My favorite memories from elementary school were our field trips. The zoo, local amusement park, children’s museum, the beach. I loved them all! It makes me so sad to think that young learners aren’t making those same memories, so I made a list of some Virtual Field Trips for your primary students to enjoy from the comfort of their classroom!
Museum Tours as Virtual Field Trips
National Air and Space Museum –
If you can’t visit the museum in person, this virtual tour is the next best thing. Enjoy virtual storytime, planetarium shows, expeditions, science demonstrations, and more. Plus, you can sign your class up to participate in a virtual scavenger hunt!
Boston Children’s Museum –
Take your class on a walk around one of the most influential children’s museums. You’ll experience the countless exhibits open for exploration and can even set up hands-on activities for your learners to enjoy after their virtual visit.
Van Gogh Museum –
Admire more than 200 paintings by Vincent Van Gogh currently on display in Amsterdam. You can use this virtual field trip to inspire student creativity, then extend the lesson with directed drawings by creating a class art museum.
National Museum of Natural History –
Take a self-guided tour through current and past exhibits with more than 145 million specimens and artifacts. Your students will be mesmerized by what this tour has to offer, from the Butterfly Pavilion to the Hall of Fossils.
National Parks
Glacier Bay National Park and Reserve –
Experience the rapidly changing scenery and wildlife of Glacier Bay through 4 live webcams! Additionally, you can take a close look at articles, photo galleries, sound clips, and many other virtual learning resources.
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah –
Your students will learn all about Bryce Canyon in this interactive 3D tour. Listen to facts about the night sky, take a horseback ride, or listen to the sound of the canyon.
Crater Lake National Park, Oregon –
Join Derks Bently as he guides you through a tour of the #1 location on Oregon’s 7 Wonders list and teach your students how they can make a difference by listening to stories from National Park rangers!
Whether you are learning about various landforms, like volcanoes and mountains, or focusing on bodies of water, these sub plans are for you! Complete with riddles, matching games, and definitions.
Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii –
Young learners find volcanoes mesmerizing! Take this self-paced tour with your students to learn about lava tubes as you soar over an active volcano.
Virtual Field Trips to the World Wonders
The Great Wall of China –
Take your class on a trip to China’s most famous attraction and one of the Seven Wonders of the World! This fascinating structure stretches more than 3000 miles in length is sure to impress your students.
The Statue of Liberty –
Take your class on a tour of one of the World’s most recognizable landmarks and explore the monument while learning impressive facts reported by the National Park Service. Plus, our students can experience the stunning view from the Torch!
Discovering Ancient Egypt –
Learn about the Egyptian Gods, pyramids, hieroglyphs, and so much more. Your students can explore the 3D temples of Egypt, look at images of artifacts, navigate maps, and watch short informational videos.
The White House –
Young students are always fascinated when we teach them about The White House. Not only does this tour allow you to walk the grounds and halls of the famous 230-year-old building, but it teaches you interesting facts along the way!
Buckingham Palace –
Learn about The Royal Family, art, events, and the history of Buckingham Palace. This self-paced, virtual walkthrough even includes news articles and videos that your student will LOVE!
All About Animals Virtual Field Trips
National Aquarium –
This self-paced 3D tour allows you to explore dozens of award-winning exhibits, from Blacktip Reef to Shark Ally. Then, you can watch educational videos and read fun facts about each exhibit.
Butterfly House –
Admire the beautiful butterflies through this live camera lens as your students work independently on Spring animal activities.
San Diego Zoo –
Uncover all that the San Diego Zoo has to offer with pre-planned activities, videos, and live cameras. Your students will love checking out exhibits like pandas, elephants, penguins, koalas, and more. Plus, they can play Zoo Games to wrap up their virtual field trip!
Life on the Farm –
Visit farms across Canada to learn about animals and foods from real farmers on this self-paced 360 tour. Then, extend this activity by having your students complete The Farm Sight Word Passage.
Atlantic White Shark Conservancy –
Access 12 weeks of online lessons including worksheets, activities, and videos to teach your students all about Atlantic White Sharks. This field trip provides everything you’ll need to give your students a fun and engaging Shark Conservancy experience!
I’m sure we can all agree that field trips were the most exciting part of elementary school. Although It’s sad to see our students stuck indoors, they don’t have to miss out on all the fun! So, schedule a time to explore museums, world wonders, national parks, zoos, etc., and comment if your favorite Virtual Field Trip didn’t make the list!
Written by – Madison Patten
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