pokemon virtual field trip

How to Visit Japan's Pokémon Fossil Museum Online

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

I Avoid These Game Genres Because They're Just Too Frustrating

This scam i received was the scariest yet: here's why, how to find better-quality versions of your favorite songs.

The Pokémon Fossil Museum, an exhibit that showcases all fossil Pokémon, is now available online. You can visit it from your computer or smartphone, and you won't have to pay anything to access it. Here's what you need to do.

The Pokémon Fossil Museum Opens Its Doors to Everyone

What started as a collaboration between Japan's National Science Museum and The Pokémon Company has now become available worldwide.

PokeJungle reports that the Pokémon Fossil Museum is now available worldwide thanks to the power of the internet. All you need is your smartphone, a computer, or even your VR headset if you have one.

How to Visit the Pokémon Fossil Museum

If you want to see your favorite ancient Pokémon or take a free virtual tour with your phone , all you need to do is go to the Pokémon Museum on the Matterport website .

Once you go there, you'll just have to wait a few moments until it loads, and then you can click or tap your way through the museum.

What the Pokémon Fossil Museum Has to Offer

Of course, you'll find a lot of Pokémon in this museum. From a Pikachu that's riding an Aerodactyl, Omanyte, and all the other fossil Pokémon. However, there's more than that.

This museum is a virtual field trip that makes history come alive , not just Pokémon history. The Pokémon Fossil Museum also explains what real-life dinosaurs The Pokémon Company used as inspiration.

One fair warning, though: the museum is in Japanese. Unless you understand the language, you won't learn anything new. However, there are still a lot of interesting images and displays for you to see and have fun with.

Time to Visit the Museum

The Pokémon Fossil Museum is a cool and unique virtual museum you tour at home or anywhere you are, and now it's available for everyone. Since it's free and just one click away, there's no reason why you shouldn't give it a shot.

Attractions

On August 29th, the Park went into night mode and adorned itself with various lights.

Attraction Area

The Attraction Area was open at launch and features a few different things to do. First there is a Pikachu Mascot with which you can take a photo. Next to it are balloons you can grab and a popcorn stall. Alongside this, there are also various rides

The Store Area provides an area for players to participate in mini-games. It also has a concession stand to get Ice Cream

The Beach Area provides a more relaxing place for players and provides many picturesque spots

Masterball Event Stage

The Event Stage is only available during various special events. These have special showings of various livestreams or Pikachu dances. In the area, you get given a Pikachu hat regardless of what you picked when you first entered the park and there is an Eevee Mascot to take photos with

The first Mission comes in three different parts. In this you have to hunt down parts to fill out a Crossword. These crossword clues have various special blocks to get characters. You then have to fill out the correct word and the next stage will open

The final Mission comes in three different parts. In this you have to hunt down clues in order to proceed further. Each stage has you have to enter certain icons in order to complete it and get the next stage. Across walls of the area you'll find instructions and clues on which to enter

Longwood Gardens’ Virtual Field Trips Recognized with Prestigious Award

Longwood Gardens ’ Virtual Field Trips have been honored with the prestigious Pinnacle Award by the Center for Interactive Learning & Collaboration (CILC).

This marks the fifth consecutive year that Longwood has received this distinguished recognition, advancing its reputation as a leader in innovative, educational programing. 

The CILC Pinnacle Award is presented annually to organizations that demonstrate exceptional educational value and active engagement in live virtual field trip experiences. Each year, CILC recognizes a select group of field experts and educators from museums, zoos, aquariums, National Parks, Hall of Fames, science, historical, and cultural centers from around the globe for their “Programs of Distinction.”

These awards are based on outstanding ratings submitted by the educators and activity directors who have hosted live virtual learning experiences. 

“We are incredibly honored to receive the Pinnacle Award for the fifth year in a row,” said Kellie Saraceno , Distance Learning Manager at Longwood Gardens. “This recognition reflects our commitment to providing high-quality, interactive educational experiences that inspire and bring joy through the beauty of nature, conservation, and learning. Our virtual field trips allow Longwood to reach and connect with students in ways that are both innovative and engaging. 

Longwood offers a variety of free virtual field trips and webinars tailored to K-12 classrooms and homeschool groups. These interactive lessons engage students through video, images, and hands-on activities covering a variety of topics such as pollination, carnivorous plants, and careers in horticulture. 

Registration is open for fall virtual programs now. To participate in a virtual field trip, schools must have the ability to connect through Zoom and necessary technical equipment. Advance registration is required.  

For more information or to apply for a free virtual field trip, please visit  Longwood Gardens .

• Follow UNSW on LinkedIn
• Follow UNSW on Instagram
• Follow UNSW on Facebook
• Follow UNSW on WeChat
• Follow UNSW on TikTok

UNSW revolutionising university education with new virtual field trip tool

Photo: UNSW

The TALIA tool allows academics to create immersive virtual field trips quickly and easily, and at a fraction of previous costs. 

A world-first tool developed by UNSW Sydney is changing the university education landscape, making it easier for staff to help students learn in virtual aeroplane cockpits, emergency rooms and remote locations, like the planet Mars.

Immersive laptop-delivered Virtual Field Trips (VFTs) are used in school and commercial settings, but the cost of developing a single trip can be up to $100,000. Each VFT needs to be created from scratch, with a lecturer communicating the specifications to a team of designers and developers who have the technical tools and expertise to create a unique virtual environment. 

Professor Carol Oliver, who pioneered astrobiology immersive VFTs with NASA Learning Technologies in 2007, has since worked with the Media and Immersive Technologies team in the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Education portfolio to deliver a technological breakthrough: the design of the new Teaching And Learning Immersive Authoring (TALIA) tool. 

TALIA is an intuitive digital gaming tool that allows lecturers in almost every discipline to create their own VFT, with no training required. The instructor gathers data, images, sound, video, documents and other digital artefacts. These are then digitally placed in a 360-degree virtual environment for students to discover and analyse as they explore. 

“The critical deterrent for VFTs in the past has been the high cost. We clearly can’t spend $100,000 each time we want take students to a remote location,” Prof. Oliver said. “So, with little to no training, and a devotion of only a few hours at a time, teachers are able to incorporate virtually any type of learning resource into a VFT.”

UNSW is the only university in the world applying VFTs to tertiary education, Prof. Oliver said. 

“These VFTs are built entirely for the pedagogy required in the higher education environment,” she said. “TALIA's successful development is a testament to UNSW's commitment to leveraging in-house innovation to bypass previous barriers.”

Video copyright : UNSW

Democratising education

Prof. Oliver, who teaches in the Faculty of Science at UNSW, said VFTs were not a replacement for physical field trips but rather ‘filled the gap’.

“It’s about equity and inclusion. I was hearing about courses in my own [Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences] school where half the students don't go out on field trips because they can't. They're working, they've got family responsibilities,” she said.

“In some cases, the class might be too big, or the place is inaccessible. With VFTs, I can take students to places they can't go to. I can take my students to Mars.”

Prof. Oliver said the current literature showed there wasn't any difference between learning outcomes on a virtual field trip and a real one. “The real thing is always the best, but we can't always do that,” she said.

A recent study by Prof. Oliver has also highlighted the pedagogical value of VFTs, showing their capacity to engage students actively in problem-solving and enrich their learning experience.

In her astrobiology VFTs, Prof. Oliver asks students to use pen and paper to make their field notes as they explore the virtual landscape, just as they would during traditional field work.

“We found students were being far more critical about what they were collecting when they used paper field notebooks. And they submit their field notebooks as part of their assessment. This kind of critical thinking helps make VFTs ‘AI-proof’,” she said.

TALIA is currently used in several courses at UNSW, including astrobiology and geology. At UNSW Science’s School of Aviation, the tool is used to create a cockpit learning environment for trainee pilots. The emergency room at Liverpool Hospital in Sydney’s southwest has also been re-created for UNSW Medicine & Health students as part of their learning.

TALIA is being adopted at the University of Auckland, and new VFT collaborations have emerged with Georgia State University, the University of Edinburgh and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 

“The great thing about our international collaborations is that we’re able to share visual data to make VFTs for our students and vice versa. We’ve also taken it a step further and paired students across the universities for a virtual exchange, so they have this opportunity for global education,” Prof. Oliver said.

Media enquiries

For enquiries about this story and interview requests please contact Stefanie Menezes . 

Tel: +61 2 9065 3225 Email: [email protected]

Share this story

• Share this page on Email
• Share this page on Facebook
• Share this page on Twitter
• Share this page on LinkedIn
• Share this page on WhatsApp
• Share this page on FacebookMessenger
• Share this page on WeChat
• Share this page on Copy

Related stories

UNSW Sydney claims two prizes at 2024 AFR Higher Education Awards

UNSW Sydney appoints Nick Wailes as inaugural Dean of Lifelong Learning

UNSW leaps to 7th in world in 2024 THE Impact Rankings

UNSW Sydney retains Top 20 position in QS World University Rankings

Virtual Field Trips (Examples, Benefits, and Real-World Learning)

Remote learning–on top of money and time constraints–makes it impossible for every lesson to be experiential. You can't feasibly take your class to Egypt on Monday morning, and then explore the solar system after lunch. Or can you? Virtual field trips allow educators and families to show students the world like never before. 

At Kai XR , we connect educators and families with the best virtual field trips for kids . Our mission is to use technology to break down barriers and provide valuable learning opportunities for all students. We are ushering educators, families , and students into the future of education ; a future where students can immerse themselves in previously inaccessible learning environments at the touch of a button.

How is this all possible? Through extended Reality (XR), an umbrella term that encompasses VR, AR, and MR technologies. These technologies provide access to the metaverse –slated to be as widely-accessed as the internet in coming years. We understand these are cutting edge technologies, so we’ve dropped a quick primer below.

• Virtual Reality (VR) refers to a fully immersive experience. Generally, users wear a headset that blocks their view of the physical world and projects a 360° digital environment around them. A space virtual field trip for elementary students will be most fun in full VR, so students can feel they’ve rocketed out of their classroom and into the cosmos.
• Augmented Reality (AR) denotes a layered experience. Computer-generated images are superimposed on the physical world through a device (like a smartphone). If you’ve spent any time playing Pokemon Go, then you’re already familiar with this technology! Educators may include AR in a virtual field trip for Earth Day by having students use an app that identifies plants while they walk around a local park.  
• Mixed Reality (MR) is similar to AR, but differs in that the computer-generated images are not only superimposed on physical reality, but actually interact with it. If you’ve ever used an app to animate art pieces at a museum, you have engaged with MR before. MR provides opportunities for interactive virtual field trips for elementary students.
• The Metaverse is a network where people can access digital, 3-D content. It is not an app, website, or offering controlled by a single company. Instead, it’s similar to the internet; both the metaverse and the internet are platforms that anyone can create content for and anyone can access and enjoy through AR, VR, and XR technologies. The metaverse is a space that can connect people worldwide. 

At Kai XR, we use various technologies that fall under the extended reality umbrella to provide safe, interactive virtual field trips for kids–no magic school bus required! 

The Benefits of Field Trips  

Field trips have been a staple of education in the United States for decades. However, they are on the decline. According to Education Next, student attendance at Cincinnati arts organizations decreased by a staggering 30% between 2002 and 2007. Factors leading schools to cut down on field trips include minimal financial resources and increased focus on standardized testing prep.

On top of these factors, many museums and cultural institutions reduced their visitor capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. This–in conjunction with remote learning–made it difficult for educators to organize field trips in 2020 and 2021.

Despite their decline, field trips are still a powerful teaching tool. In one 2013 study, researchers looked at the impact field trips to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas had on students. They found that field trip attendance increased students’:

• Critical thinking
• Historical empathy
• Interest in art museums

The authors of the study found that students from rural schools and high-poverty schools experienced especially high increases in the above variables. Clearly, learning outside of a classroom lecture is still worthwhile.

But, how can educators organize this in the face of many barriers? 

Virtual Field Trips Provide an Antidote

Enter: virtual field trips. 

These digital experiences can transport children around the globe in seconds, enriching any lesson plan.

As virtual reality continues to gain popular traction (investors put $10 billion into virtual world start-ups in 2021), educators and students can expect to use this technology for practical applications in the classroom.

In fact, some teachers already began to do this in 2020. Researchers Kiley Sobel and Catherine Jhee interviewed a few K-8 educators who were early adopters of XR in the classroom . They found that teachers who used VR and AR for virtual field trips shared these experiences with their students:

• Exploring coral reefs and ocean life
• Attending Google expeditions
• Building a virtual water park to learn concepts of area, perimeter, and volume through

Educators also used VR as a teaching tool beyond field trips. Some worked with students to help them add augmented reality to graphic novels and produce original AR and VR stories.

These teachers found success in their innovative lesson plans and virtual field trips. Based on their surveys and interviews, Sobel and Jhee recommend educators interested in bringing XR technology to their classroom do the following:

• Collaborate with other teachers and/or IT specialists 
• Check that tethered headsets are compatible with school computer software
• Clean shared headsets between each use
• Set realistic expectations and discuss fantasy vs. reality with students.

Virtual Field Trips Provide Career and Technical Education

Another huge benefit of virtual field trips is the increased opportunity for CTE that they offer. What does CTE stand for ?  Career and Technical Education.

CTE is a cornerstone of the American education system. It focuses on real-world outcomes, equipping students with the skills they need to enter a wide range of in-demand careers. According to a leading CTE curriculum developer, CTE can be divided into 16 distinct career clusters.

These clusters include :

• Agriculture
• Architecture and Construction
• Arts, Technology, and Communications
• Business Management and Administration
• Education and Training
• Government and Public Administration
• Health Science
• Hospitality and Tourism
• Human Services
• Information Technology
• Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security
• Manufacturing
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
• Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics

Even when students attend field trips in the real world, it’s only possible to expose them to a fraction of available careers. Career presentations are one solution, but listening to guests speak all day can leave students disengaged.

So, how can children receive valuable CTE while classroom-bound? Virtual reality is one method.

The best virtual field trips provide a solid foundation of Career and Technical Education. Students can see what different careers and workplaces look like, and gain more clarity into their future aspirations within these immersive experiences.

Examples of Virtual Field Trips by Grade

Below, we’ll share some examples of the best virtual field trips educators can find, all organized by grade level.

These digital experiences can positively impact any classroom by:

• Enriching Career and Technical Education
• Generating critical discussion around complex topics
• Broadening student’s world view.

Let’s dive in.

Virtual Field Trips for 2nd Grade & Virtual Field Trips for 3rd Grade

Engaging a room full of 7, 8, and 9 year olds is a tall order. 

Technology can be a great antidote for moments when the class’s attention wanes. However, it's important to remember safety and screen-time concerns. Although cutting edge XR technology is steadily making its way into homes and classrooms, full virtual reality is not age-appropriate for everyone.

At Kai XR, our concern for students’ health and safety–along with our belief in the educational benefits of XR–led us to create Exploration Mode. Learn more about this exciting feature.

Exploration Mode

At Kai XR, we are committed to delivering virtual experiences that are safe for each grade level. We designed VR Tablet Exploration Mode for younger students, who aren’t ready to be fully immersed in a 360° digital experience. Exploration mode allows students to transform their tablet or other handheld device into a navigator by moving in a circle. They retain full visibility of the physical world, while also having full access to explore the digital experience from all angles.

To keep things safe and age-appropriate, educators may wish to lead virtual field trips for 3rd graders and virtual field trips for 2nd graders using Kai XR’s exploration mode. 

