virtual field trip meaning

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Virtual Field Trips: Ideas & Examples With Links for 2024

You found our list of the best virtual field trips .

Virtual field trips are class outings that take place online, via platforms like Zoom, Google Street View or websites. While some of these activities consist of pre-recorded tours and videos, the best options tend to involve live video feed and student interaction with guides. Examples activities include digital walks along The Great Wall of China and a scrollable deep sea dive. These activities are also known as “online field trips” and “digital field trips”.

These adventures are an example of online classroom activities and often include virtual tours .

This articles includes:

• interactive virtual field trips
• virtual field trips for students
• the best virtual field trip ideas
• free virtual field trips for kids
• live virtual field trips

Here is the list!

List of virtual field trip ideas

From virtual cockpit tours to online historical sites to do-it-yourself options, here is a list of ideas for virtual field trips to captivate and educate students.

1. Online Zoo (Behind the Scenes)

A digital zoo tour is one of the best virtual field trips for kids. While virtual trips may not let students see otters float, elephants play, and lions strut up close, a digital tour allows for more intimate behind-the-scenes access.

Your class can get close with the animals and walk paths usually reserved for zookeepers. While you may not be able to fit 30 squirming first graders into a baby animal nursery or an operating room, the guide can easily broadcast from these venues. Also, since the visit takes place entirely online, you can visit a zoo that is otherwise far from you.

Here is a starter list:

• San Antonio Zoo
• San Diego Zoo
• Cincinnati Zoo (self-guided tours, livestream safari and feeding times)

Many other zoos stream live animal webcams that you and your class can watch. You can also contact your local zoo directly to inquire about facilitated virtual tours and school group discounts.

During the online visit, your students can ask questions using the hand raising or chat features in the video conferencing platform. Once your tour concludes, your students can enjoy thematic snacks such as zebra cakes, goldfish, and of course, animal crackers.

Check our more virtual zoo tours .

2. Virtual Safari

When you do a virtual safari, your students can observe lions, elephants and other animals in their natural habitat. Wild Earth offers twice daily live safaris. Since the broadcast occurs on African time, your best bet is to tune in for the sunset safari, which live streams from 9:00am to 12:30pm Eastern Standard Time. The safari broadcasts from several nature reserves and features animals such as lions, leopards, cheetahs, and hyenas. During the tour, viewers can ask park rangers questions. The unscripted nature of the broadcast lends an element of excitement, since animal sightings are always a surprise.

Learn more at Wild Earth .

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3. Under the Sea Visit

Unless you are secretly Miss Frizzle from The Magic Schoolbus, you cannot whisk your class to the bottom of the ocean in a submarine. However, you can lead your students on an online field trip of the ocean.

The Deep Sea by Neal Agarwal shows all sorts of marine life in the ocean. Viewers can scroll deeper into the ocean, discovering the animals that dwell at each depth. For a fun pre-tour exercise, distribute a handout with the names of various species and challenge students to guess at which depth the creature lives. Then, check answers as you plunge further down into the ocean.

Journey to The Deep Sea .

4. Aquarium Webcam Livestream

The Monterey Bay Aquarium hosts live cams for animals, including sea otters, penguins, jellyfish, and sharks. Aquarium employees narrate during feeding time, so for maximum engagement consider tuning in during mealtimes. The aquarium website also offers free online classes for ages ranging from kindergarten to high school, resources for teachers, and crafts and printables.

Dive into the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s live webcams .

5. Virtual Tour of the Great Wall of China

Your students can trek the Great Wall of China from the comfort of home. For $15, The China Guide offers a guided tour through high resolution images of the Great Wall of China via Zoom. Your students can also take part in question and answer sessions with an expert and have an interactive experience.

Stroll the Great Wall of China .

6. NASA Commercial Crew Program

Until recently, space wasn’t on the list of field trip destinations. NASA decided to teleport students directly to space camp by curating a virtual field trip that highlights its commercial crew program. Teachers can transmit a series of educational videos onto virtual reality sets to create an immersive experience. The tour guide leads virtual visitors through spaceship crew pits and launching pads while explaining the process of becoming an astronaut. The tour puts a heavy emphasis on STEM education and directs teachers to resources useful for supplementary science and math lessons.

Learn more about NASA’s at-home STEM activities .

7. Disney Parks Digital Tour

Most children dream of the day the teacher announces a field trip to Disney World. While students may not be able to ride teacups or roller coasters during a digital tour of Disney, they can still experience the excitement of the happiest place on earth by touring a high resolution Google Street view of the parks.

Students who have not yet visited Disney can see what the park is like, and those that have visited can point out sites and share stories. You can also include Disney history and lessons on the inspirations behind the attractions to make the tour more educational. Consider serving Disney themed snacks during breaks, and perhaps initiating a singalong during a music lesson. With the money you save on transportation and admission, you could even hire a beloved Disney character to pay the class a visit.

Learn more about Disney Parks Digital Tour .

8. Streaming Broadway Shows

Instead of escorting your students to a Broadway show, summon a Broadway stage to your classroom. Broadway HD has a library of hundreds of productions, including rare and obscure shows. While not in real time, most filmed productions on the site are of live shows. Your students can uncover hard to find productions and learn about American theatre history too. Broadway HD offers a one week free trial, as well as monthly and yearly subscription options.

Watch a Broadway show .

9. Virtual Reality Rainforest Tour

Even if you had the budget to fly your class to the Amazon, a real-life tour would be too risky for a field trip. A virtual tour lets students experience panoramic views of lush rain forests while learning about indigenous communities and conservation efforts. The tour is viewable as an immersive experience via virtual reality devices, or as a 360 degree video on regular devices. By participating in the Under the Canopy tour, students come to understand the importance of the rain forest and its connection to human life as a whole.

Embark on a virtual reality rain forest tour .

10. Computerized Cockpit Tours

Livestream cockpit tours make thrilling virtual field trips for high school students. While airline regulations call for restricted cockpit access, you may be able to find a private pilot willing to give your students a Skype tour of the craft. The pilot might even broadcast a quick flight.

If you cannot find a live guide, then the following organizations provide self-guided tours with pilot-perspective views of various aircraft:

• The Naval Aviation Museum
• Experimental Aircraft Association
• National Museum of the USAF
• Museum of Flight

Or, you could download and run a flight simulator that gives students the chance to navigate and land a virtual plane.

11. Living Rooms Around the World

A living room might seem like an odd choice for a virtual field trip, but a living room located across the globe is as fascinating as any other destination. You can plan a tour of foreign homes so that your students can learn how everyday life differs around the world.

If you know individuals in other countries willing to Zoom with your students, then you can reach out to these acquaintances and coordinate your experience directly. If not, then you can contact a foreign exchange program or local university for help. You can also watch the Life Where I’m From channel on YouTube, though live tours with question and answer sessions are more personal and immersive.

