10 Virtual Field Trips for When You’re Stuck at Home
Virtual field trips are a great way to explore new places and teach your child new things. Even when you are short on cash or live far away, technology can bring you anywhere. You and your child can travel the world from your couch! Many different places have turned to the online world to bring the adventure to you. Zoos, aquariums, and museums are just a few examples. With the world in quarantine, it’s nice to be able to “get out of the house”.
Keep reading for 10 awesome virtual field trip ideas you and your family can take today!
Zoos
Does your child like to go see the animals at the zoo, but you’re stuck at home? Well, you’re in luck! Many zoos are offering virtual tours through webcams inside the habitats. You can access the live camera feed to watch and learn about animals, such as elephants and pandas, as they live their lives in the zoo. Here are just a few for you and your child to enjoy.
San Diego Zoo, USA - The San Diego Zoo provides live cameras for their hippos, penguins, baboons, elephants, etc. They also provide stories, fun facts, and activities for the kids to enjoy.
Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland - The Edinburgh Zoo of Scotland has live webcams in their panda, penguin, lion, tiger, and koala habitats.
Marwell Zoo, UK - The Marwell Zoo has webcams setup in their meerkat, weaver, flamingo, and penguin habitats. They also have photo webcams in their giraffe and lemur habitats. The photos update every 30-40 seconds.
Aquariums
How cool would it be to visit an aquarium from the comfort of your couch? Similar to zoos, aquariums also provide live web cam footage of the animal habitats. Aquariums focus mainly on underwater creatures like fish and sharks, but they also have animals that live near the water such as otters. Some aquariums also have virtual tours of their facilities where you can explore the entire facility and view all of the exhibits.
National Aquarium, USA - The National Aquarium has live broadcasting from its Blacktip Reef, Jellies Invasion, and Pacific Coral Reef exhibits. A virtual tour where you can move through the aquarium by clicking the arrows on your computer is also available.
Clearwater Marine Aquarium, USA - The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is not only the home of Winter and Hope (the dolphins from Dolphin Tail and Dolphin Tail 2), but they also have live webcams where you can watch the famous dolphins swim around and enjoy life. In addition, they have other webcams of the turtle rehab, pelicans, otters, and even a hideaway camera where you can watch the rescued sea turtles, stingrays, and other fish.
Museums
Museums around the world have set up virtual tours so those who cannot go in person can view their exhibits. There is so much to learn from the museums around the world and now you and your child can learn from home. You can bring a bit of culture into your home with these museum tours.
The British Museum, London - The British Museum offers a virtual tour that you can organize by location or theme. They have many amazing pieces of art to view!
National Museum of the United States Air Force, USA - The National Museum of the United States Air Force provides a virtual tour with 360 camera views and arrows to move throughout the facility. You can be your own tour guide!
National Parks & Safaris
Other places such as national parks, safaris, and theme parks have set up virtual tours for those stuck at home. You can explore so many places from the comfort of your home! Check out a few more below.
Yellowstone National Park, USA - Yellowstone National Park offers video tours of different locations within the park. One example is the Upper Geyser Basin virtual tour that shows the features along the boardwalks of the Upper Geyser Basin. They also have map-based tours for different areas such as Fort Yellowstone.
SeaWorld Orlando, USA - SeaWorld Orlando has a 360 camera virtual tour of the park. There are even VR tours of some of the rides like Mako.
safariLIVE, Africa - safariLIVE has many live tours of different reserves in Africa. During these tours, you can see an amazing variety of African wildlife including lions, leopards, and hyenas! Talk about an exciting field trip!
A vast number of places have joined the world of technology by setting up virtual tours. These virtual tours are a great way to explore and pass time when you’re stuck at home. They can be an amazing learning experience for you and your child, too. If you find yourself bored, check out some of these tours! Whether you want to watch the animals at the zoo or view a beautiful piece of art, there is a virtual tour for you! Let us know in the comments what your favorite virtual field trip is!
