Lesson Tutor : 100+ Field Trips

100+ Field Trips!
by Carol Ryan

A few years ago, I was asked to present a workshop for Missionettes sponsors on Field Trips. The following is the handout from the class.

I’d be happy to share the field trip information with you. I’m sending it just like it was in the handout for the classes. We live in Central Florida (near LOTS of touristy places) so they are included but most everything on this list can be done just about anywhere. I’ve left the specifics so that maybe they will jog your memory of what is available in your area.

Until I started researching this for the class I was asked to teach, I had NO IDEA what was actually going on around me. I didn’t know that the Olive Garden (Italian restaurant) gave tours, that the local zoo had a great sleep over plan (Discovery Zone has one, too) or that you could go digging for fossils in a phosphate pit. I laughed so hard when someone first suggested that one to me. It turns out that it’s one of the girls’ favorites! 

I did not come up with these ideas on my own. Three dear friends helped me prepare this list and I would like to give them credit for their work as well. Thank you to John and Sarah Bishop and to Marjorie Lockwood.

I hope this information helps you out. Ignore what you don’t want and keep the rest!

How to have a Successful Field Trip
   1. Consider your girls’ ages, abilities and interests.
   2. If you decide to let them choose their field trip, give no more than three choices. 
   3. Let the girls help with the plans. 
   4. Where will the money come from? 
   5. Check with your church calendar. 
   6. Have dependable, reliable transportation. 
   7. Have adequate adult supervision. 
   8. Obtain a notarized permission slip for each girl. 
   9. Plan your trip well in advance. 
  10. When inquiring about a field trip, ask for group rates and/or educational tours. 
  11. If your group is not large enough, combine with another group. 
  12. If you join with another group, establish chain of command. 
  13. Plan for more than what you can possibly accomplish. 
  14. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS HAVE A BACK-UP PLAN. 
  15. For camp outs, sleep overs, or other overnighters, arrange for security. 
  16. Know what to expect. 
  17. Confirm your field trip. Reconfirm. 
  18. Be patient. If something changes, relax, and be flexible. 
  19. Establish the rules before you go. 
  20. How will you handle last minute guests? 
  21. Leave your area cleaner than how you found it. 
  22. Leave a good tip for services rendered. 
  23. Leave them with a good impression. 
  24. Send a thank you note. 

BRINGING THE FIELD TRIPS TO YOU
   1. Missionaries on furlough
   2. Parents and their jobs
   3. Animals from shelter (their daily care, adoption, etc.) 
   4. Policeman
   5. Fireman
   6. Nurse
   7. K-9 Unit
   8. Ambulance
   9. Sheriff’s helicopter
  10. Fingerprinting
  11. Forestry service (Smokey the Bear) 
  12. McGruff (preventing crime) 
  13. Police robot 
  14. Artist
  15. Teacher of the Deaf (learn a song or scripture verse in sign) 
  16. Auto mechanic (They are learning to drive. Can they change a flat tire, check the oil, etc.?) 
  17. Skin care/hair care
  18. Popcorn/movie night
  19. Astronauts for the day (set class up like the moon) 
  20. Female reserves officer
  21. Lawyer
  22. Judge
  23. Cultural/regional night (Can be home missions night e.g. Louisiana Cajun food, French) 
  24. Progressive Dinner (great interaction with elderly, work on My Church badge) 
  25. Meet Sectional Coordinator, Regional Coordinator, or Sectional WM president
  26. Have a weatherman or other qualified personnel come in for a talk about hurricanes, what to do, what to expect, how to prepare, etc. 