You and your students can also check out Dollar Street for a strong visual map of how people live around the world.

12. Virtual Tour of the Louvre

The Louvre is one of the most famous museums in the world, but many people will never visit in person. By taking your class on a virtual tour of the Louvre, you save airfare and time spent waiting in line.

The Louvre offers high resolution, 360 degree tours of various exhibitions on its website. Your class can explore Egyptian antiquities, classic Italian paintings, and the remains of an underground moat, all without leaving the classroom.

The Louvre site also directs visitors towards a downloadable “VR Mona Lisa” app that provides an up close peek at the famous painting, and other video and at-home experiences.

Visit the Louvre .

13. Online Tour of the British Museum

The British Museum’s online Museum of the World exhibit lets visitors view and sort artifacts based on time period, area of origin, and themes such as religion or trade. Each point on the timeline contains pictures, descriptions, an audio file, and links to related objects.

This format lends itself well to a virtual scavenger hunt . Solving an activity helps students focus and remain more engaged, which results in students learning more from the experience.

Explore the British Museum .

14. Digital Tour of the Van Gogh Museum

While the digital tour of the Van Gogh Museum fails to capture the paintings’ texture, it does offer contextual information on the artist’s most famous images such as Almond Blossom and Self-portrait With Grey Felt Hat . This tour also provides background information about Van Gogh’s life, with several narrative timelines.

Check out the Van Gogh Museum .

15. Google Meets Visit to the Guggenheim

The Guggenheim offers an interactive virtual museum experience. Booking a tour gives your class access to a guide for one hour, and your class will view three to five famous works and participate in an ongoing Q&A session. The museum educator facilitates activities that encourage students to engage with the art. All tours take place via Zoom or Google Meet.

Though the museum gears most tours towards grade school, they also hold separate online tours for university students and adults as well.

Book a Virtual Group Visit to the Guggenheim .

16. Computerized Career Days

Career day is a staple of the school experience. Typically, parents and community professionals visit classrooms to talk to students about various jobs. Online, these professionals can actually take students along on the job. Students can go to work with firefighters, underwater welders, cake decorators, farmers, or any other interesting vocations that do not mind taking the kids along.

Career days can be an ongoing series, with a five to 15-minute tour of a different workplace every session. This approach spreads the fun across a larger span of time by hosting a mini field trip every day, instead of condensing all the excitement into a single afternoon.

You can do online career tests too, or plan a virtual take your child to work day .

17. Remote City Tours

Tour guides in many cities offer a verbal history and visual slideshow via software like Zoom and WebEx. Remote city tours are one of the easiest-to-execute virtual field trip ideas. The guides already mapped the path and prepared the presentation; you only need to book the tour and show up with your class.

The crew here at TeamBuilding recently embarked on a virtual tour of Black Broadway in Washington DC and an online Harry Potter tour of Edinburgh, Scotland. Our team thoroughly enjoyed both tours and learned a lot.

18. Online Historical Sites

Many online field trips focus on learning about history. You and your class can visit significant sites all around the world and learn how these locations shaped modern history.

Here is a short list of historical sites with online experiences:

• The Sistine Chapel
• The Taj Mahal
• Ellis Island
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• Gettysburg Battlefield

There are many other historically significant locations you can visit online.

19. DIY Virtual Field Trips

Some schools give students options to vote on the yearly field trip. Since online field trips use minimal time and resources, every student can design a dream trip. Instead of organizing a virtual trip yourself, you can assign the planning to your students. Every participant can design an itinerary by using Google Tour Creator .

Students may choose to explore areas such as the tombs of pharaohs, or the birth cities of American jazz. Your students will become the tour guides and teach peers about the chosen topic.

Most of these virtual field trips are available to anyone, and are free to access, meaning your students can visit or revisit the sites anytime. To make your activity extra special, seek out guide-led, live, interactive experiences so that your students can hold conversations with an expert. You can also supplement the trip with assignments and fun games.

Next, check out our list of games to play on Zoom, this list of Google Meet games , and this one with online art classes .

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FAQ: Virtual field trips

Here are some of the most common questions and answers about virtual field trips.

What are virtual field trips?

Virtual field trips are learning excursions that happen online through video conferencing software, livestream video, or digital map and photograph platforms. For example, a virtual zoo tour or an online visit to the Great Wall of China.

What are good online field trip ideas?

The best online field trips often revolve around experiences that are off-limits or logistically impossible for in-person visits. To keep students interested, these activities should involve interactive elements such as question and answer sessions, games, and special requests.

How do you do a virtual field trip?

The first step in planning virtual field trips is to decide on your venue and activity. You can choose between self-guided tours or live-guided experiences. Typically, live video and interaction makes for a more compelling visit. Once you choose your trip, pick a day and time for your visit and inform the students. You can plan additional activities like research assignments and presentations to enhance your student’s learning. You can also make the day special by providing themed snacks.

Author: Angela Robinson

Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com. Team building content expert. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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What is a virtual field trip?

Introduction.

The term ‘virtual field trip’ means different things to different people. In this project, we restrict the term to those approaches that seek to replicate the familiar ground-level perspective of being in the field.

At its core, a virtual field trip can be defined as a digital resource that allows a user to visualise and interrogate a remote location using imagery and other materials as appropriate (e.g., data, maps, journal articles) (Hurst, 1998; Woerner, 1999; Stainfield et al., 2000; Klemm and Tuthill, 2003).

Technology is central to the virtual field trip concept because it plays a pivotal role in determining what can and cannot be achieved in these virtual environments. Perceptions of what constitutes a virtual field trip will therefore change over time in line with technological advances.

Over the last two decades, technological progress has enabled virtual field trips to transition from simple web pages to a range of more sophisticated approaches, including those based on virtual reality which seek to provide users with an immersive, simulated field experience (e.g., McDougall, 2019).

Although this variety provides educators with much-needed flexibility, a consequence is that the term ‘virtual field trip’ now means different things to different people.

The technology used for virtual field trips has changed – or perhaps become more varied – over time.

Table of Contents

In this project, we restrict the term ‘virtual field trip’ to those approaches that seek to replicate the familiar ground-level perspective of being in the field.

Immersive and non-immersive virtual field trips

A useful distinction can be drawn between immersive and non-immersive virtual field trips because each type presents different opportunities and challenges. A useful distinction can be drawn between immersive and non-immersive virtual field trips because each type presents different opportunities and challenges.

In an immersive virtual field trip, you are surrounded by the environment. Google Street View is an example of this because of its 360° imagery, which allows you to look all around.

The term virtual reality (VR) can be used to describe immersive virtual field trips. Google Street View is an example of photography-based VR.

Google Street View is an example of immersive VR because you are able to look all around. Viewing this example in full-screen mode on a large monitor will result in a more immersive experience than viewing it on a laptop.

