IMPORTANT! Nestor Chayelle: The Benefits of School Excursions

An excursion can greatly benefit bored students in search of a change of pace.

Traveling is one of life’s greatest pleasures, as it allow us to explore new places, meet new people and taste new food. It is, in short, an incredible and incomparable experience. 

An excursion is not too different, the main difference being that excursions usually have a fixed destination, as well as an specific, usually educational, purpose.

A school excursion is a healthy, creative way to take a break from the usual classroom routine, offering new experiences to students and new, creative opportunities for their teachers to instruct. The change from the usual, “boring” classroom routine allows children to think of the excursion as a day out, rather than a different way to learn.

Excursions offer the following advantages:

• Social integration: The open space, the distancing from social media as well as the change from the usual daily routine gives children the chance to connect and share with one another in new ways, which allows for stronger relationships.
• Stress reducing: Children can also grow stressed, especially those tied down by routine. Nature excursions allow for a change of pace that can help them clear their heads, as well as renew their energy.
• Physical exercise: The trappings of city living, with its dependency on cars, buses and similar transports, leave many children without the chance to routinely exercise their bodies. School excursions to nearby mountains or fields can make a great difference in that regard. For those, it is greatly recommended to plan several different activities that emphasize physical participation, in order to better stimulate the children.

 

Excursions also offer unique opportunities for you to connect with your students, as well as chances to teach them new and unexpected things, such as the origins of an exotic flower found on the way to the trip’s destination, or the chance to talk about a curious little animal you may come across.