Minivan Field Trips (Free!)



We have chosen to homeschool our kids while living on one income.  We love field trips...but we can't often do expensive things.  So, I took on the challenge and found some really great field trips close to home at little to no cost.  How great is that?  I post these not necessarily because everyone that reads the blog lives in our area (that is surely not the case).  Rather, this post is designed to shake up your mental juices so that you can discover some great free field trips for your family in your part of the world, too!

Check out your local colleges or universities!
The local library offers all sorts of programs for kids and adults.
Browse zoo and museum schedules - you may find they have FREE days!
Call up local food establishments and ask if they do tours.
Contact the post office, fire station, police station, or ambulance service to ask if they would do a presentation.
Ask a farmer if you can tour their farm!

I recently scheduled an outing for a group friends who homeschool.  When there are many of us, we can apply for group rates or ask for guided tours.  I feel like I've got more clout if I have a group of 20 people that will go to the firefighter presentation or a museum tour.  The more the merrier, I say!  And it's a shared experience.


In our locale, I have discovered the following wonderful FREE field trips:




1.  Free days at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium (usually in the colder months).  Check their calendar monthly to see when the free dates pop up.  I think it's usually in December.  I am not one to be out in the cold if I don't have to, but I hear from reliable sources that the animals are more active in winter than they ever are in summer.  In addition, if you purchase a membership to the zoo, there are calendared days where your zoo pass will get you in free to various Carnegie Museums and the National Aviary.  Pretty sweet deal, if you ask me!

2.  Carnegie Museums have 50% off admission after 3:00.   Regular pricing for the Carnegie Science Center, for example, is $19.95 for adults, $11.95 for kids ages 3-12.  Our family of 5 can visit the science center for $76.00 regularly, or $38.00 after 3 p.m.  Let's be realistic here: our 4-year-old will only last an hour or two.  This is perfect!   They have some pretty great group rates, as well.  Usually in November.  Watch their calendar for free days!



3.  The Westmoreland Museum of American Art hosts two free Family Event Days a year (there's one coming up on Saturday, March 26th from 11:00 - 3:00.

4.  The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art.  Admission is free.  Very close to Ligonier.  It looks like a log cabin and it's in a beautiful rural setting.  Be sure to check the museum's calendar to make sure there aren't any events going on at the same time you'd like to go.  We accidentally showed up there during a formal dinner with our kids sort of stomping around the building.  Whoops!    Ideal for new art-goers (aka kids) - a small art museum to give them a taste of what "real art" is like.  They also offer art classes for kids.



5.  FREE MUSEUM DAY on Sunday, May 1st which admits you to Fort Ligonier, Compass Inn Museum, Antiochian Heritage Museum, Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, Lincoln Highway Experience and Ligonier Valley Rail Road Museum. 10 AM - 4 PM.

6.  The planetarium show at St. Vincent College  There are scheduled showings, but you can also schedule a private group - both options are FREE!  We went here with our homeschool group and loved it!  There were comfy chairs that leaned back for big people, and some of the little people made themselves comfortable on the floor, staring up at the night sky!  They have shows that range from 15 minutes to an hour.



All of the above locations offer classes for kids, too.   The learning doesn't have to end.

Another really good tip is to find a friend who has family passes to any of our great museums or theme parks - most times they have free passes with their membership, and they'd love to share them with a friend!  Be bold and ask - they may just have some tickets sitting around, waiting for someone who could use them.

Just because your family lives on one income doesn't mean field trips aren't an option.  It just takes some research and planning.

Sometimes you have to get creative and dig for bargains.  I love a good bargain!!  Most of these "free days" are offered because someone donated a lot of money so all people could enjoy the zoo, aquarium, and various museums.

We are very thankful for these donations, because they allow us to broaden our kids' experiences without breaking our budget.

I hope these ideas will be helpful to you, if not in our area, then I hope this will encourage you to find free offerings for field trips in your area of the world.






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Snow Day!!!

Image
Ah, the first snow day of the new year!  The kids are so excited - they can't wait to don their snow gear and plunge out into the snowy world for fun fun fun! I personally look forward to putting layer upon layer of shirts, hats, socks, mittens, and snow-proof outerwear on my children - 30 minutes of effort for an hour of fun. Yes, I have finally reached the point where the 30 minutes of snow-garbing is less than the time they spend outside.  Except for my 3-year-old.  It's his first year where snow is actually fun, but I don't see him lasting out there more than 10 minutes. When they were two or under, my children would reappear in the house within 5 minutes of their release into the winter wonderland to announce that they're cold and they're finished and can I please help them take all their soggy things off. So, if your children aren't quite old enough yet, or your children become cold easily and can't hack playing outside in the frigid temper...
Read more

Resolute Mom

Image
The neighbors are sending their kids to swim lessons, gymnastics, soccer and art classes.  They eat dinner in their mini-van.  I don't know how they find time to do their homework or laundry, or even talk to each other. But this is the story for many families in our community. We don't do any of these things.  Home.  Homeschool.  Library.  Church.  Walmart.  Grocery store and occasional doctor's appointments.  These are the places we go.  This is what we do.     This may be largely due to our lack of disposable income. But preceding that, my husband and I think this is so good for our kids. They have plenty of free time.  We went to the circus a few weeks ago, so this week they created a circus, complete with carnival games and 3-ring acts.  They get to sleep in as late as they want to every day except Sundays.  I think this is exceptionally good for them, as they are constantly growing and need ext...
Read more

Superhero Undies in the Toilet

Image
Underpants in my toilet. "Why are there superhero underpants in the toilet?!!  I actually said this aloud this afternoon.  It's one of those things that surprises you when it exits your mouth because it's so crazy...who lives this way? We do. Millions of other parents do. We live with children.  They are not orderly or quiet, and they do not have good manners.  They have no sense of duty, nor responsibility.  They are born this way. My three-year-old son is in the middle of the potty training marathon.  When nature calls, he marches upstairs and removes his pants, then lowers his underoos and kicks a field goal with them before he plops himself on his little froggy potty.  Those little underpants land in the darndest places.   I've found them in the tub, the sink, and all over the bathroom - sometimes behind the toilet, and when he's especially lucky, in the toilet.  Goal!! I had none of those mythical children who...
Read more