The Top 5 Educational Field Trips in Atlanta
Atlanta Field Trips
Atlanta is a bustling city, and we are lucky to have some of the best field trips in the south east. From tourist attractions, to music, to nature trails and history there is always something interesting to explore in Atlanta. Here some other fantastic articles about navigating this amazing city with kids;
The Best Things To Do With Kids in Atlanta
The Best Day Trips from Atlanta
High Museum/Alliance Theater Day Out in Atlanta
Why Pursue Educational Field Trips?
I’ve written about Worldschooling, and I’ve written about homeschooling, and I’ve written about unschooling. But one of my favorite ways to combine all those are educational field trips in Atlanta. When we were living statically, in Atlanta, there were so many incredible field trips we explored with our homeschooling groups.
Through educational field trips in Atlanta, my kids have learned to understand biological adaptations, bioengineering of food, living building design, and more. They have fallen absolutely in love with a variety of Shakespeare plays, and classics such as Robin Hood and King Arthur.
Educational field trips have given us the gift of learning from experts and mentors with a deep love and knowledge of their field. It allows the teaching burden to fall elsewhere for a moment. Even more importantly, I have learned so much from each of these experiences.
The #1 Educational Field Trip in Atlanta
The Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse
The Shakespeare Tavern clinches the top spot of our field trips in Atlanta 2022 for so many reasons. Not only was I forced to attend plays for extra credit in my high school Lit class (thank you Coach Bounds), but I found as an adult a new appreciation for this playhouse. The Shakespeare Tavern is unique and you won’t find a better educational field trip in Atlanta. Throughout each performance, the actors foster communion between actor and audience, drawing the audience into the scene.
Forget the confusing Old English of William Shakespeare. Somehow these incredible actors bring meaning to the confusion, understanding the confused, and humor to each showing.
What to Know about the Shakespeare Tavern Field Trip in Atlanta
The Shakespeare Tavern is located across the busy street from a large Atlanta hospital. It is the only facade in a long row of old, city buildings that tricks you into believing you have time traveled back to the 1500’s. Walking into the wood paneled foyer you will descend into the depths of the building, pass a well placed bar, and make your way through the velvet curtain.
This educational field trip wouldn’t be complete without a delicious full menu to choose from. Your taste buds will thank you, your kids won’t be hangry, and you won’t have to bring the dreaded S word…snacks. The food here truly is exceptional.
Bringing Children To The Shakespeare Tavern field trip in Atlanta
I recommend making plans to sign up for one of their Shakesploration Homeschool Days. This is my top recommendation! Do NOT try to bring your child to a full length Shakespeare play without first attending a Homeschool Day. Even if you don’t homeschool, these are guaranteed to ensure that your child loves Shakespeare…and even understands it!
You will watch as your child participates in an hour or two of incredibly silly stage games, drama techniques and group learning led by the dynamic and hilarious Tavern Actors. Once your child has thrown a copious number of Shakespearean insults to the kids around them, and they have acted out the play of the month as a group, they will break for a quick lunch (pack a lunch!). The last half of the day, you and your children are treated to a fantastic 1 hour rendition of the play they just learned about.
Just this year, we have participated in Romeo & Juliet, A MidSummer Nights Dream, and a few more!
How to Prepare Your Children for the Shakespeare Tavern Field Trip in Atlanta:
Before we showed up at Shakesploration Day for our educational field trip, I I did exactly this: I read the kids a simplified version of the upcoming play from this book. A Shakespeare purist may not like this, but it was the perfect plain English version of each play. This beautifully drawn book will introduce your children to each character with a visual picture as well. It took us about 2 15-minute reading sessions to complete the reading.
We talked about the story, read a little bit about Shakespeare from this book, and thats really It!
Know Before You Go To The Shakespeare Tavern Field Trip in Atlanta:
- Park in the garage that is attached to the hospital across the road.
- Give yourself enough time to find garage parking, and walk out and across the road. At least an extra 15 minutes.
- Get there early, seating is first come first serve and you’ll want time to order a meal.
- Food is not served on Shakesploration Days, only for full length plays.
- Their non-Shakespeare plays, such as Robin Hood, are often even better! Highly recommend seeing one with your kids.
Educational Field Trip in Atlanta #2
Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
Wow! If you are looking for an educational field trip in Atlanta that combines design, engineering, and nature this is it! The Museum of Design Atlanta can be found right across the street from the High Museum and Alliance Theater.
You will need to book a tour at $11 per person, and reserve about 1-1.5 hours depending on the size of your group. Your guides will lead you through a variety of local challenges that are being solved in real time.
