It also gives teachers the opportunity to illustrate topics using things found and experienced in the real world as examples.
This can bring ideas to life for children.
Nothing sparks curiosity and stimulates imagination quite like a change of setting. Reading about something or hearing about it in the classroom becomes a quite different experience when children encounter it up close in a museum or art gallery, for example.
This, in turn, helps increase engagement and motivation back in the classroom, adding new layers of perspective.
Pupils will often retain what they learn better, and for longer, if it involves hands-on activities.
These activities might involve arts and crafts, sports or performing arts. There are venues and locations across the UK that specialise in practical activities for visiting school pupils.
There are plenty of things to see and experience beyond the classroom, even if these are just in the local area.
A school trip enables pupils to see parts of their area they might not otherwise have visited, which, ultimately, can help build an overall sense of community.
Further afield, exposure to other places helps children understand how different the world can be, and how interesting.
What are the 21st century skills that children need to learn? Pupils need to acquire life skills as much as they must learn academically.
Many school trips provide opportunities for them to learn how to work with others in teams, how to co-operate and communicate.
They can also learn critical thinking and problem-solving through practical involvement, as well as being encouraged to be more creative.
Children are of mixed abilities, and sometimes the classroom struggles to accommodate the different levels of learning children require to help them thrive.
Plenty of destinations for school trips offer different forms of learning, including multimedia and physical interaction and activity.
These can help those who struggle in the conventional classroom to engage much more with the process of learning.
Where pupils have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), there are plenty of places providing support and real-life experiences.
The school trip can be the means of delivering new and different opportunities to learn for children with SEND, including aspects of sensory learning.
Playground Imagineering is a specialist in helping schools take the classroom outdoors. Have a look at our current product range and some of the projects we’ve completed. We’re always happy to chat. Call us on 01925 648959, or email us at sales@playgroundimagineering.co.uk
