At Willows Pre-School, we pride ourselves on providing opportunities for our children to attend field trips every month with our own minibus. Our Toddlers love these outings and are all excited when they see our trip bag and the yellow HV vests coming off the shelves. This was the case last week when they went on a trip to Hanwell Zoo! The trip started already within the setting, when the children got ready and excited and recapped the group’s rules, for example, to listen to their teachers or to hold hands when out and about.
On the minibus, once everybody was strapped in properly, the fun began. They enthusiastically sang songs, commented on the things they saw on the way and enjoyed each other’s company outside of the setting. In Hanwell Zoo, the fun continued when they saw so many different animals, from donkeys to porcupines to flamingos! They also met some new animals such as capybaras and lemurs.
During their walk around the zoo, they looked at where in the world each animal came from and how they moved. Some children even tried copying the animals! The children also looked at the differences between the animals. Looking at their colour, how many legs they walk on if they have feathers, fur, or scales. As our trips are strongly linked to our curriculum wherever possible, this trip was a great opportunity for them to see some of the animals they have been learning about in recent topics, such as the theatre and the farm.
But why are field trips so important?
We are pretty sure that everybody has a great field trip memory of their own. Field trips are exciting, social events for the children and teachers alike, moreover they foster a sense of teamwork and community among the children and their teachers as they experience new environments together.
Our trips at Willows allow the children and their teachers to get out of the formal context of their room and cultivate experiences. We strongly believe that these shared experiences lead to better relationships between our teachers and their key children and a deeper bond among the children. It goes without saying that these bonds and strong relationships are fundamental for the children’s learning as children learn and thrive in an environment where they feel secure and loved.
Having said all the above, our children are so looking forward to going on our planned trips next month and gaining more experience.
