virtual field trips for preschoolers free

42 Virtual Field Trips for Kids to Get Them Learning About the World

Kids can go from Ellis Island to Mars without leaving the couch.

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With rates of COVID-19 on the rise again, parents are preparing for the possibility of another round of stay-at-home orders. Or, even if the official word to stay indoors isn't coming down from local governments, careful families might be planning for a winter at home, just to be safe.

These virtual field trips for kids will have them gazing at world-class art, learning about history, discovering science, and even checking out what it's like in outer space. No matter their interests, be it history, art or science, you'll be able to take a "trip" to match.

Of course, these are still screen experiences. If you want to make the most out of a virtual field trip, try to get your kids to continue to engage with the material even after they've turned off their devices with a fun learning activity . Depending on their age, they could either draw what they most remember or what their favorite part of the "trip" was, or write out a couple of facts that they've learned. If you plan on doing many of these, you can even create a binder to act as a log for your virtual explorer.

Tour collections and learn about the history of art and artifacts with these online museum experiences.

• American Museum of Natural History : Brian Selznick, author of Wonderstruck , leads a virtual tour of the museum, meeting field experts along the way.
• British Museum : This cool, interactive site lets kids browse the museum collection by time period, not by room, so kids can focus in on the era they're most interested in.
• Colonial Williamsburg : Eight different webcams let viewers peek in on what's happening at places like Merchants' Square or Raleigh Tavern.
• Frida Kahlo Museum : You might not be able to get to Mexico City, Mexico, but you can still explore the work of artist Frida Kahlo and imagine her life in the "Casa Azul" (Blue House).
• Historic Hudson Valley : This site offers many history-themed online experiences for kids, from " Traders and Raiders ," which looks at the history of pirates in the greater New York Area, to " People Not Property ," which teaches kids about slavery. There are also lots of ideas for at-home historical activities, like cooking with cornmeal or " tinsmithing " at home with aluminum foil.
• Metropolitan Museum of Art : The #MetKids site is geared for little ones, and lets them explore a cute, illustrated map to find treasures in the museum's collection.
• Musée du Louvre : The world-famous museum offers virtual tours by subject, from the body in art to Egyptian antiquities.
• Museum of Science : The #MOSatHome page offers virtual looks at the Boston museum's exhibits and hosts daily livestreams and webinars.
• National Baseball Hall of Fame : Browse through the collection of photographs, memorabilia and more to learn more about America's national pastime. The museum also offers virtual programming on its YouTube page .
• National Constitution Center : Explore exhibitions about constitutional conflicts through the years, including "Hamilton: The Constitutional Clashes That Shaped a Nation." For a fee groups can also participate in live, virtual guided tours for up to 300 people.
• National Gallery of Art : The National Gallery has 50 video tours specifically geared towards kids, focusing on a work and the people, places, and scenes surrounding its creation.
• National Museum of Computing : Located in Bletchley Park in the U.K., home of the famous WWII codebreakers like Alan Turing, this museum offers a virtual tour that takes visitors through the history of computers.
• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History : You can bookmark this one to visit over and over, since it offers virtual version of every exhibition in the museum.
• The Vatican Museum : You can get 360 looks at nine rooms in the Vatican — including the magnificent Sistine Chapel.

See how food grows, is harvested, and gets to your table with these farm tours.

• American Egg Board : The Egg Board has virtual tours of different egg farms, and many of them let you choose different videos for elementary and middle school students.
• Bonnie Plants : Home Depot takes kids on a multi-part virtual field trip to this grower, hoping to inspire kids to get into gardening themselves.
• Bright Farms : A farm grower in Irvington, NY shows kids how food goes from the field (in this case, an indoor grower) to the grocery store. There's even a quiz at the end!
• Farm Food 360 : Kids can see 11 different sorts of farm and food plants, including dairy cow farms, egg processing facilities and an apple orchard.

You might not be able to go on your sightseeing vacation at the moment, but these virtual landmark tours are the next best thing.

• Buckingham Palace : Go room-by-room and see all of the amazing historical objects in the palace.
• Ellis Island : See the island the way the 12 million immigrants did between 1892 and 1954 through a virtual tour with lots of first-hand stories.
• Washington, DC : Pick and choose from more than 24 landmarks in our nation's capital, including the White House, the Capitol, the Supreme Court — even that National Zoo! The tours are given by Richard Kurin, Ph.D., Smithsonian Distinguished Scholar and Ambassador-at-Large, and feature videos, quizzes, reader polls and interactive maps.
• Mount Rushmore : The virtual tour of Mount Rushmore was created through 3D scans of the mountain.
• Mount Vernon : Take a look inside George Washington's home the same way you would click through Street View on a Google Map.
• Plimoth Plantation : Take a tour of the site of the first Thanksgiving, and learn the history behind the event.
• The White House : President Obama narrates a tour of "The People's House," and you can scroll around and click on points of interest.

Zoos and Aquariums

These zoos and aquariums have live cams where kid can check in with the animals.

• Atlanta Zoo
• Cincinnati Zoo
• Georgia Aquarium
• Houston Zoo
• Reid Park Zoo
• Shedd Aquarium
• San Diego Zoo
• Monterey Bay Aquarium
• National Aquarium

Even More Fun

From a candy factory to the surface of Mars, these tours take kids to places that aren't available to them even in normal times.

• Discovery Education : The site hosts virtual field trips for kids, from engineering plants that make the cars of the future to a lab that researches nuclear energy.
• Johnson Space Center : Boeing leads the tour through the Houston, Texas facility, covering the history — and future — of aerospace innovation.
• M&Ms Factory Tour : The Food Network hosts a virtual tour of the M&Ms factory and shows how the delicious candy gets made.
• Outer Space Tours: Kids can see the real surface of Mars , courtesy of the Curiosity rover. NASA also does virtual tours of the Moon , along with the International Space Station .
• Recycling Simplified : Take kids on a tour of a modern-day recycling center or landfill, and teach them about environmental sustainability.
• Sơn Đoòng : National Geographic offers a 360-degree tour of the world's largest cave, situated in Quảng Bình Province, Vietnam. You can even hear the water as it runs over the rocks.

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68 Best Virtual Field Trips for Kids

In the Classroom

Here you will find a list of the best virtual field trips for kids, ranging from preschool and kindergarten to elementary aged children.

These virtual field trips for kids will leave your kiddos learning about animals, history, community helpers, space, national parks, sports arenas, and farms all over the world! The interactive tour with live webcams are a great way to give the kids a closer look at outer space, an animals natural habitat, and our natural world.

Whether for homeschool, preK, kindergarten, first grade, or second grade, you can quickly find great virtual field trips below with the easy-to-find categories. If you’re looking for a middle school and high school appropriate virtual reality field trip, there will be a few to choose from. Otherwise, these are geared towards the younger children. Can’t find what you are looking for? Leave a comment at the end of the post, and I will gladly search for a fun virtual field trip for kids.

Free Virtual Field Trips Zoo and Animals

• San Diego Zoo : Live animal cameras and instructional activities
• Butterfly Garden : Learn all about butterlies with this 9 minute video of the most beautiful butterfly habitats in the world.
• Animal Shelter : This 8 minute video shows the Kidvision kids learning about the animal shelter and how to adopt a pet
• Emerald Hills Animal Hospital
• Dinosaur Exhibit
• Conservation Biology Institute and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo

The Best Virtual Field Trips to a Farm

During the Fall, most elementary grades take a field trip to a farm. The most popular guided tour school groups are animal farms, apple orchards, and pumpkin patches. Below are virtual field trip experiences your kids will love!

• Dairy Farm : Complete with a downloadable companion activity to get your kids prepared for the virtual field trip of a dairy farm.
• Animal Farm
• Condee Horse Farm:  Meet Shorty in this 8 minute virtual tour of a horse farm.
• Dutch Hollow Farm : 50 minute tour of a dairy farm
• Tailview Farm : A 47 minute tour of the Tailview Farm recorded in 2020
• Bonnie Plants : Home Depot takes kids on a multi-part virtual field trips to see gardens and plants
• Egg Farm Field Trip

Virtual Field Trips Aquarium

• Seattle Aquarium
• Monterey Bay Aquarium Live Cam
• Mystic Aquarium
• National Aquarium

Community Helpers Virtual Field Trips for Kids

Most elementary social studies curriculum integrates community helpers! These virtual tours will support your lessons by offering an interactive experience.

• Ft. Lauderdale Children’s Theater
• Airport : Sit in a cockpit, learn how to fuel a helicopter, and visit an airplane museum
• Construction Site
• Bank : Visit the SunTrust Bank with the KidVision kids
• Television Station : An 8 minute video touring a TV studio with Penny. Learn about green screens, sound and audio boards, and much more.
• Recycling Center : Here’s an 8 minute video touring a recycling center
• Library : Learn about putting books in alphabetical order, how to check out your favorite books, and all the other fun parts of a library.
• Post Office : Learn how to mail a letter
• Fire Station
• Whole Foods Grocery Store
• Police Station
• Boston Children’s Museum

Virtual Field Trips to Food and Candy Shops

• Ice Cream Parlor : Visit Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor and learn how to order from a menu, choose your favorite toppings, and more sweet fun!
• Chocolate Factory : Take this fun tour with the KidVision kids and Ms. Penny to see how chocolate is made – from the bean to the candy
• How M&Ms are made
• Bakery:  A 7 minute video that will take you to a bakeshop and show how cupcakes are made

Virtual Field Trip to Space

The live videos of space exploration are excellent educational activities.

• Visit the Moon : This 23 minute video will take you on a NASA virtual field trip to the moon.
• Kennedy Space Center
• Virtual Tour of Mars (Access Mars)
• Slime in Space
• Google Earth interactive map to get the google street view of any location in the world, such as the Great Lakes, the Liberty Bell, Mexico City, New York City, or the beautiful Yosemite National Park.
• International Space Station

Virtual Field Trips for Learning History

• Pilgrim Life:  Learn about games and chores of pilgrim children in the 1620s
• George Washington’s Mount Vernon
• White House : Take a virtual tour of the white house
• Statue of Liberty
• Railroad Museum : Learn about railroad safety in this 5 minute video by Kid Vision
• Smithsonian National Museum of History :  Click to see different areas of the museum as you and the kids walk through this virtual tour.
• Great Wall of China : Although the history behind this extraordinary exhibit is beyond early childhood curriculum, the kids will love the 360-degree view. This virtual tour of the great wall of china would be great when teaching different cultures.
• Mount Rushmore
• Plimoth Plantation: Perfect for your Thanksgiving activities and lessons for kids
• Empire State Building Live Cam
• Ellis Island

Amazing National Parks Virtual Tours

• Yellowstone National Park
• Grand Canyon
• Amazon Rainforest
• African Safari in Etosha

Sports Virtual Field Trips

• Baseball Stadium : This 6 minute video will take you on a virtual field trip to a Baseball Stadium. Meet the team mascot, throw a pitch, and much more.
• Bowling Alley:  Join the kids as they go to a bowling alley, learn how to pick out the right ball, and have fun with some strikes!
• Play 60 Football Stadium Virtual Field Trip for Kids

Virtual Field Trips to Oceans

• Hawaii : Learn about Hawaiian art, music, and dance.
• Artic : Explore the arctic for kids and learn about arctic animals and climates
• Coral Reef : See sea turtles, octopus, eels, and more as you explore the coral reef.

Virtual Field Trips to Kids Museum

• Children’s Museum of Atlanta : This was rated amongst the top world-famous museum choices for kids
• Explore STEM and STEAM projects at the National Children’s Museum

I hope you’ve enjoyed this collection of these best places for virtual field trips for kids. Be sure to bookmark this page, so you can easily access it throughout the year. If you’d like to join the Little Learning Corner email crew, sign up HERE to get something new, fun, and helpful every week!

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When you can't get away, your kids still can by taking a virtual field trip to a museum, farm, zoo, or another fun location. We compiled our list of favorites to help you keep your kids engaged and entertained. Some of these are virtual tours (you can actively decide where to go on the tour) and others are video walkthroughs (just watch and learn), but all give you a great experience of the location.

Best Art-Centric Virtual Tour: The Met

A glimpse at some of the greatest works of art created.

Online exhibits on various topics.

There's only one view of the museum currently available.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is home to over 5,000 years of art from around the world. You can see some of it from the comfort of your home. Take a virtual stroll through part of the museum using Google Street View. There are also numerous online exhibits on topics like Coco Chanel, Vermeer, Catholic allegory in art, and more.

Best Tour of Space: NASA

The volume of space videos.

The approachable aspect of the videos.

So much more to see on the site.

It's not easily searchable unless you know what you're looking for.

This might be cheating a bit because it's really a collection of videos, but, oh boy, what a collection to tour! The Galleries open up an array of videos covering space topics from testing a parachute for Mars to moving water in space. Each video is a mini virtual tour that will awe kids and encourage interest in science and space.

Best Tour of the White House: Google Arts & Culture's The White House

Stunning 360-degree images.

See inside and outside the White House.

Offers views of 140 paintings.

Once inside a tour, it's hard to know what you're looking at.

No search functions.

Every President since John Adams has occupied the White House and now your children can visit it, too. Google Arts & Culture offers four museum views (three tours of The White House and one of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building) plus a look at more than 140 paintings that grace (or have graced) the walls of the country's most famous abode. The 360-degree images let kids explore to their heart's desire.

Best Cave Virtual Tour: Son Doong Cave

Son Doong is beautiful.

The virtual tour includes lots of information.

Zoom into areas for a more detailed look.

No supplemental online activities.

Son Doong is the world's largest natural cave. Located in Vietnam, it features a subterranean river and the largest cross-section of any cave worldwide. National Geographic's virtual tour lets you explore the cave with full 360-degree views and immersive sounds. You can even zoom in one area to check out the campers in their tents. Son Doong is beautiful and worth a virtual visit.

Best National Park Virtual Tour: Yellowstone

Offers multiple tours.

Lots of historical information.

Amazing images.

No video tours.

Lots of written information that can turn off some kids.

Yellowstone offers seven virtual tours appropriate for older elementary and middle school ages. There's a lot of written information along with the images, and the tours aren't in video. However, the information is fascinating, and the photos are stunning.

From learning about old Fort Yellowstone to discovering park anomalies like Mud Volcano, these tours are a great way for kids to discover unique facts about America.

Best Natural History Tour: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

So many exhibits to see!

Easy, clickable maps.

Quick and easy to navigate.

It's not always easy to read the signs in the exhibits.

This iconic museum is dedicated to understanding the natural world and humanity's place in it. There's so much to see it can't possibly be listed here. However, the museum offers an online tour of most of its exhibits. Split this tour up into multiple lessons, so kids don't get overwhelmed.

Skip the ground floor and go straight to the first or second floors.

Best Aquarium Virtual Tour: National Aquarium

Easy to find exhibits.

Fun to explore using the 360-degree options.

Some scenes spin quickly, which can frustrate young learners.

Baltimore's National Aquarium features more than 20,000 aquatic animals. Kids can click and drag images to navigate their way around and use arrows, the map, or a scene list to explore various exhibits. Explore eight areas, such as the Amazon River, a tropical rain forest, and jellyfish.

Best Tours of the World: AirPano

Bright, well-produced videos and images.

Offers tours of numerous countries.

Includes video and still frame-images.

What's not to like?

AirPano has a variety of tours in China, Portugal, Switzerland, and more countries. Children can visit the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge in China, an underwater cave in Indonesia, ski resorts in France, and more destinations around the globe.

