Maryland Field Trip Ideas

• Teachers use field trips to enhance their students' education. Juan Silva/Photodisc/Getty Images

  One of the biggest challenges teachers face is making learning fun and interesting for students. Field trips can be an important tool that enables them to turn textbook material into real-life experience. Field trips build enthusiasm and facilitate learning. If you live in or around Maryland, there are several interesting options for educational outings.

Chesapeake Children's Museum

• Kids love to get out of the classroom and spend the day exploring new things. Square School Bus image by steverts from Fotolia.com

  With an admission price of $4 per person, as of 2010, the Chesapeake Children's Museum is an affordable option for school field trips. According to their mission statement, this interactive museum strives "to create an environment of discovery about oneself, the peoples, the technologies, and the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay area for all our children and for the children in us all."

  Two of the several indoor exhibits are "Around the World," where kids can visit a Colombian home, explore the marketplace and observe puppets of rain-forest animals, and "Body Works," a 7-foot-tall model of the human body complete with a zipper, which allows children to explore the inner workings of the body. A variety of other indoor and outdoor exhibits and educational programs are offered.

Jewish Museum of Maryland

• Jewish customs and traditions are the focus of the Jewish Museum of Maryland. menorah, close-up image by Stasys Eidiejus from Fotolia.com

  For children studying Judaism, Jewish history and the Holocaust, the Jewish Museum of Maryland provides extended learning opportunities. Founded in 1960, this museum offers the opportunity for children to learn about Jewish life and traditions, past and present. New exhibitions open regularly, offering a changing selection of educational topics. The museum welcomes groups of students from Sunday through Friday beginning at 9:30 a.m. Admission fees for field trips are $2 for students and $3 for adults, as of 2010. Field trip tours last an average of 90 minutes but can be adjusted to accommodate your group's objectives.

The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture

• African artifacts are on view at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. african shield image by Brett Bouwer from Fotolia.com

  The Reginald F. Lewis Museum focuses on African American history and culture. The museum offers special materials to schools both before and after their visit. Once a month on Saturdays, a special children's program takes place that includes stories, art projects and educational opportunities. Tours that correspond to school curriculum are available.

  Field trip prices are $4 per child, as of 2010, and require one adult for every seven children. The requisite number of adults are admitted free and admission is charged at $5 per additional adult. A museum shop and cafe are available for visitors. Exhibitions include the history of African Americans in Maryland, their customs and cultural contributions and a history of 200 years of slavery.