Classroom Ideas
Field trips are a time-honored tradition in the school year. Teachers, students, and parents spend weeks coordinating the perfect chaperon groups, plotting tour itineraries, chasing down permission slips, and preparing the most delicious sack lunch to sustain them through lengthy bus rides and whirlwind-speed tours alike. This year, however, pandemic-induced regulations forcing facilities into shutdowns and school budget cuts dipping into diminishing funds may keep students relegated to the confines of their in-person or virtual classrooms. You can bring back some of the magic of group outings with these great virtual field trips.
1. Discovery Education
This site has busy teachers in mind. You can choose from live or on-demand tours based on a variety of topics, each complete with a teacher’s resource guide full of resources and activities.
2. Lost at the Smithsonian
Your students will love this escape room adventure as they solve puzzles and answer questions to navigate their way through the museum and find their class before the bus leaves.
3. Skype in the Classroom
Connect your students with inspiring experts in their fields through Skype’s global lineup of live and on-demand events.
4. Louvre
France’s reputed museum offers several themed tours to give your students a new experience each time they visit.
5. Explore Livecams
Get your students up close and personal with a wide variety of lovable animals and breathtaking locations with this comprehensive collection of live cameras.
6. Virtual Yosemite
From the panoramic overlook at Glacier Point, students can click on hotspots to experience all the sights and sounds of Yosemite National Park.
7. The Nature Conservancy
Bring nature’s greatest wonders into the classroom when you embark on tours of forests, coral reefs, deserts, and more. Each virtual field trip includes a video, teacher’s guide, and student activities.
8. National Aquarium
Take your students out of the classroom and under the sea as they navigate the National Aquarium’s exhibit-by-exhibit virtual access to their awe-inspiring facility.
9. South Carolina Aquarium
Join the aquarium’s Facebook page for weekly live turtle talks and virtual visits every Wednesday and Friday at 10 am and 1 pm. You and your students can also explore past programs with the cache of video links on their virtual visits page.
10. New York State Museum
Catch NYSM’s virtual tours on their Facebook page every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday as scientists, historians, and educators give you a front-row look at the museum’s exhibits and collections. Check out this playlist to take advantage of over 60 pre-recorded virtual field trips.
11. The Henry Ford Museum
Ignite your students’ critical thinking with this glimpse into modern miracles of imagination and innovation.
12. Boston Children’s Museum
Your students can explore three floors of lively exhibits.
13. Farm Food 360
Allow your students to discover the roots of their nutrition with tours of Canada’s top agricultural facilities.
14.The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks
This Google Arts and Culture site offers your students a treasure trove of narrated 360° adventures at such sites as Hawaiian volcanoes, Alaskan glaciers, the Carlsbad Caverns, and many more.
15. California State Parks
Through the Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students (PORTS) initiative, you and your students can register to participate in a multitude of scheduled and on-demand Zoom programs.
16. Museo Frida Kahlo
Take your students on a 360° “walk” through La Casa Azul, home of famous artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. After your tour, check out collections of objects and artwork throughout The Blue House and exhibitions of Kahlo’s iconic dresses.
17. Smithsonian’s National Zoo
View your students’ favorite animals in real-time with the zoo’s webcams and take your adventure to the next level with their Animal Cam Educational Activities designed for learners in grades K-5.
18. San Diego Zoo
Younger students will love learning about wildlife with games, activities, videos, facts, and more.
19. Machu Picchu
This virtual tour will leave your students spellbound with its informative narration and stunning panoramic views of one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
20. The Great Wall of China
Filmed while the country was under quarantine, the free tour allows your students to traverse the wall with 11 high-resolution panoramic views unobstructed by the customary crowds. You can elect to unlock the full tour for a small fee.
21. Windsor Castle
Your students will have a royally good time as they explore the Queen’s official residence.
22. Egyptian Tomb
Perfect for older students, this interactive 3D model of a 5000-year-old tomb by Harvard University is full of clickable hotspots with text and reconstruction images to make this a truly immersive experience.
23. History View
Click the hotspots on their world map, explore options by locations and topic, scroll through their most popular virtual tours, or use the search function to find the virtual tour that meets your students’ interests and curricular needs.
24. The History Underground
Subscribe to this Youtube channel for a comprehensive list of historical tours.
25. Ellis Island
Scholastic’s virtual field trip gives students an in-depth look at immigration.
26. Rock Hall Edu
Bring music to life with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s access to a rich selection of lesson plans and instructional materials.
27. Solar System Scope
Take your students on an out-of-this-world adventure through the solar system as they navigate the real-time night sky.
28. NASA at Home
From videos to photo galleries to 360° tours, NASA has a wide range of virtual experiences to engage your students.
29. Mars
Blast off to the surface of the Red Planet with real images recorded by NASA’s Curiosity Rover.
30. Google Maps
La Maestra Loca shares great tips on how you can turn any lesson into a virtual field trip, even on a moment’s notice.
Your students deserve the world, and with virtual field trips, you can give them just that. To get the most educational value out of your experience, check out this guide to planning virtual field trips.