What makes this site so good is that it offers narrations of several tours, provides closeups through interactive actions, and includes short chunks of written information that's easy for kids of most ages to read. The tours are also fairly short, which makes these tours great for younger kids, but older kids will still enjoy the trip.

Best Virtual Tour for Car Lovers: Lane Motor Museum

Totally unique tour.

An inside look that allows for deep diving into collections.

There's no way to tell what a specific vehicle is unless you know cars.

Scroll to the bottom of the link to watch a fun virtual tour of one of the most unique car museums in the world. Lane Motor Museum is home to an oddball collection of vehicles dating from the 1920s up to modern times.

Your child will love seeing amphibious vehicles, microcars, prototypes, and more. The tour is easy to click through and offers six angles to entertain viewers.

Best Tours of Nature: Nature Works Everywhere

Tours are narrated and easy to follow.

Provides student handouts, vocabulary, and discussion questions.

We wish there was a larger library of tours!

Explore nature around the world with Nature Works Everywhere's virtual tours. Visit the coral reefs of Palau, the deserts and grasslands of Africa, a rainforest (from a canoe's viewpoint), a renewable energy plant, and more.

The tours are narrated and give great, quick facts to help kids learn in simple, straightforward ways. All tours are appropriate for grades 3 through 12 but are marked with notes about the grades most likely to enjoy the tour.

Best Historical Tour: Ellis Island

A clear explanation of Ellis Island, how it worked, and why it was needed.

Includes children asking questions of tour guides.

The images in much of the tour are small in order to focus on the tour guides.

Ellis Island is a key piece of American history. This virtual tour offers lots of anecdotes and features actual guides from Ellis Island telling stories. Plus, it includes lots of pictures and views of the island.

It's more appropriate for fourth grade and up, mainly due to the litany of facts and complexity of the information provided.

Best Slime-Based Virtual Tour: Slime in Space

Nickelodeon

It's playful and educational.

Good production values.

Fun experiments.

It's a video, not an interactive virtual tour.

What happens to Nickelodeon's iconic slime when it's in space? That's the concept behind the Slime in Space virtual field trip. Featuring real astronauts and Nickelodeon celebrities, the 15-minute video shows kids how slime and water react in a microgravity environment 250 miles above the Earth. Along the way, it answers burning questions like, "Is slime a solid or a liquid?" and "Can you slime a person in space?" (The answer is: yes, very slowly.)

Best Virtual Zoo Tour: San Diego Zoo

Live cams of the animals.

A variety of educational videos.

Fun games and activities.

Fixed camera angles mean you're not always guaranteed to see the animals.

The San Diego Zoo is home to more than 3,500 animals of more than 650 species and subspecies. It's widely considered one of the best zoos in the world. But, if you can't make it to California, it has a robust virtual experience online.

You can peek in on the animals through live cams. There's also a variety of videos that teach kids about vultures or show them how to draw a tiger, for example. There are also zoo-related games and activities kids can do at home.

Best General Farm Tour: FarmFood 360

360-degree views of the farm.

Offers a free app for Android and iOS.

It can be hard to see things on a mobile device.

FarmFood 360 gives an inside look at the activities of a Canadian farm. Kids see 360-degree views of the farm as they learn about milk and cheese production, sheep farming, egg processing, and more.

There's an app available for Android and iOS devices, and it's compatible with some virtual reality headsets.

Best Virtual Planetarium: Stellarium

Realistic night sky simulation.

Mobile apps are available.

Includes a telescope control module for experienced astronomers.

Can be difficult to navigate.

The mobile apps aren't free, but the money supports the project.

Stellarium Web is an online planetarium created by two brothers. Offering an accurate and realistic view of the night sky, it lets you pan around and spot stars, satellites, and other celestial bodies.

It offers mobile apps for Android and iOS that aren't free. The money goes toward paying server and development costs for the two-person project.

Best Living-History Virtual Tour: Colonial Williamsburg

Next best thing to being there.

The virtual scavenger hunt.

The virtual tours are highly interactive.

Virtual tour models can load slowly.

Condensation or inclement weather can obstruct the webcam views.

Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum in Virginia that offers a glimpse at what life was like in the 18th century. Its virtual tour is highly interactive and includes videos, informational signs, and 3D models you can rotate.

With its various webcams, you can see the armory, courthouse, merchants square, and more. Colonial Williamsburg's website also offers a virtual scavenger hunt your kids can participate in as they tour the area.

Best European Museum Virtual Tour: The Louvre

It's the Louvre.

The website offers a list of online family-friendly activities.

The virtual tours include a map and an information button.

The website offers limited language options.

Sure, we'd love to jet off to France and tour its fabulous museums personally. But if that's not an option, the Louvre has several virtual tours available on its website. The offerings include exhibitions on the body in movement, founding myths, Egyptian antiquities, and more.

The Louvre also has a handy list of family-friendly online resources everyone can enjoy, including a Mona Lisa VR experience.

Best Factory Virtual Tour: M&M Factory Tour

Zoonar RF / Getty Images

Who doesn't love chocolate?

360-degree views of the factory.

It's short.

The Food Network teamed up with candy maker Mars to give M&M fans a virtual tour of one of its factories. During the short YouTube video, viewers can pan around as a tour guide explains how unrefined chocolate is turned into the little candies we know and love.

Best General Virtual Tour Resource: Discovery Education

An eclectic variety of virtual field trips.

Watch live or on demand.

Trips come with a companion guide packed with activities.

A schedule of when field trips go live would be nice.

Discovery Education offers a variety of virtual field trips for kids learning from home. The offerings change often but currently include an NFL experience, a doodling experience meant to encourage creativity, and a virtual field trip through the internet of things. You can watch the field trips live or catch the videos later on-demand.

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12 Virtual Field Trips Your Kids Can Take

Verywell / Caitlin Rogers

• Art and Culture

History and Social Studies

Though nothing can ever match the experience of going on a field trip to explore something in the real world, a virtual field trip can come close. Popularized at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual field trips for kids are likely here to stay. They offer families and schools a chance to allow kids to explore a world-class museum or monument without having to schedule travel or spend a mint. In fact, these virtual field trips are free!

So, if you have a free morning or afternoon and want to keep curious kids busy, head to one of these virtual field trip sites. A virtual tour can be a learning experience in itself or help families decide where they want to travel to next.

Art and Culture 

If your child has always had an interest in the arts or you find that they are looking to draw or color something new, then these options below may be a great choice for your kid.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Whether you’re obsessed with fashion, sculpture, music, or poetry, The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a virtual tour for you. With online and in-person exhibits made viewable thanks to Google’s street view cameras, you can make your way through museum rooms or photo galleries full of art to admire. 

This tour is presented in partnership with Google's Arts & Culture program, which features tours from museums large and small, all around the world. Visit cool collections and classic artworks without leaving your home.

The Blue House Frida Kahlo Museum

We can’t decide what’s more fun to look at in this virtual tour of The Blue House , a museum dedicated to Frida Kahlo: the art itself or the architecture housing it, which ranges from brightly painted houses and walls to lush greenery and fascinating trees.

Of course, the museum is also the place where she lived, died, and created much of her work—so you get up close and personal with Frida Kahlo the artist and Frida Kahlo the woman. 

The National Gallery of Art 

Scrolling through photos of art in a museum online isn’t that different from looking at them in a book—unless you're taking a virtual field trip to The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC!

This museum has found a way to make viewing art interactive. With its children’s video tours, it brings 50 different historic pieces of art to life in just a few minutes, including audio effects, narration, and close-up shots of the details featured in each work.

There are also conversation starters about art, a guided video tour of Stuart Davis’ work hosted by John Lithgow, and an interactive app for kids. 

Got a future paleontologist, zoologist, or "Bill Nye the Science Guy" on your hands? For kids obsessed with animals, outer space, dinosaurs, chemical reactions, or how the world works, these science field trips are engaging and educational.

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

If your child is interested in learning about the natural environment and the organisms that inhabit it, the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History is a great option. Current, past, and permanent exhibits are included in this virtual tour, which allows you to navigate through the museum using your device or to click on different areas to visit on an interactive map.

There is even a series of narrated tours on video for kids who want to dive deep into a topic (like megalodons). The 360 degree images on this tour are crystal clear, making it feel like you are really there!

San Diego Zoo

Not only does the web site for the San Diego Zoo feature exhibit cams and zookeeper-hosted videos of many of its animal residents, but it’s also a great resource for animal crafts, online games, and fact-based infographics about different species. It’s more than just tuning into a live cam; it’s a virtual visit that gets close to being as fun as the real deal.

Seattle Aquarium

The Seattle Aquarium is a mecca for marine biologists-in-training. Check out what kinds of exhibits the aquarium houses on location through live cams, activities, and fact sheets, then head over to YouTube , where staff host a virtual field trip by walking-and-talking you through several of the species native to the Puget Sound that spend their days inside the aquarium.

Farm Food 360

Is your kid curious about how chickens, cows, or pigs are raised? No problem! At Farm Food 360 , you can read about how more than a dozen Canadian farms are run and watch a series of videos about each one, explaining everything from how a farmer spends their day to environmental sustainability of modern-day farms. 

Johnson Space Center

Mini Neil Armstrongs should check out the Johnson Space Center online for aerospace education opportunities. Boeing and Discovery Education host two virtual field trips on space exploration: Innovating the Future and ecoAction.

Both trips consist of a video series and companion educator guides, so you can apply your newfound knowledge over the course of a few days’ worth of lesson plans and activities . 

Museum of Science

The Museum of Science , a Boston-based science hub, is worth a trip at some point in your life. Until you can get to Boston, the museum is hosting virtual content, including live animal demonstrations to chats about current science events to planetarium tours.

If your kid's life goals include becoming president of the United States, these field trips focused on American history, civics, and notable landmarks will be right up their educational alley.

Ellis Island

Whatever country your family tree can be traced back to, it's likely that you have some kind of connection to Ellis Island . Through Scholastic’s website, you can take a 30-minute virtual tour of Ellis Island and follow it up with an interactive story and photo tour, diaries of real young immigrants, and colorful charts and bar graphs depicting important statistics about immigration through the decades.

Yellowstone National Park

You can go on virtual “walks” through Yellowstone National Park in a series of videos on the National Park Service’s website. When you’re done, dig deeper into fascinating areas of the park—like Mammoth Hot Springs and Norris Geyser Basin—by reading about their histories, taking guided photo tours, and exploring their landmarks on an interactive map.

Mount Rushmore

You've seen Mount Rushmore in history books, but that didn't get you as close to Teddy Roosevelt’s left nostril as you hoped! Never fear: you can go on a "deep dive" (pun intended) on this virtual tour of the famous American landmark.

Featuring a 3D explorer, a 360 degree virtual tour, and a video about how the landmark has been digitally preserved over the years, you can get a good look at the true size and scale of this impressive monument—and learn a little about history, too.

By Sarah Bradley Sarah Bradley has been writing parenting content since 2017, after her third son was born. Since then, she has expanded her expertise to write about pregnancy and postpartum, childhood ages and stages, and general health conditions, including commerce articles for health products. Because she has been homeschooling her sons for seven years, she is also frequently asked to share homeschooling tips, tricks, and advice for parenting sites.

Where Imagination Grows

Hands-on learning through play and imagination

April 12, 2020 by Where Imagination Grows

40+ Virtual Field Trips for Kids

We are living in a strange time. Never did I think that I would be searching for virtual field trips to take with my daughter and daycare children! But here we are, trying to make the best of the situation we are living in. 

Now you can experience landmarks and museums around the world with your kids from home! Check out our list of 40+ virtual field trips below. These are all interactive virtual tours that I have done with my kids. All kid-approved! 

I’ve spent the last two weeks putting together this list of virtual field trips for kids. These are all links that I have personally checked out with my daughter and daycare kids. 

Animal Virtual Field Trips

-Watch over 10 different animals, from Elephants to Butterflies, in their habitats at the San Diego Zoo with these Live Animal Cams ! We love the tiger cams! Plus they have a whole kids area on their website for fun educational activities. 

-Observe gorillas, rhinos, and even ants on the live webcams from the Houston Zoo . I love the 6 different animal cams at this zoo. Tune in between 7 am and 7 pm CST to see them in action.

– The Georgia Aquarium has some really amazing webcams you can check out. They have beluga whale webcams plus live feeds of the puffins, piranhas, gators and much more! Watch for the whale shark (!) on the Ocean Voyager cam! It’s so cool to see! 

-Learn and explore the farm like never before! Take an inside virtual tour of how farms run and how food is processed from a farm. These are really interesting and well done. My daughter loved the 360 videos on egg processing and egg breaking, the way all the machinery works together blew her mind! You can also view sheep, grain, and mink farms plus milk processing plants.

-Have a shark lover in your house? The live shark cam at the Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of our favorite live cams to view. They also have a really great aviary and coral reef cam that you can view with your kids. We also like the Monterey bay cam, it’s fun to watch the waves! 

-Walk-through the halls of the National Aquarium with this fun and interactive virtual tour. 

-Another informative and fun virtual farm tour for kids. Learn about and tour behind the scenes of a dairy farm. 

-Check-in on some of your favorite animals and don’t miss the baby Cheetahs on the animal cams at the National Zoo. 

Landmarks & Castles

-If you haven’t explored Google Earth I highly recommend that you give it a try. You can explore all kinds of amazing places on Earth. Studying somewhere specific? Check it out on Google Earth. 

-Missing your connection to Mickey and friends? Check out this free virtual field trip to Walt Disney World . 

-Learning about the Empire State Building ? Check out the live webcams perched high above the streets of New York.

-Even wondered what the white house looks like from the inside? Step inside and take a tour of this presidential building from the comfort of your own home.

-Walk the grounds of Scotland’s Edinburgh Castle with this virtual field trip of this ancient castle. 

-Walk along walls of the Great Wall of China with this stunning virtual tour!

-Have you always wanted to see the Effiel Tower ? Well, now you can take your kids on a field trip there in your pajamas! 

-Visit the Palace of Versailles in France. Explore the King’s Chamber, the Hall of Mirrors, art and much more! My kids were in awe of this one! 

-Go onboard and view the inside of Air Force One (a retired model). Explore the cockpit and see where the president sat and slept! 

-Walk-through the halls of the Schönbrunn Palace in Austria . It’s one of the most visited sites in the country and the tour is full of stunning items! 

-Visit an ancient tomb in Egypt. We really enjoyed the virtual tour of The Tomb of Menna . This is one of the most visited and best-preserved of the small 18th Dynasty elite tombs in the Theban necropolis. You can also visit the pyramids while you are “in” Egypt! 

– Head to Mount Vernon and explore the grounds and building. This was the plantation of George Washington, the first President of the United States, and his wife, Martha. 

-Go through the process of arriving at Ellis Island with this interactive tour. 

-Tour inside the state rooms at Buckingham Palace and discover some of the most treasured objects in the Royal Collection

Science & Nature 

-Visit the National Parks in realtime with their NPS Webcams ! 

-View the stunning beauty of Yosemite National Park . This virtual tour is amazing! 

-Take a hike on the Bright Angel Trail in the Grand Canyon from your living room! 

-Looking for something out of this world? Travel into space and visit Mars! That’s right, you can go on a virtual adventure on Mars ! 

-Take a tour of the international space station ! If you are learning about the stars and space this tour is a must! 

-Explore the Atlantic coast of Ireland and the Giants Causeway . This virtual field trip is one I want to take for myself! 

