I admit that after moving away from the nation's capitol to a small town; I was convinced that educational and fun trips would not be a part of our homeschool for a few years until we moved back to D.C. Boy was I wrong! During the moving process, we had the opportunity to visit a Relocation Office with our realtor. There I found a display rack loaded with local attractions, and I loaded up with brochures. I was also given a small packet of Free or Discounted tickets for local attractions. The number of educational and totally cool field trips within a 90 mile radius of that small town was astounding! No matter how rural you are; never underestimate the educational value that could be waiting for you just around the corner. 90 Miles only takes 1.5 hours to drive! Pop in an Audiobook or some Bible Memory work cd's and put some zing into your homeschool.
To inspire you, I thought I would list here for you the things I found to do with my children within 90 miles of small town New York. But you won't believe me until you start looking; so I am going to start with some suggested places to find those brochures.
Finding Brochures
Realtor -- Check with your local realtor's office. It's their job to sell people on the attractiveness of your town! Better yet, check with a realtor or two in the nearest larger town. If you can find a realtor that specializes in relocation packages, even better.
Make this a fieldtrip! Call your realtor friend and ask if they would do a short presentation about Real Estate, community value and the inner workings of a Real Estate office! Make sure ahead of time that they actually have brochures to share!
Entertainment Book -- Purchase the Entertainment Book for any larger city within 90 miles of you. Visit the web-site to preview the offers for your zip code or the zip code of that larger city. Entertainment book usually has Buy 1 Get 1 free offers for several small town local museums and attractions. It is their job to find people who want to advertise local entertainment! I usually pay for the book with the first two restaurant coupons I use; and usually a Target coupon, a Home Depot coupon and a few other national retailer coupons are included as well.
Cracker Barrel -- Find the nearest Cracker Barrel in your state, and stop there if you are ever nearby. You do not have to actually eat there, they have a Country Store area attached to each restaurant. They also usually have a well stocked Area Attractions Brochure area near the restroom or check out counter, or out in the waiting area. Be sure to take a dollar or two for each child, this store is chock full of hard to find old-time candies, penny toys, and cool gadgets.
Here's a perfect field trip: Take Grandma and Grandpa to Cracker Barrel with your children and have the children guess the uses of all the funny tools hanging on the walls within the restaurant. Then have Grandma or Grandpa tell them the truth. Wonder through the country store and oggle all the early 20th Century candy and toys for sale. Before you leave, have Grandma or Grandpa share a story or two on the porch in rocking chairs; perhaps about the penny candy or little toy you bought and what they remember about them. Consider bringing along a living book or two from this era to read on the porch while you wait for your table.
Interstate or Large Highway Rest Areas -- Travel Brochures abound at rest areas around interstates. The State and local County has a keen interest in keeping the public informed about local attractions (tax revenue :). Is there a Rest Area within 90 miles of you?
Pack a picnic lunch and make that a field trip. Call ahead, and the desk clerk might even tell you a bit of the history and the many uses of that rest area. Did you know that rest areas on the highway are often more then just places to potty?
Local Yahoo Groups for Homeschoolers -- I have been a member of a few nationally organized Yahoo Groups for many years; but for some reason it never occured to me that there might be active local networks! A couple years after moving to NY, I randomly decided to search Yahoo and came up with several local groups dedicated to planning and executing local get togethers; with and without kids! What a goldmine! I am not an unschooler myself, though I do use some of the philosophy in my homeschool. But for some reason I have discovered that Unschooling Yahoo Groups are amazing at finding and executing field trips. Start by signing up for every local group you can find; and then unsub from those that do not fit your lifestyle or needs. If you can't find a group -- start one! These groups are an amazing opportunity to network with homeschoolers from all walks of life.
Call your County Extension Office -- usually located within the County Courthouse. They may keep a list for public school teachers, or have brochures available. County Extension Offices are usually run by people with a wealth of knowledge about your area -- pick their brains! While your at it; make that a field trip! Every Courthouse can surely host a County Government field trip!
Local Public Elementary School -- Call and ask them what the standard field trips are for each grade! Also talk to the owners of local Preschools. My sister is the owner and teacher of a fantastic preschool in Southern Indiana; and her field trips are amazing.
The bottom line is; We try not to insist on parent-led learning or gravitate toward child-led learning. We try instead to focus on God-led learning and ask for His input and perspective on every aspect of our home school. That way, when others fuss about what Dan and I are doing and make me second guess our decisions -- I can go back to our decision process and find God's fingerprints, reminding me that this is His way.
