How to Create a Fun Virtual Field Trip

Wouldn’t it be the BEST if you could actually take your students on a tour of Machu Picchu during your South American studies unit? Or how about a ride through the Australian Outback when learning about the 7 continents? While real-life field trips to far off places might not be in your budget, how about the next best thing: a fun virtual field trip! Take your students on the trip of a lifetime without leaving your classroom.

When I created my “Trip to” series, my goal was to shake things up and give my students a real treat while learning about new places. I wanted to bring learning to life for my students so they could experience places they’d never been to in an exciting, new way. So I’m going to share my best practice tips on how to take your students on the field trip of a lifetime right from your classroom!

1. The build-up

Create excitement by telling your students you’re taking them on a trip to Mexico! (Or wherever you’re learning about currently.) To really sell it, create plane tickets for each student with their names on them. It’s fun to make it detailed, like including a seat assignment, boarding gate (i.e. room number), and departure time. I include pre-made plane ticket templates in each of my “Trip to” resources, so all you have to do is print and fill in the blanks!

You can also download this free Student Passport from my TPT shop. Give each student a passport and a plane ticket the night before your virtual field trip. And they’ll be dying to come back to class the next day!

2. The setup

To prep for your adventure, setup your classroom like the inside of an airplane. I like to move all the desks to one side of the room. Then setup the chairs into rows facing the screen or board. You can leave an aisle between the rows, and have students find their seats by walking down the aisle. Get really fancy by posting the seat numbers on each row so that students have to find their seat assignments like when getting on a real airplane!

3. Takeoff!

You could assign a student to be the ticket collector (or “gate agent”). Or fill that role yourself. And once all students have boarded their flight, make an announcement that you’re ready for takeoff to Mexico! (Or whatever destination you’re headed to.)

Play this recording of an airplane takeoff, and pretend to fly all the way to your destination! During the flight, you could even provide snacks on the plane! This could be as simple as pretzels and Sprite. Or you could choose food and drink specific to the place you’re visiting that day. Like chips and salsa, or pineapple and fruit juice, etc.

4. The destination

Learn all about a new place by sharing an engaging PowerPoint presentation with your students. Include lots of photos and unique facts about the place you’re visiting. Share about the culture, people who live there, languages, food, animals, history, and geography. I always like to highlight a few key features, like a specific city or landmark.

In my “Trip to” series, the included PowerPoint presentations are packed with real photos, tons of interesting facts, and interactive trivia to keep students engaged. Depending on where you’re visiting with your students, you can add more elements to really feed all the senses. Like sharing food, music, and even crafts specific to your field trip destination! Multiple activities and ideas are included in each of my resources to help students really engage with the place they’re learning about.

5. Returning home

Whew! Once your jet-setting adventures are over (for now), you can start planning your next learning adventure! There are 8 different destinations available in my “Trip to” series, so you can easily spread them throughout the year. Students will excitedly look forward to the next fun virtual class field trip you take them on each month!

And after you’ve exhausted the earth-bound destinations, why not venture into outer space? A trip through our solar system will really get your students excited to learn! Check out these solar system activities and ideas which includes a space activity book freebie! The free activity book pairs perfectly with this Trip to Outer Space resource.

Fun Virtual Field Trips Made Easy

There are 8 “Trip to” continents and countries resources available in my TPT shop. Most are available individually and also as a convenient, money-saving bundle. Grab the complete “Trip to” Continents and Countries Bundle today to easily create fun and exciting virtual field trips for your students all year!

Your students will long remember the unique and fun virtual field trip you create for them! I’d love to see your class trips in action! If you use any of these resources in your class, please share your photos with me on Instagram @ashleymckenzietpt. Enjoy the adventure!