-Go inside Son Doong in Vietnam, it’s the largest cave in the world and even has its own ecosystem. The images are amazing! 

-Want to go on a safari? Check out these African Safari tours to view hyenas, lions, elephants and more! 

-Tour the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park . Lava tubes and volcanos make this one a favorite.

-Explore the wonder of the Carlsbad Caverns and learn about bats.  

-See the Northern Lights over Sweden with this fabulous virtual tour. 

-Follow explorers from beginning to end as they climb Mt. Everest . The 360° videos are amazing and we learned so much about what it takes to make it to the top.

-Walk around among planes from history with this free virtual field trip for kids from the Frontiers of Flight Museum .

-Get an inside look at the cockpit and interior of planes from history at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. From WWII bombers to helicopters and fighter jets! My daughter has literally spent hours exploring these. 

-Have a car fan? Learning about transportation? Take a tour of the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant , the first Ford plant and the location where the Model T was developed.

-View the largest collection of Van Gogh’s artwork, including letters and drawings, at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

-Learn about the Battle of the Alamo while you tour the historic Spanish mission and fortress founded in the 18th century.

-Head to the National Museum of Natural History to learn about the history of the planet and the humans. 

-View the incredible exhibits at the Louvre , the largest art museum in the world. 

-Explore The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s website for kids! The Met Kids lets kids explore an interactive cartoon map of the Met to learn more about the artwork and visitor spaces in the museum

-See all the fun to be had at the Boston Children’s Museum ! View three floors of fun children’s exhibits. 

-Virtually tour The British Museum and discover hundreds of artifacts in the museum.

–Step inside the Sistine Chapel and get an up-close and personal view of the amazing art that covers the space, including The Last Judgment  by Michelangelo.

Your turn! 

Have a favorite virtual field trip for kids that’s not listed above? Leave a link in the comments! I’m always looking for fun new options to explore with my kids. 

Looking for more crafts and activities? Check out our  index for 100+ plus kids activities ! Find activities by theme, materials, skills, age and much more!

Sharing is caring!

April 28, 2020 at 7:25 am

Thank you for sharing this list! It’s great that we can still have field trips even if we can’t leave our homes.

Virtual Field Trips For Kids: 100+ Amazing Free Trips!

From zoos to museums, landmarks to famous wonders of the world, with these virtual field trips for kids, your kid can explore the world right from the living room couch!

All of these virtual tours come with links so you’re just one click away from a fun, montessori-inspired Geography lesson at home.

WHY DO VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS?

As the world adapts to a new normal, many teachers and parents have found that their tried-and-tested lesson plans no longer fit an online setting.

Plus, keeping younger children and preschoolers entertained and engaged with online learning can pose a problem!

Luckily, there are many innovative ways to nurture and foster a child’s natural curiosity; virtual field trips being one of them!

The culture, the sights, the sounds, all of it encourages a child to expand their horizons and think bigger picture.

All of these virtual excursions can be turned into fun lessons, and they don’t just apply to Geography either! English, History, Social Studies, Art can all incorporate virtual field trips into their lessons.

As a former educator, one thing I do know is that kids LOVE going on field trips (even if it is from the comforts of their own home).

To expand on the learning potential of these field trips, I’ve also included a few ‘on mission’ learning activities to get those grey cells working!

I’ve made sure to cover teaching ideas for English, Art, Cookery, Science and more to inspire you.

ARE THESE VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS FOR KIDS FREE?

Absolutely! At the time of posting, all of these virtual field trips are free. Simply click on the links provided and they will open to a virtual tour.

100+ HIGHLY INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS FOR KIDS [WITH LINKS]

You can use these as a home school activity or a stand alone educational tool.

Google Earth is also a great tool for kids to use to explore the world around them. In a couple of seconds they can be transported anywhere across the globe, like the Nevada Crop Circles or Australia’s famous Red Rock!

Google’s Art & Culture Program is another fantastic tool for kids to explore. Google’s World Wonders Project offers virtual tours of over 132 famous sites.

Everything from museums to world heritage landmarks!

You Might Also Be Interested In:

• 50 Crazy Fun Indoor Activities For Kids With Lots of Energy to Burn (That Are Low Prep!)

Ready to spend a little more time exploring this amazing planet we call home?

Let’s jump right in. Here are 100+ virtual field trips kids will love to explore!

VIRTUAL TOURS OF WONDERS AROUND THE WORLD

– Great Wall of China, China (This tour even plays local music to add to the atmosphere, so make sure your sound is on!)

– Roman Colosseum, Italy

– The Lourve, France

– The Pyramids of Giza, Egyp t

– Palace of Versailles, France

– Buckingham Palace, UK

– Houses of Parliament, UK

– Taj Mahal, India

– Mount Everest, Nepal (This involves 3D live tracking at the peak of Mount Everest!)

VIRTUAL TOURS OF ANCIENT LOST CIVILISATIONS

– Petra, Jordan

– Machu Picchu, Peru

– City of Pompeii, Italy

– Rapa Nui, Easter Island

– Temples of Angkor, Cambodia

VIRTUAL TOURS OF NATURAL WONDERS

– Amazon Rainforest (Have a Virtual Reality Headset? This tour is made for that, but you can still explore the rainforest without it!)

– Son Doong Cave, Vietnam

– Grand Canyon, USA (There is a guided and non-guided, ‘discover by yourself’ option).

– Icelandic Lagoons and National Park , Icelan d

– Jokulsarlon Glacier and Ice Lagoon, Iceland (This tour also plays music!)

– Great Barrier Reef (David Attenborough guides this highly interactive tour! It’s full of videos and guided exploration so your child can really feel like an explorer!)

– Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), Alaska (From dog sledding to reindeer sledding to staying at an ice hotel, watch the Nothern Lights glitter in the night sky!)

– Devil’s Pool, Victoria Falls

VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE PLACES TO VISIT (OFF-LIMITS)

These are probably our favorite list of virtual tours to include.

There’s something mysterious and fascinating about taking a peek inside places we shouldn’t be, or have virtually no chance of seeing ourselves!

– International Space Station

– Scott’s Hut, Antarctica

– Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Norway (This is a super interactive and fun tour to take! A lady narrates and talks about the vault whilst you ‘walk’ through it. Highly recommend).

VIRTUAL TOURS OF US LANDMARKS

These virtual field trips are perfect for national or US history homeschool lessons.

Take a stroll through Yellow Stone National Park, or hike through Monument Valley to discover the natural geological beauty the US has to offer.

– Empire State Building

– Ellis Island

– Monument Valley

– Yellow Stone National Park

– Hidden World of National Parks

– Glacier National Park

– Yosemite National Park (Highly interactive and fun tour to take!)

VIRTUAL TOURS OF SPACE

Have a budding astronomer on your hands? Kids will love these outer space virtual field tours.

Dive into the unknown world beyond our own and help kids gain a broader understanding of our beautiful solar system.

– The Moon

– Mars

– Space Shuttle Discovery

– The Sun

WILD ANIMAL AND ZOO VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS FOR KIDS

– Monterey Bay Aquarium

– Reid Park Zoo, AZ (Multiple animal webcams.)

– Reid Park Zoo , Meet the Animals Fact Sheets

– Houston Zoo , Animal Webcams

– Atlanta Zoo – The Pandas

– San Diego Zoo

– Smithsonian National Zoo

– Georgia Aquarium

– Cincinnati Zoo , Home Safari Resources

If your child doesn’t like animal captivity or you don’t want to support it, here are a few ideas for watching animals live in the wild.

These change often so be sure to check out the Youtube channels below!

– Live Bear Watching Webcam, Transylvania

– Decorah Eagles Nest Cam, Iowa

– Cayman Reef Fish Cam

– Grace Gorillas Forest Cam, Africa

For more live webcams of animals in the wild, check out Explore Africa and Explore Live Nature Cams ; both of which are popular Youtube Channels.

VIRTUAL TOURS OF US HISTORY

– The White House

– Mount Rushmore

– Liberty Bell

– Mount Vernon

– Colonial Willamsburg

VIRTUAL MUSEUM TOURS FOR KIDS

– Smithsonian National Museum

– Vatican, Sistine Chapel

– Pretend City, Children’s Museum . This museum does what it says on the tin; it’s a pretend model city for children to visit.

– Anne Frank Museum

– Van Gogh Museum

– British Science Museum . A full 360 experience! Lots of things to see and do in this virtual trip!

– National Art Gallery

– Franklin Institute . A 360 experience with videos throughout.

– George Washington’s Mount Vernon

– Boston Children’s Museum

– Lourve Museum

– Musee D’Orsay

– Metropolitan Museum of Art

UNDER THE SEA VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS

As an ocean activist and education presenter, I LOVE anything to do with the ocean.

Given its importance in the world’s ecosystems, I figured it deserved a special place of its own.

Children of all ages will love diving with the turtles, exploring shipwrecks and even swimming with sharks! 

– Dive with Turtles . 360 experience.

– Watch Baby Turtles Hatch (Youtube)

– Swim With Dolphins . 360 experience.

– Explore Underwater Shipwreck in Bermuda (Youtube)

– Scuba Dive in a Coral Reef (Youtube)

– Great Hammerhead Shark Encounter (Youtube)

– Dive with Sharks (Youtube)

– Blue Whale Encounter (Youtube)

– Swim with Jellyfish

VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS FOR PRESCHOOL

All of these virtual field trips can be viewed by preschoolers and toddlers, but for younger or lower-level students, it’ll be more about understanding what they’re seeing, rather than exploring locations in detail.

For example, you’ll want to make sure they understand what a ‘museum’ is, what you can find in a museum and their favorite finds during the virtual field trip.

– Pretend City, Children’s Museum . You can use this virtual trip for teaching directions, signs (lots of stop signs), names of buildings in a town, colors and measurements.

– LEGO House Tour (Youtube Video) Older preschoolers can listen to the Lego tour guide, whilst younger children can learn about colors, sizes, numbers, basic vocabulary etc.

– Slime in Space! 15 minute field trip to the Space Station with a science experiment all about slime!

– Dinosaur Discovery (Youtube). All of Caitie’s videos are perfect for preschool home learning.

ON MISSION VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP LEARNING ACTIVITIES FROM HOME

Once you’re back from your fascinating tour, why not try…

1. Drawing a picture of your favorite landmark or sight.

2. Coloring in your favorite art piece from a museum. This website lets you download coloring pages from over 100 museums around the world!

3. Creating a fact journal about what you learned during the trip.

4. Creating a quick presentation about the things you learnt and found fascinating.

5. Scouting an encyclopaedia or book to dig even deeper into your chosen location.

6. Finding an online quiz and test your sleuthing skills. See how much you can remember!

7. Cooking a yummy dish from that local region!

8. Creating a craft that represents the area you visited.

9. Counting how many animals you saw at the museums!

10. Describing what animals you found at the museums!

Which virtual field trip are you thinking of taking? There are just so many to choose from!

I personally love the ancient lost civilizations and impossible off-limit tours.

There’s just something so fascinating about secretive and distant places.

Charlotte Kirsten

Charlotte is a renowned Trauma Psychotherapist, Astrologer, and Founder of Typically Topical . With a background in psychology, astrology, and esoteric practice, her soulful guides are read by over 300,000 people every month.

For her work, she's been named UK Womenspire Woman of the Year, awarded the title of Yale Young Global Scholar, and featured as an expert across major networks such as Today.com , Best Life, Oprah Winfrey Network, BBC, Soul & Spirit, Psychology Today, Pop Sugar, Well & Good and Cosmopolitan. You can find her on Twitter .

4 thoughts on “Virtual Field Trips For Kids: 100+ Amazing Free Trips!”

they are the best

• Pingback: What Is Child-Led Education? 8 Unschooling Tips for Parents

Thanks for a fabulous post filled with great links! I added it to my Pinterest School Tools board. Love your site!

You have just made my day if not my whole year! Thank you so very much for compiling this list. You are making my life easier, my child’s life more exciting and that ust makesme smile! Wishing you many blessings, Lexi (South Africa)

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The Educators' Spin On It

Learning Games and Activities

30+ Virtual Field Trips for Kids

Want to explore our world? Here are 30+ great Virtual Field Trips for early learners to explore from your home. From zoos and landmarks to famous museums, you can explore the world with your child with over a month of virtual field trips!

Animal Virtual Tours for Kid

Us history virtual tours, us landmarks virtual tours, us national parks virtual tours, museum virtual tours, virtual tours around the world, fall virtual field trips for kids, winter virtual field trips for kids, spring virtual field trips for kids, summer virtual field trips for kids, virtual tours of space, live webcams around the world.

One thing that the recent global quarantine has made us all realize very clearly is that we’re all part of one earth. We all have many commonalities and many things that are unique to where we live.

As we are at home, working from home and spending more time with the kids, I’d love to suggest we spend a little more time exploring this amazing planet that we’ve been gifted to during our lifetime.

Google Earth is such an amazing tool to use with your child to encourage them to explore the world. You can be at home on your sofa or at our desk and be transported to anywhere on the earth(virtually).

Where would you want to go?

With your child start with where you live. Then go to their school and where you shop near you and then find where family and friends live. Next, explore some of their favorite spots you’ve vacationed and now it’s time to explore where you’ve never been. But where do you start?

Let’s start by exploring some amazing popular travel destinations that also happen to have webcams for you to step inside and explore.

Google’s Art and Culture is a great resource to kick-start your global search too. Did you know that Google’s “World Wonders” project offers virtual tours of 132 famous sites? So many amazing virtual tours of museums for kids!!

30 Virtual Field Trips for Kids

I’ve put together a collection of locations for virtual field trips that I believe as a teacher and a mom that are appropriate for the kid to watch online. I’d encourage you though to talk about these locations as a family.

You can track your virtual tours with our Printable Virtual Field Trip Log !

Perhaps start working on a travel bucket list together and a virtual travel bucket list. That way your child can make their own itinerary too.

Where do you think your child wants to go to?

• Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Georgia Aquarium
• Houston Zoo
• Atlanta Zoo – Pandas
• San Diego Zoo
• Smithsonian National Zoo
• The Tundra with Discovery Education
• Virtual Farm Tours
• Penguin Virtual Field Trips
• Polar Bear Virtual Field Trips
• Rainforest Virtual Field Trips
• Everglades Virtual Field Trips

Here’s a list of all the zoos with webcams to explore.

For a little movement, try this zoo themed yoga

• Washington, D.C. Virtual Field Trip for Kids
• The White House
• A Virtual Tour by the Obamas
• Mount Vernon
• Colonial Williamsburg
• Mount Rushmore
• Liberty Bell

Grab our Washington DC Unit for Kids . Create your own Living History Museum at home after your virtual tour!

• Empire State Building
• Ellis Island
• Monument Valley

• Mighty 5 National Parks Virtual Field Trip
• Yellowstone National Park
• The Grand Canyon
• Hidden World of National Parks by Google Art and Culture
• National Parks Foundation: Electronic Field Trip
• NPS Webcams at the National Parks
• Virtual Hikes at Rocky Mountain National Park
• Virtual Hike from Rim to River at Grand Canyon
• Glacier National Park
• Yosemite Park
• Smoky Mountain National Park
• Dry Tortugas National Park
• Everglades National Park
• Carlsbad Caverns National Park
• Bryce Canyon National Park
• Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
• Kenai Fjords National Park
• Carlsbad Caverns

Take our Virtual Tour of Utah’s Mighty 5 National Parks

Find Your Virtual Park – Connect with national parks from a distance through digital opportunities and activities to do in your own home or neighborhood.

