Eye-Opening (& Free!) Virtual Field Trips Kids Can Enjoy From the Couch
Sometimes it’s just not possible for your kiddos to enjoy the great outdoors. Whether your little one is sick or your crew is stuck inside on a rainy day, there’s no reason you can’t soak up some pretty amazing experiences right from the comfort of your couch!
Thanks to technology and the internet, virtual adventures await. From exploring different biomes on earth to perusing some of the most prestigious museums in the world, there are free virtual field trips you can enjoy from the comfort of your home.
Before embarking on a virtual field trip, make sure your adventurer is equipped for an optimal viewing experience.
Essentials For a Virtual Field Trip
You truly don’t need much to enjoy an online field trip, simply a reliable internet connection and a connected device! But what kind of connected device works best for your at-home online field trip?
- Tablets can be an excellent option for little ones who have a hard time sitting still. They’re great for little hands, and your youngster can hold the device while on the go.
- A laptop or computer may work better for children ten and older, or for children who need to share a device.
- Finally, a smartphone may be the most practical investment for teens. Plus, with these no-contract phone plans, there’s no long-term commitment.
If you need a dependable connected device, consider rent-to-own electronics as a flexible, budget-friendly option. Now that your kiddos have the necessary equipment, check out these cool places you can visit from home!
Virtual Tours for Animal Lovers
Get Up Close and Personal With Zoo Animals
When it comes to virtual field trips, zoo animals provide hours of entertainment for children. Explore multiple live animal cams at the San Diego Zoo! Have your kiddo track daily feeding schedules and draw pictures of the animals they see for extra at-home fun!
Dig Up Fossils With a Paleontologist
Uncover the largest dinosaur fossil collection with a Google Virtual Field trip to the American Museum of Natural History. Learn from a world-renowned paleontologist how to examine a dinosaur fossil on this virtual field trip.
Take a Virtual Dip at the Aquarium
Venture under the sea and explore live sea animal cams set up at the Georgia Aquarium. From stark white beluga whales to a colorful barrier reef, children have the rare opportunity to monitor sea life from a fish’s eye view.
Cultural Tours Online
Explore the World’s Largest Art Collection
Travel across the world to The Louvre in Paris, France, and spend hours exploring curated art collections that have existed since the beginning of human history. Discover Egyptian antiques, observe Renaissance paintings, and even tour a special exhibit on ancient and modern-day heroes.
Discover Your Family’s History on Ellis Island
Home to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island holds much of America’s immigration history. With Scholastic’s Ellis Island virtual field trip, learn who inhabited the island before it became America’s immigration station, take an interactive tour of the island, and even meet children who have recently immigrated to the United States!
Tour One of the Largest Natural History Collection in the World
The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. is one of the largest natural history collections on the planet, stretching across more than 18 football fields. Take a 3D tour of the museum and check out rare gems, dinosaur bones, their mammal hall, and more!
Virtual Field Trips to Different Biomes
Take a Walk Through the Rainforest
Learn about the different layers of the rainforest in this interactive video tour. Created with a 3D camera, kids can pan up, down, and side to side during this rainforest virtual field trip video. It feels like you’re actually traveling through the Amazon rainforest!
Watch for Polar Bears in the Tundra
In partnership with Polar Bears International, Discovery Education created a virtual field trip for students to study polar bears in the Arctic. Learn about Arctic tundra weather conditions, ecosystems, sea ice habitat, and polar bear migration in this virtual journey.
Have an Out-Of-This-World Experience on Mars
When it comes to extraterrestrial virtual field trips, Google provides an experience unlike any other! Visit NASA’s Curiosity rover on Mars in an exclusive outer space WebVR experience. Get an idea of what the surface of Mars actually looks like, learn about the Curiosity mission, and travel to different mission sites on the surface of the Red Planet.
Transport your children’s minds to a new country or even a new planet with these fun virtual field trips! Rent-A-Center can help make sure you have the technology to make it happen. Any device with an internet connection will work. Enjoy flexible payments on rent-to-own tablets, laptops, smartphones, and computers. Shop online today!