What is a family field trip? A family field trip is when a road trip or family vacation includes stops to historic locations, living museums, science centers and aquariums to help support lessons or books children have learned about in school or homeschool. It is when children and adolescents can see and experience history, culture, science and the arts…when lessons are truly learned, not just exposure to information. These trips don’t have to be only educational and can include beach days, theme park visits and yummy treats too. Parents can also start small, planning day trips or activities in their own hometowns at children’s museums, science centers and cultural locations.
When I was a teacher, I taught so many lessons about geography, history and science I would always try to incorporate real life experiences and planned as many field trips as possible to plays, planetariums and historic locations to bring history alive. I even took students on week-long trips to Boston, Washington D.C. and my hometown, Philadelphia to open their eyes to the world around them. I have created homeschool curriculums that focus on teaching units of study through travel domestically or internationally. This summer we will be learning about the life of Anne Frank and taking a WWII walking tour of Amsterdam, visiting the Anne Frank Museum and doing a deep dive on the Normandy Beach invasion, studying the art work of Claude Monet and experiencing Parisian culture while on our trip to France. This summer trip will take Family Field Trip to a whole other level!
My boys were 4 and 6 years old when hubby and I met and had not done much traveling beyond the 3-hour pilgrimage to Disney World. During that first year, hubby had to go on a work trip that was going to take him to 4 different cities in the southeastern United States. He was disappointed that it was going to happen over the boys fall break, until I suggested turning the trip into a family field trip where I planned activities for the boys and I to do during the work day and we explored the town at night with hubby. That trip to Atlanta, Asheville, Chattanooga and Nashville was the first of many road trips the Myers family has taken.
Over the years, we have turned trips to visit my family in Pennsylvania into family field trips to learn about the Colonial history of Philadelphia and Civil War stories in Gettysburg. After Ken and I had our destination wedding in Key West, we planned a party to celebrate with my family in Philadelphia and added on a few days to New York City with the kids. Our daughter Cassidy joined the family the next year and turned into a road trip kid too. We explored American History in particular (for Ethan) and Art (for Aidan) in the southern towns of Savannah, Charleston, Mount Vernon, Washington D.C. and Baltimore all before moving to Colorado. In recent years we have explored the West and will share more itineraries in the coming weeks.
Our most recent trip was to Boston and Coastal Massachusetts, always wanting to do a New England trip with the kids, when the opportunity came up last summer I jumped on it. Read my full blog post here Boston, the Athens of America for lots of travel ideas and activities to do in Boston, especially in the summer and fall, the two best times of year to experience New England. Most visitors start their trip to New England at Logan Airport, which is located close to the city, compared to many airports. It’s best to use public transportation in Boston, it’s efficient and parking in the city is difficult and expensive to say the least. Don’t pick up a rental car until you’re leaving the greater Boston area to head out and explore the other small states. There are other local airports to start your trip such as Portland & Bangor (ME), Manchester (NH), Bradley International (CT), Green Airport (RI) or Burlington (VT), but you will need a rental car as soon as you land at these airports. A car is totally worth it to experience these drives with views:
- Kancamagus Highway, NH
- Route 169 in CT
- Molly Stark Byway in VT
Be prepared for lots of tolls or get a toll pass with the rental car that will allow you to pay across all the different state’s departments of transportation. Alternatively, you will need to pay tolls online each evening to keep up and prevent fees from mounting.