• Smithsonian Museum
• Van Gogh Museum
• 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours 
• Google Art and Culture: Top 10 Museums you Can Explore

Coloring Pages From Over 100 Museums

• Great Wall of China
• Buckingham Palace
• Red Square in Russia
• Largest Flower Garden, Keukenhof 
• Ukraine Virtual Field Trip Guide

Recreate a famous landmark with math, art and sidewalk chalk

Get ready to explore these Fall Virtual Field Trips for Kids with these kid friendly fall virtual tours.

• Pumpkin patches
• Fall leaves
• Apple orchards
• Turkey farms

Try these Leaf Activities for hands-on fun in fall.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Explore 60+ Winter themed virtual field trips for kids .

• Winter Virtual Field Trips to National Parks
• Ice Castle Virtual Field Trips
• Natural Wonders of Winters : Snow, Frozen Lakes, Waterfalls & Glaciers
• Winter Sports: Ice Skating, Skiing, Sledding and Tubing
• Christmas Around the World Virtually: Lights, Tree Farms, Reindeers
• Christmas Virtual Field Trips for Kids

Once you take a few winter virtual tours, explore these Winter Activities for Kids .

Explore the best spring virtual field trips for kids . Explore moments in nature of spring flowers blooming and experience flower-covered trees, baby animals, and the animal life cycles of spring with this ultimate collection of spring virtual field trips for kids.

• Spring Flowers Virtual Field Trips
• Trees Blooming in Spring Virtual Field Trips
• Spring in National Parks Virtual Field Trips
• Baby Animals on Farms Virtual Field Trips
• Bird Nests and Eggs in Spring Virtual Field Trips
• Frog Themed Virtual Field Trips
• Butterfly Themed Virtual Field Trips

Ready for Spring? Try this hands-on Spring STEM Challenge !

Get ready to explore these Summer Virtual Field Trips for Kids ! Explore the ocean, amusement parks, outdoor adventures, watermelon farms, and more with these kid-friendly summer virtual tours.

• Coral Reefs
• Ocean Animals
• Boat Adventures
• Amusement Parks Rides
• Rock Slides
• Natural Springs
• Watermelon Farms
• International Space Station
• Space Shuttle Discovery
• Solar Eclipse
• Worldcam.eu: WebCams from Around the World
• Explore.org: Live webcams throughout the world

Virtual Field Trip Activities for Home

Looking for ways to expand the virtual tour?

Once you’ve viewed one of the Virtual tours, you can…

• Write up about what you learned
• Draw a picture of your favorite part
• Create a version with legos, building blocks or playdough
• Find a book online to learn more about the location
• Create a themed craft based on where you took a virtual tour
• Recreate it with sidewalk chalk
• Cook a dish from that region

DOWNLOAD OUR VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP LOG

There are so many amazing resources to explore virtually to learn about our amazing planet and the treasures and history within it.

One resource that I found to be the most amazing was Google Art and Culture resource. I high recommend exploring it as a family during this time.

Virtual Tours for Kids

Take this time to explore the world virtually and help us work together to protect and learn about these treasures around the world.

Want more ideas for home Parents! Check out our…

50+ STEM Activities for Kids

Ball Games Your Kids will LOVE

JOIN our free Virtual Book Club for Kids

Do you have a favorite virtual tour that you love? Please share with me in the comments.

Like this idea? Pin for later or share now with a friend!

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About Kim Vij

Early childhood teacher, author, speaker and mom of 3. Kim shares ways to make learning fun and parenting an adventure by sharing developmentally appropriate activities.

March 27, 2020 at 1:55 pm

Thank you this is cool not as cool as google earth

March 28, 2020 at 10:00 am

THANK YOU THIS IS AN AMAZING RESOURCE

April 20, 2020 at 2:06 pm

Thanks for letting me know about this! It sounds cool!

April 30, 2020 at 6:01 pm

that was very cool

May 6, 2020 at 11:20 am

You could do a virtual tour on Paris

May 7, 2020 at 4:18 pm

You definitely could, I’ll try to put one together for you and share very soon on the site!

June 13, 2020 at 6:21 am

September 2, 2020 at 8:54 am

Is there a cost associated with these virtual field trips?

September 3, 2020 at 7:03 pm

Most of these Virtual Field Trips are simply links to either the specific museums or locations offering a video of their facility or using Google Earth to explore a specific region such as our national parks. They are free to view at your convenience.

September 4, 2020 at 8:02 am

This is still fun! definitely helping their learning 🙂 easier to visit destinations from the comfort of their couch!

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15 Habitats Virtual Field Trips for Kids

Since you can’t take your students to visit all the different habitats around the world, why not bring the habitats to them? Take one (or all!) of these habitats virtual field trips so that your students can explore a variety of  biomes, ecosystems, and habitats firsthand. No permission slips required!

How to take a science virtual field trip

Taking a virtual field trip is an exciting and engaging way for students to learn even more about a topic. It’s especially cool that there are so many amazing places we normally wouldn’t be able to see that we can visit through a virtual field trip!

With just a bit of preparation, you can take your class on a trip they won’t forget. Just choose a virtual field trip that fits your science curriculum and preview it yourself to get familiar. Many of the habitat virtual field trips in this list already have free teacher guides to use with the virtual trip.

I hope these habitat virtual field trips help you take your class on a fun adventure!

Habitats Virtual Field Trips

Temperate rainforest.

In this habitat virtual field trip, your students will learn more about the Emerald Edge. It’s the largest intact coastal temperate rainforest. This virtual field trip keeps things fun and interactive by including a little “Nature Spy” game where students have to spot certain animals during their trip. There’s also a helpful Teacher Guide to help you plan for your virtual field trip!

China’s Great Forests

Explore the majestic forests and beautiful landscapes of China with this habitat virtual field trip! It gives students a look into the importance of forests in the carbon cycle, and you’ll also get a look at the amazing animals that make these habitats their homes.

Symphony of the Rainforest

This habitat virtual field trip will take you to the rainforests of Borneo, the third largest island in the world. Your class will learn more about how scientists are using the sounds of the rainforest to determine how healthy it is and how many species are living there. This trip is great to reinforce the complexity of the amazing rainforest ecosystem.

Journey of Water in Colombia

This habitat virtual field trip allows students to visit beautiful Colombia and explore its fascinating water ecosystems. It takes a closer look at a lot of important plants and wildlife in the area. Students will get to learn more about how water, people, and nature are all connected and important to one another.

Coastal Peru Ecosystems

Take a virtual trip to Coastal Peru to learn about its diversity with this field trip from The National Conservancy. Peru is home to one of the most productive ocean ecosystems, so this habitat virtual field trip will complement science lessons about ocean ecosystems really well!

Yosemite National Park

Head to one of America’s great national parks with a virtual field trip to Yosemite. You can virtually explore all of the habitats in Yosemite National Park through the virtual tours online. It’s a great addition to science lessons about forest and mountainous habitats!

Yellowstone National Park

Another awesome national park to explore virtually is Yellowstone. There are a ton of virtual tour options on the National Park Service website. You can see the incredible geysers or check out the hot springs. Students will definitely be interested in the amazing nature that Yellowstone has to offer!!

Carlsbad Caverns

Check out the fascinating Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico through this Google Arts & Culture habitat virtual field trip. It’s truly an amazing sight to see! You’ll get a little tour and explanation of this National Park from a National Park Ranger. There’s some super interesting and helpful information about bats and other creatures that make the Caverns their home!

Galapagos Islands ($)

The Galapagos Islands in Ecuador is one of the most amazing and unique places in the world. It’s nearly impossible to take a real field trip there, but VirtualFieldTrips.org has a virtual field trip that will help students explore and learn more about this interesting habitat. There is a cost to purchase this virtual field trip, unless your school already has a membership!

America’s Rainforests & Deserts

Students will get to see two different American biomes in this virtual field trip. The trip starts with a closer look at the rain-soaked Olympic Peninsula, as well as some of the challenges that come with all that water. Then, you’ll travel to Arizona’s dry desert landscape to explore the ways that people and other living things have to adapt to a limited water supply. This habitat virtual field trip really emphasizes the importance of water in the world.

Secret Life of Corals

Coral reefs are such interesting habitats! With this habitat virtual field trip, you’ll be able to show your students this world under the sea. You’ll dive into the waters of the Caribbean as you explore the coral reefs of the Dominican Republic. This virtual field trip provides a lot of great information about what’s happening to coral reefs and how we can help keep this important habitat thriving.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Monterey Bay Aquarium offers a ton of great live cams of their exhibits online. If you’re looking for a fun way to explore marine life while staying in the comfort of your classroom, it’s a great virtual field trip option to check out!

Underwater Cities

Your class will visit the amazing underwater cities created by the coral reefs of Palau in this habitat virtual field trip. Students will get a better, up-close look at the interconnectedness of this important ecosystem.

Man-Made Habitat: Bird Kingdom Aviary ($)

You can “take” your class to visit an awesome man-made habitat with a virtual trip to Bird Kingdom Aviary in Niagara Falls, Canada. It will feel like you’ve stepped foot into a magical rainforest paradise!

There is a ton to see at this aviary, from exotic, colorful birds to owls, bats, and other nocturnal creatures. Bird Kingdom Aviary even offers a live virtual field trip at an added cost.

This Discovery Education habitat virtual field trip to the Arctic focuses on polar bears and how they survive the harsh conditions there. It’s a good option if your students are learning about Arctic animal adaptations. Your class will definitely enjoy all the polar bear footage!

I hope these virtual science field trips help you plan an amazing learning experience for your class!

Be sure to Pin this post so you can refer back to it while you’re planning!

Looking for more ideas to teach habitats & ecosystems? Check out these posts:

Teacher Approved Habitats Videos for Kids

Hands-On Habitats Activities for Second Grade Scientists

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35 FREE VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS TO EXPLORE WITH YOUR KIDS

With schools closing throughout the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, parents are now spending 24/7 with their kids at home! Self-quarantining yourselves indoors away from it all does not mean that learning must stop for you or your kids.

Home schooling the kids will only go so far. They’ll be coming down with cabin fever in a little bit! Let’s grab a device which will allow you to navigate to the world wide web, take a seat anywhere within your home and go for a fun journey a few times a week!

Below is a list of 35 different places you can explore online with your kids.

There should be something of interest for everyone within the family in the below list.

FREE VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS FOR KIDS

Aquariums – virtual field trips.

Georgia Aquarium: De-stress while taking a relaxing look under the sea at this aquarium with  live cams  of whale sharks, beluga whales, California sea lions, bottlenose dolphins, African penguins, jellyfish, manta rays and more. This aquarium is the largest one in the United States and the Western Hemisphere.

Monterey Bay Aquarium: This virtual tour at the aquarium allows students to go on a deep-sea adventure through exhibit webcams that allow students to watch sea creatures in real time, including a shark! Once your kiddies have finished studying all the animals up close, the aquarium also provides this  classroom resource page  with activities, fact sheets, and games to play with your kids.

National Aquarium: Explore winding, sea life-filled floors when you take this  virtual tour  of the Baltimore-based aquarium. It is the largest tourism attraction in the State of Maryland and will enchant you.

ZOOS – VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS

Atlanta Zoo : The panda cam at  Zoo Atlanta  is a must see for any kid or adult in the family!

Houston Zoo : Tune in to this zoo’s webcams and enjoy a live look at animals that call it their home! See the herd of Asian elephants wander through their enormous habitat. Watch as giraffes nibble lettuce fed to them by guests at the feeding platform. See the rhinos roll in their mud puddle or the flamingos float next to a waterfall. See the chimpanzees interact with guests at their window or snooze in a hammock.

San Diego Zoo : Visit the baboons at  this zoo  with their live camera feeds! Alas, the pandas they had were returned to China. However, they have archived footage of their antics on this site as well. Once your kids have finished viewing the antics of the animals, the  zoo’s kid page  has lots of activities, videos and information about the its animals to share with them as well.

INTERNATIONAL LANDMARKS – VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS

Australia – Great Barrier Reef: Swim through  Australia’s Great Barrier Reef  with the help of several David Attenborough-narrated videos and an educational, interactive map.

Bahamas – Coral Reef:  Go for a swim and  explore a coral reef  in the Bahamas, if this of interest to you.

Buckingham Palace: Stroll through the home of the Royal Family with this  tour of Buckingham Palace . An iconic building and official residence of The Queen, Buckingham Palace has been the focus of many moments of national celebration, from Jubilees and weddings to VE Day and the annual Trooping the Colour which marks The Queen’s official birthday. It is also a busy working building welcoming tens of thousands of people through its gates each year for Investitures, Garden Parties, Audiences and other events.

Ellis Island Interactive Tour : This interactive tour includes first-hand immigrant stories, historical photos and films, and fascinating facts highlighting the central role this station played in the story of American immigration.

Empire State Building: Enjoy the spectacular view from the top deck of the  Empire State Building without having to pay the admission fee.

Galapagos Islands: Go on an  expedition to the Galapagos Islands  on the ship Endeavor II with National Geographic.These islands are a part of Ecuador and located about 1000 km outside of South America. Darwin made the Galapagos famous when he stepped foot onto its shores and developed his theory of natural selection, changing the way we understand evolution. Some of the things you’ll see: Marine iguanas that blend in with the rocks, sea lion pups that are just as playful as dogs, mockingbirds that steal whatever they can get, etc.

George Washington’s Mount Vernon : Visit the historic home of America’s first president, George Washington, just a short drive from Washington, DC in northern Virginia. In 1960 Mount Vernon was designated a National Historic Landmark and it is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is owned and maintained in trust by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association and is open every day of the year, including holidays.

Grand Canyon: Get a great view of the Grand Canyon  from above and see just how big it really is! This canyon is one of the deepest ones in the world. It has been in the making for 10 million years!

Great Wall of China: Taking this virtual tour makes you feel like you are standing on the  Great Wall  from your computer screen. As China’s most famous attraction, the “Great Wall” is an essential stop on any trip to China. Commonly considered a wonder of the world, it boasts a history of over 2,000 years and stretches more than 3,000 miles across several provinces of northern China, making it one of the most impressive ancient structures on the planet.

Leaning Tower of Pisa : This wonder is 185 feet of historical lessons while defying gravity. Tour this Tower  with a 360-degree panoramic view of the it and many other historically-rich Italian buildings. It is known worldwide for its nearly four-degree lean, the result of an unstable foundation.

Mount Rushmore: As we can’t head out that door on a road trip anytime soon, take the kids on a 360-degree panoramic tour of Mount Rushmore . This famous U.S. landmark is one every student should learn about and see for themselves from a historical perspective and a geographical one as well. Mount Rushmore is located in the Black Hills of Keystone, South Dakota. The sculpture features the 60-foot heads of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello : This virtual tour of the estate of our third president who was a philosopher, scientist, historian, and author of the Declaration of Independence will give you an idea of the place and the person who used to own it. In 1987, Monticello was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Fun fact: The current nickel, a United States coin, features a depiction of it on its reverse side.

Tower Bridge : This famous London bridge won’t be taken down anytime soon. In 2016, it was closed to all road traffic from October 1 st to December 30 th to allow for structural maintenance work to take place on the timber decking, lifting mechanism and waterproofing the brick arches on the bridge’s approaches. During this time, the bridge was still open to water-borne traffic. You can  explore it virtually here by boat!