Virtual field trips can be created using existing Google Street View imagery such as this one, or you could upload your own photos to this service. There are pros and cons to this approach, as discussed elsewhere on this site.

Non-immersive virtual field trips are primarily collections of location-specific resources (e.g., photos, videos, maps), which can be presented in many ways. Popular platforms for developing these currently include Google Earth Tours and ArcGIS Story Maps. Although these (and other) approaches may be visually rich, the absence of ground-level virtual reality at their core means there is less immersion and autonomy for the user. However, it is possible to embed ground-level virtual reality in these resources, which blurs the distinction between immersive and non-immersive techniques.

Non-immersive virtual field trips are collections of photos, videos, maps etc. They may include an element of VR (360° imagery), but this is not central to the approach. 

This excellent ArcGIS StoryMap was developed by Dr Louise Callard and Prof Andy Russell (Newcastle). It is based around a series of videos and student activities, with an introductory section comprising an interactive map and an embedded Google Street View. 

Virtual field trips: guided or self-guided?

Some virtual field trips are self-contained, information-rich learning ‘packages’ ( guided ) whereas others are provided without any guidance ( self-guided ). There are pros and cons to both approaches.

Canopy in the Clouds is an example of a guided (i.e., information-rich), immersive virtual field trip. It comprises seven sites within a tropical montane cloud forest. At each site, 360° imagery and environmental audio provide an immersive experience. Information (guidance) is delivered via videos embedded in the 360° imagery. It is possible to visit sites in any order, although here they are numbered to highlight the recommended route.

A GUIDED virtual field trip includes enough embedded academic content to make it a standalone resource. In other words, it can be used without additional instructor input. 

Canopy in the Clouds is a guided virtual field trip. It is based around 7 photospheres, one for each site. Within each photosphere are clickable hotspots providing the viewer with information in the form of text, photos and video clips. Information about cloud forests and the study area is provided elsewhere on the website.

This is a high-quality resource, and all the more impressive given it was first launched in 2010. It appears to have been developed for outreach purposes.  

Alternatively, virtual field trips can be self-guided . The absence of embedded academic content means these ‘bare bones’ virtual field trips are not standalone academic resources. Instead, they need to be placed within a teaching unit that provides students with the necessary background knowledge and skills. Student learning activities (e.g., worksheets) also need to be designed for these self-guided virtual field trips. This approach is exemplified by most of the virtual field trips provided by Stanford Earth Sciences (where they are referred to as ‘virtual field sites’) and Geography at the University of Worcester .

A key benefit of self-guided (‘bare bones’) virtual field trips is flexibility ; the same resource can be used for a range of purposes. For example, a virtual field trip to a glaciated landscape could be used for a simple landform identification activity, designed for those new to the topic. However, the same virtual field trip could also provide the basis for a more sophisticated exercise in geomorphological mapping and glacier reconstruction.

A SELF-GUIDED virtual field trip contains little or no embedded information. It requires external inputs (e.g., worksheets, lectures) to transform it into an educational resource.

This self-guided virtual field trip is one of many provided for free by Stanford Earth Sciences (who refer to them as virtual field sites ). The absence of embedded academic content means it can be used flexibly for a range of academic purposes – assuming the instructor knows enough about the area. If not, the striking image of dead trees and the maps provided would still allow more advanced students to undertake some research to see what is going on here.

The Col du Sanetsch virtual field trip is one of a number provided on the VR Glaciers and Glaciated Landscapes site, hosted by Geography at the University of Worcester. All the virtual field trips to date are self-guided. Worksheets have been developed for a few of them (contact Des McDougall for access).

There are clearly pros and cons to both guided and self-guided approaches.

Guided virtual field trips work well as standalone resources, which may be particularly helpful for outreach activities. Compared to the self-guided approach, however, they are potentially much more time-consuming to develop and less flexible educationally because they are created for a specific purpose.

As to whether guided or self-guided is the right choice for you really depends on what you are trying to achieve. We return to this elsewhere on this site, where we also review other considerations – such as the equipment, software, and time involved.

This self-guided virtual field trip to Tuolumne Meadows in the Sierra Nevada (California) was developed as a joint collaboration between UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and Geography at the University of Worcester . The ‘More Inclusive Fieldwork’ project aims to foster informal collaborations for resource development.

Bringing it together

We can therefore describe (or classify) virtual field trips as follows:

guided or s elf-guided

immersive or non-immersive

For example, the VR Glaciers and Glaciated Landscapes virtual field trips can be described as self-guided, immersive virtual field trips using this approach.

Unfortunately, the pedagogic literature is replete with terminological confusion when it comes to virtual field trip classification, so it is important to note that different authors may employ these terms in different ways – and, indeed, may use different terms altogether to describe the same properties. There have been several attempts in the literature to promote a consistent approach to terminology, but none has gained traction. As it stands, the current approach is neither more nor less valid than others that have been proposed.

Virtual fieldwork and virtual reality

We use the terms ‘virtual fieldwork’ and ‘virtual reality’ interchangeably, but only where the former comprises immersive imagery. Thus, we would describe the virtual field trips in VR Glaciers and Glaciated Landscapes as being examples of ‘virtual reality’ because they place the viewer in the field and provide some autonomy. These virtual field trips can also be viewed with some VR headsets.

It is tempting to think that virtual reality resources need to be viewed with VR Headsets (also known as Head-Mounted Displays – HMDs). This is not the case. They do have some value, but they are not comfortable to use for prolonged periods. There are other issues, including display quality. These issues will be resolved in time. In the meantime, it seems likely that the majority of educational VR content will be consumed on standard computers and mobile devices.

Immersive virtual field trips can also be developed using games engines (e.g., Unreal, Unity 3D). These provide more opportunities for interactivity, and they are the only approach allowing users to navigate true 3D space. The current absence of visual realism in virtual field trips created using games engines is a pragmatic trade-off rather than a technology limitation; replicating a fully realistic world is possible, but expensive for both the developer and the user (in terms of computing power and data download) unless the area is small. For these reasons, we focus on more accessible photography-based approaches to virtual fieldwork development.

• Introduction to VFTs
• What is a VFT?
• More inclusive fieldwork using VFTs
• Creating VFTs
• Planning your VFT
• Software and online services
• Glen Roy VFT
• Coire Ardair VFT
• Slapton VFT
• Prawle Point VFT
• Seatown VFT
• How we made our VFTs

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

How to take a virtual field trip

Discover how to whisk your students away to museums, mars, and more, without leaving the classroom.

By Google Arts & Culture

Visiting without barriers

Whether you're visiting a museum, historic site or location in a far flung place, Expeditions, also known as virtual field trips, are available to everyone, anywhere, with a web browser or mobile device.

Planning is key

If you are a teacher, we recommend that you start by reading through the tour, to get an idea of what it's about. Check to see if it covers the subject you want to teach. Do you want to run through the whole thing or just pick out highlights?

