30 Amazing Educational Virtual Field Trips for Kids
During pandemic, many places are still closed; field trips are canceled. Thanks to technology, it is now possible for kids to visit all kinds of places without riding on a bus and physically going to those places. They can visit them in the comfort of their own classrooms or homes. I have combined a list of the best virtual field trips for you.
As working on this list and visiting these tours, I missed the feeling of touching things, walking into places, and talking to others. I am sure kids would have the same feeling; especially they can’t run around and have fun with their friends. Virtual experiences can’t replace the real experiences of physical trips. However, looking at the bright side of the virtual trips, I can’t take my kids to Peru today to visit the Machu Picchu without days of planning. But just with one click, I am there with them on virtual tours. To make the most out of a virtual field trip, we should continue to engage and do extra fun activities. A lot of places not only have free virtual tours but also materials for going along with their tours. Some places offer live tours like classrooms that kids can ask their questions. Some provide curriculums as well. Some have free and paid tours.
- Museum of Science in Boston: Live free virtual event
- Bonnie Plants
- Egg farm field trips from different farms around the U.S.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium with free online classes and parents activities weekly schedule
- Mount Vernon: take a look inside George Washington’s home
- Plimoth Plantation: Take tours of the site of the first Thanksgiving an learn the history
- M&Ms Factory Tour by The Food Network to show how M&Ms are made
- Outer Space Tours by Nasa
- Moon Tour by Nasa
- Mars Tour by Nasa
- Son Dong cave in Vietnam: National Geographic offers a 360-degree tour of the largest cave in the world
- Recycling center and landfill tour
- 360° Cities: provides the largest collection of locations all over the world
- Nearpod: with over 450 destinations to choose. It is both free and paid programs
- Stages around the world
- Georgia Aquarium has free and paid virtual classes for homeschooling
- Great Wall of China virtual tour from TheChinaGuide
- The virtual field trip curriculum by grades and subjects
- Virtual Coral Reef in Bahama Field Trip with toolkits and video
- A field trip back to 17th century English village
- A trip to Ellis Island to learn about historic immigration inspection station
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
- Exploration of ecosystems: about coastal wetlands, algae, and lake sturgeon
- Machu Picchu
- Discovering Egypt
- Fire department virtual trip
- Yosemite park
- Colosseum in Rome Italy
- Virtual trips around the world and the US
- Stonehenge in Viltshire, United Kingdom
- Palace of Versailes in Versailes France
- Wilson Island in Great Barrier Reef, Australia:
- Google Earth: Explore hundreds of cities in 3D, take guided tours, and create your own maps and stories
- Airpano: Visit the world with 360-degree videos and photographs
- Sun Field Trip: a virtual tour to the Sun
- Vatican Museums
Resources:
- 41 Virtual Field Trips for Kids
- Future and Aerospace Innovation: by Boeing and Discovery Education
- Free Virtual Field Trips List