Vietnam – Largest Cave: Take a 360-degree adventure through the world’s largest cave with National Geographic,  Hang Son Doong , in Vietnam. At one point, you’ll be encountering a jungle!

White House: Google Arts & Culture offers a Virtual White House tour . It is available on the website as well as its app for both iOS and Android devices.

The main feature of this tour is the interactive museum views of the White House, its grounds, and the Eisenhower Executive Building, which houses many staff offices next door. This tour allows you to freely roam thru the rooms in the White House as if you were there in-person.

The high-quality images allow you to zoom in or out as you wish when you are exploring the building. You can check out the paintings on the wall and wander thru the halls while taking in the elaborate furnishings, high ceilings, and stately decor.

CAPITOLS & COUNTRIES – VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS

Barcelona: It is the capital of Spain and is situated on the northeastern coast. It has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural center and a major tourist destination known for its exceptional food, architecture, scenery, and energetic atmosphere. Why is this? Within this virtual tour , let’s find out, shall we!

Canada : Join us as we travel across this diverse country from the Maritime provinces on the Eastern coast, visiting Quebec and Ontario, then making our way across the Western provinces and the Pacific coast of British Columbia, winding up in the Arctic North in this virtual tour .

Canada – Farm Tour: This  virtual farm tour  found here will let kids visit minks and learn how milk and cheese are processed. Fur farming provides important employment for rural communities across Canada, employing hundreds of families and thousands of people, directly and indirectly.

Canada – Tundra: Observe  polar bears in the tundra  of Canada on this Discovery Education virtual field trip. Since 2010, Discovery Education has teamed up with Polar Bears International to host a series of shared learning experiences to engage students and inspire their interest in studying the science of polar bears and their Arctic habitat.

London : It is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom. We explore it in this virtual tour . It can be an exciting adventure and a valuable experience to anyone who hasn’t been there as of yet. Together, let’s enhance our knowledge of its historical treasures (Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, etc.) while taking an escape into a different time where Kings and Queens once ruled over vast empires.

Paris – City of Light: Paris is the capital and most populous city of France. It has long been considered one of the world’s most historically important cities and is also packed with a multitude of iconic images of which some are rather romantic. In this virtual tour , we explore the unforgettable buildings that took centuries to build, such as Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe. Students of all levels will gain insights into the many reasons why Paris’ significance is so timeless.

Rome – The Eternal City: It has continuously been one of the most important cities in the Western World. First as the capital of the Roman Empire and now as the center of the Catholic Church. It embodies some of the greatest attributes of the Renaissance era. Come along with us on this virtual tour as we explore the many highlights of the most popular tourist destination in Italy in 2019.

Tokyo: This virtual tour allows you to become immersed within Tokyo, the capital of Japan. The blend of the old and the new will leave you enthralled with the beauty of it all. Tradition permeates it and yet it is known currently as a major cultural hub and an international trendsetter in the arts, entertainment, gastronomy, and media. The Michelin Guide has awarded Tokyo by far the most Michelin stars of any city in the world. The city has hosted multiple international events including the Summer Olympics in 1964, the G7 Summit (1979, 1986, and 1993), and will host the 2020 Summer Olympics unless it is postponed or cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Washington, DC: Students of all levels will appreciate the treasures, history, and beauty that the United States’ capital has to offer. In this virtual tour we will explore the architecture and artifacts which make DC fascinating. From the Washington Monument to the White House and the Smithsonian Museum, there is something for everyone.

Sports Stadiums: Have sports fans at home? Let’s take a look around  Yankees Stadium , then go see  where the Dallas Cowboys play .

Yankee Stadium: It is the home field for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). The $1.5 billion price tag makes the new Yankee Stadium one of the most expensive stadiums ever built.

AT&T Stadium: This stadium, formerly Cowboys Stadium, is a retractable roof stadium in Arlington, Texas within the United States. It serves as the home of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL).

MISCELLANEOUS – VIRTUAL TOURS

African Safari : Enjoy a trip through an African Safari park to see an incredible variety of wildlife. Take a first-row seat at the waterholes where the action is. You’ll see elephants, giraffes, warthogs, rhinos, zebras, lions, and so much more in this virtual tour .

Amazon Rain Forest: Learn more about the  Amazon Rain Forest  with an educational tour that shows all the sites and sounds, including the animals who consider it their home stomping grounds.

Mars: You don’t need a spaceship to  visit Mars virtually , thanks to this awe-inspiring website where you can walk alongside a rover on the surface of the planet.

Years from now, when we reminisce about this time in our lives, we will remember how we kept our families from going stir crazy. Taking virtual tours is not only a fun learning activity but will keep you and your kids enthralled with what the world has to offer! All this, without having to leave the safety of your home during this tumultuous time in our lives. If you are interested museums, you can go here . A list of national parks can be found here as well.

47 Reply to “35 FREE VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS TO EXPLORE WITH YOUR KIDS”

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• Pingback: Free Field Trips - Top 10 Free Field Trips - TeacherVision

Wow this blog is very nice!

Love watching movies !

Best you can see in the morning !

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hey great way to be mindfull about all of these things

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wow these are some great places to visit, my little one would love it

we haven’t been out for 50 days! Virtual field trips are only on a laptop for us.

This is so cool! All these virtual fieldtrips are giving us major wanderlust.

These virtual tours are amazing for the children. It is still educational and fun. Great information

This virtual tour seems much interesting and helpful for kids…… Thanks for sharing this is what everyone should be aware of…..

Thank you for dropping by. Yes, people are going stir-crazy at home. I made it my mission to find interesting things to do during this time and trying to get the word out about it.

These are such cool ideas. I’m glad that the institutions took the initiative to do this. It’s been great during this time.

Thank you for dropping by. Yes, it is awesome that there are so many resources out there available to people who are under lockdown during this time.

Looks like so much fun! I don’t have kids yet but I want to explore it myself

Thanks for dropping by. These virtual tours aren’t just for kids. They are for the whole family. Yes, I know, the title implies that it is just for kids. But is it an oxymoron.

These are amazing. I’ll be going on a few virtual tours myself, never mind with the kids!

Thank you for sharing.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy whichever virtual tour you decide to go on.

I had no idea about virtual trips until I read this. Thank you for the information, this is just we need right now for our kids.

Thank you for dropping by. Yes, many different resources are now available virtually due to this lockdown we are currently under.

cooool! my nieces and all the kids will surely be delighted having this virtual tour. this will surely spice up their curiosities. <3

Thank you for dropping by. I hope everyone, not just the kids, enjoy the virtual tours within your family.

This is a great list! I love that there are so many different opportunities to ‘visit’ incredible sites and locations around the world. While we can’t get out and travel right now, this really is the next best thing. Thank you for putting this all together in one place for us!

Thank you for dropping by. I hope you will be available to take advantage of some of these virtual tours as well. If you are interested in doing so, that is.

My kids and I have been enjoying virtual field trips. I didn’t realize there was one for Mt. Vernon! We have been there and plan to go back again soon.

Thank you for stopping by. Yes, there is one for there. Before you go there in-person again, you might enjoy seeing it virtually first.

This list is AMAZING! I can’t wait to take a virtual tour to mentally escape my home for a few moments in the upcoming weeks. There are so many great options, I kind of want to check them all out!

Thanks for dropping by. Yes, do take advantage of what is out there to take away the boredom of this lockdown.

I didn’t know you could see all these places virtually. I don’t have kids but I am definitely going to check a few of them out. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for dropping by. Even though this post is geared towards kids, the virtual tours listed are actually for everyone who might be interested in taking them. I hope you enjoy those which you wind up taking.

I’ve tried virtual tours and it’s totally amazing!

xoxo Lovely

Thank you for dropping by. Yes, they are really amazing. I never went on them before either until I delved in and did my research in order to write this article.

I guess if virtual is the way of the world right now, these are great places to explore. Love the zoo one.

Thanks for dropping by. There is something for everyone on this list. Hope you enjoy if you decide on taking one or more of them.

Such a great way to keep the kids entertained during uncertain times. Thank you for sharing.

Thanks for dropping by. Yes, it is a great way to keep everyone entertained, not just kids, during this lockdown most of the world is under.

This is a great list to check out different places from home. It is also a great way to make a list of places we want to travel when this is over!

Thank you for dropping by. Yes, you are very correct. Are you planning on visiting any of the places listed within this article in the future?

I had no idea there were so many virtual field trips! My nephew is coming over next week and I think we may have to do a few of these, thanks!

Thank you for dropping by. Yes, there are many more not listed within this article? Just too many out there and new ones become available every week.

Those are wonderful and educational tours! I love the aquariums! There are so many species to learn about.

Thank you for dropping by. Yes, there are so many virtual tours out there. I hope you take the time to enjoy some of them yourself.

Comments are closed.

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45+ Fun Virtual Field Trips for Kids to Explore from Home or School!

• By Jennifer Much
• January 1, 2022
• At Home , Social Distancing

Grab an iPad and snuggle up in your favorite spot – you’re about to virtually travel the globe! When physical travel isn’t possible, technology becomes a wonderful tool to help kids discover the beauty and many wonders in the world. From tours of historical buildings and interactive maps to viewing animals in the wild, check out these amazing educational – and FREE – virtual field trips that can be explored from home or school!

More Learning Fun: Choose a destination and activity

• Cook a recipe from the area
• Draw a picture about what you saw
• Create your own model from legos, clay or playdoh
• Read a book with the same theme
• Write a comic or story about the destination

Animals, Aquariums & Zoos

Lots of Sharks, Doo Doo Look out for that shark! Throughout the day, viewers can get an up-close and personal glimpse of sharks at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. From Sevengill sharks to Leopard sharks and Pacific Angel sharks, these toothy creatures swim the waters of the 90-foot-long exhibit alongside colorful reefs, fish, and rays.

A Walk on the Wild Side Walk on the wild side and view live animal cams offered by the San Diego Zoo in sunny California! The cams showcase the lives of baboons, polar bears, koalas, tigers, and many other animals who call the zoo home. Which cam is your favorite?

Little Baby Bears What can be more adorable than twin baby polar bear cubs happily playing? Check out th e furry babies on a cam broadcasted from the Ouwehand Zoo’s tundra exhibit in the Netherlands! The cubs, named Akiak and Sura, play under the watchful eye of their mama bear, Freedom, and grandma bear Huggies. Even their names are sprinkled with cuteness!

A Zoo Down Under Good day, mate! Take a peek at the Australia Zoo and all the wildlife encounters it offers as your personal tour guide, Robert Irwin – son of the late wildlife expert, Steve Irwin, shows you just how wildlife can get down under!

Authentic African Safari From Impalas to fierce lions and grazing zebras, viewers can head to Etosha National Park in Namibia, Africa for a true safari from afar. See animals in their natural habitats, how they flourish, and take in the beauty and wonder of Africa.

A Visit to the Amazon Learn about the rainforest and the amazing animals that call it home! Observe how they adapted to their environment and see how they evolved over time.

Gentle as a Giant The Houston Zoo broadcasts a variety of live animal cams to give viewers a glimpse into the lives of their animals. One of their most popular cams feature their giraffes. Throughout the day, students can log on to see giraffes grazing, at play and to learn about these sweet, gentle giants.

Caring for Pets Animals require lots of love, care, and attention! Stop by an animal shelter and discover how veterinarians work to keep the animals healthy and learn the best tips on caring for a new pet.

Nature & Space

Cruise to the Galapagos Channel the late Charles Darwin and visit the Galapagos Islands while aboard the ship, Endeavor II. Sightsee and gaze over the terrain and learn about the diversity of animals and plants found nowhere else in the world!

Behind the Falls Niagara Falls is one of the most beautiful attractions in Canada – are you ready to journey behind it? Take an elevator and descend 125-feet into the table rock where you’ll walk through a short tunnel and gain access to two observation portals, located directly behind the falls!

A Wilderness Adventure Yellowstone National Park, located in Wyoming, is a gorgeous 3,500-square-mile area that sits atop a volcanic hot spot that is home to bears, wolves, bison and antelope. Virtually explore the park with the National Park Service and learn about its dramatic canyons, alpine rivers, lush forests, gushing geysers, including the most famous, Old Faithful .

Beautiful Bahamian Corals Dive into the turquoise waters of the Bahamas and learn about life among the coral reef! Get an up-close look at reef biodiversity and see why reefs are such an important part of our oceans.

Fly Over a Volcano Fly over the beautiful Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano in Russia and check out its spherical views and lava flows. The volcano, which erupts once every few years, will give kids a peek into a natural, but magical world.

Explore a Colossal Cave Through an interactive tour, explore the largest cave in the world , located in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam. Formed during the Cambrian-Permian era, the cave is believed to be almost 450 million years old!

Journey to the Grand Canyon Make a short stop and check out one of the deepest canyons in the world – The Grand Canyon! Spanning almost 2,000 feet, the Grand Canyon is bigger than the entire state of Rhode Island! That’s pretty large for a rock formation!

Stars Above the Sahara Take in the beauty of stellar constellations , which consist of billions of stars within the Milky Way. This picturesque view can be found in North Africa in a sky that lights up the Sahara Desert at night.

Rover Over Mars Travel to another planet and explore alongside a trusty rover with the International Space Station! Through the use of a WebVR experiment, NASA gives those on earth a glimpse of the beauty beyond our world – no high-tech spaceship required! Explore outer space and the surface of mars at home or school.

Science Tours The American Museum of Natural History offers virtual tours and video tours for online learning including Virtual Field Trip to the Butterfly Conservatory, Virtual Tour of the Planet Earth, Virtual Field Trip to the Hall of North American Mammals and more.

History & Landmarks

The White House Through the tall fence and over the green lush lawn, visitors can take an online tour of the Executive Office, see the array of art and décor of the White House and learn about its history in just a few clicks!

Explore Ellis Island Millions of immigrants stepped onto American soil at Ellis Island from 1892 to 1954. Follow the immigrant’s footsteps online with an interactive virtual tour and hear their inspiring stories.

English Time Traveler Travel back in time to the 17th century as you explore and learn about daily life in a quaint, historical English village.

Step into the Smithsonian Embark on an interactive journey to the renounced Smithsonian Museum of National History in Washington, DC! The museum offers 145 million pieces throughout exhibits with plants, animals, fossils, minerals, meteorites, rocks, cultural artifacts, and more – making it the largest natural history collection in the world! Explore the museum virtually with this interactive tour.

The Medieval Louvre Originally built as a fortress by French king Philippe Auguste, the museum lets virtual visitors glide through the historic remains of the Louvre’s Moat with the click of a mouse! Built in 1190, the museum is a celebrated piece of French history.

Dive to the Titanic Over a hundred years ago in 1912, the Titanic made its final voyage carrying 2,200 passengers on board. Despite being coined “unsinkable” the ship hit an iceberg and sank in the chilly waters of the North Atlantic. The shipwreck site was discovered in 1989 and offers visitors to virtually visit the wreck on the ocean floor or take a virtual tour of the Titanic .

Liberty for All You can’t visit New York without stopping to admire the Statue of Liberty ! Take a tour of the neoclassical sculpture, located on Liberty Island. From the ground to the crown, you’ll find yourself in awe of this historical statue’s size!

The Ancient Pyramid Brave the sand and sun and trek to the oldest and largest pyramid in Giza, which is also one of the only ancient pyramids to remain largely intact! Through computer simulation, discover the hidden channels and tunnels of the pyramid, and explore one of the Seven Wonders of the world.