Boston, Massachusetts
Boston has been at the center of American history from the 1600’s when the first colonists started the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Those first Puritan’s would influence the values that spread throughout the New World. Boston is the perfect place to visit the history that America was founded on and the famous educational institutions that continue to bring students to this chilly city, semester after semester. My second year of teaching, I was asked to spearhead a week-long field trip at the end of the year to support our American History curriculum. I could choose from any of the major northeastern cities and I immediately started pricing Boston. Taking the kids to walk through the Mayflower replica ship, experience the Plimoth Patuxet living Museum to view life during the Colonial period and eat meals in Faneuil Hall & Quincy Marketplace brought the lessons of the year to life. With my own children, I have to be a little more careful, only one of my three kiddos love history like I do, so I have to include lots of arts, science and animal adventures to keep their interest. I’d ensure you include at least the following historical activities into the itinerary:
- Faneuil Hall & Quincy Marketplace
- Freedom Trail
- Tea Party Ships Museum
- USS Constitution
- Museum of AA history on Beacon Hill
Given Boston’s geographical location, its port became an imperative part of its success, both historically and currently. The trade of goods like tea, sugar and tobacco lead to conflict with Britain and eventually the Revolutionary War. Today, the water brings tourism and delicious seafood to the restaurants. One of the best places to visit on your trip will be to the New England Aquarium for their penguin exhibit, sea lion tank and a huge cylinder tank that is at least 5 stories high. In the summer, there are whale watching cruises that I highly recommend to get out on the water and brush up on your marine biology.
Food is a big part of the culture of Boston, both seafood and the traditional Italian restaurants of the North End. The restaurants in the North End are straight out of a mafia dream and not to be missed. Plan reservations in advance and stop by Mike’s Pastry for a cannoli for dessert or to take dessert home. We tried Antico Forno and had a fantastic meal and bottle of wine, but I’ve heard you can’t go wrong with Carmelina’s, La Famiglia Giorgio’s, Giacomo’s Ristorante and Monica’s Trattoria, which I’m adding to my list of places to try next trip. The Daily Catch for seafood and Regina Pizzeria for thin crust pizza have been added to my list too. If you are looking for a sit-down restaurant for lunch or dinner downtown, Sam Adams Boston Taproom for the best beer choices, The Columbia House (our favorite restaurant that we went back to three times) and Union Oyster House which is America’s oldest restaurant are all great choices. Quincy Marketplace is a fantastic area to eat and shop and is flanked by the North and South Market Place with tons of pop up shops and eating areas outside. It’s always busy, but if you have a family with different tastes, this is a great location to choose from all different foods, pizza to seafood and lots of sweet treats.
For younger children, summer in Boston means a trip to Boston Common & Boston City Park. The Public Gardens has both real swans and swan boat rides that are a little touristy but lots of fun. Kids love the duckling statues and there is even a duckling day parade in March. Boston Commons is technically its own park, the oldest park in America, a great place for families in any season. The frog pond is always a favorite spot for kids. In the summer, they can beat the heat in the water or ride the carousel which is a favorite with younger kids. On the way to the Seaport is the Boston Children’s Museum, the second oldest and most influential in the world. Founded in 1913 by the Science Teachers’ Bureau whose ideas have been engaging children and advancing the Sciences generation by generation.
Greater Massachusetts
Traveling outside of the downtown, you can take your children to experience the Mayflower replica, see Plymouth Rock (quite underwhelming if you ask me) and visit Plimoth Patuxet Museum for a hands-on experience of 17th century life and chores. Lexington & Concord are also outside of Boston, where you can visit the Minuteman National Historic Park, see both the North Bridge & Battle Road or spend the afternoon at the Concord Museum. Between Boston and these local historical sites, students will have a great understanding of the formation of the United States and the Revolutionary War. If your children are in a traditional school setting, they will typically start learning about the Colonial Period in 3rd grade and Early American History in 5th grade. Then in 8th grade and high school, students continue to learn about Early American History (Native American studies through the Civil War time period) with a much more objective perspective. Any age is great to visit Massachusetts, but when children are around these ages it is the perfect opportunity to seek out historic locations. Exposing young children to the lessons and time periods is still good for building language and background knowledge. It’s never too young to travel!