FIELD TRIPS
   1. Publix Dairy Processing Plant
   2. Juice Bowl 665-5515
   3. Orange Grove
   4. Lowry Park Zoo
   5. Library
   6. Doctor’s office
   7. Dentist’s office
   9. Fire department
  10. Police station
  11. Museum of Science and Industry
  12. Old town (free admission) 
  13. STAR (Spanish Television & Radio – Joe & Margaret Register) 
  14. Local church (during a work day in summer would be great) 
  15. Petting farm (Grandma’s farm) 
  16. Bowling
  17. Southeastern college of the Assemblies of God
  18. Miniature golf
  19. Ball game (basketball, volleyball, baseball, etc.) 
  20. Flea market/farmer’s market
  21. Nature walk
  22. Playground or park (Lake Parker Park in Lakeland is great) 
  23. Discovery Zone
  24. Pool
  25. YMCA
  26. Exercise class
  27. Ballet performance
  28. Piano recital
  29. Hospital (General tour or specifically the baby nursery) 
  30. Surgicenter
  31. Nursing Home and shut-ins (deliver cards and cookies) 
  32. Bobby’s Seminole Indian Village
  33. Pizza Hut
  34. McDonalds
  35. Grocery store
  36. Christmas caroling
  37. Beach
  38. School for blind/deaf (St. Augustine) 
  39. Bakery (Country Hearth and Pepperidge Farm in Lakeland) 
  40. Factory
  41. Gas Station
  42. City bus ride
  43. Train Station & train ride
  44. Planetarium (Florida Southern College) 
  45. Tampa International Airport 1-800-767-8882
  46. Waterfront
  47. Fly kites
  48. Post office
  49. A parent’s workplace
  50. TV station (I’ve heard Channel 8 is good) 
  51. Radio Station (WCIE in Lakeland – 859-1477) 
  52. Construction site
  53. Florist
  54. Greenhouse
  55. Nursery (floral) 
  56. Olive Garden
  57. Pet Shop
  58. Humane Society
  59. SPCA
  60. Music store
  61. Concert/opera
  62. Beauty shop
  63. Newspaper office
  64. Day camping
  65. Picnic
  66. Florida Aquarium
  67. Explorations V – Lakeland – 687-3869 (or other children’s hands-on museum) 
  68. Polk Museum of Art – 688-7743 (or other art museum) 
  69. Mayfair by the Lake (Lake Morton – Lakeland – Mother’s Day week-end
  70. Art Festival – November, 1997 – FSC (680-4111) 
  71. Pen. Florida District office 
  72. Another Missionettes club (from another church or possibly the Spanish District) 
  73. Recycling Center or Drop-off place
  74. Natural History Museum
  75. Home business
  76. Bicycle shop
  77. Scavenger hunt in woods/park
  78. Boat ride or day cruise
  79. Strawberry fields
  80. Emergency Communications Center (911)
  81. Ambulance Station
  82. Bank
  83. American Red Cross
  84. Salvation Army
  85. Homeless shelter
  86. Food Bank (bring donations of canned goods)
  87. Epcot
  88. Sea World
  89. Photo Processing Center (take a roll of film of the kids to be developed)
  90. Wal-Mart
  91. Mall
  92. Bookstore
  93. Printing shop
  94. Camp Wilderness/KOA campgrounds
  95. HONOR STAR CROWNING
  96. Slumber parties (include water balloons!)
  97. Military base (impossible during Olympics or national threat)
  98. Ceramics shop (older girls)
  99. Ice Skating (Lakeland Civic Center)
 100. Roller Skating
 101. Sun ‘N Fun Fly-In (Museum & Antique Air Show – Lakeland)
 102. Kennedy Space Center
 103. Old Army Forts or lighthouses
 104. Courthouse
 105. Daycare center
 106. Gymnastics meet
 107. Rafting/inner tubing
 108. Canoeing
 109. Fishing
 110. Veterinarian’s office
 111. Emergency animal hospital/clinic
 112. Ophthalmologist or optometrist
 113. Blood Bank (Citrus Regional Blood Center – Lakeland – 687-8925)
 114. Local medical clinic
 115. Fish Hatchery- Ocala
 116. Fabric store (variety of fabrics – Stars’ sewing badge)
 117. Sanlan Ranch – 665-1726
 118. Lake Kissimmee State Park ($ 3.25/car – 696-1112)
 119. Crystal Springs
 120. Gator Jungle of Plant City – 752-2836 (I-4 to Exit 10 – has a petting zoo)
 121. Alarm or security company
 122. MGM
 123. Universal Studios
 124. Horseback riding
 125. City electric
 126. Goodwill
 127. Soup kitchen
 128. Florida Southern College – 680-4111
 129. Polk Community College – 297-1000
 130. Disney Village (free 7 ride the monorail too!)
 131. Harcourt-Brace-Jovanovich Publishers (Orlando)
 132. Busch Gardens
 133. Splendid China
 134. National Guard Armory – Lakeland
 135. Orange Blossom House (call district office first)
 136. Bok Tower ($ 4.00/adults & $ 1.00/children – 676-1408)
 137. Cypress Gardens 1-800-237-4826
 138. Disney World
 139. Ross of Florida (manufactures underclothes – Stars & Y’s probably – 2765 New Tampa Hwy. -Lakeland – 686-5103
 140. Owens-Corning – Lakeland – 680-4800 (they also recycle glass)
 141. Day-old bread stores (Merita, Dolly Madison, Country Hearth)
 142. U.S. Coast Guard – Clearwater
 143. Lew Gardens – Orlando (lots of birds)
 144. City Hall
 145. Dairy Farm
 146. Ranger store
 147. Christian school
 148. St. Augustine
 149. Florida State Fair
 150. Strawberry Festival
 151. Chamber of Commerce (learn all about your city!)
 152. Phosphate Museum (Mulberry -425-2823 – dig for fossils)
 153. Native American PowWow – Lakeland – 534-4372 – held in November
 154. Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center – 221-1045 (get on mailing list)
 155. Pied Piper Players (Lakeland) 644-2468
 156. Theater Winter Haven -297-4020
 157. Lakeland Imperial Symphony Orchestra – 688-3743