Longest Wall in the World Take a long walk from behind the screen as you discover the history and beauty of the Great Wall of China. The wall, which begins in Hushan and spans through to Beijing, spans a massive 13,000 miles! Best of all, you can virtually take this long walk without tiring out your feet!

Inside the Palace Advance through the iron gates that are adorned with gold embellishments and into one of the homes of the Queen of England. Buckingham Palace, located in London, features 775 rooms – which include 52 bedrooms and 78 bathrooms! Talk about a palace built to suit a queen!

The Secret Annex Located in North Holland, the secret annex was a cleverly disguised hiding space that housed wartime diarist Anne Frank and her family. The building itself is nestled along the Prinsengracht canal and served as a business during World War II. Now a museum, visitors can step into history , visit the annex and revel in Anne’s story.

Pearl of the Harbor Visit Hawaii from your computer to see one of the most treasured historical landmarks – The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. The beautiful memorial celebrates the lives of sailors and marines who fought for our freedom during the attack of Pearl Harbor in 1941.

When in Rome Enjoy an interactive tour of the Sistine Chapel , the official residence of the pope in Vatican City. With each click, you will be captivated by the gorgeous art painted by Michelangelo and the elaborate detail that spans the architecture of the palace.

Tour the Taj Visitors can digitally explore the Taj Mahal , an ivory-white mausoleum built alongside the Yamuna river in India. By using computer simulation, viewers can explore the inner and outside portions of the structure as well as see stunning photographs of the landmark when each interest point is clicked on the map.

Views from the Skyline Stop by the Empire State Building and take in the views from the 102nd floor ! Located sixteen floors above the observatory, the Empire State Building’s top deck offers the most spectacular views of the city without the fear of heights!

Mountain of Many Faces It’s time for a trip to South Dakota – where you can see the impressive carvings of Mount Rushmore . Mount Rushmore, which was completed in 1941, features granite faces of U.S. presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln -all from approximately 60-feet up in the air!

The Lincoln Memorial Washington, DC is home to one of the most recognized monuments in the country – The Lincoln Memorial! Viewers can tour the American treasure right from home ! The memorial was built to honor Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States. There is even an urban legend that says the face of general Robert E. Lee is carved onto the back of Lincoln’s head. Explore and see if you can find it!

Just For Fun

Hey Batter, Batter Calling all sports fans! Check out the famous Yankee Stadium through Virtual Venue and see where your favorite players hit home runs! The interactive tour offers viewers the opportunity to see the New York stadium from soaring heights, from the scoreboard, or from on top home plate!

Oh Dairy Just like Wisconsin, our Canadian neighbors in Ontario work hard to produce a variety of milk and cheeses for us to enjoy. Step into their factory and learn how these dairy favorites are made, packaged, and transported to local stores.

Have a Slice If you’re a fan of pizza, you’re in luck! Take a virtual tour and step into the kitchen of Peace A Pizza , a Florida-based parlor that will teach you everything you want to know about making and baking delicious pizza pies!

At the Fire Station Have you ever wondered what it’s like to live at the fire station? Jet off to Toronto where you will see firsthand how firefighters live , care for their trucks and prepare for their jobs that help fight fires in their communities.

Everything is Sweet Nothing is sweeter than freshly made pastries, cakes, and baked goods! Bake alongside Cake Boss star Buddy Valastro as he takes you on a tour of his famous bakery, located in the heart of Hoboken. From the family tradition of baking to a sense of community, this shop bakes up just as much love as it does sugary treats.

A Sip of Cola Get ready to see where the popular American beverage, Coca Cola is made! Watch in amazement as you tour the soft drink factory which shows how the bottles are constructed, filled, and prepared for your fridge.

Vroom, Vroom Buckle up and go behind the scenes at the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan! Through an educational tour, you can learn how customers impact the design of vehicles and the engineering behind them as well as see how testing for Ford F-Series trucks is performed.

Houston to Base Get ready for a mission – to go behind the scenes at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas! Viewers can learn about the innovations in aerospace technology as well as watch history be made with the launch of Starliner/CST-100 spacecraft and the deployment and utilization of the Space Launch System (SLS). Get ready for liftoff!

Discover Wisconsin

Our State Capitol On Wisconsin! Walk the halls of our Wisconsin State Capitol and learn about its rich history, beautiful architecture, and political purpose. The building, located in Madison was completed in 1917, is 284 feet from the ground floor, and features the Wisconsin statue on the dome. It proudly houses both chambers of the Wisconsin legislature in addition to the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the office for our state governor.

Wisconsin Dairy Love Wisconsin of course, is widely known for its dairy – delicious cheese and fresh milk, but do you know how the farm operates? Put on your boots and head to the barn , it’s time to learn about our namesake! Through an interactive virtual farm, viewers can learn what it takes to run a 150 or 1,500-cow dairy farm. Toggle between options for both a small and large farm and click to explore. You’ll find it ah-moozing!

All about Art Spend the afternoon browsing creative paintings and sculptures from the collections and exhibitions at the Museum of Wisconsin Art! MOWA, which is located in West Bend, features beautifully curated works from various artists, including local creatives. From modern inspirations to classical renditions, there is always something new surfacing in the museum!

Little House on the Prairie Head to the prairie and find the little house ! Many have read the stories of writer Laura Ingalls Wilder, but did you know you can tour her first home, located in Pepin, Wisconsin? Wilder’s home became the famous setting for her first book, Little House in the Big Woods , and thanks to technology, you can virtually tour that inspiring little cabin in the woods!

Parents: Links for virtual tours and trips are hosted and maintained by external sites like, but not limited to, YouTube, Explore, and National Geographic. We strive to provide the best content possible but encourage parents to sit alongside their children as they digitally explore. Also, find more things to do inside on our big list of ideas of things to do at home !

Jennifer Much

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6 Free Resources for Virtual Field Trips

Teachers can use panoramic photos and videos of locations all around the world to make lessons more engaging.

How can you take students around the world without moving very far? If you haven’t yet, it’s worth trying virtual field trips and excursions. Now more than ever, these resources allow students to experience spaces they might not otherwise get to see, and there are many ways to introduce them to students as they explore a topic.

Virtual field trips can help students explore a new space, build vocabulary and background knowledge, and expand their world view. Whether you want to explore the setting of a novel, introduce a place-based math problem, or make connections to current events, virtual field trips can expand upon traditional lessons in many ways. One of the reasons I love them so much is that they allow students to view a space that piques their curiosity and provides context for their learning.

The term virtual field trip can be used to describe not just 360 degree photos and videos but also the live interactions and video conferences you might set up with a subject matter expert like an author or museum docent. Flipgrid (one of my favorite tools) hosts a handful of these types of virtual field trips .

6 Ways to Set Up Virtual Field Trips

The list of free virtual field trip resources here is adapted from my ISTE Live presentation in December 2020. Students can access these resources without logging into a new website—teachers can post the link to a 360 degree panoramic image or interactive experience in a platform students already use, making it easy for them to access in both traditional classroom settings and at home.

1. AirPano : This site includes 360 degree videos and images from around the world. You aren’t required to create an account—you can just jump in and start searching. When you’re ready to share with students, there is a link you can copy and paste or an embed option if you’re adding a widget to a site of resources. If you’re looking for international locations, AirPano is a great choice for exploring outdoor spaces, including Machu Picchu in the daytime, or the northern lights at night.

2. Google Maps Treks : In combination with Google Maps and Earth, Treks organizes content in an easy-to-navigate way. There are Treks for places around the globe, including the U.S. and Canada, Egypt, Nepal, and India. Each one has information and videos for students to explore.

3. National Geographic : National Geographic’s YouTube channel transports students all over the world to learn about different cultures, foods, animals, and more. Have students press play on the video, and as the video begins, they can use their cursor or trackpad to spin the video in different directions. They can tap on one part of the screen to move the video back and forth as they learn about a new place.

4. Nearpod : Known as an interactive presentation tool, Nearpod has virtual reality content built into its platform in the form of 360 degree panoramic views, which can be used as a great pre-reading strategy to introduce a new book or spark discussion about a social studies or science topic. To use these interactive experiences with your students, insert them into any Nearpod lesson in the same way you would add a slide or poll. (Please note: Nearpod also offers a paid plan with additional amenities.)

5. 360Cities : This collection of stock 360 degree images has lots of user-uploaded resources. There is a special school version that allows you to introduce students to more dynamic learning experiences; it has features such as a guided tour creator.

6. Google Arts and Culture :  This tool has a variety of high-quality content, including interactive views that let students walk through notable spaces such as museums and explore examples of beautiful architecture like the Alhambra in Spain. You can let students know that this resource is mobile-responsive in addition to working on a web browser—they can access the content on a smartphone or tablet, or their Chromebook or laptop.

Engaging Students With Guided Questions

Set a purpose for students as they explore these resources by using prompts to guide their excursions. Potential prompts include:

• What do you think the weather is like in this place?
• How do you think someone captured this moment?
• What might be missing from this shot?

I’ve put together more prompts here .

If building student vocabulary is a primary goal of introducing virtual field trips to your students, you can point out different objects in the panoramic views or ask students to find certain features. For example, imagine students are learning about geological features and you take them on a virtual field trip to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Together you can discuss vocabulary like crater , steam vent , and igneous rocks .

When sharing with students, include a prompt or question and post the link and task into a space they already have access to, such as Google Classroom, Seesaw, or Schoology. If you’re sharing a list of resources for students, colleagues, or families that includes some of these virtual excursions, you might curate a list of favorites using a tool like Google Sites, Spark Page, or Microsoft Sway.

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Free virtual field trips.

by Freedom Homeschooling | Mar 21, 2023 | Field Trips

Virtual field trips allow children to visit places around the world without ever leaving their homes. Through virtual field trips, they can visit other states, countries across the globe, and even other planets. This allows children to experience places they wouldn’t get to see otherwise. Virtual field trips are also great for when you can’t get out due to illness or can’t afford to travel.  Here are several free resources your family can use to take virtual field trips.

Zoo & Aquarium Free Virtual Field Trips

Dublin Zoo – Watch the giraffes, zebras, rhinos, elephants, and penguins of this Ireland zoo via live webcams.

Franklin Park Zoo – Explore this Boston zoo using an interactive map and videos.

Houston Zoo – Observe animals in several of the zoo’s exhibits via live webcam.

Marineland Dolphin Adventure – Learn about dolphins, sea turtles, and more during a video-based tour of this marine mammal park in Florida.

Monterey Bay Aquarium – Watch sea creatures in this California aquarium with the live animal cam.

National Aquarium – Take a virtual tour of this aquarium located in Baltimore, Maryland.

San Diego Zoo – View live videos, learn about animals, play games, and more on this interactive website.

Zoo Tours – This YouTube channel visits zoos around the US.

Observe Wildlife With Free Virtual Field Trips

Africam – Watch animals in the African bush using live webcams.

All About Birds – Observe birds all over the US and world via live webcams.

Explore – View animals around the world with these live webcams.

Nature & National Parks Free Virtual Field Trips

Great Lakes Now – Learn about the Great Lakes of North America with this series of video-based virtual field trips.

Mount Everest – Explore this peak in the Himalayan mountain range through 360-degree photos and informative articles.

The Nature Conservancy – Learn about ecosystems around the world with video-based tours.

The Nature Conservancy of Oklahoma – Explore nature in Oklahoma through videos and photographs.

Son Doong Cave – Explore the world’s largest cave with 360-degree images.

The Virtual Rainforest – Learn about the rainforest with this interactive tour that includes informative videos and articles.

Yosemite National Park – Tour this national park located in California through interactive panoramic photographs.

Visit Farms With Free Virtual  Field Trips

Farm Tours – Learn about agriculture through these virtual tours of farms in Canada.

HenCam – Observe chickens on a small backyard farm in Massachusetts.

Purina Farms – Learn about the animals at Purina Farms with this virtual field trip.

History Museums Free Virtual Field Trips

Anne Frank House – Take a 360-degree tour of Anne Frank’s home in Amsterdam.

The British Museum – Browse the online galleries of this museum, which is located in London.

Colonial Williamsburg – Take a 3D tour of the world’s largest living history museum.

Corrie ten Boom Home – View the home in 360 degrees as the digital guide tells Corrie’s story.

Museo Galileo – Virtually tour this museum dedicated to Galileo in Florence, Italy.

National Women’s History Museum – Learn about trailblazing women while exploring the museum’s virtual exhibits.

Old Sturbridge Village – Learn about life in 1830s New England with this 3D tour.

September 11th Memorial and Museum – Explore the museum with this interactive video-based virtual tour.

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History – Virtually explore many current and past exhibits of this museum located in Washington D.C.

War & Military History Museums Free Virtual Field Trips

Battleship New Jersey – Take a video-based tour of the US’s most decorated battleship.

Beyond the Battle Field – Watch a behind-the-scenes video-based field trip of the Museum of the American Revolution.

National Museum of the US Air Force – Take a virtual tour of this museum located in Dayton, Ohio.

The National World War II Museum – Learn about World War II with this series of video-based field trips.

Historical Sites, Landmarks, & Monuments Free Virtual Field Trips

Ellis Island – Visit Ellis Island with this video created by Scholastic.

Historic Philadelphia – Take a picture-based tour of historic sites in Philadelphia, PA. Stops include the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Betsy Ross Hall, and more.

Mount Rushmore – Explore this national memorial located in South Dakota through 360-degree images.

Mount Vernon – Take an interactive and informative tour of George Washington’s home in Virginia.

The Statue of Liberty – Learn about the Statue of Liberty through the videos and photographs in this virtual tour.

The White House – Go on a  360-degree tour of the President’s home.

Art Museum Free Virtual Field Trips

The Dalí Museum – Take a 360-degree virtual tour of this St. Petersburg, Florida, museum and view online galleries of Salvador Dalí’s artwork.

Google Arts and Culture – View the art collections of over 500 museums and galleries. Some of the museums also offer full virtual tours.

The Louvre Museum – Explore exhibits at this famous art museum in Paris, France.

MetKids – Explore the Metropolitan Museum of Arts, located in New York City, using an interactive map and videos.

Learn About Space With Free Virtual Field Trips

Boeing Aerospace Tour – Join Boeing on a virtual field trip to the Johnson Space Center.

Callisto: Space Innovation Tour – Explore the Orion Spacecraft with a video-based field trip.

International Space Station – Take a video tour of the space station.

Johnson Space Center – Tour Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, with this series of videos from Boeing and Discovery Education.

Mars – Explore the surface of Mars in a 360-degree view while learning about the planet and space exploration.

NASA Glenn Research Center – Take a look around the facilities with these interactive virtual tours.

Factory & Business Free Virtual Field Trips

Amazon Fulfillment Center – Learn how Amazon fills customers’ orders with this online field trip.

Mount Olive Tour – Find out how pickles are made with this video tour.

Taylor Guitars Factory – Watch guitars being made with this video-based factory tour.

Community Helpers & Services Free Virtual Field Trips

Clover Post Office – Visit the Clover Post Office in North Carolina to learn how mail is delivered.

Martin County Sheriff’s Department – Join a group of preschoolers for a video-based virtual field trip to the sheriff’s office in Martin County, Florida.

Memphis Fire Department – Watch a video tour of the fire department.

Republic Services – See what happens to our trash with virtual field trips to landfills and recycling centers.

Explore the World With Free Virtual Field Trips

AirPano – Visit locations all over the world virtually with 360-degree videos and photographs.

Borneo – Travel to Borneo, the third largest island in the world, and learn about the rainforest with this video.