Salem, Massachusetts has always been a town I wanted to visit and never got to on the elementary school field trips. So I was thrilled for the opportunity to spend a long weekend celebrating my cousin’s wedding in Salem this summer. Read all about the experience in my Salem blog called Bewitching Town of Salem. When visiting Salem with 6-12 year olds, I highly recommend the Salem Kids Slightly Spooky tour that is offered in the afternoon. It is a great way to teach kids about the Salem Witch Trials and share some ghost stories that aren’t too scary. Teens will be able to handle the typical evening ghost & witch trial tours, but be sure your tour is not focused on witchcraft or Hocus Pocus themed if you want historical accuracy. Check out the Salem Witch Museum to learn more about the hysteria that caused 19 settlers in Salem Village to be convicted of witchcraft and mostly executed by hanging. This dark year in Salem’s history has been the subject of many books and movies and continues to hang like a fog over an otherwise typical, coastal New England beach town that is beautiful to visit in the summer. Or book your reservations early and join the masses during October, when Salem is at its witchiest.
About 20 miles north of Salem is a small coastal town called Cape Ann. This area’s gem is the Cape Ann whale watching cruise. This was no tourist boat, it was a 2-story scientific vessel with numerous whale experts and naturalists teaching the passengers all about the amazing mammals we were about to experience. We traveled 12 miles from the shore and halfway to Cape Cod to a concentrated area where the Atlantic humpback whales come to eat every summer, after a long fast in the warm, but not highly nutritious waters of the Caribbean. Finback, Northern Right and Minke whales are also spotted grazing in this area regularly. For an hour, the boat moved to different locations spotting humpback whales swimming, breaching and showing their tail flukes. We spent most of our time observing a mother & calf pair swimming around our boat. The baby seemed interested in humans and the mother relaxed on the far side of the boat, allowing her baby to explore and show off for the crowd. Children love animals and seeing them in their natural habitat, rather than small tanks in captivity is the way to teach them to respect nature.
Cape Cod is another great spot to book a whale watching cruise. When looking at a map of Massachusetts, Cape Cod is the hook shaped peninsula jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean. “The Cape” is a mix of quaint seaside villages, upscale towns and the resort islands of Martha’s Vineyard & Nantucket. Arrive at these locations by boat or ferry to enjoy the warm weather and delicious seafood meals. Be sure to visit the Nantucket Whaling museum if in the area, for the history of the industry. Oak Bluffs is a part of Martha’s Vineyard that many movie enthusiasts will remember as the Jaws bridge. The town plays up its movie fame well and continues to attract fans 40 years later. Check out South Beach, Joseph Sylvia State Beach and Inkwell Beach…if you dare to get in the water or see the vintage fly horse carousel. Martha’s Vineyard is also the location of the African American Heritage Trail, which is 22 sites that tell the story of Black history on the island. The opportunities to learn more about American history in this state is never ending!
The Berkshires is a rural region in the western mountains of Massachusetts, known for its outdoor activities, fall foliage and arts scene. The Tanglewood music festival hosts the Boston Symphony Orchestra in a residency each summer. There is also a dance festival at Jacob’s pillow and a booming culinary scene boosting farm to table restaurants. Check out the Berkshire Scenic railroad or the Norman Rockwell Museum when staying in town. Get out into nature in the Berkshire National Resources Council property to hike, snowshoe, run, bird, paint, photography and even geocache. In the winter, skiing and winter sports take over, while in the summer ziplining, kayaking and white-water rafting are popular. You can even hike part of the Appalachian trail or swim in Lake Mansfield and let the kids enjoy the playground, only two hours from Boston where the city dwellers can escape into nature.
Even More in New England
The English explorer, John Smith named the northernmost region of the USA, New England in 1616. Even though the area is no longer under English control, it still refers to the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. Rhode Island is just south of Massachusetts and the smallest state in the union. It only takes 1 hour to drive through east to west and is an easy weekend trip from Boston or NYC. When visiting Providence, be sure to check out Benefit Street with its 18th century historic homes and WaterPlace Park. Rodger Williams Park has a zoo with swan boats that young kids love. For older teens, check out Brown University or RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) to inspire their plans after high school. Travel out to Newport to visit the mansions on Newport’s Cliff Walk or visit Easton’s Beach and Second Beach to soak up the sun. Newport has a diverse religious history to immerse yourself in by visiting the Touro Synagogue, Trinity Church and The Great Friends Meeting House, you can get a sample of three different faiths all in one location.
