Yesterday, since we home school our children, we decided to switch it up from a boring typical day and do a few field trips instead. The thing is that we didn’t want to spend a bunch of money and choose to visit two local spots that offer free admission to the general public.
The first place we visited was the Naval Undersea Museum…
That’s my kids outside the place standing in front of the top part of a submarine. We’ve actually been here before but my youngest didn’t seem to remember much of the place so we went again.
It’s a rather neat exhibit and covers a lot of the Navy’s undersea adventures, from diving suits and the history of diving to torpedoes (including several neat examples) and plenty about submarines. We spent about two hours there which was enough to hopefully “sink” something into my kid’s heads!
The second place was a local aquarium, the Poulsbo Marine Science Center…
That’s my kids standing in front of some jellyfish. I’d never been here before but my kids have. This place must have been far more interesting to my youngest because he knew exactly what he was doing here.
It seems that they actually let you touch some of the sea life which is a big hit with all the kids. They were able to see crabs and touch creatures like sea anemones, sea cucumbers, starfish, and more. I didn’t do it… they looked too slimy. 🙂
Besides that, they had a few fish tanks with various colorful fish, more crabs, and other small sea life. It’s rather a sight to see. They usually have an octopus as well but the one they had was recently they let go because it got too big.
Anyway, the point was that we had a good time, didn’t spend a dime, and hopefully the kids learned something useful. It sure beat reading, writing, and math everyday.
Of course, these places are local but I’m sure there are interesting places nearby to you that offer free or low cost admission, including a wide variety of museums. Obviously, libraries are free. A walk in the park is free too. Camping may not be free but it sure can be an education to youngsters. Many times places offer free admission specifically to kids. Beyond that, some dates (like national holidays) can be free to the public or local residents.
Just do some searching online and I’m sure you’ll be able to find plenty to do that won’t cost too much and be an interesting trip for both children and for you.
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