EEC Child Care Licensing
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: Planning Field Trips
Theuseofoff-site facilities,or“fieldtrips”,canbe a fun andeducationalwayto enhanceyourearlychildhoodeducationoroutofschooltimecurriculum.Tobesurethatchildrenenjoya safeandproductivefieldtrip,someadvancethoughtandplanningarerequired.
ConsiderChildren’sInterests
First,considertheages,abilitiesandinterestsof thechildrenyou are serving. Is theactivityorlocationyouareplanning to visitappropriateforallofthe children? Willtheyenjoyandbeable to learnfromtheresourcesthatwillbeavailable to them? While atrip to thezoomaybe funandeducationalforchildrenofallages,a trip to the sciencemuseummaynotbeinterestingtoinfantsandtoddlers. A trip to thefirestationmaybeexcitingforpreschoolers,butolderschoolagechildrenmayfindthesameactivityboring.Makesurethe activityyouareplanningholdssomething ofinterestforeveryone(ideally,includingyourstaff)!
ConsidertheTimeRequired
Second,considerthetimerequiredto make thebestuseoftheactivityorlocation.Isthisanactivitythatcanbecompletedinanhourortwo,orisa longervisitrequired?Willa shortvisitsatisfy thechildren,orleave thembegging,teasing,andcryingformore?Iftheactivityorlocationoffersa fullday(ormore)ofeducationandentertainment,are thechildren you serveoldenough to enjoysuch a longvisit,ormustyouplanaroundnaptimes?Similarly,considerthetimerequired to reachyourdestination.Giventhe agesofthechildren you serve,willthechildrenhappilytravelthatdistance,orare youlikelyto havemanyunhappychildrenechoing“whenarewegoing to bethere”and “arewethereyet?”
ContacttheFieldTripSite
Onceyouhavedeterminedthattheactivityorlocationissuitablefortheagesofchildrenyou serve;thatthe time youhaveavailableissufficient;andthatthe traveldistanceisnottoofar,besure tocontactthe locationanddiscussyourvisitwiththem.Letthemknowthenumberandagesofthe children you areplanning to bring,andaskaboutprogram,eventandactivityschedules.Determinewhichdayswould be bestforyourvisit,consideringtheactivitiesthatwillbeavailableandwhichdaysmaybeespeciallybusyorcrowdedatthefieldtripsite.Askiftheyhaveanysuggestionsformakingthetripmoreenjoyableforthechildrenandadultsinthegroup.Verifythecost,andidentifyanyhiddenorunexpectedcoststhatmayarise,includingcostsforparking.Findoutifthereisa groupormembershipdiscount,or a reducedprice(orreducedwaittime!)forpurchasingadmissionticketsinadvance.Askaboutbathroomfacilities: aretheyconvenientlylocated,well-maintained,andeasilysupervised?Arethe toiletfacilitiesindividual,sothatschool-agechildrencanhelpthemselves,orwill a staffpersonneed to accompanychildreninto a multi-usefacility?Askwhetherthefoodsthatareavailablenutritiousandsafeforyoung children, or might they present a choking hazard?Youmaydecideitiseasier,healthierandlessexpensive to bringalongyourownfoodanddrinks.Askwhetheryourwholegroupwillremaintogether,orwilltheybeseparatedintosmallergroups,eachworkingorplaying in a separatearea.Plan to visitthefieldtripsiteyourselfbeforefinalizingyourplansso thatyoucanidentifyanypotentialhazardsandtakeappropriatemeasuresinadvance to minimizerisks.
ConsiderNeededResources
Basedontheinformationyouhavereceived,considertheresourcesyouwillneedtokeepchildrensafeandhappyenrouteand afteryouarriveatyourdestination.Howmanyeducatorsorotherchaperoneswillbenecessaryto properlysupervisethechildrenandkeepthemsafeand happy?CouldthechildrenwearbrightlycoloredT-shirtsorcapsorsome otherarticleofclothing to make themeasytoidentifyaspartofyourgroup? If bathroomsare multi-usefacilities,youwillneed to ensuresufficientnumbersofstaffto accompanychildren to thebathroomwhileyoumaintainappropriatesupervisionoftherest ofthegroup.Besurethatyourstaffaregender-appropriateforthechildrenyouareserving.An 8 yearoldboydoesnotwantto beaccompaniedbyafemalestaffintherestroom!Ifthefacilitiesallow,youmaybeable to relyon a buddysystemforolder,schoolagechildren. If the activityyouareplanningisonewhichmayresultinwetordirtyclothing,youmayneed to bringadditionalclothingforchildren tochangeinto. And,of course,makesureyouarepreparedforthe weather.Outdooractivitiesincoldweatherrequirethatchildrenwearlayersofclothing,andprotectthemselvesfromwindchillswithmittens,glovesandhats.Outdooractivitiesinhotweatherrequirethatchildrenwearsunscreenandhaveanopportunityforrestintheshade,aswellassufficientdrinkingwaterto preventheatstrokeanddehydration.Developcontingencyplansintheeventthat a childorchaperonebecomesillorseparatedfromthegroup,orincaseofa naturaldisaster.