Perseverance Touching Down on Mars (Illustration) (2020) NASA

Near or far

You can take the class to a wide variety of places. From a visit to the local museum , to a quick trip to Mars . You can project the tour on a screen or share it on Google Classroom. These tours are a mixture of 360° and 2D imagery. There are no pop ups within the panoramas.

Past, present and future

There are tours that look at the past, that explain how systems work today and what we should be thinking about to preserve our future. You can search for a specific tour or browse through by subject: arts , natural history , science and technology , geography , history . 

And there's more...

Once you've been through a tour with your class there are more  virtual field trips  to try or you can go to   Learn with Arts & Culture . There's subject related material and lesson plans that you can use in the classroom or give to students as worksheets to work through at their own pace.

Ready to begin your virtual field trip?

 Click here to set off

Hampi - Poetry in Stone

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The Ultimate Guide to Creating Your First Virtual Field Trip

Virtual field trips are an ideal way to immerse learners in real world environments without ever leaving the classroom, lab or lecture theatre. There are a number of suitable platforms and apps that have been developed over the last decade to make this possible, but one of the favourites with educators is ThingLink. This interactive tool allows anyone to create their own engaging interactive student learning experiences that are tailored to students’ needs. ThingLink’s popularity comes from the fact that it is designed to be incredibly easy to learn and use for creators, whether for school, college or university, or distance learning courses.

With ThingLink’s in-house development of the new Pano to 360 tool, creating a virtual field trip for your students is now easier than ever before!

In this guide, we will take you through a step-by-step process of creating your first virtual field trip with ThingLink. You will also be able to register here to learn more about the amazing new Pano to 360 tool which allows anyone to create stunning 360 images using any smartphone!

What exactly is a virtual field trip?

Virtual field trips are simply online versions of the real thing. They generally consist of a group of linked scenes taken at different site locations presented together as a holistic virtual experience. The students can move through the field trip, exploring the different stations or points of interest in turn. They are generally best created using 360 images, which create an immersive experience. 360 videos can also be used – for more on how you can use 360 videos, see the useful guidance in this blog here.

Examples of virtual field trips

We have shared some really impressive and award-winning virtual field trips made by Higher Education institutions with ThingLink over the last two years – here are useful case studies on two of our favourites!

• How to create a virtual field trip: Marine Biology example
• How to create virtual field trips for post grads: Queens University Belfast

We hope these give you some great ideas on how you can use the virtual field trip concept to create interactive and valuable learning resources for your own students and learners. Why not use these as templates for your own design?

Why create a virtual field trip?

The pandemic helped to highlight why virtual field trips are so valuable. Apps like Google Earth and Google Arts & Culture showed how it was possible to open up the world to students even when they were stuck at home. Bodies all over the world such as National Geographic, NASA, the Louvre and the British Museum created free virtual field trips for anyone to access, sometimes giving rare insights into their research work.

However when educators are able to create their own bespoke online field trips, the learning experience becomes even more valuable as they can be tailored to learning outcomes, lesson plans and individual class or learner needs.

When learners are unable to get hands-on experience of a location because of access or travel limitations, virtual field trips can effectively open up the environment to them. They are of particular use to students of geography, natural sciences, history and social studies but could really be used in any subject area where a site visit would usually be part of the learning activities provided.

Museum educators also use ThingLink to create interactive virtual tours for those who can’t access exhibitions, historical site and collections in person. This example below was created by the Smithsonian, the world’s largest museum complex including their famous museum of natural history and zoos. A real behind the scenes at the museum!

How to create a virtual field trip with ThingLink

With ThingLink, you can create two main types of interactive field trips. The most common approach is to use the ThingLink Editor to create a field trip in which students can explore the different tags or hotspots, as well as move from scene to scene, in a free-form and self-guided way. Alternatively you can use the new ThingLink Guided Tours feature. This helps to direct the learner from focal point to focal point in a pre-determined order. You can read more about how to create Guided Tours here!

In this blog, however, we will explore how to create a field trip using the main ThingLink editor.

Get started on your virtual field trip: images

Start by selecting the images that will be the foundation of your tour. Note: It is possible to create a virtual field trip with normal images as opposed to 360 ones, but using 360 imagery will certainly create a more realistic and immersive experience! Create as many individual 360 scenes as you need by uploading your images to the editor.

Below is a walkthrough video of how to make your first ThingLink which covers all you need to know for getting started from scratch to creating your first ThingLink scene. You could create a virtual field trip with just one scene, or you could link a number together to make a field trip containing a number of different sites.

How to source 360 images for your virtual field trip

No 360s? No problem! There are a number of ways that you can source 360 images – from online libraries and stock suppliers to AI, and now ThingLink’s breakthrough new tool – “Pano to 360”.

• With a 360 camera: You may be lucky enough to have access to a 360 camera such as a Ricoh Theta or Insta360 with which you can snap your own imagery for your field trip. If so, uploading your own images to the ThingLink editor from your drive or device is very straightforward. Simply follow the steps in the short tutorial above!
• Use the 360 Image Library: One of the free resources that ThingLink provides on all accounts is the 360 Image Library. This useful resource contains free-to-use images from all over the world, from heritage sites to national parks, Antarctica to the Amazon rainforest! Read more about the library here. To use one of the library images, simply clone it into your own account (see below).
• Clone any 360 scene from another user’s ThingLink content: The clone feature in ThingLink means that you can clone any 360 scene from a ThingLink where the creator has made their content public via the privacy settings. Read how to to clone ThingLink content here , plus see how to change the settings on your own content to allow or disallow cloning.
• Image licensing: It’s also possible to purchase, license and download 360 images from a commercial site such as 360Cities .
• Create 360 images with AI: Did you know it’s possible to create 360 images using text prompts? Check out this blog which explains how a student at Basingstoke College of Technology used Skybox to create her own 360 images for her coursework project. There are lots of tips and inspiration in there for creating your own!
• NEW!! Create your own 360 images using a smartphone and ThingLink! Until June 2023, creators were able to use Google Street View to create 360 images using the camera on any smartphone. In the wake of the deprecation of this feature, and following requests from many ThingLink creators worldwide for a solution, ThingLink have developed a ground-breaking new feature: Pano to 360 . To learn how to use this feature, watch the replay of our dedicated webinar by registering below, or see this helpful support article.

Register for the on-demand replay!

Make your virtual field trip interactive.

Then add interactive elements in clickable tags within your ThingLink scenes – such as links, text and images, videos, quizzes, polls, 3D objects, apps and tools. For all the details on how to add tags to 360 images, see this support article.

Link your ThingLink scenes together to create a walk-through field trip

Using the Tour Tag, you can then link any ThingLink scene to any other. This was covered in the short tutorial above, but if you need further information , see the support article here.

Pro tip: To help orientate your learners in the field trip, why not begin with a map page as your initial ThingLink scene? Alternatively you can upload a floor plan or other map image which will sit in the top right corner of every scene. Read how to do this at this support post here!