Just west of Rhode Island is Connecticut, the land of Nathan Hale where you can visit his Homestead Museum. Stop for wine tasting at Hopkins Vineyard and visit the covered bridge and waterfalls at Kent Falls State Park. The Railroad museum of New England allows you to ride a steam train and learn more about the history of the rail lines. The Mark Twain House & Museum and Harriet Beecher Stowe Center offer a combo ticket to learn a little more about Connecticut’s famous residents. Many visitors come to see Litchfield Hills, CT to experience the charm and community spirit they remember from the Gilmore Girls TV show, since this is considered the real Stars Hollow. Another town made famous in film is Mystic Seaport, a coastal Connecticut town near Madison and Norwalk. Visit Madison Beach, Silver Sands, Jenninay Beach or Hamminasset to get a sniff of the ocean scent and be sure to visit the Maritime Aquarium and Stepping stones. The Mystic Seaport Museum is another living museum that takes you back in time to have a full experience. There are lots of things to do here, celebrate Viking days, see the steamship Sabino, view the restoration of the Mayflower II, learn blacksmithing, listen to the Chanteymen tell stories of the sea, board the last wooden whaling ship the Charles W. Morgan. Stop in New Haven for the full Yale University experience. Stay at the Study at Yale on the Arts campus where rooms are collegiate themed and have campus views, so even if you don’t have the grades to get in, you can still pay for the Ivy League experience.
Driving north of Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire will greet you. An easy way to remember the difference between Vermont and New Hampshire on a map is to remember Vermont makes a V, a trick I always shared with students when learning the States. Burlington, Vermont is the largest city in the state and sits on Lake Champlain with indie shops, restaurants and row boats to explore in the warm weather. Take your dinosaur loving young kids to VINS nature center that has a raptor exhibit they will love. Visit the Shelburne Museum if you enjoy the quintessential New England red barns, the Echo museum or take the Ben & Jerry factory tour… yummy! In the winter months, visit Stowe, VT to ski & enjoy cold weather sports in this winter town. Don’t leave Vermont without a Maple syrup souvenir, you’ll never eat the processed junk on your pancakes again!
New Hampshire is known for its quaint towns and expansive wilderness. The White Mountains National Forest has a self-driving audio tour, areas for winter sports and the region’s highest peak, Mt. Washington. You can take a cog railway to the summit and hope to see black bears or moose on the Appalachian Trail. Visit Lost River Gorge, Boulder Caves and take a swim or ride a kayak in Echo Lake. Visit Storyland with young children, it’s a theme park of fairy tales with an inexpensive fee and lots of entertainment for little ones. One last historical part reaches up into New Hampshire at Strawberry Banke, where the midnight ride of Paul Revere began. A very famous route indeed!
Maine is the most northern state in the USA and known for its rocky coastline and Acadia National Park. Cadillac Mountain is located on Mount Desert Island, within Acadia National Park. This is where the best of the Autumn leaves are found, yet rarely do people come this far north to view them. Lighthouses such as the candy-striped beacon at West Quoddy Head and Portland Head Light dot the harbors and flash all night long. Lobster shacks and sandy beaches welcome you to the coastal town of Bar Harbor and make sure you visit the Maine Maritime Museum and the Oceanarium and Education Center for some real-world Science lessons. For something more adventurous, go for a sail aboard the Schooner Ambergris or schedule some time with Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School for climbing instruction or guided tours. Maine is one of the untouched, rugged coastal lands left on the east coast.
If I had to do it over, I would take my kids to Boston for a week, then rent a car and go through greater Massachusetts, hitting all the American History hotspots like Plymouth and Lexington & Concord. Doing this trip in the summer allows for the best weather New England has to offer and you will be able to take advantage of whale watching and the rocky beaches. Then I’d come back during the fall to see the leaves and for an epic road trip, starting in Burlington, VT to do the rest of the New England states. Fall is the perfect time to enjoy the beauty of New England and sample the produce, cheese, maple syrup and pick your own produce along the way. Even a pumpkin patch or farm stand can offer a wonderful lesson for your whole family.
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