Holy Land Tour – Virtually visit Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and more.

The Journey of Water – This video explores Columbia’s paramo ecosystem and follows water’s path to the kitchen sink.

The Most Dangerous Ways to School – Watch children all over the world travel to school with this 13-episode documentary series.

Rick Steves’ Europe – Visit and learn about Europe with this YouTube channel.

Vatican Museums – Virtually tour numerous museums, chapels, and galleries.

World of Wonder Travel – Take virtual trips around the US and the world. The website includes a free printable passport and stamps to track field trips.

360 Cities – This website provides interactive 360-degree videos and images of locations around the world.

Miscellaneous Free Virtual Field Trips

National Geographic Education – This YouTube playlist includes virtual field trips to various locations.

Discovery Education – Discover Education offers a wide variety of virtual field trips.

Google Earth – “Fly” anywhere in the world in seconds, explore hundreds of cities in 3D, take guided tours, and create your own maps and stories.

Google Maps Street View – Type in any address, select street view, and explore the area. Not only can you take a virtual trip down the streets, but you can also “step” into many museums, landmarks, and other attractions. Here are some I’ve found.

• The White House – Washington, D.C.
• The Colosseum – Rome, Italy
• Great Wall of China – Huairou District, China
• Stonehenge – Wiltshire, United Kingdom
• Palace of Versailles – Versailles, France
• This is just a small sample of the places you can tour with Google Maps. Search for other locations that interest your family and see if Google will let you take a peek inside.

Free Printable Field Trip Journal & Log

Our 20 Ways to Save on Field Trips post includes a free printable field trip journal and log. This printable works well for both in-person and virtual field trips.

Other Resources You May Enjoy

• YouTube Channels That Get Kids Moving
• Homeschooling With Movies, TV, and Videos
• Free Curriculum for All Subjects and Every Grade – Simply choose a subject from the menu on the main page to get started.

Note: This post was originally published on March 16, 2020 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

At the Freedom Homeschooling Blog, you'll find homeschool resources and information, tips for homeschooling on a budget, encouragement, and more! Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter, so you never miss a post.

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Virtual Resources & Field Trips

Virtual Field Trips offer the benefits of experiences anywhere and at time that include Virtual Performances, Virtual STEM Field Trips, Virtual Farm Videos Field Trips, Virtual Museums Tours, Virtual Botanical Garden Online Learning, Virtual Zoo Fun, Virtual Aquarium digital learning and much more. To learn about these virtual field trips and programs select the ACTIVITY filter below.

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Absolute Science

Absolute Science mixes STEAM, Entertainment and Character Education.  Over 60 interactive virtual and live shows, workshops and behavior tools – all at a PRICE YOU CHOOSE! In-Person Performances: Nationwide.

Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the world’s great art museums, with a collection that spans centuries and the globe. View some of  the museum’s collection virtually. 

AutismFriendlyShows.com presents – Turtle Dance Music

AutismFriendlyShows.com and Turtle Dance Music are children’s music companies dedicated to furthering early child development through arts-integration, music, inclusion and educational entertainment. We help kids come out of their shells!

AWE – The Early Literacy Station™

AWE Learning has more than 20 years of experience providing literacy-focused digital learning solutions for early learners. Offers free printables for early learning practice.

Awesome Laser Assemblies

Prismatic Magic provides educational and entertaining laser light virtual and in-person performances. Our programs are dazzling, and your kids will sing and cheer while they learn. In-Person Performances: Nationwide.

Bash The Trash

Bash the Trash builds, performs and educates with musical instruments made from found objects, with connections to science, music, climate change and plastic pollution. In-person performances: Nationwide.

Big Apple Playback Theatre

Based on students’ real-life stories and feelings, Big Apple Playback Theatre create spontaneous, interactive theatre. We provide a forum for compassionate listening and role-playing around issues important and relevant to them. In-Person: Nationwide.

Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum

Join Samuel Adams and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty in protest of King George’s unjust taxes at the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum. Explore via virtual tours and the research library.

Boxtales Theatre Company

High quality Boxtales’ virtual shows, along with new Social Emotional Learning (SEL) focused teacher guides, (plus extensions), and designed for maximum engagement on ZOOM platforms. 20-60 minute length.

Bright Star Touring Theatre

Bright Star Touring Theatre performs shows for families and young audiences. Our mission is simple: to challenge, engage, and delight audiences all over the world. IN-PERSON PERFORMANCES: Nationwide.

BUBBLEDAD BUBBLE SHOWS

Bubbledad has brought smiles to tens of thousands of kids from Manhattan to Mumbai with his bubble wizardry-could your students next?! Bubbledad offers science shows for schools, scout councils, camps and libraries and birthday parties. In-Person Metro NY.

Captain Bob’s Rockets and Robots

Aerospace education specialist, Bob Redman, brings the high-tech world of space exploration down to earth for K-8 students. These STEM/STEAM excite and inspire children to study science and math.

THE MAJOR BENEFITS OF VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS

Virtual field trips are not limited by distance and are typically more cost-effective than traditional in-person field trips for school, scout, camp and homeschool groups. No cost for transportation or for refreshments and meals. They eliminate safety concerns (no permission slips required.)

The technology allows students to travel the world, both in time and space. Allowing students to explore places that they might not have been able to visit otherwise. Especially for elementary school students since their field trips are often limited by distance and time constraints. Students of all ages can experience traveling to far-off locations—from Antarctica to outer space—through a virtual trip.

Virtual Field trips are easy to manage for teachers, camp directors, homeschool parents and scout leaders. No need for loss of instructional time. Limited prep time for trips. No name tags, no permission slip, no collecting money, no parent chaperones. But most important, you can schedule virtual field trips based on you schedule and needs!

BEST VIRTUAL FARM FIELD TRIP VIDEOS FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GRADES

BEST VIRTUAL ZOO FIELD TRIPS

BEST VIRTUAL THEATER FIELD TRIPS FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GRADES

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23 Virtual Zoo Field Trips, Tours, and Zoo Cams That Get You Up Close to the Animals

Bring the zoo to you.

We love field trips, but sometimes organizing an excursion just can’t happen. Fortunately, we live in a time when technology can bring the excitement to us. The pandemic encouraged many zoos and aquariums to put in the effort to bridge the gap for visitors at home. As such, we’re able to share this list of fantastic virtual zoo field trips, virtual zoo tours, and zoo cams you can enjoy from anywhere.

Best Virtual Zoo Field Trips, Virtual Zoo Tours, and Zoo Cams

San diego zoo.

The San Diego Zoo has a “Watch and Learn” section on its website. Here, students can check out the fantastic zoo cams including the burrowing-owl cam, giraffe cam, elephant cam, and many more.

Atlanta Zoo

While the Atlanta Zoo’s zoo cam is dedicated to pandas, they offer many videos and activities that feature bird watching, sloths, lemurs, monkeys, and more.

Reid Park Zoo

Located in Tucson, Arizona, this zoo features a variety of delightful zoo cams designed to give kids a virtual zoo tour of the elephants, giraffes, grizzly bears, lions, and more.

Tembe Elephant Park

Tembe Elephant Park is located in a remote area of South Africa. Renowned for having the largest elephants in the world, these zoo cams offer sights such as sand forests and wetlands, leopards, rhinos, and, of course, elephants.

GRACE Gorilla Forest Corridor

This extensive cam takes us inside the gorilla forest corridor in the Democratic Republic of Congo while connecting the habitat with the night quarters at the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center (GRACE).

Houston Zoo

Take a virtual zoo tour down to Texas and enjoy the live zoo cams set up by the Houston Zoo, allowing you to peer into the lives of giraffes, gorillas, elephants, and flamingos.

Explore the Arctic

Head to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, to witness the annual polar bear migration. Discovery Education has teamed up with Polar Bears International to host a series that explores some of the biggest questions about the Arctic.

Bring your virtual classroom to life with animals from the Oregon Zoo. The Wildlife Live videos are aligned to different subject content areas, which are listed on the page. New videos are also posted regularly on the zoo’s social media channels. A few times every week, they go behind the scenes for a live interview with animal-care staff. Each live video is accompanied by a kid-approved activity related to the featured animal .

PBS Zoo Field Trip

Let’s all go to the zoo with PBS LearningMedia! At Zoo Miami, Penny and the KidVision VPK kids wash rhinos, feed giraffes, study a zebra’s stripes, and ride a camel. Lions and tigers and apes, oh my!

International Wolf Center

The cool wolf-pack cam live-broadcasts the adventures of four ambassador wolves: Denali, Boltz, Axel, and Grayson. The exhibit stretches across 1.25 acres and includes two dens, a filtered pond, and a forested area.

San Antonio Zoo

While San Antonio Zoo virtual field trips aren’t free, they’re very engaging. Enjoy virtual encounters with okapis, hippos, rhinos, and more.

From a virtual zoo tour and chats with staff to showing what the animals are up to and posting activity ideas from their education and conservation teams, the Dallas Zoo’s Bring the Zoo to You web series is perfect for a virtual field trip.

Australia Zoo

Australia Zoo was the home of the late Steve Irwin, best known as the Crocodile Hunter. His wife, Terri, and children, Bindi and Bob, have continued his legacy. This fantastic YouTube channel offers captivating videos of some of the world’s most fascinating animals.

Smithsonian’s National Zoo

This virtual zoo field trip takes us to the nation’s capital. Check out animal zoo cams that share a glimpse into the daily lives of black-footed ferrets, naked mole rats, giant pandas, and more.

Chester Zoo

This British zoo has been going live on Facebook and YouTube to offer a fun and engaging virtual zoo tour packed full of fantastic facts and adorable animal antics.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has created virtual zoo tour resources to support children’s learning for grades pre-K through 12. The site offers online courses, family-friendly science activities, crafts and printables, and fantastic video lessons (in English and en español) to help young learners who are excited about ocean animals.

Georgia Aquarium at Home

These wonderful guided virtual tours through Georgia Aquarium’s galleries allow you to explore the chilly unknown in Cold Water Quest , be immersed in a world of colors as a tropical diver , and more.

New England Aquarium Virtual Tour

Enjoy a virtual zoo tour of the New England Aquarium and check out the projects and activities available to both educators and families. New zoo cam videos premiere on Facebook , YouTube , and Instagram .

Folly Farm Sloth Cam

Witness the serene existence of Tuppee and Lightcap, two charming two-toed sloths residing in Sloth Forest, a habitat created as a comfortable “sloth retirement home.”

Aquarium of the Pacific Webcams

Peek into the lives of playful penguins, sleek sharks in the Shark Lagoon, the graceful sea nettles, the bustling Tropical Reef, the serene Honda Blue Cavern, and the intriguing coral predators. These webcams, complemented by resource kits, offer a vibrant, educational experience for all ages.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Giraffe Cams

Tune into the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s giraffe cams for a live peek into the lives of giraffes in the African Rift Valley exhibit. These cameras capture the giraffes as they roam, mingle, and interact with visitors hand-feeding them lettuce. It’s a “Way Beyond Watching” experience that brings you up close with these majestic animals from anywhere in the world.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium Webcams

Dive virtually into the world of marine rescue at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Their live webcams offer glimpses into the new Ruth & J.O. Stone Dolphin Complex, home to rescued bottlenose dolphins in a sprawling 1.5 million gallons of Clearwater Bay’s filtered water. Additionally, explore more live cams like the Otter Cam, Pelican Cam, and Mavis’s Rescue Hideaway Cam for a closer look at other rescued marine animals.

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo Webcams

Catch a glimpse into the daily lives of Beardsley Zoo’s beloved animals with their live webcams. Be sure to switch between the Indoor and Outdoor Red Panda Cams, the Spider Monkey Cams, and the River Otter Cam to see these creatures exploring their habitats.

Did we miss one of your favorite virtual zoo field trips, virtual zoo tours, or zoo cams? Share it with us in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook!

Also, check out the best field trip ideas for every age and interest (virtual options too).

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40 Amazing Educational Virtual Field Trips

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Kids will Love These Space Exploration Virtual Field Trips:

Take advantage of opportunities that are not available for normal field trips and expand the horizons of your learners with these space adventures!

• Go onboard the Orion Spacecraft with a 50-minute virtual tour to inspire future astronauts from Amazon’s Future Engineers  
• Find all of the letters of the alphabet on the landscapes of Earth from space with NASA’s satellite imagery 
• Look inside a supersonic wind tunnel at the NASA Glenn Research Center’s facilities in Cleveland, Ohio
• Go on a quest with Mark Rober as he attempts an Egg Drop From Space

• Explore over 60,000 stars, planets, and constellations through the Stellarium Web Online Star Map
• See what happens when astronauts launch slime in space !
• Discover more about your favorite night light with this 4k Tour of the Moon
• Get curious about the red planet with this all-access to Mars featuring NASA’s Curiosity rover

How About These History Museums?

We have loved visiting the Presidential Libraries or the Holocaust Museum in Dallas because it expands our horizons of human existence. They are such rich storehouses of history that bring you into the world of people who have gone before you. These free virtual field trips can do the same from home while whetting your appetite for seeing more in real life!

• Explore the vast exhibits of the Natural Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.
• Have fun with some interactive exhibits from American Centuries at Memorial Hall in Deerfield, MA
• Walk with some trailblazing women through the National Women’s History Museum in Alexandria, VA.
• Discover the mysteries of video game history in the online exhibit of The Strong National Museum of Play
• Take a tour of the Battleship New Jersey
• Follow in the immigrants' footsteps by taking the Ellis Island Interactive Tour
• Go beyond the battlefield with this virtual field trip to the Museum of the American Revolution hosted by I Survived author Lauren Tarshis

Virtual Field Trips to Art Museums:

There really is nothing like the real thing, and if you haven't been to an art museum with your kids, it should go on your bucket list. However, there are some magical things you can do with these free virtual field trips that make exploring from afar worth it!

• Look into Mona Lisa’s eyes at The Louvre in Paris, France
• Gaze up at Michelangelo’s ceiling in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican Museums, Rome
• Find some mind-bending surrealist art by Salvador Dali at The Dali in St. Petersburg, Florida.
• Zoom in to Van Gough’s Starry Night at the MoMA in New York City, NY.
• Check out Vermeer’s The Milkmaid hanging in the galleries of the Rijks Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands. 
• Explore the works of Impressionist painters like Monet and Cézanne displayed in the gallery of the Musée d’Orsay

Take a Free Trip to Far Off Places

I want my kids to see other places and learn about different cultures and biomes. Andy had the opportunity to go to Israel with his school this year, and it changed his life. We've used free virtual field trips to inspire future travel.

• Get a 360° view of the Holy Lands
• Tour the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France
• Walk through the Winter Palace of Peter the Great at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia 
• Take a virtual field trip through the Amazon jungle
• Discover the wildlife of Washington, D.C.
• Or even wilder, take a virtual tour of the White House !
• Get lost in Buckingham Palace
• And walk along the Great Wall of China
• Explore the world’s largest cave: Son Doong Cave in Vietnam
• Follow the journey of water from Colombia’s Paramo to the kitchen sink
• Or check out 360° views of thousands of cities like this Acacia tree and the Milky Way in Tanzania
• Hike Mount Everest
• Get up close and personal with the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum in London.

Get Insider Information with These Virtual Field Trips

My favorite field trips when I was young involved getting a glimpse behind the curtain to see how things really work.

