Planning a field trip with children under six

A field trip with three- to six-year-olds can be one of the best mornings of the year: a farm, an orchard, a fire station, a walk to the library. It takes more planning than an elementary trip, because young children need more adults, more structure and a shorter day. Start the checklist below three weeks out. By the morning of the trip, the paperwork is done, every adult knows their job, and you can count every child at every stop.

Three weeks before: choose the trip and send the slip

Visit the site yourself if you can, or call and ask specific questions. Where are the toilets? Is there shade? Where can a group of twenty sit down to eat? How long is the walk from the bus or car park to the first stop?

Plan the trip around the children's day. Keep the outing short enough that children are back before they're tired, and protect as much of the morning work cycle as the trip allows. A trip that leaves after a shortened work period and returns before lunch often suits a primary class well.

Then write the permission slip. It should state:

• the destination and its address
• the date, departure time and return time
• how children will travel (walking, bus, family cars)
• the cost, if any, and the date it's due
• what to wear and what to send
• whether lunch is packed from home or provided
• a phone number that reaches a staff member on the day
• a line for any allergy or medical note the family wants you to have for this trip
• a request for chaperones, with the number you need

Set the return date for slips at least a week before the trip. Make a list of who has returned one, and follow up personally with the families who haven't.

Two weeks before: chaperones and groups

Follow your school's adult-to-child ratio for outings, and any ratio your licensing rules set. Plan for more adults than you'd have in the classroom on a normal day.

Check what your school requires of volunteers before you confirm anyone. That may include a background check, a signed agreement or a short briefing.

Divide the class into small groups, one adult per group, with a staff member leading each group or nearby. Keep children who need extra support with a staff member. Write each group on a card the adult carries: the children's names, a photo of each child if your school allows it, and any allergy or medical note for that child.

Hold a short chaperone briefing, in person or by message, covering:

• Your group stays together. Count your children at every stop and every door.
• Children hold hands or a walking rope near roads and parking areas.
• Only staff give medication or handle medical needs.
• Please don't share snacks; we bring food for children with allergies.
• If you lose sight of a child, tell the nearest staff member at once.
• Phones stay away except for emergencies and any photos the school has asked for.

The week of the trip: the head count plan

Decide how you'll count before you leave. Many guides count the whole class, then ask each chaperone to count their group and report the number aloud. Do this when you leave the school, when you arrive, before and after the toilet stop, before you eat, before you leave the site, and when you're back.

Practice in the classroom. Give a grace and courtesy lesson on staying with your group, holding a partner's hand, and what to do if you can't see your grown-up: stand still and call out your adult's name. Have the children act out each part, in pairs and in their groups.

The day before and the morning of: what to pack

Pack a staff bag and check it against a written list:

• the class list and each group card
• emergency contact numbers for every child
• the school's phone and the site's phone
• each child's prescribed medication, such as an epinephrine auto-injector or inhaler, with the authorization paperwork
• a first aid kit
• wipes, tissues, spare clothes and plastic bags
• water and a backup snack
• sunscreen or rain gear, as the forecast needs
• name tags with the school name and phone number, and no child's name on the outside

On the morning, check every child against the returned slips before anyone leaves the building. A child without a signed slip stays at school with a staff member.

When you're back, note what worked and what you'd change on a single page and file it with the trip details.