March 31, 2010

Field Trips

Our family loves field trips and we have gone on many through the years. September and October tend to be big field trip months for us as so few people are at all the best locations. Not many schools take field trips in the first few weeks of fall as they are settling into a school routine so it is a perfect time to schedule and attend field trips as a homeschool family.

Recently we went to a beekeeping and candlemaking trip that the kids really enjoyed. We learned all about beekeeping and the different kinds of bees. We learned about how important bees are and how many of our crops will not do as well without them decreasing food production here in the United States. We also learned about the various kinds of honey made (varied by the pollen of different plants) and all about how the hive works and where beeswax comes from. The kids then got to make a hand dipped beeswax candle and see the beeboxes. They all enjoyed this one though it was quite a drive from where we live.

This week we went to the Raptor Center here in Minnesota and learned about owls and various raptors. They got to see several kinds of owls, hawks, and bald eagles. They dissected owl pellets and learned some interesting facts about owls and raptors as well as received the "take care of your environment" message from someone other than me, which is always a good thing. Sirah LOVES owls and it was the first time I have seen her reaching out of her seat with her hand up in the air. We had a talk about that on the way home as at times she was excessive and I explained why that was not good. However, the enthusiasm that represented was encouraging to me. It was her request that led us to the field trip in the first place.

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