Safe Virtual Field Trips for 3rd Grade and Below

One Kai XR experience that is fun and engaging for students sans full-immersion is our “Explore Penguins” offering.

In this science virtual field trip for all ages, students are transported to Boulders Beach in Cape Town, South Africa. There, they watch as a curious penguin leans toward the camera. In the distance, penguins paddle through clear waters. 

Throughout the experience, a narrator discusses threats to the current population of African penguins, including habitat destruction and low numbers of fish in the sea.

Viewers then travel to the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds. The narrator explains how veterinarians care for birds to strengthen them for their return to the wild.

Students then join the foundation staff at Betty’s Bay for this joyful return. On the beach, vets gently upturn cardboard boxes. Penguins hop out and run to the sea.

“The great thing about penguins is that they’re just really tough,” the narrator shares. “They’ll still live a proper life."   

Field trips like these not only reel in students’ interest in cute animals, but also present them with solid information that can tie into lessons about wildlife conservation or a veterinarian’s career.

Following this experience, educators could teach about:

• Overfishing
• Humans’ impact on animal habitats
• South African penguins

The beauty of virtual field trips is that they provide a shared experience that connects students to what they’re learning in the classroom. Educators can then tailor these fun virtual field trips to their classroom’s current unit. 

Other Kai XR field trips elementary students will love include:

• A lesson about the Mesozoic Era
• A peek behind the scenes of the Lion King Musical
• A game of hide & seek

4th Grade Virtual Field Trips & 5th Grade Virtual Field Trips

Virtual Field Trips for 4th Graders and 5th Graders may include more immersive elements, but should still consider age recommendations for full VR. Common Sense Media reports that most VR headset manufacturers recommend their products for ages 13 and up. However, most parents with 8-17 year olds who use VR report that the technology is appropriate for children.

In other words, recommendations vary.

To navigate this, it can be a great practice to send letters home to parents before introducing VR into the classroom. Educators can work with caregivers to determine the healthiest XR option for each classroom.

Once this is done, students can dive into the fun stuff–namely the world’s largest indoor pool. 

At NASA’s neutral buoyancy lab in Houston, students can observe space walking training . In this experience, astronauts paddle through a life-sized replica of the International Space Station. They practice zero G maneuvers and equipment repairs in their spacesuits. A narrator explains what is happening throughout the field trip, sharing that astronauts amass over 100 hours of practice before completing a single real space walk.

This virtual field trip would be a great gateway to curriculum about the solar system, space exploration, or growth mindset.

Other virtual field trips for 4th grade and 5th grade include:

• “Engineering for Mars” VR field trip  
• View the Historic Obama Portraits
• View the History of the Super Mario Brothers

Virtual Field Trips for Middle School

In middle school, most students are ready to use fully immersive VR. This is a great opportunity to lead virtual field trips for social studies. It’s also an awesome time to introduce students to geography virtual field trips. 

For example, educators can supplement social studies lessons with virtual visits to important global landmarks. Options in Kai XR’s virtual field trip library include visits to:

• The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.⁠ ⁠memorial
• The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
• The Egyptian Pyramids
• Chichen Itza
• The Sistine Chapel 

There are also many opportunities for virtual science field trips in middle school VR classrooms .

Our CRISPR field trip takes students on a 360° tour of the Innovative Genomics Institute to learn how scientists use DNA editing to treat blood disorders like sickle cell anemia. 

Kai Frazier – founder of Kai XR – walks students through the institute and explains what scientists who work here do. She also prompts students to think critically about the implications of CRISPR, asking “if you could change the DNA of any living thing, would you do it?”

Open-ended questions like these provide a great entry point for class-wide discussions of science and ethics and similarly complex topics. 

Other cool virtual field trips that can engage middle schoolers in mind-opening discussions include our:

• Chernobyl virtual field trip
• Civil war trenches virtual field trip
• Starry Night virtual field trip

Virtual Field Trips for High School Students

Once students reach high school, virtual reality provides an entire world of opportunity. At this age, the best virtual field trips allow students to explore a future career or gain a deep understanding of classroom content.

For example, on a virtual social studies field trip, high school students can get a taste for government with a behind-the-scenes look at life at 1600 West Pennsylvania Avenue (aka the White House). Educators can find this through our “The People’s House” experience. 

Alternatively, an art class may enjoy stepping inside the world of British fashion icons to hear from the likes of model Naomi Campbell and designer Edward Enninful. A social studies class may enjoy exploring futuristic Black history with Kai XR .

Extended reality offers endless opportunities to creatively engage any high school classroom. How you do a virtual field trip will vary by student engagement, subject, and available time, but all these experiences are united in connecting high school students to high-quality education. 

Getting Started: Test out Free Virtual Field Trips for Kids

If you’re thinking about adding XR to your arsenal of teaching tools, but would like to complete a trial period first, we’ve got you covered. Educators and parents can explore our pricing page to access a 7-day free trial for either our Journey or Trek plan.

This week-long trial connects educators with a host of free online virtual field trips to assess compatibility with your class.

DIY Virtual Teaching

Teachers who plan to lead remote and virtual classrooms on field trips may opt to design their own digital experience before committing to a specific educational XR provider. 

This avenue can help provide age-appropriate virtual field trips for college students, as well as engaging virtual field field trips for adults who are not in school .

For example, the professor of an International Policy course could design a virtual field trip to the United Nations office at Geneva for their students. To do this on a low-tech budget, you’d need video tours of the location and interviews with key figures. 

After gathering these materials, show them during the first 20 minutes of a lecture to pique students' interest and provide them with a visual touchstone for discussing this institution. 

Connecting with Educational Virtual Field Trips

At Kai XR, we offer a curated library of virtual field trips for educators ready to dive into the world of VR.

We design and distribute virtual experiences with students and educators in mind. Our curated library spans subjects from animation to social studies to science. It’s sure to house lessons and experiences that will capture your classroom’s attention. Our service has also captured attention and praise from the likes of Steve Harvey and NBC’s Shomari Stone . 

All students deserve access to innovative and accessible experiential learning. 

Because accessibility is a core tenet of our organization, educators can rest assured that our services will allow them to incorporate virtual experiences into any classroom with affordable pricing .

At Kai XR, immersive learning can happen despite logistical and financial constraints. From their desks, students can both scour the depths of the sea and sail through the solar system.

Extended reality offers everyone the opportunity to broaden their worldview and immerse themselves in learning.

Read more about Kai XR before you start enriching students’ learning with virtual field trips. 

You can email us at [email protected] or give us a call at 510-993-0993 for more information. We look forward to connecting your classroom to enriching learning opportunities in this exciting digital space.

Share This Article

Subscribe for updates, table of contents, get started with kai xr.

There’s so much for you and your students to explore. All you need to do is start. Try out Kai XR on your smart device, tablet, VR headset, or laptop. We’ll be your guide!

Dive deeper into the metaverse, XR, VR, and all the tech bringing the next generation of learning to your classroom.

What's New at Kai XR for September

What's New at Kai XR for August

What's New at Kai XR for June!

K12 Virtual Field Trips bring the world to you through engaging and immersive online experiences. Designed to spark curiosity and enhance learning, our virtual field trips offer students the opportunity to explore diverse environments, historical landmarks, cultural treasures, and more—all from the comfort of their homes or classrooms. Each trip is carefully curated t provide interactive and educational content that supplements traditional learning. Whether it’s a journey through the Amazon jungle, a tour of a modern art museum, or a visit to a wildlife sanctuary, K12 Virtual Field Trips make learning exciting and accessible for students of all ages.

Upcoming Trips

Check out all our fun virtual fieldtrips we have planned for this semester, register below for our upcoming sessions and see the recordings from previous sessions you may have missed!

Have questions? Email us at [email protected]

Farm Friends

August 28, 2024 1:00pm ET

Join a virtual tour of Linden Hall Farm to explore farm life, meet animals, and learn about agriculture in a fun and educational way for K-12 students.

Big Cat Rescue

September 12, 2024 2:00pm ET

Explore Big Cat rescue at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, a leading sanctuary dedicated to providing lifelong care for rescued animals.

Delightful Dolphins

September 18, 2024 2:30-3:15pm ET

Join a K12 virtual field trip to Clearwater Marine Aquarium to learn about dolphin adaptations, communication, and rescue stories from a biologist.

Sloths in the Spotlight

September 26, 2024 1:00pm ET

We are headed to the Toucan Rescue Ranch in Costa Rica to learn about sloths and meet various rehabilitated wildlife, including toucans, owls, and more.

K12 Virtual Field Trip Partners

Our success in delivering impactful K12 Virtual Field Trips is made possible through the invaluable support of our partners. We collaborate with a diverse network of organizations, including museums, national parks, cultural institutions, wildlife sanctuaries, and educational experts. These partners are dedicated to enriching student learning by providing exclusive access to their resources, expertise, and unique perspectives. Together, we create immersive and educational experiences that inspire students and bring the world into their classrooms. Our partners share our commitment to education and innovation, ensuring that each virtual field trip is not only informative but also engaging and memorable.

Past Recordings

Explore the Lemur Forest

Live Birds of Prey

Welcome to Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Journey into the Amazon Rainforest

.aed1427e-e5ff-4359-b373-334313c48315{fill:#1c2448;} .e3c7dd86-9752-467e-8574-885a4e9461bb{fill:#1c2448;} what is a k12 virtual field trip.

A K12 virtual field trip is a free online enrichment experience that allows students to virtually explore different places or activities from the comfort of their home. K12 partners with Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) and Exploring by the Seat of Pants , in addition to other groups such as the Norton Museum of Art and Linden Hall Farm to bring these unique virtual experiences to students.  

.aed1427e-e5ff-4359-b373-334313c48315{fill:#1c2448;} .e3c7dd86-9752-467e-8574-885a4e9461bb{fill:#1c2448;} Who can participate in K12 Virtual Field Trips?

K12 Virtual Field Trips are open to all students in grades K-12 th . Students do not have to attend a K12-powered school to attend a K12 Virtual Field Trip. Please note that students under the age of 13 years old will need a parent or guardian to register on their behalf . Individual students and classroom or homeschool groups are welcome to join. Parents, guardians, and teachers can register on behalf of their students or classes. Family members are welcome to join in and experience the virtual field trip alongside their students .  

.aed1427e-e5ff-4359-b373-334313c48315{fill:#1c2448;} .e3c7dd86-9752-467e-8574-885a4e9461bb{fill:#1c2448;} Are K12 Virtual Field Trips really free?

Yes! All of the K12 Virtual Field Trips are completely free for students, teachers, and schools.    

.aed1427e-e5ff-4359-b373-334313c48315{fill:#1c2448;} .e3c7dd86-9752-467e-8574-885a4e9461bb{fill:#1c2448;} How do you register for a K12 Virtual Field Trip?

Registration details, including links to sign up, are available on the K12 Virtual Field Trip website . Simply fill out the Zoom registration form and follow the instructions provided. You can also sign-up for K12 Virtual Field Trip s in the K12 Virtual Field Trips Newsletter that is available to K12 school s and students . K12-powered students can also register through their OLS Announcements and Learning Coaches can register in the Learning Coach Community. If you need assistance with registration, please contact [email protected]    

.aed1427e-e5ff-4359-b373-334313c48315{fill:#1c2448;} .e3c7dd86-9752-467e-8574-885a4e9461bb{fill:#1c2448;} Will students have opportunities to interact or ask questions during the virtual field trip?

Absolutely. We encourage students to type their questions into the moderated Q&A section on Zoom and the host will often take live questions throughout the virtual field trip. Some K12 Virtual Field Trips will also include interactive polls or quizzes .  

.aed1427e-e5ff-4359-b373-334313c48315{fill:#1c2448;} .e3c7dd86-9752-467e-8574-885a4e9461bb{fill:#1c2448;} What technology is required to participate?

Participants need to have a Zoom account, an i nternet connection and a device capable of streaming video, such as a computer, tablet, or smartphone.  

.aed1427e-e5ff-4359-b373-334313c48315{fill:#1c2448;} .e3c7dd86-9752-467e-8574-885a4e9461bb{fill:#1c2448;} How long do the virtual field trips last?

K12 V irtual F ield T rips last between 45 minutes and 1 hour, including time for Q&A sessions. K12 Virtual Field Trips are recorded and live-streamed to K12’s Facebook page . Attendance is never required , and students are welcome to leave the virtual field at any time .

.aed1427e-e5ff-4359-b373-334313c48315{fill:#1c2448;} .e3c7dd86-9752-467e-8574-885a4e9461bb{fill:#1c2448;} What if we miss the live session?

Recorded sessions will be made available for on-demand viewing after the live event . M any of the past K12 Virtual Field Trips are available to watch on-demand by visiting the K12 Virtual Field Trips Newsletter .    

.aed1427e-e5ff-4359-b373-334313c48315{fill:#1c2448;} .e3c7dd86-9752-467e-8574-885a4e9461bb{fill:#1c2448;} Can we suggest topics for future virtual field trips?

We love hearing from participants! You can suggest topics or provide feedback through our post-event survey or by contacting the K12 Virtual Field Trips team at [email protected] .

.aed1427e-e5ff-4359-b373-334313c48315{fill:#1c2448;} .e3c7dd86-9752-467e-8574-885a4e9461bb{fill:#1c2448;} What should I do if I experience technical difficulties during the trip?

Please contact [email protected] if you experience any technical difficulties. If you do not wish to contact [email protected] and are experiencing difficulties with your screen size, please try refreshing your browser. If you are experiencing difficulties with audio, please ensure your audio is connected to the correct device. 

Have feedback or want to partner with us?

We would love to hear from you! Follow us on social media to stay up-to-date with all our virtual field trips.

Virtual Field Trips

Contest and Competitions

Can you share your birth date with us to verify your age?

Go Back to Contest and competitions home page

15 Pokémon Activities for Kids

Pokémon is one of the most popular and recognized brands for kids in the world today. For the past three decades, the Nintendo-owned Japanese company has created several generations of manga, television series, a trading card game, feature films, as well as dozens of video games across most of Nintendo’s gaming consoles, from the mid-’90s Gameboy to the current Switch. If your child is a huge fan of Pokémon, or if you’re looking for some classroom activities ranging from Computer Science to Arts & Crafts, we have some great Pokemon activities for kids in today’s article.

Discover Fun Pokémon Activities For Kids

1. code a pokémon game.

If your child is new to coding, start by learning beginner-friendly Scratch coding in a live online Scratch Ninja class to find out how to make any game they can imagine! With their new programming skills your child will be able to create, catch, and play unique games with the Pokémon of their choice. No previous coding experience is required and an experienced instructor leads the class. All you need is a PC, Macbook, or Chromebook.

Once your child progresses to the Intermediate Game Building class using Scratch coding, they'll be able to create a Pokémon virtual pet and keep it healthy and happy or even make and conquer a Catch the Pokémon Game. Find a schedule that works for your child today!

2. Pokémon Go Field Trip

Pokemon Go has been a breakout success since it was released on iOS and Android in 2016. Pokémon Go Field Trip is a great activity for kids. It gets them outside, exploring, and working together to find Pokémon. One reason you should definitely play Pokémon Go on a field trip is that popular areas with lots of kids and travelers have more Pokémon around, making the game a lot more fun. It’s a great way to make friends and collaborate, while helping kids learn to navigate public spaces and interact with GPS and camera features on their mobile devices. Kids can work in teams if there are a limited number of phones and tablets.

