Why do we go on excursions?
By getting out and exploring, children get to know different spaces in their local community and can experience the natural environment outside of their immediate world inside the centre. Excursions also give children “time and space to move their bodies. To express themselves and feel good."
Excursions are educational and develop new skills including:
- Trust - children responding to and seeking guidance within their comfort levels
- Community - returning to public places at predictable times builds community through shared routines.
- Being capable and confident in the use of my body
- Belonging to a group of friends with a common purpose
- Becoming - excursions allow us to pursue child interests in great detail (think dinosaur exhibit at the Melbourne Museum)
Suggested activities for excursions
- Local library for story time or rhyme time.
- Community garden/ Local Park/ Nature Reserve
- Farmers Market/ local freshfood market
- An aged care facility.
- A parent/caregivers place of work.
- The fire station.
- Farms/animals
- Museum
- Art Gallery
- Community Event
- Another educators Educators home for play date
- Playgroup.
Program Plan
Expected paperwork during excursions
When we go on Excursions all educators must complete Ignite Minds Excursion Risk assessment form to ensure our legal obligations are met. These include:
- Conduct a risk assessment prior to excursion taking place (regulation 100) and provide detailed risk management strategies (regulation 101)
- Show that risk assessment to the legal parent/guardian and get their written consent (regulation 102)
- There are additional requirements if a child is being transported via vehicle (regulation 102D)
Please see this video explaining Educator and Parent requirements in setting up an excursion.
Ignite Minds as developed the following flashcards to help children understand proper behaviour during excursions.
Excursion Flash Cards
How To Play. (download here)
- Shuffle all cards and pass to each child.
- Each child then takes turns showing their flash card to the group
- Educator asks each child - What is your card? Do you see that ... ? What do we need to do to get ready....?
Example,
A child shows the flashcard for 'signed consent', the educator shows the child where that is located in the excursion bag and asks the child 'Are we ready yet'?
Additional Listening
Please listen to this 10 minute podcast to join a braoder discussion around the importance of excursions. Follow the link to listen on your favourate podcast app.
