How to Plan a Playgroup Field Trip
Joining a playgroup gives your children opportunities to improve their social skills and learn how to play, share and take turns with other kids. Another appealing aspect of a playgroup is the field trips your kids will get to go on, where they have chances to learn about new places and things while enjoying time with their friends. When it's your turn to plan your playgroup's next field trip, you'll want to find somewhere new and exciting for the group to visit.
Instructions
Places to Go
Research your options to see what's available nearby. Ask other parents in the playgroup, your family or your friends for suggestions. Look for children's museums, indoor play spaces, swimming pools, water parks, sports complexes, gymnastics centers and zoos for your field trip. Keep in mind that these types of places likely charge per child and adult. Consider visiting nature areas, state parks, community parks and local businesses that offer children's tours. Think about taking the playgroup to tour your community's police station, fire station or post office. These places are more likely to be free or cost the group less. Narrow your list down to a few choices and contact those places to inquire about scheduling a group visit. Ask about getting a group discount for places that charge fees. Decide which destination is the best choice for your group. Plan the field trip to take place early in the day, if possible, to prevent interfering with nap times of young children in the group. If little ones miss their naps, things can go downhill quickly, and you'll be dealing with a group of unhappy children. Set up a date that's at least two weeks away so that everyone in the playgroup has time to plan for it. Preparing for the Trip
Contact all of the parents in the playgroups to share the plans with them. Discuss transportation, deciding whether each parent will drive her own children or you plan to carpool to the destination. Plan when and where everyone in the group will meet. Bring along snacks for the field trip. Take a break to allow all of the kids to sit down and get something healthy and yummy in their bellies. A snack will rejuvenate the group and hopefully ward off crankiness. Squeeze a meal into the schedule if your field trip runs into lunchtime or dinnertime, even if this means having everyone bring along a sack lunch. You can always try to find a spot to have a picnic with the group.
