By: Stanley Emerson

If it’s just for school, for your kids or for the neighborhood kids, it’s nice to have a purposeful educational trip that will surely be enjoyed by the children as well as teach them. Of course there is the usual trip to the museum or the so-so factory, but educational travel doesn’t necessarily end with the destination, one should also consider the preparations as well as the child before you uproot them from their playgrounds.

Who should plan the Trip?

If the trip is an out of school activity, whether organized by you or the neighborhood parents, there should always be somebody or a group of people willing to dedicate a snippet of their time to organizing, everything, destination, transportation, food, lodgings (if any) as well as the children involved.

What to Bring

A pack list is also essential before a trip. Here are a few things that should be in your or your child’s bag when you go on an educational trip.

- Snacks –there should be lots of drinks and walk foods that you can eat even while walking.

- First aid kit – an accident can easily happen, a small trip or a scratch should be mended easily. A medicine pack can also be handy for parents who develop headaches, or for children with stomach upset.

- Extra clothes – children are very active, and sometimes even parents can be over-active, so it is necessary that both bring a set of clothes for those unexpected spills.

- Walkie talkie – If your child can handle it, a walkie-talkie or a cellular phone can be very useful if he gets lost.

- Name tag – Attach a name tag to his shirt or to his bag containing your contact number (without a name) so that whoever finds him can contact you.

- One of his favorite toys – A good thing to distract a child when he gets uneasy during travel would be one of his favorite toys.

- Wipes and tissue- For that easy cleanup whenever you need it.

When you get there

Fall in line, and make travel buddy’s of two or three; the one buddy should be responsible for the other so as to prevent anyone getting left behind. This is best done with kids who don’t normally play together so they can bond and get to know each other more.

On the trip home

Encourage sleeping; children after a long walk can get cranky when tired, so bring some milk with you so they can sleep through the trip home.

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