AD | Collaborative post
School trips can form some of our fondest memories from childhood. They can bring classroom-based learning to life through exploring topics in a new and exciting environment. Children can learn about the world in an alternative way and have some fun with their school friends in the process. Here an Independent school in Wales outlines the other benefits of school trips for children.
Memory recall
By learning about topics in a fun and interactive way, children may find it easier to remember facts and details and apply them to their classroom-based learning. For example, a visit to a history museum could cement key information in children’s minds, such as the dates of wars or names of previous kings, which they can then reproduce in a school test or project.
Personal skills development
Encouraging children to work in pairs or groups during trips will assist in the development of their interpersonal skills and encourage teamwork. Children will learn to work together to solve a problem or find something out, which also helps foster self-confidence. Taking them out of their comfort zone will encourage the development of different skills and may help overcome any fears children have about going to new places and trying new activities.
Variety and novelty
As important as classroom-based learning is, children can find it a bit monotonous, and if they’re bored it’s likely their concentration levels will reduce. Transporting learning to a fresh environment and approaching topics from a different perspective can re-capture children’s attention and interest in the subject; it might even inspire them to extend their learning at home. The novelty of school trips can provide the variation bored and tired young minds need to absorb new information or consolidate existing knowledge.
Changing dynamics
A fun and well organised school trip can help children see their teacher from a different perspective, particularly if your child has a fraught relationship with them. Seeing a teacher having fun and learning with them, instead of talking at them, will show children that their teacher is human too and is doing their best to make learning interesting. Taking teachers and children out of their normal classroom environment can change dynamics in a good way, hopefully continuing when they return to school.
As you can see, there are many benefits to taking children out of their comfort zone and shifting their learning to different surroundings, and school trips can be an efficient way of doing this.