PlanYourTransportation
Consideryourmeans oftransportation,andthesupervisionrequired. Morechaperonesmaybenecessaryifchildrenwillbetravellingbypublictransportationthanwouldberequiredifyouareusing a busorprivatevehicles.If youareusingprivatevehicles,willyouhavesufficientcarseatsfortheagesandnumberofchildrenyouwilltransport?Youwillneed to besurethatyou havecompleted a backgroundrecordcheckforallvolunteersdrivingchildren,thatalldrivershave a validdriver’slicenseandthatallvehiclesareproperlyregistered,inspectedandinsured.Ifyouwillusepublictransportation,isthere a wayto purchase a groupticketorpass thatwillsavewaitingtimeaschildrenenterthestationorboardthetrainorbus?
GetWrittenPermission
Provideparentswithwritteninformationaboutyourtrip:yourplansfortransportation,supervision,food,activities,andwhatyouhopechildrenwillgainfromtheexperience.Makesure youreceivea signedpermissionslipforeachchildthatincludestransportationarrangements,date,timeand placeofyourtrip.
PreparetheChildren
Preparethechildrenfortheirexperiencebytalkingaboutthelocationortheactivityperiodicallybeforethe dayofyourtrip,pointingoutwhattheycan expectto seeandlearn,andtalkingaboutthe rulestheywillneed to followto staysafeandhappy(such asstaywithyourgroupleader,don’ttalkto strangers,ifyouneed to usethe bathroom,askpermission).Includeinyourcurriculumbooks,speakersorotheractivitiesrelated toyourfieldtrip.Allow time andencouragechildren to askquestionsabouttheirfieldtrip,anddecidewhetherthequestionsshouldbeanswered in advance,orexploredduringthetrip.Taketime to assignsmallgroupsofchildren to individualchaperones,andmakesure thatbothchildrenandchaperonesknowwhereandwithwhomtheybelong!
PackforYourTrip
Packsufficientfood,water,clothing,tissues,sunscreenanddiapers(ifnecessary),andmakesure youtakealongchildren’semergencyinformationandconsents,anynecessarymedications(properly labeledintheiroriginalcontainers),firstaidkitsandemergencytelephones.Take a grouplistso thatyou cantakeattendancefrequentlyusingthelist,notmemory. If parentsorstaffwilltransportchildrenintheirvehicles,makesure thatthecarseatsare properlyinstalledandthevehiclesarefilledwithgasoline.Makesure thateachchildiscarryingthenameandtelephonenumberoftheprogram,andthen…havefun!
DuringyourTrip
Beforeyouleaveyourprogrampremises,take a countofallthechildrenparticipatinginthetrip.Makesurethateachchaperoneknowsthenamesofeverychildassigned to hisorhergroup,andrecognizesthefacethatgoeswitheachname.Takeattendancefrequentlyusingyourgrouplistsandmatchingthenameswiththefacespresent.Donotrelyon memory!Takesufficientbreaksforwater,foodandbathroomuse.Ifa childisgivenpermission to leavethegroup(forexample,to usethebathroom),take a countofallchildrenimmediatelyafterthechildreturns.Beforeleavingyourdestination toreturnhome,repeatyourcountofallchildren,matchingfacesto namesonthelist. Ifyouarealltravellingtogetheron a singlebus,haveonestafftakethecountfromthebackto the frontofthebus,andhave a secondstaffrepeatthecountfromthe frontofthebusto theback.Immediatelyinvestigateandresolveanydiscrepanciesinthecount!
AfterYourTrip
Talkwithchildrenaboutallofthe thingstheydidandsawontheirtrip,includingthingsthathappenedonthewayto andfromtheirdestination.Askwhattheylikedmostandleastabouttheday.Askchildren to writestoriesordrawpictures,orhavestaffassistchildren in recordingmemoriesfromthe trip to include in a tripscrapbook,orto displayintheclassroomorfamilychild care home.Talkwithyourstaffandchaperonesaboutwhattheylikedmostandleastabouttheday,andaskfortheirsuggestionsaboutfuturefieldtrips.Aretherewaysto improvetheexperience foreveryone?Recordyourconclusionsandkeepthemhandyto assistwithplanningfuturefunandenrichingfieldtrips.
FieldTripChecklist
□ContactSite
□Checkdate□Activities□Bathrooms □Costs/Discounts□Meals/snacks/drinks
□Groupsizes
□VisitSite
□Checkbathrooms□Hazards□Exits□Parking
□Plan
□Day□Time □Transportation □Chaperones □Pre-tripactivities □TicketPurchase
□Group/ChaperoneAssignments□Lostchild□Sickchild/chaperone□Disaster/weather
emergency
□Check
□Volunteerbackgroundchecks□Drivers’licenses□Carseats/seat belts
□Vehicleregistration,inspection,insurance□Gasoline□Permissionslips
□Pack
□Emergencyinformation □Medications□Food/water/snacks□Firstaidkits
□Telephones □Grouplists□Clothing□Sunscreen□Programname,phonenumbertags
□Supervise
□Facetonamecountbeforeleavingprogram□Facetonamecountaftereachactivity
□Facetonamecountbeforereturningtoprogram
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