3. Pizza-chu?

Cooking delicious food is a life skill that everyone should learn. Studies even show that when young kids are given the opportunity to do chores for their family, they gain valuable skills in problem solving, independent thinking, and organization, all of which will help them to succeed in school and take greater responsibility in life. Making Pikachu themed pizzas is a great way to get kids excited about cooking. In this awesome Youtube video there’s also a recipe for a Pokeball pizza. All it requires is pizza dough, pizza sauce, cheese, dried oregano, pepperoni, and black olives.

4. Pikachu Ears

Let’s face it. Kids love Pikachu. Even a lot of grown ups love that electric rodent! This is a fun and simple arts and crafts activity that is perfect for large groups of kids in a party or class setting, or even alone at home. All you have to do is use yellow construction paper and a sharpie and some glue or tape to stick everything together. It won’t give you the ability to do electric attacks, but you can use your imagination.

5. Pokémon Multiplication Game

This cool game uses multiplication and flash cards to move Pokémon avatars around a game board. It was designed by a great teacher who made it free to download. All you need is a color printer to make the game board, flash cards with different colors and elemental attacks, and the game pieces. It’s a simple game design but it’s a great way to help your Pokémon hunter build their STEM skills.

6. Pokémon Math Game Printouts

This STEM website has great resources for teachers and parents who want to use popular games and movies to inspire their kids to improve multiplication, division, and geometry games. Working alone or in groups, kids can boost their math skills using these well-designed exercises. Aside from Pokémon ones, they have Minecraft, Star Wars, and more to choose from and they are free to download.

7. Missing Poké-number Addition Problems

This game is also from MathShed, a great website for STEM teacher resources. In this game that resembles Pokémon cards, kids will use logic to find missing numbers that will allow them to add up numbers to power their attacks. It’s best if your children already understand the dynamics of Pokémon Card games, but if they don’t this website can show them the basic Pokemon rulebook .

8. Pokémon Word Search

This great little word search is a perfect way to fill some time with a fun game. Kids can build their phonics skills and spelling by searching the maze of letters for the names of their favorite Pokémon. It’s free to download.

9. Real Animal Inspiration

Kids will love this Biology based Pokémon activity. Pokémon stands for “Pocket Monster” in Japanese, but in fact most Pokémon have been inspired by real life animals. Using Google, Wikipedia, or books, kids can decide which animal kingdom each Pokémon belongs to, learning about mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians in the process, while they might even go deeper to search for closer “relatives” to your favorite Pokémon. It could be a great time for a field trip to the local zoo, and it’s an opportunity for writing, reflection, and debate. Is Pikachu closer to a chipmunk or a squirrel? It’s hard to say.

10. Pokémon Coloring Pages

These awesome Pokémon drawings can be downloaded and printed for kids to color. It’s a perfect Arts & Crafts activity for kids who love coloring and drawing. It might not be best for older kids, though even some adults love coloring, and they are free to download, so there’s nothing to lose!

Your child can also color Pokémon bookmarks, make their own Pokémon Catcher, and explore tons of Pokémon coloring pages with these activity sheets .

11. Pokémon ABC Game

This printable game is another great activity for younger kids. Using a Pokeball and a printout featuring popular Pokémon, each with a different letter of the alphabet, kids can ‘catch’ different Pokémon by calling out their letter, or vice versa, you could ask your students which letter is Charizard or Eevie?

12. How to Draw Pokémon

This awesome book teaches young artists how to draw Pokémon using pencils and pens. This is a step up from coloring, but once the outline is drawn, kids can then learn about shading, perspective, texture, and other more advanced drawing skills. The book is affordable and offers many hours of practice. Studies have shown that drawing helps students to hone their fine motor skills, their capacity for reflection and analysis, while fostering a love of creativity. There’s an advanced book as well for more of a challenge.

13. 3D Paper Pokémon

This is a next level Pokémon activity for kids. Using paper, kids will build a 3D “PaperPoke”. There’s a whole website of these, though this link is for Pikachu. These detailed paper models only require paper and glue, though you can add as many details as you like, including Pikachu’s iconic lightning bolt shaped tail or his green scarf. The creativity possibilities are huge and the models aren’t too difficult, but they are detailed and will require a bit of patience. They might be best for middle schoolers. Elementary students might need a helping hand.

14. Pokémon Origami

If 3D paper Pokémon is your thing, then this book is just for you. Using origami paper you can learn the Japanese art form of folding paper to make Bulbasaur, Jigglypuff, and other popular Pokémon figures. Pokémon Origami is a great way to build patience and attention, as well as fun art that kids can be proud of.

15. Pokémon LEGO Projects

Last but not least, these guides can help you build Pokémon from your LEGO bricks that you have already. The creators of this website provide close-up, detailed pictures of several classic Pokémon built out of LEGO, and it’s up to your kids to try to build them. Of course the guides can be a good starting point, but it’s a great chance for kids to creatively design their own Pokémon models. Let’s face it: LEGO is one of the most popular toys ever, and has shown to be great for young engineers and creators, so why not combine two great things together: Pokémon and LEGO!? You can’t go wrong.

If your child enjoys playing with LEGO they might also be interested in creating awesome robots .

Enjoy Pokemon Activities For Kids

If your kids love Pokémon, give them the challenge of completing every item on this list. Try to “Catch ‘Em All!”

If they’re looking for a challenging experience in designing their own games, join Create & Learn's live online classes, where they can learn how the video games and animations they love are created using code. Start with our fun Pokemon game coding class with a curriculum designed by Google, Stanford, and MIT experts. Your child can even earn a certificate!

Whatever you choose, find something your kids will have fun doing. If they love Pokémon that shouldn’t be too difficult! Up next, if your kids love coding and Pokémon, check out these Pokemon coding projects to make, explore popular Pokemon toys , or try the following two Pokémon challenges.

Pokémon Story Writing Challenge

This Pokémon Story Writing Challenge is a fantastic way for kids to express their creativity, improve their writing skills, and explore the world of Pokémon in a whole new way. So, grab a notebook, sharpen those pencils, and let the storytelling begin!

Step 1: Choose Your Favorite Pokémon Characters

Begin by picking a few favorite Pokémon characters. These could be well-known Pokémon like Pikachu, Charizard, or Eevee, or perhaps lesser-known ones your child has a special connection with. If your child is feeling extra creative, they can even invent a brand new Pokémon! Encourage them to think about what makes their chosen Pokémon unique—what are their abilities, personalities, and quirks?

Step 2: Imagine a New Region or Setting

Next, it's time to set the stage! Your child can imagine a brand new region or setting for their story. This could be anything from a mystical forest to a bustling city or even a faraway planet. The more detailed the setting, the more immersive the story will be. Encourage them to describe the environment, the other creatures or people who live there, and how the Pokémon interact with this world.

Step 3: Create an Exciting Plot

Now that the characters and setting are in place, it's time to come up with an exciting plot! The story could involve a thrilling battle, a quest to find a rare Pokémon, or a journey to save their region from a looming threat. Encourage your child to think about the challenges their Pokémon will face, how they will overcome them, and what lessons they might learn along the way.

Step 4: Add Unique Battles or Challenges

No Pokémon story is complete without some epic battles or unique challenges. Your child can invent their own battle scenes, perhaps introducing new moves or strategies for their Pokémon. Or they could create puzzles or riddles that the Pokémon must solve to progress in their quest. These elements add excitement and keep the reader engaged.

Step 5: Write, Revise, and Share

Once the story outline is complete, it's time to start writing! Encourage your child to write a first draft, then take time to revise and add more details. They can also illustrate their story with drawings of their Pokémon and the settings. Finally, they can share their finished story with family or friends, or even create a digital version to share online.

Story Prompts to Get Started

If your child needs a little inspiration to start, here are a few prompts:

• "A mysterious Pokémon egg has appeared in your region. What Pokémon hatches from it, and what adventure does it lead to?"
• "Your Pokémon discovers a hidden cave filled with ancient artifacts. What secrets does the cave hold, and what challenges await?"
• "A powerful storm is threatening your region. How do your Pokémon work together to save the day?"

Create Your Own Pokémon Cards

This activity is all about inventing new Pokémon, complete with unique abilities, stats, and artwork, giving them a hands-on way to engage with the Pokémon world. Here’s how to get your child started:

Step 1: Gather Materials

To begin creating your own Pokémon cards, you’ll need some basic supplies:

• Paper or cardstock: Cardstock works best for a sturdier card, but regular paper will do in a pinch.
• Markers, colored pencils, or crayons: These will bring your Pokémon to life with vibrant colors.
• A ruler: For drawing straight lines and creating a neat card layout.
• Optional: Stickers, glitter, or other decorative items to add extra flair to the cards.

Step 2: Design Your Pokémon

Start by inventing a brand new Pokémon or putting a twist on an existing one. Encourage your child to think about what makes their Pokémon special:

• Type: What type of Pokémon is it—Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, or something entirely new?
• Appearance: What does it look like? Kids can draw their Pokémon in the center of the card, adding as many details as they like. Maybe it has wings, scales, or a unique pattern on its fur.
• Name: What’s the Pokémon’s name? Make it catchy and memorable!
• Abilities: What are the Pokémon’s strengths? Maybe it has a powerful electric attack or a special move that confuses opponents.

Step 3: Add Stats and Abilities

Next, it’s time to give your Pokémon some stats and abilities. Kids can decide how strong their Pokémon is by assigning it hit points (HP) and attack power. Encourage them to think about:

• HP: How much health does the Pokémon have? Higher HP means the Pokémon can take more hits in a battle.
• Attack Power: How strong are its attacks? Kids can create one or two unique moves, giving them creative names and deciding how much damage they cause.
• Weaknesses and Resistances: Just like in real Pokémon cards, kids can think about what types of attacks their Pokémon is weak against or resistant to.

Step 4: Create the Card Layout

Using a ruler, draw the outline of a trading card on your paper or cardstock. Include sections for the Pokémon’s name, type, image, abilities, and stats. Here’s a simple layout to follow:

• Top of the Card: Pokémon’s name and type.
• Middle of the Card: A big space for drawing the Pokémon.
• Bottom of the Card: A box for listing the Pokémon’s abilities, attack moves, HP, and any other important details.

When the cards are finished, kids can use them to play their own Pokémon battles with friends or family. They can also trade cards or display them as part of a growing collection. Encourage them to keep creating new cards and expanding their Pokémon universe!

Written by Bryan Gordon, a Create & Learn instructor. After ten years of working as an English teacher, Bryan began studying Math and Computer Science over the past few years. Aside from writing and teaching, he likes cooking, gardening, playing guitar, and hanging out with his cats, Baguette and Wally.

You Might Also Like...

Fun Coding Activities for Kids

ScratchJr for 5-7 Year Olds: The Complete Junior Scratch App Guide

Fieldwork among the pixels: Virtual and augmented reality diversify geoscience education

by Sarah Derouin Tuesday, May 1, 2018

A photosphere view of a glacial erratic featured in a virtual reality geology field trip to Columns of the Giants in the Sierra Nevada of California. Credit: Ryan Hollister.

by Sarah Derouin

Weeks after taking his students on a field trip to the Sierra Nevada, Ryan Hollister , a high school earth science teacher in Turlock, Calif., led the school hiking club on an afterschool trek to a stretch of nearby river — the same river they’d seen on the earlier field trip, in fact, just farther downstream.

On the hike, one of the students walked alongside Hollister. She and her family are refugees who, after arriving in the country, were relocated to Turlock. Curious and always eager to perfect her English, she started making observations during the trip and peppering Hollister with questions.

“Look, Mr. Hollister, look at this rock: it’s rounded,” she noted. “What does that tell you?” he asked. “It’s been in the river; it’s tumbled. Is this a volcanic rock?” “Why do you think that?” “Well, look at all the bubbles in it.” “You got it!” “So, there was a volcano nearby? Where?”

Hollister smiles with pride while recounting the moment. “She put it all together,” he says. “I really wanted to get them observing and using their critical thinking skills — talking with each other and talking with me.” Seeing his student use the skills and knowledge she had learned on the earlier field trip was a great moment for Hollister — he knew he had made an impact, he says.

Group field trips and fieldwork have long fostered community learning environments in geology, which can help students expand their individual understanding through information sharing. Standing near a rock formation, making observations and proposing different hypotheses — perhaps with a few arm-waving ideas thrown in — is a time-honored tradition in geology. Discussing and arguing about how to test those hypotheses can even reveal new geologic insights and discoveries.

But there was a twist to Hollister’s class field trip: He didn’t guide his students while standing beside actual outcrops. Instead, the trip unfolded within the walls of his classroom. He took his students on a geologic journey using computers and virtual reality instead of multi-passenger vans.

In this composite photograph (upper left), Ryan Hollister snaps photos of a glacial erratic (see opening image) at Columns of the Giants from multiple angles. The many overlapping images of all sides of the rock were then stitched together using specialized software (lower left) to create the three-dimensional photogrammatic image of the boulder, which students could examine on their virtual field trip. Credit: both: Ryan Hollister.

Advances in imaging and computing technologies have increased accessibility in the geosciences in the last few years, with virtual and augmented reality field trips and digital imagery spurring innovative teaching and creating more inclusive access to the wonders of the planet. It is no longer necessary to wrangle dozens — or hundreds — of students into vans and lead them through field sites. Today, whole outcrops can be brought into the classroom.

Advocates of applying such technologies, particularly virtual and augmented reality, to bring the field into the classroom say the practice can open doors to underrepresented students, including those faced with socioeconomic pressures, logistical complications or disabilities that might otherwise preclude their participation. These tools also offer new ways of introducing fieldwork, allowing students to take their time with the process while also strengthening a diverse science learning community.

Technology in Turlock

Nestled within California’s Central Valley, Turlock is a farming community with an international twist. The city of 70,000 is diverse and has been through much of its history: In 1930, for example, 20 percent of the population was Assyrian, hailing primarily from northwestern Iran.

Following the trend of the last century, Turlock continues to welcome newcomers. Since 2011, almost 2,000 refugees from around the world have made it their new home. Although many know at least some English, about 40 percent speak a non-English native language. Children enroll in public schools where many students are designated English Language Learners (ELL), polishing their second language while they learn multiplication tables and U.S. history. These students eventually make their way to earth science classes at one of two high schools in Turlock, where they are likely to have a teacher named Hollister.

Ryan Hollister and his wife, Laura , are both earth science teachers, though they work at rival high schools in Turlock. A few years ago, Ryan started thinking about how to expand his teaching methods, inspired by educators he followed on Twitter. They were sharing examples of photogrammetry and photospheres, in their classrooms.

Photogrammetry is a photography technique that captures multiple, high-resolution images of an object — on scales ranging from a roadside outcrop to a hand sample — to create a three-dimensional image so detailed that it can be used to make fine measurements and observations. Photospheres are 360-degree panoramic images that approximate standing in one location and looking around in every direction. Photospheres are widely used in Google Street View, for example, where they allow users to view a particular location and look around to see what is next door or across the street.

The imagery intrigued Ryan. “I put it in the back of my head for a rainy day, thinking, ‘Oh, that’s pretty cool,'” he says.

In 2016, when the “ Science Friday ” radio show put out a call to educators to create a STEM-themed (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), multimedia-driven lesson that could be used in classrooms around the country, Ryan wanted to use the photosphere and photogrammetry technologies he had been eyeing to create a virtual geologic field trip for his students. He was one of a handful of educators selected to be a part of the Science Friday Educator Collaborative .

Hollister created multiple stops (blue markers) in his virtual field trip, just as there would be in a traditional geology field trip. In the simulation, each stop featured open-ended questions that students had to answer after exploring the location. Hollister calls the approach "facilitated learning," and says it helps his students think critically about what they're observing. Credit: Ryan Hollister.

