What age for overnight field trips?

[okinawama]

I feel like the age for overnight field trips is getting younger and younger. I love the idea of my kids being exposed to unique learning opportunities that these field trips offer, but it seems like the age just keeps getting younger and younger. My third grader has an overnight field trip coming in May. I suppose it's the same for other grades too. Although my 5/6 year old hasn't been over night, he's been on field trips that have him out of town (90 miles away) for 10+ hours, and that to me seems strange, but nobody else seems to bat an eye. Anyone else send kids to school that take far away field trips? What age did they start? Did you send them?

[georgiegirl]

That’s too young!!!! Our school has a Washington DC trip (optional of course) in 7th grade. When I was a kid, we did a 5 day outdoor ed camp in 6th grade (public school).

[StantonHyde]

DD's school has several of these;
1. week long summer camp for entering 5-8 graders--She goes to a choir school and it is a choir camp
2. all of 6th grade attend a week long science camp that is about 6 hours away.
3. They do an international tour every other year, so that could be 5th or 6th grade depending on the kid. The kids go with chaperones. Parents can go on a "shadow tour" where they see sights and then see the kids perform. They also take the kids for 2 afternoons out of the 9 days they tour. I didn't send DD her 6th grade year because the way it was set up her choir would not have had a chance to sing at all. So we did our own family tour of the same area in the summer.
4. They do domestic tours on the off years but those are usually about 4 days or a long weekend.

DS's school doesn't do this. I sent DD to all of the camps except her 6th grade tour. She is very mature. She will be going to Italy with her school group this fall. DH,DS and I will be going too--but we will tour on our own and catch up with her group for their performances.

[KrisM]

Our school does 5th grade camp for 2 nights. Then in 8th they do DC for 4 nights. Nothing that young, unless it is with scouts maybe.

[belovedgandp]

Wow, none here. Full grade level trips are limited to school hours for almost everything K-8 here. There are a few exceptions that don't get back to school at typical 2:30 or 3:00 and go until 5 or 6 but those are rare.

In middle school 6-8 there are some all day load a charter bus trips to cities 2-3 hours away, but those are all related to activities (band, science Olympiad, theater, choir) not just a field trip.

I can think of one school activity from middle school where the team qualified for a national competition and traveled to it.

My oldest is only in 8th grade. I hear more about longer trips in high school but we haven't gotten there yet.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Ours starts in 4th and I have no problem with it. I’d be ok with end of 3rd too. My ds2 has been doing overnight camp since summer between 2nd and 3rd so I’m comfortable with things like that.


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[PZMommy]

Our 5th grade goes to a 2night Science camp. All other trips are during school hours. A few times trips have gotten back a bit after our 2:30 dismissal due to getting stuck in Los Angeles traffic, but even that is rare. I don’t think I’d send my 3rd grader on an overnight field trip. He is pretty mature for his age, but he has never spent the night away from home.

[NCGrandma]

My DGDs' private school (K-12) has fairly frequent field trips that are limited to the school day (maybe occasionally a bit longer in the afternoon). The entire school does a lot with environmental education and natural science, and there are lots of great destinations close enough that day-long field trips are workable. DGD1 had her first overnight event in 6th grade, a camping sleepover on the School campus (she called asking to come home around 10pm!!). I can’t imagine an overnight off-campus field trip much younger. This year, in 7th grade, the whole grade is spending 3 days/2 nights at an environmental education center in another state. (But New England is small so it’s only about 1.5 hours away!)

But I can’t imagine an overnight field trip in 3rd grade!


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[Neatfreak]

My oldest kid had one in third grade; she would have been eight.

It actually wasn't a big deal, though it did surprise me - I didn't realize that her school did that at third grade! And I think that she'd only been on one sleepover beforehand. Her school really encouraged responsibility and independence at a young age. My youngest kid is now in third grade at a different school (we've moved a couple of times since), and it's completely different - no field trips yet this year!

[AnnieW625]

Our school doesn’t have them. Not sure about public school. I would be comfortable with 4th grade on for either of my kids. Campfire and Girl Scout sleep away camp starts after 3rd grade here. DD2 asked to go last year.


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[smilequeen]

4th grade at my kid's school they do an overnight, 5th and 6th do multiple days.

[Reyadawnbringer]

Our school doesn't do overnight field trips but our cub scout pack does.

It doesn't alarm me.

DS1 - 9!
DS2- Expected 07/18

[essnce629]

Our 5th grade does a 2 night overnight trip to Catalina Island every year. 6, 7, and 8 grade all have overnight retreats as well (3 or 4 nights I think).

[bnme]

7th grade 1 night to Boston (Freedom Trail, Tea Party ship, Duck Tour, etc). 8th grade 2 nights in DC.

