BestHomeschooling.org's Guide to California Field Trip Resources: Finding Field Trips in Your Neighborhood
Finding Field Trips in Your Neighborhood California California Outdoors Northern California Northern California Outdoors Southern California Southern California Outdoors Field trip web site listings by subject: An entirely different set from those listed above by region. Special Resources That Are Found Statewide City and County Websites Informational WebSites: Background information on various sights and resources found throughout the state.

Most people already have a great many more resources than they realize. Take your phone directory: an average phone book might have 30 or more pages of local resource listings in the front. It might include a local map with parks marked in green; a calendar of events; a directory describing museums in the area; maps of theater and stadium seating; a directory of neighborhood parks and their features; and a directory of regional parks with details about their features. The Yellow Pages make another good source for resources. For example, if you look up Tourist and Sightseeing Information & Attractions, you’ll find that even non-profit groups have listed themselves as sources of information.

A visit to your local Chamber of Commerce and/or Tourist Information Center will help you discover how much there is to see and do in your own neighborhood. You may also find interesting ideas buried away in commercial tourist brochures, and travel books at libraries and bookstores. In our directory here, you will find links to City and County websites that tell you all about their areas.

You might not have a fabulous nature preserve nearby, or a factory that makes teddy bears, but think about simple kinds of things a child might find fascinating. The fire department is a popular one—friendly firefighters showing their bright, shiny equipment. Might your local supermarket’s manager arrange a tour of the store? Kids love to see the warehouse, the loading dock and conveyor belts. Maybe there’s a box crusher, or even a one-way mirror for observing the store from the upstairs office—and what fun to peek out from behind the milk cartons in the cooler (“Moooo!”).

How about a bakery? An early morning trip to a bakery can be special fun with the treat of bread hot out of the oven. Perhaps you will find a friendly pizza parlor that lets kids make their own pizzas. How about the post office? Look through the yellow pages and you might be surprised what you find. What kind of factories are in your town? What would your kids like to see up close?