Laura joined the project and they selected a field site, Columns of the Giants near Sonora Pass in the Sierras — a geologic smorgasbord filled with columnar basalts and glacially polished surfaces. It’s just a couple of hours upstream from Turlock on the Stanislaus River, which the school hiking club had visited. The location was chosen for a purpose: familiarity and access. “Some of the students have been up to Sonora Pass and they know that place,” Laura says. “When they see it’s close to home, they realize … it’s not some distant place in another part of the country that they might never see.”

In Hollister's virtual field trip, students were encouraged to sketch and take notes about what they saw at each stop in the virtual field tour, similar to what they would do in the field. Credit: Ryan Hollister.

Ryan spent the summer of 2016 photographing the field site. Even after the time-consuming field photography was done, learning the software programs to create the imagery took many nights and weekends during the school year. Ryan edited and stitched together the photos to create imagery for six separate “field stops” within the virtual tour of Columns of the Giants. The technology and methods take some expertise to utilize, Ryan says. “It’s not as plug and play as it could be,” though he adds that, once mastered, creating high-resolution images for virtual reality applications is relatively quick.

He created both photogrammetric and photospheric images of the field site: photogrammetry for stationary objects like glacial erratics or outcrops, and photospheres at each “stop” to allow students to see their surroundings in 360 degrees.

Along with imagery at each field trip stop and outcrop, Hollister produced an accompanying field guide to help teach students about what they’re viewing. “It’s facilitated learning,” he says, adding that the field guide and associated questions help students research details they need to know to uncover the geologic history of the area. The virtual field trip to Columns of the Giants is free and available through Science Friday.

Gaming Geology

Taking a cue from computer gaming, Jacqueline Houghton of the University of Leeds in England and her colleagues created a virtual field trip of local geologic sites in game form, complete with animations of landmarks and wildlife. Houghton included a virtual field notebook where students can learn relevant details about the rocks at specific outcrops. Credit: all: Jacqueline Houghton/Virtual Landscapes - Geoscience Education in Digital Environments.

Creating a virtual field trip with photogrammetric and photospheric imagery is one way to take participants into the field, moving directly from stop to stop. More challenging, however, is using technology to mimic the type of free movement through a landscape that a student might experience, for example, at field camp. In that setting, geologists-in-training are often turned loose for the day to conduct independent field mapping, a task that requires them to make their own decisions about where to go and what outcrops to investigate. Jacqueline Houghton , a structural and field geologist at the University of Leeds in England, wanted to recreate that experience in the classroom, so she looked to gaming technologies for inspiration.

Houghton and her colleagues created a virtual, animated landscape of three field sites to render a three-dimensional version of the world where students could “walk” around in the landscape, like in a first-person video game. “The students get a blank map that shows topography, and they walk around and work out where they are,” noting rock types at different locations.

It’s the little details the team included in the simulation that catch students' attention. The animated world includes hidden surprises, like a dead sheep (common in the rural U.K. countryside) and the occasional sounds of a Royal Air Force flyover. Houghton says these touches entertain and intrigue students, and provide the same sorts of “distractions” that students might encounter on traditional field trips.

Houghton notes that the virtual trips replicate the same struggles and challenges for students that a traditional trip can provide — for example, missing key observations, trying to finish quickly, or not quite seeing the big picture. “What we see is [students] make the same mistakes” in the virtual field trip as they do in a traditional trip. She adds that the virtual reality (VR) trip helps her drive home lessons about the geology of an area to students. “In the real world, I can’t [always] send them back over to an outcrop,” but in the VR world, students can revisit an area again and again to collect details they might have missed.

Often, students who can’t attend traditional field trips, perhaps because of disabilities that affect their mobility, are given alternative exercises like essays, which deprives them of a field experience, Houghton says. But on VR trips, she adds, everyone experiences the same trip in the same way.

Beyond Pokémon: Augmented Reality

In 2016, it was hard not to run into gaggles of kids — and sometimes adults — wandering around outside and huddling over their smart phones in seemingly random locations. The reason for this peculiar phenomenon was the sudden popularity of Pokémon Go — a game that layers animations of characters and other features from the cartoon Pokémon over real-life images of streets, parks and other public spaces on one’s smart phone.

The game is an example of a technology called augmented reality, or AR. Like Pokémon Go, AR applications often involve artificial animations that appear atop images of real places on a screen.

Pokémon Go uses augmented reality technology to layer animations of characters and other features over real-life images of streets, parks and other public spaces on smart phones. Credit: Matthew Corley/Shutterstock.com.

Beyond entertainment, AR technology has been taking off in advertising, retail and military applications, but it can also be used for education. Art and natural history museums have integrated the technology into exhibits, for example, to encourage interaction and engagement of visitors with displays.

AR has also made it into the classroom. Kent Hups, a teacher at Northglenn High School in Northglenn, Colo., has been using AR in his classroom to bring geologic maps to life. With an app called HP Reveal , students use their phones to scan geologic maps, and the app can then display pop-up images of rock outcrops or three-dimensional hand samples on top of the map.

Hups concentrated on a few locations in Colorado with distinct geologic features and used a geologic map of each spot. “I started to add depth to the maps,” he says, explaining that in a 1:500,000 map showing the entire state of Colorado, details and subtleties of geologic features can get lost. But by adding photos of locations, students can see rocks, faults, unconformities and other geologic formations in three dimensions, which brings them to life.

He’s been experimenting with broadening his AR-enriched lessons to include cross sections and hand samples as well. Using more detailed 7.5-minute (1:24,000) quadrangle maps, a standard scale of topographic maps produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), students “can scan [part of a map] with their phone and the overlay will be a picture of that very location.” Numbers associated with different scannable sites on the map also correspond to bins in his classroom that contain hand samples of the rocks at each site. “I can actually get the rocks in their hands from that location,” Hups says. “They can see it and touch it without leaving the classroom.”

Using AR in the classroom has increased accessibility for Hups' ELL students, he says. For example, Spanish-speaking students can scan part of the map and have the lesson delivered to them in their native language. “It’s a huge leap in teaching because a lot of times we have kids that are disengaged if they don’t understand,” he says. “But now I can take them on a tour of this geology in a language they understand.”

Giga-Imagery Zooms In

New technologies have helped make VR and AR a possibility, but great imagery is a huge part of the puzzle when it comes to recreating landscapes. Over the last decade, the advent of extremely high-resolution imagery, often called giga-imagery, has opened many new avenues for geology education and communication. Unlike the megapixel pictures we take with our digital cameras or phones that have millions of pixels, giga-imagery pictures are composed of billions of pixels. This very high resolution can capture the incline of sand beds within a 100-meter-long outcrop — all within the same image — allowing students to see both the fine details and the big picture.

GIGAmacro , a company that has made a name for itself by developing tools to produce such detailed images, is putting a new spin on the integration of technology into geology. Gene Cooper , the founder of GIGAmacro, started his foray into giga-imagery by taking 360-degree photographs in national parks. He also worked with museums around the country that expressed interest in having very high-resolution images of their collections and samples. After some experimentation with equipment and some creative computer programming, the company created a way to photograph in incredible detail and then allow users to view objects in a fast and user-friendly way.

GIGAmacro’s equipment allows users to take overlapping photos of objects — whether a hand sample of rock or an insect, for example — in both vertical and horizontal dimensions. Once stitched together into a single image, the resulting giga-image is seamless and zoomable, allowing the viewer to see minute, sometimes microscopic, details without any delayed loading. The technology has a definite “wow” factor. But the images can be used for much more than just demonstration. Scientists, educators and curators can scan a geologic sample or outcrop and upload it to GIGAmacro’s website, or they can use images already available on the site. They can then have students annotate what they see right on the image. With a free GiGAmacro account, students can save their work, or even add to an image as a class.

In Kent Hups' earth science course, students at Northglenn High School in Colorado use augmented reality to make geologic maps come to life. An app on their smart phones displays videos and photographs of geologic sites around the state. Credit: Kent Hups.

One example of an image available on GIGAmacro’s website is of a slab of fossiliferous sedimentary rock from the Stonerose Interpretive Center and Eocene Fossil Site in Republic, Wash. This particular sample is chock full of fossils ranging from parts of insects to leaves, each of which was identified with virtual push pins by Stonerose scientists, who included as much detail about the remains as possible, allowing students to study the rock and fossils in minute detail.

There are also images of rock thin sections, which allow students to view and interpret mineral grains, textures and fine-scale features. The company is always working to improve the tools available to users, Cooper says. “We would love to connect more with geologists and other scientists about what tools would make their jobs easier,” he says. “How can we help them use this in a classroom setting?”

In the last several years, Callan Bentley , a geologist at Northern Virginia Community College (and a contributing editor of EARTH) and his students have amassed more than 2,000 high-resolution giga-images, on scales ranging from whole outcrops to thin sections. Bentley formed the Mid-Atlantic Geo-Image Collection (MAGIC) on GigaPan , showcasing their work and creating a place to share resources with other educators and students.

The images were made freely available to provide access and opportunity, Bentley says. “Some of these sites that we’ve made imagery of are in places that are out of the way,” he says. “Students in Virginia can access outcrops in South Africa and then be back at their desks again in 45 seconds.” He adds that this imagery can also provide access to people who might not, for whatever reason, be able to reach mountaintops, valleys, outcrops or otherwise remote, or inaccessible, field sites.

Another Tool in the Toolbox

Giga-imagery of a basalt thin section at 10 times magnification: On the GIGAmacro website, users can compare two images of the same thin section using both waveplate and brightfield lighting, just like you would be able to do with a petrographic microscope. Credit: GIGAmacro.

Fieldwork is often thought of as integral to geologic study, so being unable to participate in fieldwork has long been a barrier to the discipline. Sometimes it is familial or work obligations that get in the way of a student’s ability to participate, and differently abled students have also traditionally been precluded from most field experiences, says Christopher Atchison , a faculty member in geoscience education at the University of Cincinnati and executive director of the International Association for Geoscience Diversity (IAGD).

About a decade ago, Atchison started exploring how to tackle issues related to ableism and fieldwork. He created a class geared toward students with physical disabilities — the plan was to use VR for a culminating field trip to Mammoth Cave National Park. But he decided that it would be good to first get the students into Mammoth Cave during the course, so he could later compare the field and VR experiences to help develop how to structure future classes.

The students in the new course were just like any other group of future rock hounds, Atchison says. During one class session, they focused on the basic geology of cave and karst formation so the students would be prepared for their visit to Mammoth Cave. “They were sponges,” he says, very eager to learn and experience a field trip in person.

Their visit to Mammoth Cave did not disappoint. “None of them were science majors, but they were just glued to this whole experience because they’d never been given this opportunity before.” He says he realized that VR wasn’t the only answer for addressing barriers to accessibility in geology.

The experience solidified Atchison’s view that fieldwork should be open to everyone. “The enjoyment and excitement that I shared with these students … completely changed my focus and direction,” Atchison says. He now advocates for accessible and inclusive field trips, and has written about his efforts in EARTH.

Imagery of this fossiliferous slab of sedimentary rock from the Stonerose Interpretive Center and Eocene Fossil Site is available on GIGAmacro's website. Fossils in the slab were identified and annotated so interested users can hover over each pin and learn about each preserved organism. Credit: GIGAmacro.

Most proponents of VR and AR in earth science classrooms do not suggest that it should replace field experiences altogether. Instead, they see the technologies as educational tools that can be leveraged in many different ways. “You can’t see the subtlety of information” and teach observational skills with the same level of depth using VR, Houghton says. But using the tools can “prepare students for fieldwork” in the real world and increase the diversity of people being exposed to geology.

The technologies can also help manage large student groups and, ultimately, create more inclusive learning communities. “One of my classes is EL [English language]-specific, and right now I have seven languages [represented] in that class,” Hollister says. Those students have found ways to share their ideas with the help of Google Translate and by sharing sketches, he says. This unique collaboration is facilitated by VR technology, allowing them to communicate in the comfort of their classroom — a more conducive setting for a diverse group of students compared to the outdoors. “They were conversing and making discoveries and learning things about their new home — it’s really cool.”

Sharing information among peers, proposing arm-waving hypotheses, and engaging in inevitable arguments about whether a rock is granite or diorite are experiences at the heart of learning geology, and in the case of Hollister and other earth science instructors, VR is helping grow communities of students interested in doing just that.

© 2008-2021. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the expressed written permission of the American Geosciences Institute is expressly prohibited. Click here for all copyright requests.

Science News by AGU

The Rise of Gaming-Based Virtual Field Trips

Share this:

• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

You’re flying over a hill of rock that’s as big as a whale’s back and just as gray and speckled. You touch your feet down onto the beast and peer at the scratch marks along its fault lines.

You’re not in a dream, but a game-based virtual field trip to the Whaleback anticline —an iconic exposure of folded rock in central Pennsylvania. Designed using a popular gaming engine, the virtual “field adventure” allows users to clamber, fly, and extract real-world data from the landscape around them.

“It’s very open-ended,” said University of Washington geologist Juliet G. Crider , one of the scientists behind the Whaleback experience. “Because you’re using tools and extracting actual data, you can do real analysis on the data that you’ve collected in the game.”

The Whaleback virtual experience and other games like it are changing the way researchers, students, and the public experience unique geologic sites.

Welcome to Whaleback

Whaleback is a popular destination for mid-Atlantic geologists. A former strip mine, the site features a spectacular sandstone anticline that rises out of the valley, nicknamed “Whaleback.” The sandstone layers, exposed after coal miners stripped away overlaying rock, crest upward into a ridge more than 10 meters (33 feet) tall. Unlike most anticlines seen in roadcuts, the entire fold is exposed at the surface in three dimensions.

In the virtual experience , as in reality, the Whaleback anticline sits nestled in a canyon surrounded by cliffs. A cloudless blue sky hangs overhead, and the treeless landscape (they’ve been digitally removed) makes for straightforward viewing.

Users can toggle keyboard commands to walk or fly across the terrain from a first-person view. With a virtual geodetic compass, they can measure the orientation of the fold’s layers, which correlate to real values at the site.

While exploring, the game allows students to learn about the size, shape, and orientation of the anticline, as well as draw a profile and produce a plot of the orientations of the fold’s key features.

Taking Field Trips Virtual

The Whaleback anticline virtual experience created by researchers at the University of Washington is just one of several initiatives that interweave gaming and geosciences. Leeds University’s bucolic landscapes immerse students in hours-long mapping exercises, and Imperial College London’s Virtual Sardinia sends students flying above a volcano via jet pack.

Virtual field experiences offer many benefits: Scientists can visit sites repeatedly, saving money and time; researchers and students with disabilities gain access to remote sites; and apprehensive students can learn the basics of fieldwork before entering the field.

Still, virtual field trips are relatively novel, and translating geologic data into a virtual game space has its technical challenges. To help, the designer of the Whaleback virtual experience, Mattathias Needle , has published a tool kit for others to design custom immersive virtual field trips just like Whaleback.

Inspiration Strikes

Needle, a doctoral student, was on his way to a party one Friday night in 2017 when he stopped by the University of Washington’s 3D printing lab.

“I went into Google Earth VR for 5 minutes, and my interest in going to the party just dissipated.”

“I went into Google Earth VR for 5 minutes, and my interest in going to the party just dissipated,” said Needle. He wondered how he could create something similar for Whaleback, the area he is researching for his geology doctorate.

He’d spend the next 2 years answering that question.