How to Share Your Virtual Field Trip

Most educators find that the most effective way to share a virtual field trip is through their school’s learning management system (LMS). ThingLink integrates with a huge range of educational platforms including Google Classroom, Moodle and Canvas. However with ThingLink, it’s also possible to set your privacy settings to public so that a virtual tour or field trip can be accessed via your website. In this way, many high schools, colleges and universities are creating virtual tours of their site or campus to attract potential students and increase admissions enquiries. See how universities and colleges worldwide are doing this in this blog.

ThingLink is also viewable in virtual reality (VR) mode for a really immersive experience. For full details of how to do this, take a look at this support article.

We hope that this blog post has demonstrated just how easy it can be to create a virtual field trip for your students. For more inspiration, join one of our social media communities to connect with other ThingLink users and educators! The ThingLink Education Group on Facebook or the LinkedIn ThingLink Community are great places to start. We look forward to welcoming you!

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5 Tips for Creating an Effective Virtual Field Trip

Students can connect what’s happening in the classroom to real-world locations by using digital tools to gain new perspectives.

When you can’t bring your students to the place, bring the place to your students.

During the pandemic, places that provided in-person educational experiences for students were forced to shutter, but the need for what they provided didn’t disappear. In fact, they were more important than ever because they reminded students cloistered at home that the wider world was still out there and that there were still ways for them to experience it.

As a result, distance learning programs offered by informal educational organizations like museums and zoos grew in number. And when in-person learning resumed, many continued to offer these popular programs because the infrastructure essential to creating them remained in place.

There are many groups that offer distance learning programs, but those offered by the National Park Service are among the highest quality. This is due in large part to their design, but also to how they suggest classroom teachers integrate them into their units and projects. Having had the opportunity to work alongside many providers of distance learning, I discovered that there are a number of things teachers can do to improve the effectiveness of these programs.

How to Structure a Distance Learning Experience

1. Make clear connections to the curriculum. It’s important that programs make clear connections to real learning goals or standards that teachers are expected to address. Aligning the program to the learning goals and framing specific projects or units within your curriculum ensure that distance learning is a relevant and meaningful experience. Make sure to look for programs with strong curricular connections.

Some places anticipate this need, like the programs offered at Channel Islands National Park , which clearly outline the standards that are addressed. But if you find an opportunity that doesn’t clearly list the standards, just ask. Sometimes the facilitator can adjust their plan to accommodate a specific request.

Also, be sure not to judge a book by its cover. Sometimes, the title of the program might not be a good indicator of the content. For example, Hot Springs National Park offers “Bathtub Time Machine”—a very creative title that belies the program’s strong historic and equity content .

2. There is power in a phone call. Thanks to the widespread adoption of videoconferencing technology during the pandemic, more and more places have the capability to deliver distance learning programs. If you find a museum or park that would be a good fit for your next unit, call and ask if they would be willing to talk with your students for 30 minutes, even if they don’t have an official offering.

Sometimes, you’ll find a willing educator or curator who will offer to conduct a video chat on their personal phone in a gallery or exhibit that fits your needs (shout-out to the rangers at Ninety-Six National Historic Site who did this for my students in the middle of a hurricane!).

3. A bit of prework is key. Since most distance learning programs online are less than an hour long, it’s not always possible for the person hosting them to include background information that’s sufficient for every student. For that reason, it’s important to create some sort of activity that introduces the topic, gives students a chance to build a little background knowledge, and also contextualizes the program within the larger learning sequence. A short research sprint, a reading followed by a discussion, or a video are all possibilities.

In many cases, you don’t even need to come up with this activity by yourself. Sometimes, the organizations that host distance learning activities have suggested free activities that you can download or print out for your students. Yellowstone National Park provides guided organizers for each of their programs that help students come prepared with key knowledge.

4. Generate questions to identify what students need to know. While many distance learning programs are given in a direct instruction or presentation style format, one thing that can lend more interactivity to the experience, as well as help you capitalize on getting access to an expert, is having your students generate questions in advance. Time can then be set aside at the end of the program for student questions, making the experience even more relevant.

Previously prepared and thoughtful questions are a win-win because they help students utilize the expert knowledge available to them while providing the person conducting the program a way to ensure that they’re meeting your learners’ needs.

5. Include a post-work and reflection component. Following the distance learning program, it’s important to provide students with an opportunity to reflect and build off of what they’ve learned. “Do they feel like they got the information they needed in order to understand the topic?” “What new understanding do they have now?” ”Did the presenter mention things that they already know?”

Those questions can help students reflect on their experience and allow you to plan next steps. You can also consider what the next activity or instructional sequence should look like so that you can capitalize on the enthusiasm and energy that a distance-learning program provides. It’s also always worth checking with the organization or the presenter that you’re working with. More often than not, they can direct you to materials that may be appropriate for continuing student learning after the program has concluded.

Now that you know how to structure them and have gotten some helpful hints, where can you go to find these programs?

• The National Park Service hosts distance learning programs during the off-season (October–March) at many different sites. They’re free, open to anyone in the United States, and as such, they do fill up quickly. You can go to their Teacher Portal to sign up or look at the information on this resource I created , which is a comprehensive list of locations and their offerings.
• California has one of the best state park systems in the nation (as a former California State Parks volunteer, I may be biased) and has a very good distance program called PORTS , which provides great science and social studies lessons from parks around the state. Get on their mailing list for alerts when registration opens.
• Center for Interactive Learning & Collaboration hosts programs from parks, museums, and zoos all over the United States! Visit their website to learn more about booking these awesome experiences for your students.

Playing the field: how virtual field trips can benefit student learning now and in future

Theresa Mercer and colleagues explain how to develop virtual field trips that support in-person learning, boost accessibility and help future-proof teaching against unforeseen challenge

Theresa Mercer

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The changes to teaching delivery in the past 18 months have been particularly challenging for subjects that require field-based learning, such as geography, life sciences and environmental sciences.

The sudden move to online learning halfway through UK university semesters in March 2020 meant that initial teaching responses were reactionary. While some responses were adequate, this quick transition to different forms of learning illustrated how the higher education sector must be more resilient and anticipatory in order to withstand unforeseen circumstances while maintaining high-quality teaching.

Where face-to-face field trips had to be cancelled at short notice, online alternatives such as data provision and drone footage were able to provide a high standard of teaching and allowed students to complete assessments. However, with a little more time and forethought, we have been able to create a full virtual field trip for the 2021 academic year. This was developed in anticipation of further unforeseen circumstances and could be used as a continual teaching resource that can be updated year-on-year with minimal effort. We have discovered several benefits to creating a virtual field trip, so here we offer tips for those considering this approach.

The benefits of virtual field trips:

Virtual field trips can augment face-to-face field trips as a resource that can be used before, during and after the trip or, where this is not possible, as a stand-alone resource.

