20 Virtual Field Trips to Take with Your Kids

Virtual field trips are a great way to expose kids to new places all from the comfort of home. In this age of technology, so many museums, zoos and aquariums have set up virtual tours and webcams of their facilities. Now more than ever, is it easier to visit destinations around the world from the comfort of your couch.

The last couple of years has shown us how much we take being able to visit places for granted. Even something as ordinary as a school field trip became rare. So, we came up with a list of places you could visit using technology for those times when you can’t be there in person. Virtual field trips are a fun and educational way to visit places virtually and and “travel” without leaving home or school.

I’ve rounded up 20 virtual field trips that you can take with your kids. There are also lesson ideas, activities and book suggestions to extend the learning for each type of destination.

Art Museums

Visit some of the best art galleries in the world virtually. From Paris to New York to Amsterdam, kids can see priceless works of art from the world’s most famous artists.

• Louvre Museum, Paris https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne
• National Gallery of Art, Washington DC https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/national-gallery-of-art-washington-dc?hl=en
• Metropolitan Museum of Art https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/the-metropolitan-museum-of-art
• Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/van-gogh-museum?hl=en
• Uffizi Gallery, Florence Italy https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/uffizi-gallery?hl=en

Activities and Resources

• Choose a favorite painting or sculpture and create a copycat piece of art.
• Research an artist. This is a great book about some amazing artists kids should know about https://amzn.to/38QWQGf (affiliate link).
• Choose a piece of art to focus on. Describe it, tell why you chose it and how it makes you feel.
• Choose 2 works of art to compare.

Zoos

Zoo webcams have allowed visitors to drop in on the habitats of some of the zoo’s favorite animal exhibits. Here are some highlights. Want more? Here is our complete list of virtual zoo field trips.

• San Diego Zoo https://kids.sandiegozoo.org/videos
• Zoo Atlanta Panda Cam https://youtu.be/_6wbfVWVk8Q
• Smithsonian’s National Zoo https://nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams
• Reid Park Zoo Lion Cam in Tuscon, AZ http://reidparkzoo.org/cameras/lion-cam/
• Ouwehand Park Polar Bear Cubs Rhenen, Netherland https://explore.org/livecams/polar-bears/polar-bear-ouwehand-twin-cubs-cam-2

Activities and Resources

• Take a Virtual Field Trip Lesson Plan
• Zoo Field Trip Worksheet Freebie
• Do more research on your favorite animal and make a guide.
• Research the habitat of your favorite animal. Use at home materials to create a miniature habitat.

Aquariums

Just like with zoos, aquariums have used webcams to let you visit their exhibits virtually. In addition, some aquariums have set up virtual tours led by their staff to give visitors a more in depth look at their facility.

• Monterey Bay Aquarium https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals-and-exhibits/live-web-cams
• Georgia Aquarium https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/webcam/ocean-voyager/
• National Aquarium Virtual Tour http://samuraivirtualtours.com/example/nadc/index.html
• Virtual Tour of the Seattle Aquarium

Activities and Resources

• Take a Virtual Field Trip Lesson Plan
• Aquarium Field Trip Worksheet Freebie
• Research your favorite sea animal and make a presentation.
• Watch Finding Nemo or Finding Dory. Identify the types of sea creatures in the movie.
• Watch Disneynature’s Oceans

Travel the World

In this day and age, it is easier than ever to travel the world without leaving home.

• Google Maps street view will allow you to visit almost any destination around the world. Check out this view from Pompei.
• Visit the Great Wall of China https://www.thechinaguide.com/destination/great-wall-of-china
• Virtually discover Yellowstone National Park. https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/photosmultimedia/virtualtours.htm
• Tour England through this 360 video.
• Take a live look at Colonial Williamsburg.
• Go on a virtual field trip to Ellis Island.

Activities and Resources

• Plan a trip to a new destination. What would you do, see, eat?
• Make a travel brochure for the destination you visited.
• Write a postcard from that destination. Include details about the place and what you can see there.

More Stuff to Do at Home:

• Virtual Field Trips: Zoos, Aquariums, Farms, and Safaris
• Virtual Visit to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
• Educational Shows on Disney+
• Imagineering in a Box
• 150 Educational Shows on Netflix
• Boredom Busting Bingo
• 1000 Free Disney Coloring Pages

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