At the time, Needle and his adviser Crider were studying the geologic structures of Whaleback to reconstruct how the fold formed. Several years before, Crider’s previous doctoral student flew a drone around the site. The thousands of overlapping photos collected formed the basis of a 3D terrain model equipped with real coordinates and dimensions.

Needle and Crider do not consider themselves to be gamers, but the UW Reality Lab incubator connected them with computer science undergraduates. Together, they recreated Whaleback as a virtual space run on the open-source Unity game engine, which powers many popular games, including Pokémon Go . The Whaleback web browser–based game launched in 2021 and has racked up more than 1,900 plays.

“I am 100% a visual learner.…So what you are doing is right up my alley.”

“I am 100% a visual learner.…So what you are doing is right up my alley and genuinely allowed me to learn more about structural geology, on a conceptual level, than any of my other previous classes,” one student wrote in a classroom review to the designers after exploring the virtual site.

“It will be really interesting to see where the team takes the project,” said Earth scientist Clare Bond from the University of Aberdeen, who was not involved with the work but has written about the merits of virtual learning. “As more virtual field environments are developed and shared, the richer the resource for teaching and learning.”

Other virtual outcrops are available within 3D viewers, such as Sketchfab’s eRock from the University of Aberdeen, or within proprietary software such as the NORCE Norwegian Research Centre’s LIME . These virtual environments allow users to number locations, ask questions, view pop-up photos, and more, but they aren’t gaming based.

Hybrid Learning

In the past, the lack of fieldwork opportunities has turned students with disabilities away from pursuing geoscience degrees . Students who cannot attend field trips may be given independent assignments that are less rigorous and stymie bonds with other students.

“The UW virtual field geology project is a great example of the future of field-based education,” said the University of Cincinnati’s geoscience education researcher Christopher Atchison , who was not involved with the effort.

“The integration of in-person, virtual, and hybrid pedagogical methods has the potential to reduce barriers of access and inclusion while increasing field safety and awareness,” Atchison added.

The Whaleback anticline virtual experience is now available in virtual reality , too. Unity supports multiple platforms and is easily adaptable, Needle said. He said he hopes others will create virtual field adventures, too. He published the workflow from Whaleback on GitHub and in the Journal of Structural Geology .

The possibilities are endless for other disciplines, Crider said. Archaeology, architecture, and planetary sciences could all create virtual experiences, she said.

David Kessler , the program manager of the University of Washington’s Reality Lab, said he thinks the applications can go even further. “If microscopic data sets are available,” Kessler said, “the team could adjust the tool kit to let users explore that terrain at different size scales—effectively shrinking themselves down like Ant-Man.”

—Jenessa Duncombe ( @jrdscience ), Staff Writer

This news article is included in our ENGAGE resource for educators seeking science news for their classroom lessons. Browse all ENGAGE articles , and share with your fellow educators how you integrated the article into an activity in the comments section below.

Citation:  Duncombe, J. (2023), The rise of gaming-based virtual field trips,  Eos, 104, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EO230022 . Published on 27 January 2023.

Text © 2023. agu.  cc by-nc-nd 3.0 except where otherwise noted, images are subject to copyright. any reuse without express permission from the copyright owner is prohibited., features from agu publications, scientists present europe’s new greenhouse gas budget, investigating origins of co 2 ice on uranian moons, operational earthquake forecasting – what is it and how is it done.

44 Captivating Virtual Field Trips to Explore from The Classroom

Virtual field trips are a great alternative to traditional field trips when obstacles such as budget or scheduling prevent in-person experiences. They also provide access to educational opportunities across the globe and throughout history, without the need for fundraising or permission slips.

You can also consider using a virtual field trip as a reward for good behavior for your students. Whatever the case, there are numerous tours and trips that are simply outstanding and captivating.

How do virtual field trips work?

Virtual field trips are a type of digital experience that enables students to explore different places, events, or experiences without having to physically leave their classrooms. These trips use technology to create an interactive and immersive learning environment.

Typically, in order to take part in a virtual field trip, you will need certain tech on hand:

• A computer and ideally as smart whiteboard in class. It’s best if students have their own tablets or computers. But this can be done with one large projector.
• Stable internet connection.
• Speakers for good audio in class. We love and suggest the Anker Soundcore speaker .
• Optional VR headset. Some tours are compatible with VR and provide an immersive experience.

You can use virtual field trips to boost learning outcomes by connecting them with particular lessons, units, or topics in the curriculum. To reinforce the ideas explored throughout the virtual experience, create follow-up activities or assignments.

The best virtual field trips for students

With that out of the way, here are Teach and GO’s top choices for virtual field trips:

The Vatican Museums Virtual Tour

Explore the extensive collection of art at the Vatican Museums and discover iconic sites like the Sistine Chapel. Discover masterpieces from the Renaissance period and take in the beauty of Raphael’s Rooms. You can also visit St. Peter’s Basilica.

Ellis Island Virtual Tour

Explore Ellis Island and discover the immigration procedure and the experiences of those who went through this important entrance to America. Ellis Island is one of the most important sites in American history. It was the main port of entry for millions of immigrants from 1892 to 1954.

Machu Picchu Virtual Tour

Explore Machu Picchu, the ancient Inca city nestled in the Andes Mountains of Peru, through a virtual hike. Begin with a scenic hike to the Sun Gate, where you will get an unforgettable view of Machu Picchu from the top.

The National Gallery of Art Virtual Tour

You should visit the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. There you can discover a wide range of art pieces, including paintings, sculptures, and other works of art. The museum features both permanent and temporary exhibitions, offering visitors the chance to learn about a variety of artists, cultures, and time periods.

Anne Frank House Virtual Tour

Explore the secret annex where Anne Frank and her family concealed themselves during World War II and gain understanding of their experiences. Take a tour of the museum, then view original artifacts from Anne’s time in hiding. Learn about her journaling and other writings.

The Great Barrier Reef Virtual Tour

Explore the vibrant marine life and ecological importance of the Great Barrier Reef, which is the world’s largest coral reef system. Dive in to find out more of the spectacular array of coral and marine life in this diverse and vibrant ecosystem.

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Virtual Tour

Visit the Museum of Modern Art to see their extensive collection of modern and contemporary art, which includes pieces by well-known artists. From there, take a stroll through Central Park to appreciate its lush greenery and peaceful atmosphere.

Acropolis Museum Virtual Tour

You can explore ancient artifacts and sculptures from the Acropolis site by visiting the Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece. The museum features a variety of exhibits ranging from ancient Greek culture to the modern era.

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Virtual Tour

Take a virtual tour of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and discover the fascinating world of aviation and space exploration. Explore the incredible history of aviation and space exploration through interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, educational resources, and 3D models.

The Museum of Natural History Virtual Tour

Visit the American Museum of Natural History to see displays featuring dinosaurs, fossils, human evolution, and other subjects. Browse the galleries to learn about cultures and civilizations around the world, from ancient Egypt to modern India.

Palace of Versailles Virtual Tour

Experience a virtual tour of the Palace of Versailles in France, which includes its magnificent gardens and luxurious interiors. Explore the Hall of Mirrors, the Pyramids Room, and other historically significant rooms. Learn about the works of art that are housed in this breathtaking palace.

The National Aquarium Virtual Tour

Experience a virtual tour of the National Aquarium and explore diverse marine life in their natural habitats. Get an up-close look at the many species of fish, sharks, reptiles and amphibians that live under the sea.

National Museum of African American History and Culture Virtual Tour

Visit the Smithsonian museum to discover the exhibits and learn about the history and contributions of African Americans. Explore the National Museum of African American History and Culture, where you can learn about the African American experience through interactive exhibits and displays.

The Colosseum Virtual Tour

Discover the captivating history and impressive architecture of the ancient amphitheater by exploring the Colosseum, an iconic destination in Rome, Italy. Begin your visit with a guided tour inside the Colosseum, where you’ll find information about its construction and bloody past.

Galapagos Islands Virtual Tour

Experience and learn about the distinctive plant and animal life of the Galapagos Islands through interactive virtual activities. From listening to the songs of the endemic Galapagos mockingbird or exploring the archipelago’s unique lava landscapes, you can discover what this beautiful area of the world has to offer.

Galapagos National Park Virtual Tour

Experience the diverse wildlife of the Galápagos Islands by taking a virtual tour through its unique ecosystems. From the mangrove forests of Isabela Island to the dry landscapes of Santiago Island, you can explore each island’s natural habitat.

The National Museum of China Virtual Tour

You should go to the National Museum of China in Beijing to learn about the rich cultural and historical heritage of the country. Explore the various galleries and exhibitions that showcase artifacts from ancient dynasties, and get a glimpse into China’s past.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Virtual Tour

Explore the historical events that led to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, as well as its impact on peace and world history. Learn about the complex decisions behind the bombing and its long-term consequences. Discover how this event shaped international relations, nuclear policy, and affected human lives.

Grand Canyon Virtual Tour

Experience a virtual tour of the stunning landscapes of Grand Canyon National Park. Take a journey through the breathtaking views of the canyons, rock formations, and colorful sandstone walls and Explore the fascinating history of this National Park.

The Pyramids of Giza Virtual Tour

Discover the secrets of the pharaohs as you visit the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, one of the world’s oldest wonders. Explore the tombs of kings and queens, admire the unique architecture, and learn about their fascinating history.

California Academy of Sciences Virtual Tour

Explore interactive exhibits about science, nature, and the environment at the California Academy of Sciences. From the four-story rainforest dome to live animal encounters, you can find something to explore for visitors of all ages.

Getty Museum Virtual Tour

You should visit the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California to see their famous collection of art and antiquities. The Getty Museum was founded in 1954 and is one of the largest museums of art in the United States.

The Hermitage Museum Virtual Tour

Visit impressive Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, and appreciate its vast collection of artwork. Admire the works of Italian, Dutch, Spanish and French masters, including Rembrandt, Rubens, Van Dyck, Monet and others.

African Safari Virtual Tour

Experience a virtual safari and observe diverse wildlife. From the comfort of your classroom, you can take a trip to Africa and explore its stunning landscapes.

The Louvre Museum Virtual Tour

Visit the famous Louvre Museum in Paris, France to see its vast collection of art and historical artifacts. Explore the world-famous galleries and see some of the most famous works in history, including the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Michelangelo.

The Great Wall of China Virtual Tour

Experience the breathtaking views and rich history of the iconic Great Wall of China by taking a virtual walk. With so much to take in, your virtual journey will be full of surprises and unforgettable moments.

National Park Virtual Tours

Students can explore the natural wonders and unique ecosystems of national parks such as Yosemite National Park and Yellowstone National Park through virtual tours.

NASA’s Langley Research Center Virtual Tour

Learn about the pioneering aeronautical and aerospace research conducted at NASA’s Langley Research Center. Explore the history of Langley’s groundbreaking achievements in aviation and space exploration, from its earliest days as the first civilian aeronautics research center.

The British Museum Virtual Tour

Explore the extensive assortment of art and artifacts from various civilizations and historical epochs by visiting the British Museum in London, UK.

San Diego Zoo Virtual Field Trips

The San Diego Zoo offers virtual field trips that allow students to watch live animal cams, discover various species, and participate in interactive activities.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Virtual Tour

Explore the extensive collection of artworks spanning various cultures and centuries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, USA through its virtual tour.

The International Space Station Virtual Tour

Explore the International Space Station (ISS) through a virtual tour and discover more about the experiments and daily life of astronauts in space. Learn about the unique opportunities and challenges of living in a microgravity environment through videos, interactive media, and more.

Google Arts & Culture – Perfect for students

Google Arts & Culture allows you to explore virtual tours and exhibits of a variety of museums, historical landmarks, and cultural sites from all around the world. With interactive experiences, videos, and photos, you can explore different cultures and learn more about their history.

In addition to virtual tours and exhibitions, Google Arts & Culture also provides educational materials such as articles, informative videos, and activities for kids to help them engage with the material.

Best virtual tours for students – Conclusion

Virtual tours can provide a great way for students to get an authentic view of what their day-to-day lives may look like in different places around the world. Whether it be a casual look at campus life or something more structured and technical such as science labs, virtual tours have the power to bring the sights and sounds of faraway locations right into your living room.

From national parks to foreign universities to cultural attractions, there’s truly something for everyone. With these amazing websites, you’ll always have access to exciting new adventures from around the globe.

David Unwin

Keep reading.

The 9 Best Rolling Carts For Teachers

Rolling carts for teachers make organization and transportation of your teaching material easy and stress free for the teaching professional.

9 Classroom Light Filter Covers That Transform Lighting

Improve focus and concentration with these helpful classroom light filters that will provide a calm and peaceful learning environment.

23+ Essential Teacher Supplies You’ll Be Glad You Had

From writing utensils to classroom organizers, create an engaging learning environment with essential teacher supplies and materials.

The 22 Ultimate Virtual Field Trips & Tours for Students

Written by Maria Kampen

• Teacher Resources

• What is a virtual tour and how does it work?
• Technology powering virtual field trips for students
• 22 Best virtual field trips for students
• How to incorporate virtual tours into learning activities

Imagine taking your entire class to see one of the seven wonders of the world up close and personal — and then being back at school before the final bell rings. 

The rise of online learning activities during the pandemic accelerated the availability of virtual field trips , tours and experiences for students of all ages. Now there are many interactive virtual tours available to places that would be impossible to reach on a class trip — the pyramids in Egypt, the Louvre museum in Paris or even an African safari.

We put together a list of 22 unforgettable virtual field trips and experiences that will help your students see amazing sights, connect their learning to real-world experiences and expand their horizons.

Virtual tours allow students to explore noteworthy places around the world, from the comfort of their home or the classroom. 

Virtual tours give students the opportunity to stop, explore and guide learning at their own pace. While they’re exploring, they can get up close to nature or artifacts that might not otherwise be easily accessible. 

Virtual tours can be many different things, including:

• A live webcam of a zoo or animal habitat
• A 360 degree view of a location you can manipulate
• Pictures enriched with helpful information and diagrams

Even ten or fifteen years ago, video tours would have been rare or impossible. Advancements in technology and education have combined to help people learn and explore from anywhere!

• National Geographic creates TV series about nature, history and archaeology
• Food shows like Netflix’s Salt Fat Acid Heat take viewers on food journeys across the world
• Planet Earth , a television series, brings far-flung locations to your living room or classroom
• Discovery Education gives educators access to multimedia resources that supplement classroom learning
• Video conferencing technology like Zoom lets you connect with people and learning experiences around the world

We love being able to sit at home or in the classroom and learn about different foods, cultures and geography. Why not introduce that to your students?

1. Take a trip to the zoo

Whether it’s live webcams of adorable pandas or behind-the-scenes tours with zookeepers, zoos all over the world offer ways for animal antics to delight and entertain your students. 

Some of our favorites include:

• Edinburgh Zoo’s Panda Cam
• Georgia Aquarium’s Beluga Whale Livestream
• The Smithsonian National Zoo’s Naked Mole-rat Cam
• A live feed of African river wildlife in Laikipia County, Kenya
• The San Diego Zoo Live Ape Cam , or any of their other live animal feeds
• Home Safari videos from the Cincinnati Zoo, where zookeepers introduce you to the hundreds of animals that make the zoo their home.

2. Visit The Hidden Worlds of National Parks

From Yosemite to Mesa Verde, explore some of the USA’s most beloved and beautiful national parks with The Hidden World of National Parks .  

Supported by Google Arts & Culture , students can use the same technology that powers Street View to explore the national parks at their own pace. 

The program also includes guided tours from park rangers, where they share their expertise as you explore. Follow the on-screen prompts and let them guide your adventure!