Before the in-person field trip, students can familiarise themselves with the field site.

During the field trip, the virtual platform can be used on mobile devices as a handheld “tour guide” to manoeuvre around the field site.

Following the field trip, students can revisit the field site and access the data and information needed to complete their assessments.

Where field trips have to be cancelled completely, as during the pandemic, such virtual platforms can enable the full delivery of all field teaching elements if planned out well.

Virtual field trips allow a more inclusive student learning experience, particularly if students are unable to attend on the day or have disabilities that mean they physically struggle with taking part in the in-person field trip.

Our top tips for creating a virtual field trip:

Work closely with your digital education team. They can guide you in best practice for digital pedagogies and will be able to make the virtual field trip delivery more professional and accessible to students.

Introduce students to the concept of the virtual field trip early in the module so they can familiarise themselves with the way it works before they go out into the field, use it as a resource or walking guide within the field or as a post-fieldwork resource.

Include all the data and information on the virtual field trip that you would need for those students who might be ill on the day or those with disabilities that may prevent them attending the trip. This means that all students can complete assessments linked to the field trip, supporting a more inclusive and equitable approach.

Try to replicate field conditions by giving students an immersive experience online. Consider using aerial drone footage of the site, 360º ground shots and even sound recordings.

Include a mix of photos, site videos and short explanatory or interview videos.

Ensure that the virtual field trip and the platform you use can become a resource that is easily updated yearly.

Co-produce material with students as a resource that can be passed on from cohort to cohort.

Use online mapping resources and desktop studies to augment your virtual field trip. This allows students to pick up new skills such as online data visualisation, mapping and data gathering.

Include a help video for students to guide them around the virtual field trip platform. This is an example of what we made available to students: Virtual Field Trip | How-to - YouTube

Beyond the traditional physical-based sciences and geography, virtual field trips can also be applied across many social science disciplines and the humanities. One example is walking tours of different urban and rural environments. One of our team is now planning to produce a virtual tour of Lincoln city centre from the university up to the cathedral. This will allow students to gain a wider geographical understanding of how city centres function in terms of economy, politics, religion, culture and history. A virtual tour such as this enables students to demarcate sites of social, religious and political contestation, as well as see how particular societal groups are excluded from or gravitate towards certain areas in and around the city centre.

This is just one example of how virtual field trips can augment existing teaching practices within more social-based disciplines, yet the possibilities are endless. So, we encourage you to go out there and “play the field” to see how virtual field trips can future-proof your own teaching.

Theresa Mercer is a senior lecturer in biogeography and planetary health; Andrew Kythreotis is a senior lecturer in political geography; Joseph Harwood is a senior technician in the College of Science; Josh Brown is a video producer; Toby Sims is a video development coordinator; and Malene Simonsen is a media production students, all at the University of Lincoln .

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Educational, Engaging, Accessible: The Benefits of Virtual Field Trips

Imagine driving through a desert 250 million years ago, watching dinosaurs graze and roar all around you. Imagine flying through outer space, exploring distant planets that humans have never before set foot on. Imagine traveling inside the human body, learning about organ systems and anatomy in more detail than ever before. In real life, these adventures would be impossible. There’s no way to travel back in time, or fly to Neptune and Pluto, or shrink yourself down to the size of a human cell. But with the help of virtual field trips , imagination can become (extended) reality. 

More and more educators and parents are seeing the value of virtual field trips , which enable students of all ages to have fantastic learning experiences like these. But what are the benefits of virtual field trips? How are virtual field trips helpful in education? And why use virtual field trips in the classroom? 

Research continues to emerge about the powerful potential of virtual field trips. In this article, we’ll explore the many reasons why virtual field trips can be such a wonderful educational tool:

• Virtual field trips can enhance students’ learning. 
• Virtual field trips can keep students more engaged.
• Virtual field trips are more accessible for many classrooms and kinds of learners.
• Virtual field trips allow for collaboration and connection between different students, different classrooms, and different schools. 
• Virtual field trips create pathways to social emotional learning .

What is a virtual field trip for education? 

Before diving into the benefits of virtual field trips, let’s start with a virtual field trip definition. After all, educational virtual reality (VR) is a relatively new phenomenon, and the metaverse is home to many different kinds of virtual experiences.  

A field trip is defined as any “group excursion for the purpose of firsthand observation” or “an educational trip away from the classroom, as to give students firsthand experience.” Most students take field trips at some point during their educational careers, especially when they are in elementary school. 

Virtual field trips, though, empower classrooms to travel farther away than their nearby park or local museum. As the name implies, a virtual field trip is a field trip that occurs virtually — that is, somewhere on the extended reality spectrum. Virtual field trips allow students to have experiential learning opportunities and go on educational excursions using the power of immersive digital technologies. 

Of course, virtual field trips are not one size fits all. Let’s extend our virtual field trip definition by exploring the different forms of extended reality. 

What is extended reality?

Extended reality, broadly speaking, refers to the many forms of immersive experience included in the metaverse . Extended reality is the space where the physical world and the digital world overlap. 

Extended reality comes in many forms. It’s helpful to divide extended reality into three categories on the “spectrum of virtuality,” ranging from least virtual to most virtual: augmented reality, mixed reality, and virtual reality.

• Augmented reality has a low level of virtuality. It comprises experiences with limited interaction between virtual and physical objects. For example, a student might use a mobile device to overlay an image of an Egyptian pyramid on top of their classroom table. Or they might use their phone to scan a plant they see in their backyard and have detailed information about the plant’s biology, scientific name, and medicinal uses pop up on screen. 
• Mixed reality has a medium level of virtuality. Mixed reality is close to augmented reality, but involves more lifelike interactions between the physical and the virtual. For example, a student could wear a see-through head-mounted display and watch a pharaoh walk around their classroom and sit in a chair next to them.
• Virtual reality has a high level of virtuality. Virtual reality refers to fully digital experiences, in which users interact with a wholly computer-generated world. For example, a student can put on a virtual reality headset and be immersed in ancient Egypt, where they can walk around and explore their surroundings alongside their classmates. 

Virtual field trips can occur in any of these three settings, but the benefits of virtual field trips vary based on their level of virtuality, and different kinds of virtual field trips will have different uses in the classroom. It’s just like in the real world: a student can benefit from having a speaker visit their school, just as they can benefit from visiting a museum or historical site, but they will have different takeaways from each learning experience. Similarly, kids can learn from seeing projections of historical figures interact with their classroom space and from being fully immersed in a far-off digital world. Different types of virtual fields might be best for different kinds of learners, different school subjects, and different ages: virtual field trips for kindergarten are not the same as virtual field trips for high school, and a virtual field trip that aligns with a Black History Month curriculum will differ from a virtual field trip focused on chemistry or biology.

What are the benefits of virtual field trips?

