Tips for Planning a School Field Trip

As any visitor will note when touring monuments in the nation’s capital, during any given week students from all over the country, take school field trips in Washington, D.C. Whether they come from near or far, kids always learn something about U.S. history and politics when they visit. If you are planning a school field trip, the tips below can help you streamline the process.

Make a Budget

To ensure that you keep the prices for your school field trip within a range that both your school and the students’ families can afford, you need to make a budget for your trip. Besides the obvious things like transportation and accommodation, consider how much you will need to budget for food for each child, and don’t forget to factor in costs for the adult chaperones, both teachers and parents.

List Your Priorities

There are so many memorials and museums to visit in Washington, D.C., that it can be an event coordination overload. To keep your trip focused, make a list of all the “must-see” items for your students. You could also pick one theme, and stick with it. For example, you could arrange a sightseeing tour that visits all the war memorials or a separate one that visits all the Presidential memorials, but trying to do all of those in one day might be exhausting and confusing for your students.

Create a Schedule

You need to plan out your days carefully so that your field trip feels neither boring nor rushed. Be sure to factor in extra time for the logistical details, such as getting all the students seated on the charter bus, allowing time for bathroom breaks, and performing headcounts. Also, consider contacting an education tour service to schedule a sightseeing tour—this can greatly enhance your D.C. experience and it saves you the hassle of planning it yourself.

Haymarket Transportation can help you with all the logistical details of your school field trip to Washington, D.C. Call us today at 301-778-2007 to start planning.