Kansas City has many great places for field trips, and there are plenty of exciting opportunities when it comes to science. Science is best enjoyed in a practical way, where kids can experience its wonders hands-on. While there are many activities that you can do in the classroom, formal field trips are a great way to really excite and engage them with science in a meaningful way. Check out five of them below! Or, if you prefer, check out our searchable base of Kansas City field trips here to find the perfect one.
Union Station & Science City
Circuits
Union Station & Science City offer a range of workshops, each designed to meet specific curriculum requirements. Its Circuits workshop introduces students to the wonders of electricity, as they design and build modular electronic component blocks. Younger children will utilize LEDs and sensors, while older students will get to work with Arduino micro controllers.
Level: Grades 2-12
Duration: 1-2 hours
Kansas City Zoo
Animal Tales
Most kids love animals, so a field trip to Kansas City Zoo is a great way to combine science with a truly exciting experience. For Grades 2-4, the Animal Tales program allows students to learn about animals from specific areas, such as Africa, or types of animals, such as reptiles or amphibians. All activities meet curriculum standards.
Level: Grade 1 through to Grade 8 upwards, dependent on program
Duration: 1 hour
William J Marra Museum - Deaf Cultural Center
See What Am I Saying & A Different Way to Hear
The William J Marra Museum allows students to learn about the experience of deaf people in America. The ASL ‘See What I am Saying’ mini-lesson is an interactive video that introduces students to American sign language (ASL), before they attempt to finger spell their names and common words utilizing the manual alphabet. This can be combined with the ‘A Different Way to Hear’ mini-lesson, which helps students to understand what daily life is like for those with deafness.
Level: Grades 3-5
Duration: 20 minutes per mini-lesson
Lakeside Nature Center
Nature Connection
The Lakeside Nature Centre offers habitat hikes and classroom programs. The Nature Connection Program allows children of all ages to get up-close with a variety of native animals, and learn about their habitats, diets, and life cycles. Teachers can choose from birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates to support the curriculum.
Level: Ages 4+
Duration: 1 hour
Arabia Steamboat Museum
Middle School Interactive Tour
The Arabia Steamboat sank in the Missouri River in 1856, and was finally recovered by archaeologists in 1988. After spending so long in the water, it required substantial preservation work. The Middle School Interactive Tour teaches students about the scientific techniques used to clean and preserve the different types of artifacts, including wood, metal, and textiles, with a special demonstrating of the freeze drying process. Students then get the opportunity to clean and preserve a real artifact from the ship.
Level: Grades 6-8
Duration: 3 hours
Bonus: In Your Backyard
Kids love hands-on, visual science. Why not explore aerodynamics with paper airplanes? They can experience with different designs to see which flies the furthest, then think about why those designs worked - or didn’t work.