenager is less than thrilled about picking up a book. Of course, some comic books or graphic novels are much better than others. Enlist your teen to choose titles for himself---with your good guidance, of course.

Reading & Learning Resources for Spring Break (or Other Vacation Time)

Spring Break Activities by Katherine Lee
Here are some great ideas for family fun and activities (for school-aged children) during spring break.
http://childparenting.about.com/od/funcelebrations/tp/spring_break_activities.htm

Spring Activities for Teens - Fun Activities for Teens - 12 Week Series by Denise Witmer
Fun Spring Activities for Your Teen to Do This Spring
http://parentingteens.about.com/od/activitiesorteens/a/springactivitiesteens.htm

Ten Totally Inexpensive but Super Fun Spring Break Activity Ideas
Guaranteed Fun for Families
http://www.signupgenius.com/home/ten-inexpensive-spring-break-activity-ideas.cfm

ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK by the United Way---LIVE United (Student United Way)
Trade your beach towel for a tool belt this spring break. Take part in United Way’s Alternative Spring Break and work with other students to improve communities around the nation. Sign up here for our mailing list. We’ll update you as we release more information.
http://www.unitedway.org/student/alternative-spring-break/

3 Cheap Ideas for Spring Break by Miranda Marquit
Whether you are a college student getting ready to head out for a little party fun, or a family trying to figure out what you can do while the kids are out of school, there are plenty of possibilities for spring break. Unfortunately, some spring break ideas tend to be rather expensive. Do you really want to spend $1,000 on your spring break? Plus, air travel is expensive during spring break season, and sometimes hotels charge more, too. If you take a few minutes to find your creativity and your inner frugality, though, you might find that spring break doesn’t have to be that expensive after all.
http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/3-cheap-ideas-spring-break.html

Fun Family-Centered Activities for School Break
No activity will fit every family perfectly, but these activities can be easily adapted to work for your family. They’re all designed to get you working together and interacting with your kids during the school break.
http://www.helpteaching.com/blog/fun-family-centered-activities-for-school-break.html

Spring Worksheets for Kids
Check out collection of FREE printable spring worksheets for kids. We created these high quality spring worksheets for you to use for free and hope you have fun using them and learning with your kids during the spring season. Younger kids will enjoy the tracing lines worksheets, spring counting practice and word and picture matching worksheets, while slightly older children will love the missing letter and spring word scramble worksheets as well as our secret spring message cryptogram puzzle. All of these spring worksheets for kids are available in perfect printable pdf format.
http://www.allkidsnetwork.com/worksheets/spring/

Spring Theme Unit - Free Printable Worksheets, Games and More
FREE spring theme printable worksheets, reading activities, word puzzles, coloring pages, craft projects & more to supplement lesson plans.
http://www.abcteach.com/directory/holidays-months-and-seasons-seasons-spring-3612-2-1

Spring Worksheets
Spring is not only the most beautiful season of the year; it is also the holiday season. With Easter, spring break, May Day and more lined up, spring season will find kids being at home more often than not. Keeping children occupied during this free time will be a cakewalk with our free spring worksheets! Introduce your kids to these fun and FREE printable worksheets to help them learn all about this wonderful season.
http://www.jumpstart.com/parents/resources/seasons/spring/spring-worksheets

31 Things For Kids To Do During Winter Break by Allison McDonald
Although these activities are mentioned as those for a winter break, many would also work very well for a spring break, especially for any rainy days during that time.
http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2012/12/31-things-for-kids-to-do-during-winter-break.html

Spring break activities for teens and pre-teens by Jennie Withers
Spring Break is right around the corner. For most area schools it is March 26-30. Many of you are planning to get out of town, while others plan to spend it at local ski resorts. For those of us who don't ski and aren't planning a Spring Break trip, here are some inexpensive options to keep our teens and pre-teens busy.
http://www.examiner.com/article/spring-break-activities-for-teens-and-pre-teens

Spring Break Resources for Families of Children with Additional Needs

Spring Break Ideas for Special Needs Families
Here are some of our ideas for Spring 2015 that are fun and encourage the sense of wholehearted love and group integration that enhances well-being and entrenches each child’s sense of self within the context of family. This can be especially important for a child with additional needs.
http://www.convaid.com/blog/2015/02/spring-break-ideas-for-special-needs-families/

5 Great Spring Break Activities for Children with Special Needs
Spring break can be a great opportunity to engage your child in new activities, even you aren’t traveling to a luxurious locale. It is also a great time to work on generalizing speech and language skills. In speech-therapy, it’s important to remember that getting away from the environment in which we were taught a skill is the best way to generalize and reinforce the lesson. Take advantage of spring break and consider these activities for your child.
https://www.speechbuddy.com/blog/financial-resources/other-resources/5-great-spring-break-activities-for-children-with-special-needs/

Activities for Special Needs Children - Autism Activities
Here you will find an extensive list of various activities and resources for children on the autism spectrum and their families.
http://www.specialneeds.com/activities-special-needs-children-autism-activities

For information on customizable low-tech & digital reading tools for all kinds of challenged readers, please visit:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Image courtesy of:
Brennan Innovators, LLC at www.focusandread.com