3. Watch the Monterey Bay Aquarium Sea Otters

Play with the sea otters as they swim around Monterey Bay Aquarium in California! Tune in throughout the day to see them being fed, learn fun facts about otters and watch them play in the water. 

If you’d like to check out some other aquarium-related channels, Monterey Bay Aquarium also offers Open Sea or Kelp Forest live streams.

4. Swim through Palau coral reefs

Travel to the Pacific Ocean through a virtual adventure and see the Palau coral reefs . Hosted by Nature Lab and the Nature Conservancy, this tour teaches students about the importance of preserving some of the most fragile ecosystems in the world — no wetsuit required. 

Take learning to the next level with the Nature Lab’s Teacher’s Guide , which includes discussion questions and related resources to keep learners engaged. 

5. Visit the surface of Mars

It took the Perseverance rover about seven months to get to Mars. But thanks to this virtual tour , you and your students can go for a visit in just one afternoon. 

Created by Google and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, this virtual tour takes you through the history of Mars explorations and turns what might be a far-flung topic into something right at students’ fingertips. They’ll explore the surface of Mars, learn more about the rovers that have studied its surface and understand how Mars exploration fits into the history of space travel.

6. Power up with renewable energy

Powering the Planet from the Nature Conservancy is an interactive lesson that focuses on renewable energy sources. It explains to students how energy around them is necessary for life, and covers how energy can be sourced in a way that’s not harmful to the environment.

All the Nature Conservancy’s programs come with a Teacher Guide , which offers lesson plans and activities relating to the virtual tour. 

7. Walk the Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is over 13,000 miles long, so be sure to pack your walking shoes for this trip!

This virtual tour lets students explore key points in the Great Wall of China, plus see the history and amazing view up close.

8. Float around the International Space Station

Did you know that astronauts have continuously inhabited the International Space Station for 20 years? Now your class can join them!

With tours of the different parts of the space station, facts about the layout and assembly, and information about the different astronauts who’ve visited from around the world, students can get an out-of-this-world experience from the comfort of their home or classroom. 

Plus, there are plenty of images, videos, graphics and media resources to help you tie topics into your curriculum.

9. Scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is a delicate ecosystem especially vulnerable to the effects of pollution and climate change. 

David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef is a tour created in partnership with the Natural History Museum in London that teaches everyone about the beauty and fragility of one of the world’s greatest natural wonders. 

The Great Barrier Reef is also available on Google Street View through Google Maps as one of the first underwater locations to be mapped. 

10. Learn about water and Colombia’s páramo ecosystem

Just outside of Bogotá, Columbia, is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. In this virtual lesson, students will learn about how the water cycle plays a vital role in biodiversity, and get an up-close look at the animals that call the area home. 

Use the accompanying Teacher Guide to help students discuss the topic and stay engaged with the lesson. And check out the rest of the Nature Lab's YouTube channel for even more virtual experiences.

11. Tour the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

The Smithsonian Institute is the world’s largest museum — so there are plenty of things for students to explore. 

With a variety of virtual tours to choose from, the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History is full of ways to get students excited about learning. Students can watch narrated tours of different exhibits ranging from history and geography to the research stations in the museum. 

Whether students want to walk through the museum on their own or let someone else do the talking, there’s something for every lesson.

12. Get caught up in the American Revolution

History meets the present at the Museum of the American Revolution ! 

This virtual tour lets students see artifacts, meet museum staff and hear stories of real people who fought for American independence.

It also comes with a Classroom Ki t for 2nd to 8th grade that supplements learning and makes it even more meaningful. 

13. Trek up Mt. Everest

This 360 degree video from National Geographic lets students explore Mt. Everest along with a group of researchers. Together, they’ll discover what kind of effects climate change has on the mountain, and how we can work to preserve natural landscapes. 

Not up for climbing mountains? Take a virtual ride on Expedition Everest , the tallest rollercoaster in any Disney park! But beware — there’s a monster lurking in the dark.

14. Get the right angle with Explore Geometry

Powered by Nearpod, Explore Geometry ’s lesson plans connect classroom lessons with architecture in the natural world.

Students can explore the gardens of Versailles to learn about the geometry of a French garden before moving on to the next lesson and putting their skills to practical use.

15. Wander through the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City

One of the most well-known museums in the world, students can now explore The Met’s vast collections with the Met 360º Project .

Virtual tours help students get a sense of the space, art and collections inside of the museum. Whether they’re interested in the Met Cloisters or the Arms and Armor gallery, students can go at their own pace, accompanied by a soothing soundtrack. 

You can also book virtual tours with a museum guide to line up with your lesson plan. Tours are free for NYC public schools and all Title I schools, and $200 USD per class for other schools.

16. Explore history in the British Museum

Another world-class museum, students can explore the British Museum in London using Google Street View, read facts about the artifacts and connect what they see to their history lessons. 

Whether it’s the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles, Egyptian sculpture or any other historical treasure, there’s something every student will find interesting!

If you want to let someone else do the exploring, there’s also a 46-minute virtual walking tour , where you can skip to the sections that are most relevant to you and your class. 

17. Visit the White House

In Washington, D.C. the White House is the symbolic heart of America, and now students can walk the halls for themselves. 

Whether they want to take a lap around the Oval Office or wander the building, students can explore this virtual tour from the White House Historical Association . Plus, it comes with class tie-ins like vocabulary lessons and other activities to make the experience even more memorable! 

18. Arrive at Ellis Island

Ever wonder what it was like for new immigrants to see the Statue of Liberty and step foot on American soil for the first time?

Now students can experience it for themselves with this virtual tour , a collaboration between Scholastic and the National Park Service. They’ll learn the importance of immigration in the history of the United States and hear real-life stories about the people who came looking for a better life. 

After students watch the video, they can click through this interactive map with facts and stories about the people who came through Ellis Island. 

19. Explore China's forests

In this online tour, students can explore the natural habitats of pandas in the forests of China . They’ll discover how the panda’s home plays a role in understanding our world, learn about local conservation efforts and see the big-picture view of how these vast forests fit into our understanding of nature and climate change. 

Plus, this program also comes with a handy Teacher Guide for you to use in lesson planning!

20. Bundle up in the Arctic tundra

Take a virtual field trip all the way up north to the tundra! Discovery Education’s tundra programs for elementary, middle and high school students cover the natural habitat of polar bears, plus their activities and migration patterns.

This virtual tour comes with instructional activities and classroom tie-ins, so you can be sure students are getting a productive learning experience.

21. Go spelunking in the world's largest cave

Travel through Vietnam’s Son Doong, the world’s largest cave . First explored by researchers in 2009, this cave is up to 200 meters tall in some areas and even has its own jungle inside. 

It’s estimated that the total length of the cave system is over 200 kilometers, and with this National Geographic tour students can explore to their heart’s content. High definition pictures and helpful facts mean that not only is this an awe-inspiring trip for students, but it’s also educational! 

Because the cave is ecologically sensitive, only a certain number of tourists are allowed to visit each year. This virtual tour is a great way for kids and adults to experience the wonder up close!

22. Browse the Louvre

Take your students on a quick trip to Paris where you can explore the architecture and art of the Louvre without the crowds. 

Plus, the Louvre also offers Louvre Kids , as well as a Mona Lisa Beyond the Glass virtual app experience where users can learn how Leonardo da Vinci created his most well-known masterpiece.

From kindergarten to high school, virtual field trips are a great way to get students excited about learning. And if you’re homeschooling , they’re the perfect way to get real-world experience without leaving the house!

To get the most out of the experience, keep these tips in mind:

• Ask students what they’re interested in exploring 
• Look for virtual experiences that fit into your lesson plan for maximum impact
• Search for supplementary resources like teacher guides and discussion questions
• Try out the virtual tour first to make sure it’s worth it and to avoid any unpleasant technical glitches
• Use virtual field trips at the beginning of a unit to introduce students to new concepts, or at the end as a reward and wrap-up activity

Be sure to follow up with students and see what they liked the most. Then, harness that excitement for your next lesson or activity! 

Prodigy Math Game is an adaptive math platform where students can explore a world filled with adventure, excitement and rewards — all for practicing math! While they’re having a blast answering questions and completing epic quests, Prodigy’s free teacher tools help you align their learning to your classroom lessons. 

Sign up for your free teacher account today!

Share this article

Table of Contents

Inspire your students to love learning with Prodigy Math.

• Shop Now: Amazon Labor Day Tech Sale
• Get These 12 Student Discounts!

The 19 Best Free Virtual Field Trips of 2024

Stuck at home? Travel virtually all over the world instead (but seriously, check out the Son Doong Cave)

• California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo
• The Ultimate Guide to Shopping Online
• The Ultimate Guide to Online Learning at Home
• Two-Factor Authentication
• The Ultimate Guide to Skype

When you can't get away, your kids still can by taking a virtual field trip to a museum, farm, zoo, or another fun location. We compiled our list of favorites to help you keep your kids engaged and entertained. Some of these are virtual tours (you can actively decide where to go on the tour) and others are video walkthroughs (just watch and learn), but all give you a great experience of the location.

Best Art-Centric Virtual Tour: The Met

A glimpse at some of the greatest works of art created.

Online exhibits on various topics.

There's only one view of the museum currently available.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is home to over 5,000 years of art from around the world. You can see some of it from the comfort of your home. Take a virtual stroll through part of the museum using Google Street View. There are also numerous online exhibits on topics like Coco Chanel, Vermeer, Catholic allegory in art, and more.

Best Tour of Space: NASA

The volume of space videos.

The approachable aspect of the videos.

So much more to see on the site.

It's not easily searchable unless you know what you're looking for.

This might be cheating a bit because it's really a collection of videos, but, oh boy, what a collection to tour! The Galleries open up an array of videos covering space topics from testing a parachute for Mars to moving water in space. Each video is a mini virtual tour that will awe kids and encourage interest in science and space.

Best Tour of the White House: Google Arts & Culture's The White House

Stunning 360-degree images.

See inside and outside the White House.

Offers views of 140 paintings.

Once inside a tour, it's hard to know what you're looking at.

No search functions.

Every President since John Adams has occupied the White House and now your children can visit it, too. Google Arts & Culture offers four museum views (three tours of The White House and one of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building) plus a look at more than 140 paintings that grace (or have graced) the walls of the country's most famous abode. The 360-degree images let kids explore to their heart's desire.

Best Cave Virtual Tour: Son Doong Cave

Son Doong is beautiful.

The virtual tour includes lots of information.

Zoom into areas for a more detailed look.

No supplemental online activities.

Son Doong is the world's largest natural cave. Located in Vietnam, it features a subterranean river and the largest cross-section of any cave worldwide. National Geographic's virtual tour lets you explore the cave with full 360-degree views and immersive sounds. You can even zoom in one area to check out the campers in their tents. Son Doong is beautiful and worth a virtual visit.

Best National Park Virtual Tour: Yellowstone

Offers multiple tours.

Lots of historical information.

Amazing images.

No video tours.

Lots of written information that can turn off some kids.

Yellowstone offers seven virtual tours appropriate for older elementary and middle school ages. There's a lot of written information along with the images, and the tours aren't in video. However, the information is fascinating, and the photos are stunning.

From learning about old Fort Yellowstone to discovering park anomalies like Mud Volcano, these tours are a great way for kids to discover unique facts about America.

Best Natural History Tour: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

So many exhibits to see!

Easy, clickable maps.

Quick and easy to navigate.

It's not always easy to read the signs in the exhibits.

This iconic museum is dedicated to understanding the natural world and humanity's place in it. There's so much to see it can't possibly be listed here. However, the museum offers an online tour of most of its exhibits. Split this tour up into multiple lessons, so kids don't get overwhelmed.

Skip the ground floor and go straight to the first or second floors.

Best Aquarium Virtual Tour: National Aquarium

Easy to find exhibits.

Fun to explore using the 360-degree options.

Some scenes spin quickly, which can frustrate young learners.

Baltimore's National Aquarium features more than 20,000 aquatic animals. Kids can click and drag images to navigate their way around and use arrows, the map, or a scene list to explore various exhibits. Explore eight areas, such as the Amazon River, a tropical rain forest, and jellyfish.

Best Tours of the World: AirPano

Bright, well-produced videos and images.

Offers tours of numerous countries.

Includes video and still frame-images.

What's not to like?

AirPano has a variety of tours in China, Portugal, Switzerland, and more countries. Children can visit the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge in China, an underwater cave in Indonesia, ski resorts in France, and more destinations around the globe.

What makes this site so good is that it offers narrations of several tours, provides closeups through interactive actions, and includes short chunks of written information that's easy for kids of most ages to read. The tours are also fairly short, which makes these tours great for younger kids, but older kids will still enjoy the trip.

Best Virtual Tour for Car Lovers: Lane Motor Museum

Totally unique tour.

An inside look that allows for deep diving into collections.

There's no way to tell what a specific vehicle is unless you know cars.

Scroll to the bottom of the link to watch a fun virtual tour of one of the most unique car museums in the world. Lane Motor Museum is home to an oddball collection of vehicles dating from the 1920s up to modern times.

Your child will love seeing amphibious vehicles, microcars, prototypes, and more. The tour is easy to click through and offers six angles to entertain viewers.

Best Tours of Nature: Nature Works Everywhere

Tours are narrated and easy to follow.

Provides student handouts, vocabulary, and discussion questions.

We wish there was a larger library of tours!

Explore nature around the world with Nature Works Everywhere's virtual tours. Visit the coral reefs of Palau, the deserts and grasslands of Africa, a rainforest (from a canoe's viewpoint), a renewable energy plant, and more.

The tours are narrated and give great, quick facts to help kids learn in simple, straightforward ways. All tours are appropriate for grades 3 through 12 but are marked with notes about the grades most likely to enjoy the tour.

Best Historical Tour: Ellis Island

A clear explanation of Ellis Island, how it worked, and why it was needed.

Includes children asking questions of tour guides.

The images in much of the tour are small in order to focus on the tour guides.

Ellis Island is a key piece of American history. This virtual tour offers lots of anecdotes and features actual guides from Ellis Island telling stories. Plus, it includes lots of pictures and views of the island.

It's more appropriate for fourth grade and up, mainly due to the litany of facts and complexity of the information provided.

Best Slime-Based Virtual Tour: Slime in Space

Nickelodeon

It's playful and educational.

Good production values.

Fun experiments.

It's a video, not an interactive virtual tour.

What happens to Nickelodeon's iconic slime when it's in space? That's the concept behind the Slime in Space virtual field trip. Featuring real astronauts and Nickelodeon celebrities, the 15-minute video shows kids how slime and water react in a microgravity environment 250 miles above the Earth. Along the way, it answers burning questions like, "Is slime a solid or a liquid?" and "Can you slime a person in space?" (The answer is: yes, very slowly.)

Best Virtual Zoo Tour: San Diego Zoo

Live cams of the animals.

A variety of educational videos.

Fun games and activities.

Fixed camera angles mean you're not always guaranteed to see the animals.

The San Diego Zoo is home to more than 3,500 animals of more than 650 species and subspecies. It's widely considered one of the best zoos in the world. But, if you can't make it to California, it has a robust virtual experience online.

You can peek in on the animals through live cams. There's also a variety of videos that teach kids about vultures or show them how to draw a tiger, for example. There are also zoo-related games and activities kids can do at home.

Best General Farm Tour: FarmFood 360

360-degree views of the farm.

Offers a free app for Android and iOS.

It can be hard to see things on a mobile device.