[klwa]

No overnights in our elementary school. Actually, no field trips that go past the normal school hours, which seems weird to me. (We did "leave at 4am get back at midnight" trips starting in 1st grade when I was in school. Generally going to the beach so the kids could all see the ocean. Although 5th grade went to DC.) I believe they're talking about taking the 5th graders this year to DC finally, but of course it's a year too late for DS to go with his friends. I think they've said they're planning an overnight for the DC trip. (My niece is in that grade, so I hear some stuff, but not everything.)

[carolinacool]

Fourth grade does an overnight at the coast and fifth grade does two or three nights in Washington D.C.

Growing up, we never had grade-level overnight trips in any grade, but some individual school clubs did.

[o_mom]

As far as school-sponsored, some of the schools here have trips in 5th grade, otherwise, it is not until 8th grade where performing arts students have an overnight (3-ish day) trip, or the super-expensive Washington DC trip that they can do in 8th grade (about 1/4-1/3 participate).

However, my boys have done overnight camping trips from 4th grade on through scouts.

[StantonHyde]

Wanted to add--there are many schools here that have an "outdoor education" component and they take all the kids camping and/or backpacking. These are private schools.

[citymama]

DD1 did a 4 day overnight trip in 5th grade to a sleepaway camp type of place. The entire 5th grade went. She was the right age for it. I think 3rd grade is too young! That said, my DH (who is in his late 40s) regularly went on school overnight trips starting at age 7, back in the latem70s. CRAZY.

[cckwmh]

school overnights start in 5th grade, usually something like plimoth plantation. Regular public school does 3-4 nights NYC in 6th grade, a week in DC in 8th.

DD1 goes to a charter middle and they do a one night overnight in 5th, 2 night overnight trip in 6th and 7th, usually team building/ community membership and service oriented trip. In 8th they do a week in Costa Rica, if they reach a certain level of spanish. It is also community service based.

She started overnights with her girl scout troop in 2nd grade, but I always chaperoned.

[jgenie]

school overnights start in 5th grade, usually something like plimoth plantation. Regular public school does 3-4 nights NYC in 6th grade, a week in DC in 8th.

DD1 goes to a charter middle and they do a one night overnight in 5th, 2 night overnight trip in 6th and 7th, usually team building/ community membership and service oriented trip. In 8th they do a week in Costa Rica, if they reach a certain level of spanish. It is also community service based.

She started overnights with her girl scout troop in 2nd grade, but I always chaperoned.

Oh my - Costa Rica in 8th grade!! I don’t think DS1 could do that! DS2 could do it no problem. What general area are you in if you don’t mind sharing?

[HannaAddict]

Place based learning. First grade was an overnight with parent chaperones at zoo or museum, second grade one overnight at end of year (parents along), third grade two night outdoor trip (parents go along), fourth grade a two night trip to fantastic camp, fifth grade beginning of year trip for historical events a few hour drive away with parents along too and capstone is two or three night trip for outdoor based (mountains, kayaking, etc.) without any parents, fifth grade team and kids bonding before middle school. I was anxious with my oldest and my husband or I went on all of them I think but second child not as worried and our third child is so excited about them. We still went to almost all for our middle child, missed on but good friends who are parents were along. All in community sleeping area too. Kids love it and amazing how much they learn before the field trips to prepare and remember after being out in the field so to speak.

Middle school has totally off the grid (satellite phone works sometime) Yukon etc. two week summer trip and other trips over breaks go to Europe or Africa. They have a lottery as so many kids sign up. I was surprised my oldest wanted to go off the grid in 6th grade. He was filthy when he returned but did it!


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[cckwmh]

Oh my - Costa Rica in 8th grade!! I don’t think DS1 could do that! DS2 could do it no problem. What general area are you in if you don’t mind sharing?

Boston suburbs.

If Dd stays in this charter for high school, they do a required 1 week trip each year. Choices are local, other states, and international .

[magnoliaparadise]

Place based learning. First grade was an overnight with parent chaperones at zoo or museum, second grade one overnight at end of year (parents along), third grade two night outdoor trip (parents go along), fourth grade a two night trip to fantastic camp, fifth grade beginning of year trip for historical events a few hour drive away with parents along too and capstone is two or three night trip for outdoor based (mountains, kayaking, etc.) without any parents, fifth grade team and kids bonding before middle school. I was anxious with my oldest and my husband or I went on all of them I think but second child not as worried and our third child is so excited about them. We still went to almost all for our middle child, missed on but good friends who are parents were along. All in community sleeping area too. Kids love it and amazing how much they learn before the field trips to prepare and remember after being out in the field so to speak.

Middle school has totally off the grid (satellite phone works sometime) Yukon etc. two week summer trip and other trips over breaks go to Europe or Africa. They have a lottery as so many kids sign up. I was surprised my oldest wanted to go off the grid in 6th grade. He was filthy when he returned but did it!


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Wow - this sounds like a fantastic school.