• Get a behind-the-scenes look at an Amazon Fulfilment center with a 45 min virtual tour highlighting robotics and engineering innovations that make the magic happen for Amazon

• See how Taylor guitars are made with this behind-the-scenes access to the Taylor Guitar Factory
• Or go inside a fire station with the Memphis Fire Department virtual field trip 
• Get a close-up view of the pickle manufacturing process at the Mount Olive Pickles Tour

• Tour a recycling center or modern landfill , and learn more with the curriculum to go with it
• Join The National WWII Museum for a cross-country virtual expedition to discover the science, sites, and stories of the creation of the atomic bomb . 
• Compare the inner workings of several different egg farms and how they’re working to operate more sustainably.

Virtual Experiences for animal lovers:

The zoo is one of my favorite educational destinations unless the weather is not too extreme. In those cases, I prefer the webcam! Here are some fun ways to get up close and personal with some of your favorite creatures...or even some you may not know of yet!

• Check out the live webcams from the San Diego Zoo or watch one of their many wildlife explorer educational videos to enjoy your favorite animals in action
• Hang out with the gorillas in the Gorilla Forrest Corridor with their live webcam highlights streaming from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 
• Swim with the manatees at Homosassa Springs Underwater Manatees in Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, Fl
• What Can You Learn from a Polar Bear? Virtual Field Trip to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada

• Take a virtual Field trip to the Marineland Dolphin Adventure in Florida
• Meet all of the animals on the Purina Farms tour in Gary Summit, Missouri
• Check out the symphony of the rainforest in this Virtual Field Trip to Borneo

Free Field Trip Log and Experience Journal

Keep track of your field trip adventures and journal about your experiences with this free printable!

So which are you most looking forward to trying, or what was your favorite? Have you found any other great free virtual field trips? I always love a good recommendation!

Betsy Strauss is an unexpected homeschooler, mother of three, who is in a relationship with a sweet man for life. She loves reading books, drinking coffee, and learning anything with her kids.

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FREE VIRTUAL

Field trips, right in your backyard, accesible learning.

At TTK, we believe everyone should have access to adventure learning. In an effort to maintain our mission, we are offering all of our Virtual Field Trips free. Join us!

Use the code: FREEVFT

Our Partner

We are partnering with the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC), a nonprofit organization that works with renowned experts, treasured museums, zoos, historic sites, National Parks, and more to provide virtual field trips to learners at no cost !

Please Note

These are digital products. After purchasing your VFT, you will have access to a document that includes the link and other VFT information.

How Do I Join?

1. sign your child up for the event using our coupon code. 2.  mark your calendar 3.  when you receive the document, print it off and share any preparatory materials with your child. 4. confirm that your child's device has a working webcam and microphone. if you are joining from a phone, please download the free zoom app in advance. , 5. field trip day: to join the field trip, click the link from the document and you are in for a great adventure , attention: we recommend that students use a pc to access the virtual field trips. there have been previous technical difficulties with students joining the field trips via a mac., hanafuda: japanese flower cards with penn museum.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Join Penn Museum educators as we learn about hanafuda, a style of traditional Japanese playing cards dating to the 1600s. The cards are intricately designed with different flower patterns connected to the months of the year and used to play different games. Students will learn about hanafuda cards, design their own card, and watch a brief play session of koi koi, a popular hanafuda game.

Date: Friday, May 3, 1 PM ET

Target Audience: Grades K-6

Length: 45 minutes

Chinese Folktales With Author Marty Chan

Experience Chinese folktales coming alive through a perfect blend of humor and technological magic, captivating children's imaginations. Marty's innovative approach allows students to actively participate in the stories, fostering engagement and learning. One standout interactive session reveals the enchanting tale of how the rainbow came to be, inviting children on an imaginative journey filled with puzzles and discovery. Marty's humor keeps the atmosphere light and enjoyable, ensuring children are entertained while absorbing valuable lessons about Chinese culture. By merging traditional storytelling with modern technology, Marty creates an immersive learning experience that leaves a lasting impression, inspiring children to explore and appreciate the rich heritage of Chinese folklore!

Date: Tuesday, May 7, 1 PM ET

Swimming With Sharks: The Daring Discoveries of Eugenie Clark With Mote Marine Laboratory

In the 1930s few people dared to explore the depths of the sea, and none were women. But Genie wasn’t afraid. Follow “the Shark Lady” as she uncovers the mysteries of the world’s most feared fish! Swimming With Sharks, the Daring Discoveries of Eugenie Clark We read this biographical story aloud with your students and then engage in a learning segment to help build critical thinking skills, promote oral language skills, fluency, pronunciation, STEM engagement, and reading comprehension.

Date: Wednesday, May 8, 1 PM ET

Mighty Melanin! The Science of Human Skin Color With Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Museum research dives into the very beginnings of the human species in Africa, and exploring differences in skin color and other genetic variations helps us to track original migratory routes of our ancient ancestors. Investigate the concept of variation in other animals, and celebrate variation within our own species!

Date: Thursday, May 9, 1 PM ET

Monarch Connections: Monarchs and You With Butterfly Pavilion

In the final session of the Monarch Connections series, Butterfly Pavilion will discover the ways you can connect with Monarchs throughout their incredible life cycle. We’ll explore different community science projects, empowering participants to actively support Monarch conservation and to understand the significance of their contributions. As the finale to the Monarch Connection series, this session prepares learners to continue their journey as active contributors to Monarch conservation. Participation in the previous sessions is not required to join this session.

Date: Tuesday, May 14, 12 PM ET

The Deep Sea With Ocean Wise

How deep is deep? Venture down through the different oceanic zones and into the deepest parts of the ocean with an ROV and explore the mysteries of the deep! Collect data and learn about the unique adaptations that allow animals in the deep to hunt, withstand pressure and create their own source of light! Who do YOU think is lurking in the dark?

Date: Wednesday, May 15, 1 PM ET

Celebrating Asian American Artists With Smithsonian American Art Museum

Join us as we journey through the colorful landscapes of creativity, where Asian American artists weave together their unique life experiences, historical events, and cultural connections to inspire their magnificent artworks. From the bustling streets of Chinatown to the serene gardens of Japan, we'll discover how these artists navigate the balance between their ancestral heritage and American identity, drawing upon traditions both old and new to craft pieces that captivate the imagination. Through their paintings, sculptures, and multimedia installations, we'll uncover stories of resilience, resistance, and celebration, gaining a deeper understanding of the rich tapestry of Asian American culture and its integral role in shaping the multifaceted story of American art.

Date: Tuesday, May 21, 1 PM ET

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Virtual Field Trips

Explore the World with Virtual Field Trips

Designed for ages 9-15 but customizable for all ages, virtual field trips allow students to travel the world and explore natural environments without leaving the classroom. Each virtual field trip contains a video, teacher guide and student activities.

Working Trees: Reforestation and Responsible Forestry

Forests represent a powerful opportunity to pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, helping to cool our planet while also providing clean air, clean water, and habitat for wildlife.

Less Harm on the Farm: Regenerative Agriculture

Food is more than something we eat to survive; it's a part of how we thrive. Learn how regenerative agriculture can help us feed a growing population while restoring nature.

Climb-It Change

Explore how climate change is impacting alpine ecosystems and go on a climbing adventure with scientists who take you to some of the most stunning mountain ranges in the United States. This film is a Rocket Soul Studios production.

Protecting Our Oceans and Ourselves

More people rely on our ocean for food, energy, transport, recreation and other natural resources than any other time in history.

Climate Heroes: The Power of Trees

Trees are our climate superheroes! From Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States to St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean, trees are playing critical roles in cleaning our air and improving our resilience in the face of climate change.

You’re the Scientist! Citizen Science, Frogs and Cicadas

The conservation community relies heavily on volunteers not only to restore natural areas but to help gauge the success of restoration efforts.

Changing Climate, Changing Cities

Get a front-row, ground-level seat to the challenges cities face as they confront this force of nature, and discover the solutions experts are promoting to mitigate it.

The Secret Life of Corals

Learn how fragile reefs are being damaged by human activity and climate change, and how scientists are developing ways to restore corals.

Borneo: The Symphony of the Rainforest

On this journey, we’ll learn how experts are using cutting-edge science to find out how healthy the rainforest is—and to discover where it needs some help!

View from a Canoe

Can you imagine a place with 100 million acres of forest and 30,000 miles of coastline? It exists. The Emerald Edge is home to the largest intact coastal temperate rainforest.

Wild Biomes: America’s Rainforests & Deserts

Two wildly different ecosystems, both dependent on the same precious resource: Water. On this virtual field trip, we’ll travel to Seattle and Arizona.

The Coral Reefs of Palau

Join our expert scientist, marine biologist Stephanie Wear, on a virtual field trip to the coral reefs of Palau where you'll explore amazing underwater cities.

China’s Great Forests

Join our expert scientist Yue Wang, a conservation planning officer for The Nature Conservancy, on a virtual field trip across the world to two stunning provinces in China.

Powering the Planet: Renewable Energy

Join scientist Alex Wegmann as we embark on a Virtual Field Trip to explore a compelling question: How can we get the energy we need without harming nature?

Journey of Water: Colombia’s Páramo

In this virtual field trip, we will explore the magical páramo ecosystem and the stunning mountain landscapes found just beyond the capital city of Bogotá.

Peru: A Coastal Ecosystem

Join fisheries scientist Matias Caillaux to explore the Humboldt Current Ecosystem off the coast of Peru while learning about the area’s amazing diversity and productivity.

Ridge to Reef: A Virtual Field Trip to Hong Kong

The “Ridge to Reef” (R2R) concept is a holistic approach that takes into consideration all the environments within a watershed — from the top of the mountains down to the ocean — and shows that what happens on land affects what happens in the water.

Stay connected for the latest resources from Nature Lab

Don't miss new Nature Lab teaching guides and videos. Sign up to get the monthly Nature Lab newsletter with free environmental education materials for educators and families.

Explore Our Youth Curriculum

Access resources aligned to The Nature Conservancy’s research and designed specifically for a young audience and classroom use.

Creative Ideas for Your Next Preschool Virtual Field Trip

Here's how to plan a virtual field trip for your preschool class.

• brightwheel

Field trips are some of the most exciting experiences for preschoolers. Children love exploring new things and places, and field trips are the perfect way for them to gain new perspectives and learn new material in the real world. However, the pandemic and the rise of technology have changed how field trips operate. When in-person schooling was not an option, the internet and technological advancements created new ways for children to continue receiving an education. 

Since then, virtual field trips have become increasingly popular, allowing children to go on a new adventure without leaving their homes or classrooms. In this article, we'll discuss virtual field trips, their benefits, creative trip ideas, and how to plan them.

What is a virtual field trip?

A virtual field trip is a guided, digital experience using multimedia, such as video, images, animation, and sounds. Although virtual field trips have been around for years, the rise of remote learning has created a greater need for them. Virtual field trips offer children enriching and educational experiences with varying types of involvement and topics. For example, some virtual field trips are interactive to create an immersive learning experience for the children. They can focus on various subjects, including science, history, geography, and more. 

The benefits of a virtual field trip

Virtual field trips offer a range of benefits to preschoolers and their educators. For starters, they act as valuable tools for education and entertainment. They're a great way to engage children in learning new topics. Additionally, because they can be conducted from home or the classroom, they’re more accessible to everyone. Children can virtually visit places they may not see otherwise, regardless of financial, physical, or geographical constraints. Finally, virtual field trips allow children from all backgrounds to gain new experiences and learn new material.

In addition to accessibility, virtual field trips also offer flexibility. They can be accessed from anywhere at any time, so there's no need for planning around busy schedules and coordinating with the school to set up transportation, meals, and chaperones. Instead, thanks to their convenience, educators and their children can explore various topics and exciting destinations at their own pace. 

Field trips can be costly for schools, educators, and parents to plan and execute. However, virtual field trips are more cost-effective since they don't require travel or accommodations. Whether finances are an issue for the school or the family, virtual field trips remove those limitations and bring an educational adventure directly to the children. Families don't have to face the burden of not being able to afford to pay for a trip, and their children don't have to miss out on a fun learning opportunity. 

Another benefit of virtual field trips is that they allow children to explore new places and topics in detail. Whether it's a zoo or a museum exhibit, they can engage in in-depth activities related to the destination. Through this immersive learning experience, they can get and stay engaged in the topic, gain a deeper understanding, and even improve their academic performance .

Virtual field trip examples

There are many options for exciting and engaging virtual field trips . Some examples include:

• The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: The Smithsonian offers virtual tours that allow visitors to take self-guided, room-by-room tours of select exhibits and areas within the museum from their desktop or mobile device. They can also access select collections, research areas, and past exhibits that are no longer on display.
• NASA: Children can gain an out-of-this-world experience through NASA's International Space Station Tour . They'll learn what daily life is like for astronauts who live and work in space.
• Yellowstone National Park: The National Park Service allows visitors to virtually experience the wonders of one of the most popular parks in the United States. This virtual tour lets you and your children see amazing wonders like the Mammoth Hot Spots, the Fountain Paint Pot, and the Old Faithful geyser.
• Great Wall of China: Children can get a dose of culture and explore one of the wonders of the world. Through Google Arts and Culture, you and your children can virtually walk the Great Wall of China , including 360-degree views and interesting architectural details about the landmark.
• The Zoo: If your lesson plan includes a section about animals, there are several online options for zoo experiences. Your children can learn about polar bears and pandas through engaging live webcams such as the Kansas City Zoo Polar Bear Cam and the Giant Panda Cam at Smithsonian's National Zoo .
• Discovery Education: If you're looking for a hands-on field trip from the comfort and convenience of the classroom, then Discovery Education is a great resource. They have multiple virtual field trips every month covering a variety of topics.

How to plan a virtual field trip

If you want to bring thrilling and engaging experiences to your children in the classroom, then it's time to plan a virtual field trip. You can easily integrate them into your lesson plans as an extension of your activities and to bring excitement to the topic. Some tips for planning and structuring your virtual field trip include: 

Connect the trip to your curriculum 

Ensure that there's a clear connection to the lesson and goals to create an experience that's meaningful and relevant. For example, a virtual zoo field trip is a good match if you're teaching a unit on animals.

Reach out to the museum or park directly 

If you have a place and topic in mind for your virtual field trip, don't hesitate to reach out to them to see if they're willing to talk to the children virtually about a specific topic.

Prepare accordingly

To introduce the field trip's topic to the children, create an activity beforehand. This will give them some background knowledge before diving into the virtual experience. For example, the National Park Service has worksheets on its website that children can complete before virtual field trips. 

Additionally, while these trips may not require you to leave the classroom, keeping families in the loop about upcoming virtual field trips is still a good idea. While a permission slip may not be necessary, you can include information about the trip in messages to families or a monthly newsletter. A tool like brightwheel's communication feature offers an easy-to-use solution for messaging parents and distributing newsletters.

Identify what the children need to know 

Before the virtual field trip, determine what knowledge the children should gain. Come up with a list of questions they can ask if there's a live expert during the trip. You can also have the children complete a KWL chart to identify what they know and what they want to know about a particular topic before the journey begins.

Discuss and reflect 

Set aside time to review the virtual field trip afterwards and discuss what they learned. You can also extend the learning into another lesson or activity. This can also be discussed using a KWL chart to revisit and reflect on their learning.

A fun and exciting trip is just a click away

Now that you know more about planning and conducting a virtual field trip, it's time to bring the experience to your classroom. Whether you're pressed for time or don't have the resources to travel physically, a virtual field trip can take your children on the adventure of a lifetime. It's a great way to teach them while keeping them entertained and engaged.

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