FarmFood 360 gives an inside look at the activities of a Canadian farm. Kids see 360-degree views of the farm as they learn about milk and cheese production, sheep farming, egg processing, and more.

There's an app available for Android and iOS devices, and it's compatible with some virtual reality headsets.

Best Virtual Planetarium: Stellarium

Realistic night sky simulation.

Mobile apps are available.

Includes a telescope control module for experienced astronomers.

Can be difficult to navigate.

The mobile apps aren't free, but the money supports the project.

Stellarium Web is an online planetarium created by two brothers. Offering an accurate and realistic view of the night sky, it lets you pan around and spot stars, satellites, and other celestial bodies.

It offers mobile apps for Android and iOS that aren't free. The money goes toward paying server and development costs for the two-person project.

Best Living-History Virtual Tour: Colonial Williamsburg

Next best thing to being there.

The virtual scavenger hunt.

The virtual tours are highly interactive.

Virtual tour models can load slowly.

Condensation or inclement weather can obstruct the webcam views.

Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum in Virginia that offers a glimpse at what life was like in the 18th century. Its virtual tour is highly interactive and includes videos, informational signs, and 3D models you can rotate.

With its various webcams, you can see the armory, courthouse, merchants square, and more. Colonial Williamsburg's website also offers a virtual scavenger hunt your kids can participate in as they tour the area.

Best European Museum Virtual Tour: The Louvre

It's the Louvre.

The website offers a list of online family-friendly activities.

The virtual tours include a map and an information button.

The website offers limited language options.

Sure, we'd love to jet off to France and tour its fabulous museums personally. But if that's not an option, the Louvre has several virtual tours available on its website. The offerings include exhibitions on the body in movement, founding myths, Egyptian antiquities, and more.

The Louvre also has a handy list of family-friendly online resources everyone can enjoy, including a Mona Lisa VR experience.

Best Factory Virtual Tour: M&M Factory Tour

Zoonar RF / Getty Images

Who doesn't love chocolate?

360-degree views of the factory.

It's short.

The Food Network teamed up with candy maker Mars to give M&M fans a virtual tour of one of its factories. During the short YouTube video, viewers can pan around as a tour guide explains how unrefined chocolate is turned into the little candies we know and love.

Best General Virtual Tour Resource: Discovery Education

An eclectic variety of virtual field trips.

Watch live or on demand.

Trips come with a companion guide packed with activities.

A schedule of when field trips go live would be nice.

Discovery Education offers a variety of virtual field trips for kids learning from home. The offerings change often but currently include an NFL experience, a doodling experience meant to encourage creativity, and a virtual field trip through the internet of things. You can watch the field trips live or catch the videos later on-demand.

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day

• What to Do When Your Skype Camera Is Not Working
• What Is a Digital Business Card?
• Our 9 Favorite Mobile Messaging Apps of 2024
• How to Use Remote Desktop on Windows 10
• The 10 Best Working From Home Tips in 2024
• Top 5 Free Web Conferencing Tools
• How to Create a Loomie 3D Avatar For All Your Zoom Meetings
• Double Your Internet Speed for Free
• How to Make a Digital Business Card
• How to Pair Bluetooth Headphones With a Phone
• Should You Upgrade or Replace Your Laptop?
• Google Meet Not Working? How to Fix the Problem
• How to Test Your Firewall
• What Is Skype and How Does It Work?
• How to Check for and Install Windows Updates
• How to Clean Your Phone and Screen

• Our Mission

6 Free Resources for Virtual Field Trips

Teachers can use panoramic photos and videos of locations all around the world to make lessons more engaging.

How can you take students around the world without moving very far? If you haven’t yet, it’s worth trying virtual field trips and excursions. Now more than ever, these resources allow students to experience spaces they might not otherwise get to see, and there are many ways to introduce them to students as they explore a topic.

Virtual field trips can help students explore a new space, build vocabulary and background knowledge, and expand their world view. Whether you want to explore the setting of a novel, introduce a place-based math problem, or make connections to current events, virtual field trips can expand upon traditional lessons in many ways. One of the reasons I love them so much is that they allow students to view a space that piques their curiosity and provides context for their learning.

The term virtual field trip can be used to describe not just 360 degree photos and videos but also the live interactions and video conferences you might set up with a subject matter expert like an author or museum docent. Flipgrid (one of my favorite tools) hosts a handful of these types of virtual field trips .

6 Ways to Set Up Virtual Field Trips

The list of free virtual field trip resources here is adapted from my ISTE Live presentation in December 2020. Students can access these resources without logging into a new website—teachers can post the link to a 360 degree panoramic image or interactive experience in a platform students already use, making it easy for them to access in both traditional classroom settings and at home.

1. AirPano : This site includes 360 degree videos and images from around the world. You aren’t required to create an account—you can just jump in and start searching. When you’re ready to share with students, there is a link you can copy and paste or an embed option if you’re adding a widget to a site of resources. If you’re looking for international locations, AirPano is a great choice for exploring outdoor spaces, including Machu Picchu in the daytime, or the northern lights at night.

2. Google Maps Treks : In combination with Google Maps and Earth, Treks organizes content in an easy-to-navigate way. There are Treks for places around the globe, including the U.S. and Canada, Egypt, Nepal, and India. Each one has information and videos for students to explore.

3. National Geographic : National Geographic’s YouTube channel transports students all over the world to learn about different cultures, foods, animals, and more. Have students press play on the video, and as the video begins, they can use their cursor or trackpad to spin the video in different directions. They can tap on one part of the screen to move the video back and forth as they learn about a new place.

4. Nearpod : Known as an interactive presentation tool, Nearpod has virtual reality content built into its platform in the form of 360 degree panoramic views, which can be used as a great pre-reading strategy to introduce a new book or spark discussion about a social studies or science topic. To use these interactive experiences with your students, insert them into any Nearpod lesson in the same way you would add a slide or poll. (Please note: Nearpod also offers a paid plan with additional amenities.)

5. 360Cities : This collection of stock 360 degree images has lots of user-uploaded resources. There is a special school version that allows you to introduce students to more dynamic learning experiences; it has features such as a guided tour creator.

6. Google Arts and Culture :  This tool has a variety of high-quality content, including interactive views that let students walk through notable spaces such as museums and explore examples of beautiful architecture like the Alhambra in Spain. You can let students know that this resource is mobile-responsive in addition to working on a web browser—they can access the content on a smartphone or tablet, or their Chromebook or laptop.

Engaging Students With Guided Questions

Set a purpose for students as they explore these resources by using prompts to guide their excursions. Potential prompts include:

• What do you think the weather is like in this place?
• How do you think someone captured this moment?
• What might be missing from this shot?

I’ve put together more prompts here .

If building student vocabulary is a primary goal of introducing virtual field trips to your students, you can point out different objects in the panoramic views or ask students to find certain features. For example, imagine students are learning about geological features and you take them on a virtual field trip to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Together you can discuss vocabulary like crater , steam vent , and igneous rocks .

When sharing with students, include a prompt or question and post the link and task into a space they already have access to, such as Google Classroom, Seesaw, or Schoology. If you’re sharing a list of resources for students, colleagues, or families that includes some of these virtual excursions, you might curate a list of favorites using a tool like Google Sites, Spark Page, or Microsoft Sway.

Expand Your Students’ Horizons with Virtual Field Trips

As a teacher, one of my most difficult tasks is preparing my students for the outside world while spending most days confined to the classroom. I can spend hundreds of dollars on classroom décor and come up with elaborate projects to duplicate real-world experiences within our four walls, but at the end of the day, it’s never going to be the same. Since my district became a 1:1 iPad school, though, I’ve found a new option to introduce my students to more authentic experiences—virtual field trips. No, I cannot introduce my high school Spanish students to native Chileans for a friendly chat or offer them a firsthand look at Barcelona’s architecture, but I can provide them with a more hands-on, interactive experience with Spanish-speaking cultures thanks to technology. And, no matter what age or subject you teach, you can give your students similar experiences with just a little planning. Here are a few common questions, along with resources to get you started.

What are Virtual Field Trips?

Virtual field trips represent an opportunity for students to participate in the exploration of a location through the means of the Internet. It is much like a traditional field trip but without the long bus ride or nagging fear of losing anyone! Whether it’s a city, historic site, museum, or natural area, students may experience different aspects of the location through photos, digital maps, audio, video, and other interactive media, receiving detailed information about what they are hearing or seeing in the process. Virtual field trips are often organized by an educator or supervisor with predetermined Internet destinations and sites to guide the exploration in a structured way.

Why Implement Virtual Field Trips?

Virtual field trips can have a positive effect on schools in many ways. Although there will never be a complete substitute for experiencing a place or culture firsthand, virtual field trips still enable students to explore parts of the world they may otherwise never have the opportunity to visit in a manner that allows them to retain some aspect of hands-on interaction.

What are the Benefits of Leading Virtual Field Trips?

If you can’t tell yet, I’m a big fan of virtual field trips. Here are my top four reasons why: 1. They’re free! Many traditional field trips require students to pay a fee in order to participate—and for lots of families, this is a financial burden that keeps their child from joining. It would cost thousands of dollars for me to take just one student to a Spanish-speaking country. Virtual field trips and their incorporation in blended learning remove this expense but still allow for learning that broadens students’ horizons beyond standard classroom lessons. 2. Once you create a virtual field trip, you can use it for years. Planning a successful traditional field trip is, at best, a time-consuming task for educators and other adult supervisors and, at worst, a downright logistical nightmare. With all of the extra work of collecting permission slips and money, coordinating activities, and arranging transportation, all too often, it’s simply not worth it to plan a standard field trip at all. Virtual options remove these logistical challenges. 3. No liability issues! With virtual field trips, you are able to maintain the structure of your classroom environment. While it is usually easy to get students excited for a traditional field trip, it is more difficult to monitor their behavior and their whereabouts during the outing. Planning a virtual field trip instead helps you avoid this free-for-all mentality. 4. You have more control over the content. Virtual field trips can be designed and tailored to complete very specific learning objectives, and they can easily be adjusted year to year if those objectives change. You can even provide different students with slightly different experiences, giving you another tool to meet students’ unique needs and personalize their learning.

Where Should I Go for Resources to Get Started?

I’m far from the first educator to jump on this virtual field trip bandwagon—which means that there are lots of resources already out there for planning and inspiration! Here are a few of my favorite sites. For tools to help you get started:

• Eduscapes – This site offers helpful hints and tips on what to include to make virtual field trips work in your class, how to go about designing trips, and how to prepare yourself to lead your students.
• Wix – This is a user-friendly platform to help you easily create your own website (do it yourself or use one of their templates) in order to effectively store and organize resources for your virtual field trip.
• The Surfaquarium: Virtual Field Trip Guidelines – These guidelines contain suggestions, implementation tips, and dos and don’ts to help you get up and running in your classroom.

For specific virtual field trip examples to inspire you:

• EDSITEment!: In Old Pompei i – In this lesson, students take a virtual field trip to the ruins of Pompeii to learn about everyday life, art, and culture in ancient Roman society.
• John Muir Exhibit – This exhibit, created by the Sierra Club, offers a concise story of its founder’s life, naturalist and conservationist writings, and legacy. It includes sounds, video, and text resources.
• The JASON Project – This many-faceted site’s mission is “to inspire and educate students everywhere through real science and exploration.” It offers several different STEM-centered trips, including one that follows a crew living aboard the International Space Station.
• Reach the World – This site features different global digital exchange journeys where classrooms can follow a traveler who is studying, exploring or serving abroad. You'll find separate centers for teachers and students.

For additional pre-created collections to work from:

• Internet4Classrooms
• Google Lit Trips
• The Teacher's Guide
• Education World
• KQED: MindShift

Want to see how I use virtual field trips in my classroom? Take a look at this lesson plan and student guide for a virtual field trip to Spain that I created! And, for more clever strategies to make the most of the technology in your classroom, check out these 21 Tips, Tricks, and Ideas Every 21st Century Teacher Should Try . *These opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Independent School District 192.

Get the latest education insights sent directly to your inbox

Subscribe to our knowledge articles.

45+ Fun Virtual Field Trips for Kids to Explore from Home or School!

• By Jennifer Much
• January 1, 2022
• At Home , Social Distancing

Grab an iPad and snuggle up in your favorite spot – you’re about to virtually travel the globe! When physical travel isn’t possible, technology becomes a wonderful tool to help kids discover the beauty and many wonders in the world. From tours of historical buildings and interactive maps to viewing animals in the wild, check out these amazing educational – and FREE – virtual field trips that can be explored from home or school!

More Learning Fun: Choose a destination and activity

• Cook a recipe from the area
• Draw a picture about what you saw
• Create your own model from legos, clay or playdoh
• Read a book with the same theme
• Write a comic or story about the destination

Animals, Aquariums & Zoos

Lots of Sharks, Doo Doo Look out for that shark! Throughout the day, viewers can get an up-close and personal glimpse of sharks at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. From Sevengill sharks to Leopard sharks and Pacific Angel sharks, these toothy creatures swim the waters of the 90-foot-long exhibit alongside colorful reefs, fish, and rays.

A Walk on the Wild Side Walk on the wild side and view live animal cams offered by the San Diego Zoo in sunny California! The cams showcase the lives of baboons, polar bears, koalas, tigers, and many other animals who call the zoo home. Which cam is your favorite?

Little Baby Bears What can be more adorable than twin baby polar bear cubs happily playing? Check out th e furry babies on a cam broadcasted from the Ouwehand Zoo’s tundra exhibit in the Netherlands! The cubs, named Akiak and Sura, play under the watchful eye of their mama bear, Freedom, and grandma bear Huggies. Even their names are sprinkled with cuteness!

A Zoo Down Under Good day, mate! Take a peek at the Australia Zoo and all the wildlife encounters it offers as your personal tour guide, Robert Irwin – son of the late wildlife expert, Steve Irwin, shows you just how wildlife can get down under!

Authentic African Safari From Impalas to fierce lions and grazing zebras, viewers can head to Etosha National Park in Namibia, Africa for a true safari from afar. See animals in their natural habitats, how they flourish, and take in the beauty and wonder of Africa.

A Visit to the Amazon Learn about the rainforest and the amazing animals that call it home! Observe how they adapted to their environment and see how they evolved over time.

Gentle as a Giant The Houston Zoo broadcasts a variety of live animal cams to give viewers a glimpse into the lives of their animals. One of their most popular cams feature their giraffes. Throughout the day, students can log on to see giraffes grazing, at play and to learn about these sweet, gentle giants.

Caring for Pets Animals require lots of love, care, and attention! Stop by an animal shelter and discover how veterinarians work to keep the animals healthy and learn the best tips on caring for a new pet.

Nature & Space

Cruise to the Galapagos Channel the late Charles Darwin and visit the Galapagos Islands while aboard the ship, Endeavor II. Sightsee and gaze over the terrain and learn about the diversity of animals and plants found nowhere else in the world!

Behind the Falls Niagara Falls is one of the most beautiful attractions in Canada – are you ready to journey behind it? Take an elevator and descend 125-feet into the table rock where you’ll walk through a short tunnel and gain access to two observation portals, located directly behind the falls!

A Wilderness Adventure Yellowstone National Park, located in Wyoming, is a gorgeous 3,500-square-mile area that sits atop a volcanic hot spot that is home to bears, wolves, bison and antelope. Virtually explore the park with the National Park Service and learn about its dramatic canyons, alpine rivers, lush forests, gushing geysers, including the most famous, Old Faithful .

Beautiful Bahamian Corals Dive into the turquoise waters of the Bahamas and learn about life among the coral reef! Get an up-close look at reef biodiversity and see why reefs are such an important part of our oceans.