Now that we understand what a virtual field trip is, let’s explore the benefits of educational VR . Although there are practically countless reasons why virtual field trips are helpful in education, we can divide the benefits of virtual field trips into a few main categories:

• Virtual field trips can make for improved learning experiences and help students understand concepts more fully. 
• Virtual field trips are more engaging than traditional learning experiences for many types of students.
• Virtual field trips are more accessible , especially in remote learning contexts, and can give students access to experiences they would otherwise not be able to have. 
• Virtual field trips allow students to collaborate across boundaries , learn about far-off places and work with people from other regions.
• Virtual field trips provide opportunities for students to develop social emotional learning skills and reflect on their experiences.

Let’s dive into each of these types of benefits in more detail.

Learning Benefits of Virtual Field Trips

Virtual field trips can improve the learning experience in a variety of ways. On measures of comprehension, retention, and skills-based learning, students often perform better after learning in a virtual environment or taking a virtual field trip.

One reason for this is that some things are simply easier to learn in immersive virtual contexts. This is especially true if you are attempting to learn a concrete or manual skill: a virtual learning experience can engage your senses more fully and provide a more realistic simulation of the situations in which you might be expected to perform a task, without requiring the expense or risk that real-life training scenarios can incur. 

Increasingly, the scientific literature is validating the common intuition that it’s easier to perform a skill once you’ve tried it out in a simulation. A 2019 study from professors in California and Denmark evaluated the effectiveness of immersive educational VR for the purposes of laboratory safety training for undergraduate college students. Students who underwent the VR experience performed significantly better on behavioral transfer tests: that is, after completing the VR training, they had improved risk evaluation skills in a real life laboratory. Notably, although a fully immersive VR experience led to the greatest improvement in behavioral skills, a desktop VR module also led to a significant improvement over traditional teaching methods. This is just one piece of evidence that virtual field trips can have significant benefits, especially for skills-based learning.

A broader literature review from researchers at the University of Sao Paulo found evidence that virtual field trips are also helpful in K-12 education. They identified multiple studies in which head mounted display-based virtual reality education contributed to learning improvements. Although the greatest gains were in “‘skills-based’ learning outcomes,” educational VR also appeared to have positive knowledge-based results, contributing to greater information recall and learning comprehension compared to non-VR education settings. Immersive virtual environments also seemed to improve learning outcomes for students with special needs.

The same researchers found studies of educational VR in the following school subjects:

• STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math) 
• Social sciences, particularly history
• Social and emotional learning skills

They noted that virtual field trips might be especially appealing in STEM fields, because they avoid the safety hazards and high costs of using real lab equipment. Kai XR , for example, offers a variety of VR field trips related to health and science, including an immersive tour of the human body and a field trip in which students witness a volcano explosion . However, the researchers also pointed out that virtual field trips have potential for social studies, the arts, and many other subjects. Kai XR already provides a range of arts and humanities virtual field trips, including activities about Amy Sherald’s Obama portraits and tours of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture . 

Engagement Benefits of Virtual Field Trips

Perhaps even more significant than VR’s ability to contribute to students’ learning is its ability to increase their engagement with classroom activities. It makes sense: actually taking a tour of the White House sounds much more exciting than reading about it in a textbook, right? 

Multiple studies back this up, repeatedly finding that virtual field trips enhance students’ attention, enjoyment, and intrinsic motivation to learn. For example, one investigation of a virtual interactive simulation about gravity for middle school students found that the simulation had positive impacts on all of the following: 

• Student enjoyment
• Self-perception of learning
• Presence and engagement

The researchers found that embodied interaction is particularly crucial for student engagement: when students can use multiple sentences and truly interact with their learning material, they tend to be more excited about and engaged in their learning. We all know what it’s like to have to sit and listen to a boring lecture without having any meaningful way to participate. Virtual field trips provide the complete opposite experience, deeply immersing students in the material. 

Virtual field trips also have the potential benefit of improving inclusivity and diversity in the classroom. It’s important that students see themselves represented in their coursework and that they learn about subjects relevant to their own history and culture. That’s one reason why people have been advocating for more inclusive curricula in both online and offline settings. Although not all educational VR experiences will promote inclusion, companies like Kai XR make it a priority. Our virtual field trips represent a range of cultures and societies, taking students from ancient Mayan temples to modern-day Syria.

Accessibility Benefits of Virtual Field Trips 

Virtual field trips don’t just have the benefit of helping students learn more — they also make learning accessible for more students. Virtual field trips are a cheaper way to see far-off destinations, and they’re more flexible, more adaptable, and more accessible than most traditional field trips. That means virtual field trips can be a great option for all of the following:

• Students with mobility restrictions
• Students who are immunocompromised
• Remote learning environments
• Classrooms with limited funding for field trips

One reason virtual field trips are so helpful in education is that they allow you to visit far-off destinations that would otherwise be totally inaccessible. All the money in the world won’t let you take an elementary school classroom to the top of Mount Everest or make it possible to tour the solar system. But with Kai XR, those field trips are possible with any mobile device, from a smartphone to a VR headset.

Many other field trips are theoretically possible, but would be prohibitively expensive for the vast majority of people. You could, for example, take a classroom to the Martin Luther King, Jr., memorial as a Black History Month activity . But unless you live in Washington, D.C., taking your students to a distant museum would likely be too expensive. Virtual field trips allow classrooms to visit a wider range of destinations from the comfort of their own school building.

And students don’t even have to be in the school building — virtual field trips are also a great option during periods of remote learning. Scholars at the University of Lincoln have described virtual field trips as one means of “ future-proofing ” education when in-person field trips are canceled or classrooms have to move online, whether for public health reasons or otherwise. 

That doesn’t mean virtual field trips should be seen as a worse alternative to in-person field trips. One scholarly article in the International Journal of Instructional Media described many advantages that virtual field trips can have over in-person ones, many of which relate to their increased flexibility and individualized nature. Those advantages include all of the following: 

• More learner-centered: Students can adapt virtual field trips to suit their own needs and style of learning. For example, students can often pause virtual field trip activities or complete them at their own pace, allowing them to get as much out of the learning experience as possible.
• Geographic and temporal independence: In many cases, students can access virtual field trip materials whenever and wherever they like. Virtual field trips also don’t create the logistical and scheduling difficulties that traditional field trips usually do.
• Control of content: Many platforms allow teachers and students to design or adapt the experience of virtual field trips, allowing teachers to create field trips that more closely align with their curriculum and giving students more autonomy over their learning.
• Easily adapted and reused: Unlike in-person field trips, which usually cannot be significantly changed and which are harder to repeat on a regular basis, virtual field trips can generally be changed more quickly if students and teachers identify possible improvements for future iterations.

In addition to the inclusivity benefits mentioned earlier, educational VR also makes field trips accessible to a wider range of students. One professor from Temple University has pointed out that virtual field trips are fantastic options for movement-restricted or immunocompromised students, who may not be able to travel long distances to inaccessible areas. Thus, virtual field trips can be a powerful force for equity in education. 

