Virtual Field Trips
Ideas for Virtual Field Trips
Virtual field trips are a great way to expose kids to new places all from the comfort of home. In this age of technology, so many museums, zoos and aquariums have set up virtual tours and webcams of their facilities. Now more than ever is it easier to visit destinations around the world from the comfort of your own couch.
Art Museums
You can visit some of the best museums in the world right from the comfort of your own couch. From Paris to New York you can see priceless works of art from the world’s most famous artists.
- Louvre Museum, Paris https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne
- National Gallery of Art, Washington DC https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/national-gallery-of-art-washington-dc?hl=en
- Metropolitan Museum of Art https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/the-metropolitan-museum-of-art
- Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/van-gogh-museum?hl=en
- Uffizi Gallery, Florence Italy https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/uffizi-gallery?hl=en
Extension Activities
- Choose a favorite painting or sculpture and recreate using materials you have at home
- Research an artist.
- Choose a piece of art to focus on. Describe it, tell why you chose it and how it makes you feel.
- Choose 2 works of art to compare.
Word Travel
Here are some virtual vacation ideas
- Go on a virtual field trip to Ellis Island.
- Visit the Great Wall of China https://www.thechinaguide.com/destination/great-wall-of-china
- Virtually discover Yellowstone National Park https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/photosmultimedia/virtualtours.htm
Extensions Activities
- Write a pretend trip review for the location you visited
- Plan a trip to a new destination. What would you do, see, eat?
- Write a postcard from that destination. Include details about the place and what you can see there.
Zoos and Aquariums
Today many zoos, aquariums use webcams to let you visit their exhibits virtually. Additionally, some zoos and aquariums have set up virtual tours led by their staff to give visitors a more in-depth look at their facility and animal habitats.
- Georgia Aquarium https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/webcam/ocean-voyager/
- National Aquarium Virtual Tour http://samuraivirtualtours.com/example/nadc/index.html
- Virtual Tour of the Seattle Aquarium
- San Diego Zoo https://kids.sandiegozoo.org/videos
- Zoo Atlanta Panda Cam https://youtu.be/_6wbfVWVk8Q
- Smithsonian’s National Zoo https://nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams
- Reid Park Zoo Lion Cam in Tuscon, AZ http://reidparkzoo.org/cameras/lion-cam/
- Ouwehand Park Polar Bear Cubs Rhenen, Netherland https://explore.org/livecams/polar-bears/polar-bear-ouwehand-twin-cubs-cam-2
Extension Activities
- Do more research on your favorite animal and make a guide.
- Research the habitat of your favorite animal. Use at home materials to create a miniature habitat