Fly Over a Volcano Fly over the beautiful Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano in Russia and check out its spherical views and lava flows. The volcano, which erupts once every few years, will give kids a peek into a natural, but magical world.

Explore a Colossal Cave Through an interactive tour, explore the largest cave in the world , located in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam. Formed during the Cambrian-Permian era, the cave is believed to be almost 450 million years old!

Journey to the Grand Canyon Make a short stop and check out one of the deepest canyons in the world – The Grand Canyon! Spanning almost 2,000 feet, the Grand Canyon is bigger than the entire state of Rhode Island! That’s pretty large for a rock formation!

Stars Above the Sahara Take in the beauty of stellar constellations , which consist of billions of stars within the Milky Way. This picturesque view can be found in North Africa in a sky that lights up the Sahara Desert at night.

Rover Over Mars Travel to another planet and explore alongside a trusty rover with the International Space Station! Through the use of a WebVR experiment, NASA gives those on earth a glimpse of the beauty beyond our world – no high-tech spaceship required! Explore outer space and the surface of mars at home or school.

Science Tours The American Museum of Natural History offers virtual tours and video tours for online learning including Virtual Field Trip to the Butterfly Conservatory, Virtual Tour of the Planet Earth, Virtual Field Trip to the Hall of North American Mammals and more.

History & Landmarks

The White House Through the tall fence and over the green lush lawn, visitors can take an online tour of the Executive Office, see the array of art and décor of the White House and learn about its history in just a few clicks!

Explore Ellis Island Millions of immigrants stepped onto American soil at Ellis Island from 1892 to 1954. Follow the immigrant’s footsteps online with an interactive virtual tour and hear their inspiring stories.

English Time Traveler Travel back in time to the 17th century as you explore and learn about daily life in a quaint, historical English village.

Step into the Smithsonian Embark on an interactive journey to the renounced Smithsonian Museum of National History in Washington, DC! The museum offers 145 million pieces throughout exhibits with plants, animals, fossils, minerals, meteorites, rocks, cultural artifacts, and more – making it the largest natural history collection in the world! Explore the museum virtually with this interactive tour.

The Medieval Louvre Originally built as a fortress by French king Philippe Auguste, the museum lets virtual visitors glide through the historic remains of the Louvre’s Moat with the click of a mouse! Built in 1190, the museum is a celebrated piece of French history.

Dive to the Titanic Over a hundred years ago in 1912, the Titanic made its final voyage carrying 2,200 passengers on board. Despite being coined “unsinkable” the ship hit an iceberg and sank in the chilly waters of the North Atlantic. The shipwreck site was discovered in 1989 and offers visitors to virtually visit the wreck on the ocean floor or take a virtual tour of the Titanic .

Liberty for All You can’t visit New York without stopping to admire the Statue of Liberty ! Take a tour of the neoclassical sculpture, located on Liberty Island. From the ground to the crown, you’ll find yourself in awe of this historical statue’s size!

The Ancient Pyramid Brave the sand and sun and trek to the oldest and largest pyramid in Giza, which is also one of the only ancient pyramids to remain largely intact! Through computer simulation, discover the hidden channels and tunnels of the pyramid, and explore one of the Seven Wonders of the world.

Longest Wall in the World Take a long walk from behind the screen as you discover the history and beauty of the Great Wall of China. The wall, which begins in Hushan and spans through to Beijing, spans a massive 13,000 miles! Best of all, you can virtually take this long walk without tiring out your feet!

Inside the Palace Advance through the iron gates that are adorned with gold embellishments and into one of the homes of the Queen of England. Buckingham Palace, located in London, features 775 rooms – which include 52 bedrooms and 78 bathrooms! Talk about a palace built to suit a queen!

The Secret Annex Located in North Holland, the secret annex was a cleverly disguised hiding space that housed wartime diarist Anne Frank and her family. The building itself is nestled along the Prinsengracht canal and served as a business during World War II. Now a museum, visitors can step into history , visit the annex and revel in Anne’s story.

Pearl of the Harbor Visit Hawaii from your computer to see one of the most treasured historical landmarks – The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. The beautiful memorial celebrates the lives of sailors and marines who fought for our freedom during the attack of Pearl Harbor in 1941.

When in Rome Enjoy an interactive tour of the Sistine Chapel , the official residence of the pope in Vatican City. With each click, you will be captivated by the gorgeous art painted by Michelangelo and the elaborate detail that spans the architecture of the palace.

Tour the Taj Visitors can digitally explore the Taj Mahal , an ivory-white mausoleum built alongside the Yamuna river in India. By using computer simulation, viewers can explore the inner and outside portions of the structure as well as see stunning photographs of the landmark when each interest point is clicked on the map.

Views from the Skyline Stop by the Empire State Building and take in the views from the 102nd floor ! Located sixteen floors above the observatory, the Empire State Building’s top deck offers the most spectacular views of the city without the fear of heights!

Mountain of Many Faces It’s time for a trip to South Dakota – where you can see the impressive carvings of Mount Rushmore . Mount Rushmore, which was completed in 1941, features granite faces of U.S. presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln -all from approximately 60-feet up in the air!

The Lincoln Memorial Washington, DC is home to one of the most recognized monuments in the country – The Lincoln Memorial! Viewers can tour the American treasure right from home ! The memorial was built to honor Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States. There is even an urban legend that says the face of general Robert E. Lee is carved onto the back of Lincoln’s head. Explore and see if you can find it!

Just For Fun

Hey Batter, Batter Calling all sports fans! Check out the famous Yankee Stadium through Virtual Venue and see where your favorite players hit home runs! The interactive tour offers viewers the opportunity to see the New York stadium from soaring heights, from the scoreboard, or from on top home plate!

Oh Dairy Just like Wisconsin, our Canadian neighbors in Ontario work hard to produce a variety of milk and cheeses for us to enjoy. Step into their factory and learn how these dairy favorites are made, packaged, and transported to local stores.

Have a Slice If you’re a fan of pizza, you’re in luck! Take a virtual tour and step into the kitchen of Peace A Pizza , a Florida-based parlor that will teach you everything you want to know about making and baking delicious pizza pies!

At the Fire Station Have you ever wondered what it’s like to live at the fire station? Jet off to Toronto where you will see firsthand how firefighters live , care for their trucks and prepare for their jobs that help fight fires in their communities.

Everything is Sweet Nothing is sweeter than freshly made pastries, cakes, and baked goods! Bake alongside Cake Boss star Buddy Valastro as he takes you on a tour of his famous bakery, located in the heart of Hoboken. From the family tradition of baking to a sense of community, this shop bakes up just as much love as it does sugary treats.

A Sip of Cola Get ready to see where the popular American beverage, Coca Cola is made! Watch in amazement as you tour the soft drink factory which shows how the bottles are constructed, filled, and prepared for your fridge.

Vroom, Vroom Buckle up and go behind the scenes at the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan! Through an educational tour, you can learn how customers impact the design of vehicles and the engineering behind them as well as see how testing for Ford F-Series trucks is performed.

Houston to Base Get ready for a mission – to go behind the scenes at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas! Viewers can learn about the innovations in aerospace technology as well as watch history be made with the launch of Starliner/CST-100 spacecraft and the deployment and utilization of the Space Launch System (SLS). Get ready for liftoff!

Discover Wisconsin

Our State Capitol On Wisconsin! Walk the halls of our Wisconsin State Capitol and learn about its rich history, beautiful architecture, and political purpose. The building, located in Madison was completed in 1917, is 284 feet from the ground floor, and features the Wisconsin statue on the dome. It proudly houses both chambers of the Wisconsin legislature in addition to the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the office for our state governor.

Wisconsin Dairy Love Wisconsin of course, is widely known for its dairy – delicious cheese and fresh milk, but do you know how the farm operates? Put on your boots and head to the barn , it’s time to learn about our namesake! Through an interactive virtual farm, viewers can learn what it takes to run a 150 or 1,500-cow dairy farm. Toggle between options for both a small and large farm and click to explore. You’ll find it ah-moozing!

All about Art Spend the afternoon browsing creative paintings and sculptures from the collections and exhibitions at the Museum of Wisconsin Art! MOWA, which is located in West Bend, features beautifully curated works from various artists, including local creatives. From modern inspirations to classical renditions, there is always something new surfacing in the museum!

Little House on the Prairie Head to the prairie and find the little house ! Many have read the stories of writer Laura Ingalls Wilder, but did you know you can tour her first home, located in Pepin, Wisconsin? Wilder’s home became the famous setting for her first book, Little House in the Big Woods , and thanks to technology, you can virtually tour that inspiring little cabin in the woods!

Parents: Links for virtual tours and trips are hosted and maintained by external sites like, but not limited to, YouTube, Explore, and National Geographic. We strive to provide the best content possible but encourage parents to sit alongside their children as they digitally explore. Also, find more things to do inside on our big list of ideas of things to do at home !

Jennifer Much

Related articles.

Let’s Party: 35 Ways to Make Birthdays Special at Home!

Wisconsin Zoo Offers Drive-Thru Style Family Fun

Things to Do When We’re Stuck Inside

Food and Lunches for Kids Impacted by COVID-19 Coronavirus

Find more things to do.

thanks to our sponsors

Don’t miss out on weekly freebies, teaching tips & more! Join the free email list:

70 Best Virtual Field Trips for Kids

In the Classroom

Here you will find a list of the best virtual field trips for kids, ranging from preschool and kindergarten to elementary aged children.

These virtual field trips for kids will leave your kiddos learning about animals, history, community helpers, space, national parks, sports arenas, and farms all over the world!

The interactive tour with live webcams are a great way to give the kids a closer look at outer space, an animals natural habitat, and our natural world.

Whether for homeschool, preK, kindergarten, first grade, or second grade, you can quickly find great virtual field trips below with the easy-to-find categories. 

If you’re looking for a middle school and high school appropriate virtual reality field trip, there will be a few to choose from.

Otherwise, these are geared towards the younger children.

Can’t find what you are looking for? Leave a comment at the end of the post, and I will gladly search for a fun virtual field trip for kids.

The Best Virtual Field Trips to a Farm

During the Fall, most elementary grades take a field trip to a farm.

The most popular guided tour school groups are animal farms, apple orchards, and pumpkin patches.

Below are virtual field trip experiences your kids will love!

• Dairy Farm : Complete with a downloadable companion activity to get your kids prepared for the virtual field trip of a dairy farm.
• Animal Farm
• Condee Horse Farm:  Meet Shorty in this 8 minute virtual tour of a horse farm.
• Dutch Hollow Farm : 50 minute tour of a dairy farm
• Tailview Farm : A 47 minute tour of the Tailview Farm recorded in 2020
• Bonnie Plants : Home Depot takes kids on a multi-part virtual field trips to see gardens and plants
• Egg Farm Field Trip

Virtual Field Trips Aquarium

• Seattle Aquarium
• Monterey Bay Aquarium Live Cam
• Mystic Aquarium
• National Aquarium

Zoo and Animals Free Virtual Field Trips

Kids absolutely love getting up close and personal with animals at the zoo.

One of the most visited zoo’s in the United Stated is the Houston Zoo . While you may not be able to go there on a field trip, they still offer a virtual tour.

• San Diego Zoo : Live animal cameras and instructional activities
• Butterfly Garden : Learn all about butterflies with this 9 minute video of the most beautiful butterfly habitats in the world.
• Animal Shelter : This 8 minute video shows the Kidvision kids learning about the animal shelter and how to adopt a pet
• Emerald Hills Animal Hospital
• Dinosaur Exhibit
• Conservation Biology Institute and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo

Community Helpers Virtual Field Trips for Kids

Most elementary social studies curriculum integrates community helpers!

These virtual tours will support your lessons by offering an interactive experience.

• Ft. Lauderdale Children’s Theater
• Airport : Sit in a cockpit, learn how to fuel a helicopter, and visit an airplane museum
• Construction Site
• Bank : Visit the SunTrust Bank with the KidVision kids
• Television Station : An 8 minute video touring a TV studio with Penny. Learn about green screens, sound and audio boards, and much more.
• Recycling Center : Here’s an 8 minute video touring a recycling center
• Library : Learn about putting books in alphabetical order, how to check out your favorite books, and all the other fun parts of a library.
• Post Office : Learn how to mail a letter
• Fire Station
• Whole Foods Grocery Store
• Police Station
• Boston Children’s Museum

Virtual Field Trips to Food and Candy Shops

• Ice Cream Parlor : Visit Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor and learn how to order from a menu, choose your favorite toppings, and more sweet fun!
• Chocolate Factory : Take this fun tour with the KidVision kids and Ms. Penny to see how chocolate is made – from the bean to the candy
• How M&Ms are made
• Bakery:  A 7 minute video that will take you to a bakeshop and show how cupcakes are made

Virtual Field Trip to Space

The live videos of space exploration are excellent educational activities.

• Visit the Moon : This 23 minute video will take you on a NASA virtual field trip to the moon.
• Kennedy Space Center
• Virtual Tour of Mars (Access Mars)
• Slime in Space
• Google Earth interactive map to get the google street view of any location in the world, such as the Great Lakes, the Liberty Bell, Mexico City, New York City, or the beautiful Yosemite National Park.
• International Space Station

Virtual Field Trips for Learning History

• Pilgrim Life:  Learn about games and chores of pilgrim children in the 1620s
• George Washington’s Mount Vernon
• White House : Take a virtual tour of the white house
• Statue of Liberty
• Railroad Museum : Learn about railroad safety in this 5 minute video by Kid Vision
• Smithsonian National Museum of History :  Click to see different areas of the museum as you and the kids walk through this virtual tour.
• Great Wall of China : Although the history behind this extraordinary exhibit is beyond early childhood curriculum, the kids will love the 360-degree view. This virtual tour of the great wall of china would be great when teaching different cultures.
• Mount Rushmore
• Plimoth Plantation: Perfect for your Thanksgiving activities and lessons for kids
• Empire State Building Live Cam
• Ellis Island

Amazing National Parks Virtual Tours

• Yellowstone National Park
• Grand Canyon
• Amazon Rainforest
• African Safari in Etosha

Sports Virtual Field Trips

• Baseball Stadium : This 6 minute video will take you on a virtual field trip to a Baseball Stadium. Meet the team mascot, throw a pitch, and much more.
• Bowling Alley:  Join the kids as they go to a bowling alley, learn how to pick out the right ball, and have fun with some strikes!
• Play 60 Football Stadium Virtual Field Trip for Kids

Virtual Field Trips to Oceans

• Hawaii : Learn about Hawaiian art, music, and dance.
• Artic : Explore the arctic for kids and learn about arctic animals and climates
• Coral Reef : See sea turtles, octopus, eels, and more as you explore the coral reef.

Virtual Field Trips to Kids Museum

• Children’s Museum of Atlanta : This was rated amongst the top world-famous museum choices for kids
• Explore STEM and STEAM projects at the National Children’s Museum

I hope you’ve enjoyed this collection of these best places for virtual field trips for kids. 

Be sure to bookmark this page, so you can easily access it throughout the year. 

If you’d like to join the Little Learning Corner email crew, sign up HERE to get something new, fun, and helpful every week!

Before you go, here are some popular blog posts you may enjoy:

75 Fun Yes and No Questions for Kids

Why Kids Need Math Talks

4 Tips to Become a Teacher Blogger

Virtual Field Trips for Kids

Welcome to Little Learning Corner

We encourage play, nature, and learning for kids (PreK-1st). Click here to learn more about me.

find it fast