School field trip provides children with opportunities to learn, explore and have a good time outside their classroom. Parents should be involved in the preparation stage so the child can enjoy the field trip as best as they can. A negative experience with a school trip will discourage the child from exploring and joining more field trips.
We’ve compiled a list of helpful tips and tricks to help get your child prepared and excited for their excursion. Read on to find out how you can be supportive and ensure your child has a fun and safe school trip.
Top 15 Tips to Get Your Child Ready for a School Trip
If this is your child’s first time joining a school excursion, you might feel a little worried about how to properly prepare them for the trip. Don’t stress, here are 15 tips to help you prep and get your child excited for the adventure!
Set Expectation for Their Behaviour
The child needs to understand that they must be on their best behaviour when they are away from home. This includes a class outing. Set realistic expectations about appropriate behaviour and answer the child’s questions if they are unhappy with the expectations. Explain why they should behave well and how it can benefit their experience.
Inform
Be candid about what a school trip is with the child. Explain that school trips aren’t the same as family outings and that they have to be responsible for themselves. The child also needs to understand that they can’t ask teachers to buy them toys or other things during a school outing.
Teach Cash Management
Young children may not be cash savvy due to their lack of experience of handling money. Have mock transactions at home to help them learn about the right way to spend their money on things they need when they are on the trip.
Be Positive
Showcase positive conversations and emotions when the conversation turns to the outing. This can help a child who is feeling stressed about travelling without you to look at things from a better perspective. It’s important to not show your worry or anxiety about the trip so they can have a positive experience.
Be Excited
Sometimes children may feel they shouldn’t show their excitement because they don’t want their parents to feel bad. You can remedy this by showing your excitement and support by talking about things to look forward to on the school outing. A child who is feeling less enthusiasm will also start to feel excited once they see their parents being excited.
Ease Fears
A child may feel apprehensive about going on a trip without their parents. This is normal and parents can ease their fears by being supportive and informative about how school outings work. Talking honestly about how school trips are and the location of the excursion can help the child to feel less fearful.
Create A Checklist
Preparing a checklist helps the packing process to be smooth and it reduces the chances of forgetting something important. Get your child to contribute to the checklist so they can feel they have some control over what they want to bring or include. For example, a checklist will help to ensure that the child has snacks, a water bottle and emergency contacts that are all important for the trip.
Speak to Teachers
Have a conversation with the teachers that are in charge of chaperoning the school trip. Don’t be hesitant to ask questions to ease your worry and it’s also good to gain information on where your child be visiting and how safe the area is.
Safety Rules
Establishing safety rules is crucial in case your child is separated from the group or lost while exploring. Write down emergency phone numbers to be placed in their backpack. You can also teach the child to look for a police station, fire station or any other safe location to ask for help.
Encourage Questions
Let your child ask as many questions about the trip. Questions about the location, what to do and how to behave should be encouraged. Answer as honestly as you can and set expectations on what your child can look forward to experiencing on the trip.
Body Language
Parents can be worried and stressed about their child going away on a school trip. This is normal but children can pick up negative emotions easily from our body language and how we speak. It’s important to show the child that their parents are supportive of them exploring the world.
Make A List
Research the location of the school outing with the child. You can encourage the child to make a list of things they should see, do and eat. Making a list of things can help the child to make the most of their trip and have the best experience possible.
Encourage Independence
Work out the preparations hand-in-hand with your child. Speak honestly about them needing to care for their needs when they are away from home. You can ask constructive questions that can help the child think ahead about what they may encounter on the trip and how they can be prepared for it.
Packing
Get your child to be involved with the packing, and let them take charge of certain decisions. You can step in and make suggestions if needed. This can help the child to be more independent and proactive about their needs.
Rest The Night Before
Adequate rest the night before the outing can help the child feel refreshed and energised. At times children may find it hard to fall asleep due to excitement and worry so parents can try some soothing techniques to put them at ease. Read a relaxing bedtime story to distract the child’s mind so they can fall asleep easier.
Let’s Ensure Your Child Has a Successful Field Trip
School trips help children to develop their general knowledge and social skills. Learning outside the classroom provides children with the chance to explore other languages, food, and cultures while improving their sense of responsibility and independence.
Help your child to make memorable and happy memories during their school trips. Preparing them mentally and physically for their outing will make them excited to join more outings in the future.
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