Phantastic Philadelphia Field Trip Ideas (Part II)

Focus on Science/Technology:

Here’s a list of some more fabulous places to take your homeschool group, class, or family for a field trip.  Our homeschool group/family has been to all of these places and loved them!  This week the ideas I’m suggesting all are in the “Science” or “Technology” category.

1.  Fox 29 News:  Are you studying the weather?  Sound?  The senses?  Why not try to schedule a tour of this amazing TV station?*  Our homeschool group went here a few years ago.  It was an excellent field trip!               http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/about_us/ContactFox29

2.  KYW News Radio: If you’re studying sound or electronics this may be a wonderful field trip for your homeschool group.*  Our kids had the opportunity to meet some radio personalities and witness a live radio broadcast.             http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/station/kyw-newsradio/

3.  Herr’s Snack Food Factory:  If you are studying simple machines in science, this may be a great place to take your homeschool group.  The tours are FREE!  Kids get to see complex machines at work doing various tasks.  Not far from Philadelphia.   http://www.herrs.com/SnackFactoryTours/ScheduleTour.html

4.  Wissahickon Environmental Center:  Our homeschool group takes a field trip to this wonderful education center at least once a year.  They offer outdoor classes on a variety of topics including:  apple pressing, maple sugaring, native wildlife, creeks, forest ecology and watersheds.   Most classes are under $5 per child if there are 10 or more in a group.         http://fairmountpark.org/WissahickonEC.asp

5.  Franklin Institute:  This is my kids’ favorite museum in Philadelphia.  The museum is enormous!  Whole rooms are dedicated to such topics as: Physics, Electricity, Simple Machines, Flight, Trains, The Heart, The Earth, Physical Fitness, and more.  Their Omniverse presentations are excellent.  They also show scientific movies in 3-D and have a Planetarium.   Once a month admission is free.  See my older post about Free Admission:  https://phillyhomeschool.wordpress.com/2011/09/18/free-special-admission-for-2-fantasic-philly-museums/  Here is a link to the museum’s website: http://www2.fi.edu/

6.  Fairmount Waterworks Interpretive Center:   This museum educates students on how different kinds of pollution affect our water specifically here in Philadelphia.  Students also learn how water is sent to homes throughout Philadelphia.  The museum has FREE  admission.  There are also a variety of educational classes that can be requested through their website.  http://www.fairmountwaterworks.org/education.php?sec=4   For a brochure about their classes, click here: http://fairmountwaterworks.org/FWWICteachWeb2a.pdf

7.  Wagner Free Institute of Science:  This museum is not far from Temple University.  Highlights of the museum include a mineral collection, a fossil collection, and skeletons, skulls and skins of species from around the globe, including many that are now endangered.  They offer a variety of classes to school and homeschool groups.  http://www.wagnerfreeinstitute.org/museum.shtml  For a list of available classes for homeschoolers, click here: http://www.wagnerfreeinstitute.org/FieldTripLessons.htm

8.  Crystal Cave:   This cave is outside of Philadelphia (Kutztown PA), but its worth the trip.  If you are studying geology, the trip will be especially memorable for your students.  http://www.crystalcavepa.com/

• To See Part I of “Phantastic Philadelphia Field Trip Ideas”  click HERE.
• To see Part III of “Phantastic Philadelphia Field Trip Ideas” click HERE.
• To see Part IV of “Phantastic Philadelphia Field Trips” click HERE.
• To see Part V of “Phantastic Philadelphia Field Trip Ideas” click HERE
• To see Part VI of “Phantastic Philadelphia Field Trip Ideas” click HERE.
• To see Part VII of “Phantastic Philadelphia Field Trip Ideas” click HERE.

* Please contact these businesses to see if they are still giving tours of their facility.  Reservations may need to made several months in advance.

Posted by Gwen Fredette on November 15th, 2011