DETAILS
LOWRY PARK ZOO
7530 North Florida Boulevard
Tampa, FL 33604
(813) 935-8552

CONTACT: Laura Welborne – Education Department, Ext. 232 

DESCRIPTION: Spend the night with the manatees. 6:45pm – 8:00am lock-in. They have a snack of 1-2 slices of pizza and soda around 8:30 or 9:00PM. They will have a light breakfast of cereal and juice. You may not bring in your own food. The children take a night hike through the zoo (behind the scenes look). Zoo staff leads other activities such as crafts or games. A night light is on in the tank so the children can watch the manatees. They are active throughout the night. You pick your own theme for the evening. (Manatees, reptiles, amphibians, rain forest, natural Florida, birds, wetlands, etc.) A packet will be sent to you ahead of time. Regardless of the theme, they will be with the Manatees at night. The theme helps determine games, crafts, etc. 

BRING: Sleeping bag and pillow. 

COST: $ 18.00/child – One FREE adult per 10 children. Additional adults are $ 25.00 each 

GROUP AGES: 6 – 18 year olds. It sounds like they may be a little flexible on this but this is their preference. 

LIMIT: Minimum is 15 children. Maximum is 90 children (packed tight).
FLORIDINOS ITALIAN RESTAURANT
105 Lake Miriam Drive
Lakeland, FL 
(941) 644-9177

CONTACT: Robert 

The tour begins at 10:00 am. Children are allowed to make their own pizzas. The restaurant opens at 11:00 am at which time the pizzas are cooked and ready to eat. Groups of 4-23 people are welcome (approx.)

COST: $ 1.75 for children. $ 4.00 for adults (if you want the buffet that is available) 
AMTRAK
For group reservations, call 1-800-872-1477. (Groups of 15 or more)

Lakeland – Tampa 10:21 AM departure. 11:17 AM arrival 
Tampa – Lakeland 4:38 PM departure. 5:11 PM arrival 

ONE WAY: Adults $ 10:00, Children $ 5.00 ROUND TRIP: Adults $ 16.00, Children $ 8.00 

The cost may vary according to holidays, etc.

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