The Exhibits at MODA Field Trip in Atlanta
For example, an exhibit on GA Tech’s Kendeda Building for Innovative and Sustainable Design was an incredible showcase to how designers, ecologists and engineers worked together to create a Living Building.
A second tour exhibit was a reflection on how natural spaces can be used for multipurposes. Our local Chattahoochie River trash cleanup yielded a collaboration with homeware designers and ended with beautiful designer rugs and furniture. Through this exhibit, my children collaborated with peers to design and build with lego’s a method for collecting trash in the rivers. The designs were surprising, thoughtful, and complex!
A third exhibit showcased how scientists were able to take harmful carbon and other chemicals, synthesize it into useful materials and use it in building supplies, clothing and shoe manufacturing.
Following the tour children were given loose parts, fabrics, mannequins, and more and were able to design their own sustainable clothing lines. Two thumbs up for this creative and unique educational field trip!
Know Before You Go To MODA Field Trip in Atlanta
- Parking can be found on the street out front via parking meters, or in the garage behind the High Museum across the street.
- Hungry for lunch? Parking again in this area isn’t always easy, so stroll over to Jimmy John’s next door and enjoy some lunch before the kids get hangry.
- Make a day of it and visit the High Museum and Alliance theater too!
Educational Field Trip in Atlanta #3
Panola Mountain State Park Homeschool Events
Panola Mountain State Park hosts the most engaging, hands on, nature based educational field trips in Atlanta! Almost every week you can sign up for unique field trip themes such as; archery, beginner kayaking, wild weather, Working K9’s of Search & Rescue, Whats in Your Water, and Hungry Hungry Birds. These field trips in Atlanta just keep getting better!
For each educational field trip event, you will need to call and reserve your spot. On the day of your educational field trip in Atlanta, a park ranger will guide your child through the learning process with hands on, engaging and unique experiences. Each educational field trip is usually under $10 and lasts about 2 hours.
Know Before You Go To Panola Mountain:
- This state park is comprised of 100 acres of granite rock face. There are parts that can be slippery, so wear appropriate shoes.
- Bring your bikes! There are lots of fantastic paved trails to ride.
Educational Field Trip in Atlanta #4
Atlanta History Center
The Atlanta History Center is your place to learn about the Civil War and see the Cyclorama in all its glory. You’ll also find beautiful exhibits on Native American life in the South, and the gorgeous Goizueta Gardens. These gardens are home to 33 acres of woodland, a working farm with Heritage Breed animals, a variety of historic houses and log structures depicting life on the Frontier, and a working blacksmith shop.
If you can secure tickets on a Homeschool Day or request a private group tour, that is your best bet to squeeze the most out of this educational field trip. Guides dressed in period costume will show your child what a day in a Frontier village might have been like, and answer their questions on all the adorable animals.
Tip: If you’re in town during Martin Luther King, Jr day, I highly recommend the MLK Day program at the Atlanta History Center. It was one of the most enriching experiences of our year.
Know Before You Go To The Atlanta History Center
- If you are learning about the Civil War, you must absolutely pair the Atlanta History Center educational field trip with a visit to Kennesaw Mountain National Battle Field Park. This is a good 45 minute drive north, but well worth a complete educational field trip experience.
- Parking is available in a garage on premises, easy peasy.
- There is a delicious taco restaurant, Velvet Taco, across the road that you and your kids will love. Or you can eat in the cafe at the Atlanta History Center.
Educational Field Trip in Atlanta #5
Robert C. Williams Museum of Paper Making
I cannot say enough incredible things about the docents at the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking. Housed in the Renewable Bioproducts Institute at GA Tech, this small but fierce museum was a serious highlight of our year and one of our favorite field trips in Atlanta.
This papermaking museum features “tools from the early industrialization of papermaking, environmental issues related to papermaking,” and thousands of items dating back to ancient times.
My children left this museum with a comprehensive understanding of the relationship that humans had and have with paper, print, and communication methods. We even learned that papyrus is not technically paper!
Following your docent led tour of approximately 1 hour, your children will spend time learning to make their own paper. They will move through the process in one of GA Tech’s lab rooms, which is specially outfitted for them. Making their own usable paper from pulp to finish was a hit!
Know Before You Go To The Museum of Paper Making
- Schedule a private docent led tour
- Parking is right out front! yay!
- Have a quick discussion with your child on what a patent is. There are a number of very cool original patents. hanging on the wall of this building. Super opportunity for a unique discussion!
- Make a few pieces of your own paper. I guarantee your kids will want to draw and paint on it as soon as they get home!