Lastly, virtual field trips have the unique benefit of being more climate-friendly than many in-person field trips, which often require students to travel on greenhouse gas-emitting buses. Some researchers argue that this makes virtual field trips especially beneficial for climate change education, which can provide educational benefits without harming the planet. 

Collaboration Benefits of Virtual Field Trips

The Internet can be a powerful tool for collaboration and building community. This is especially true of virtual field trips, which have been used to help students and academics communicate in a variety of fields. Virtual field trips can enable collaboration in multiple ways:

• Students from different classrooms can communicate by sharing in a virtual field trip experience. Internet-based field trips enable students to interact with each other’s avatars, even if they’re not in the same classroom.
• Teachers can share and adapt the same virtual resources. In comparison with in-person field trips, which often need to be planned based on a specific school’s location and resources, virtual field trips are generally easier to change and can be shared between schools. 
• Students can learn from and interact with experts who live in other regions and countries. They have access to a broader range of resources than would be available in their immediate area.

What’s Next?

Virtual field trips have a huge range of benefits, from improving students’ learning and engagement to enabling collaboration between students and teachers around the world. Now that you know the benefits of virtual field trips, it’s time to explore your options! Check out Kai XR’s vast library of virtual field trips today. 

Also check out:

• 21st Century Skills for Students: The Long-Term Benefits of Virtual Reality
• Virtual Field Trips (Examples, Benefits, and Real-World Learning)
• Breaking Educational Barriers with the VR Classroom
• The Metaverse: Transforming K-12 Education & Learning

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10 Reasons Why Virtual Field Trips Benefit Students

by Banyan | Aug 8, 2022 | Newsletter | 0 comments

Virtual field trips are a great way to supplement in-class instruction with fresh content, real-world examples and expert instructors from all over the world.

Are you interested in learning more about virtual field trips? You have come to the right place! 

Virtual field trips are no longer a dream of the future, now that Internet access and video-conferencing solutions (like Zoom and Facetime) are widely available. In fact, as remote learning grew due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have increased in popularity.

This article is a great resource for those of you interested in trying a virtual field trip for your classroom (or school district). Before we list our 10 reasons, let’s answer the question:

“What is a virtual field trip?”

Generally speaking, a virtual field trip is simply a field trip delivered by technology and experienced from the classroom (or school). A virtual field trip uses tech-based resources such as online content and/or video-conferencing to give students the learning experiences gained from a traditional, in-person field trip.

Virtual field trips provide experiential content beyond what can be learned from a textbook. They can be synchronous or asynchronous… interactive or non-interactive. Additionally, some providers offer a lesson plan to supplement the field trip. Also, sometimes they can be hosted by an instructor.

We call our service a “ Live Virtual Field Trip ” because our trips feature live instructors who are experts in the subject matter and trained to make the experience fun and engaging. Accordingly, advanced trips (like ours) can involve multiple hosts at different locations, and utilize classroom technology (like iPads or computers) to engage the learner in real-time with the teachers, as opposed to a passive viewing of a TV show or video.

10 Benefits of Virtual Field Trips

Now that we have a definition, here is a list of the top reasons why we think virtual field trips are a great tool for educators.

1. A new perspective

Virtual field trips offer a new spin on a class topic. We mentioned before how they are designed to provide a learning experience beyond the textbook. They give students access to real life “artifacts” allowing them to learn by seeing.

When done well, they allow students to go beyond the facts and take a deep dive with the subject matter. 

2. Varied teaching styles keep students engaged

Educators know that a new teacher can create a spark in the classroom. Virtual field trips bring change and diversity to the school day. When done well, a virtual field trip with a live instructor is more fun and engaging than an in-person field trip!

3. They can be tailored to the classroom’s needs

Unlike a textbook or standardized curriculum, virtual field trips can be personalized! They can be designed to be open-ended and can follow students’ questions and desires. This allows the instructor to match the students’ learning interest and maximize engagement.

4. Bang for your buck

Virtual field trips are usually more cost-effective than in-person field trips. For example, there is no need for transportation, insurance and other hard costs. There are many free ones and the fee-based options are generally very affordable when compared to in-person options. This allows teachers and administrators to create a “field trip experience” more often with a given budget. Also, annoyances like finding chaperones and collecting permission slips are eliminated!

CILC is a great resource for popular free and paid virtual field trips. We are an award-winning provider in their directory !

5. Offer unique curriculum

Virtual field trips allow schools to offer unique curricula that are not traditionally offered, but are still critical to student learning and/or health. A prime example of this is social emotional learning. This is a growing area of importance for our students, however many schools do not yet have the resources to offer it consistently.

If your school is interested in Banyan’s social emotional learning curriculum, click here .

6. Students can form unique relationships with an online instructor

Students can develop a unique relationship w/ their virtual teacher. Especially on difficult/critical topics, students can open up on issues they wouldn’t necessarily do with their in-class teacher. A virtual instructor that is a specialist or expert on a given subject can unlock interest and contributions from their students.

7. Virtual teachers are usually technology experts

Virtual instructors are often adept at harnessing classroom technology. They can bring in exciting tools for students to use and also provide in-class teachers with tips/tricks. Tech is no longer a barrier when you have a tech expert in the classroom (virtually).

8. Give your teacher a break

A virtual field trip can be a welcome rest stop for a busy in-class teacher! Especially when there is a topic that is not a teacher’s strength or a non-core subject. A virtual teacher is an elegant solution. 

9. In-class teachers may have something to learn

Now that remote teaching is a new skill required for in-class teachers, they may have something to learn from a virtual field trip! A good virtual instructor can model best practices for online teaching. Therefore, In-class teachers can learn new methods or styles of teaching that they can incorporate beyond the virtual field trip.

10. Access to experts 

Students need to see experts and role models in action. Virtual field trips can bring almost any expert into the classroom. Consequently, students can see firsthand what they do and interact directly with them.

Are you ready to try one?

We hope you found this article useful. In our view, a virtual field trip is a great way to augment or supplement classroom instruction.

If you have more questions or have interest in discussing our content and what we could do for your school, feel free to contact us !

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The 19 Best Free Virtual Field Trips of 2024

Stuck at home? Travel virtually all over the world instead (but seriously, check out the Son Doong Cave)

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When you can't get away, your kids still can by taking a virtual field trip to a museum, farm, zoo, or another fun location. We compiled our list of favorites to help you keep your kids engaged and entertained. Some of these are virtual tours (you can actively decide where to go on the tour) and others are video walkthroughs (just watch and learn), but all give you a great experience of the location.

Best Art-Centric Virtual Tour: The Met

A glimpse at some of the greatest works of art created.

Online exhibits on various topics.

There's only one view of the museum currently available.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is home to over 5,000 years of art from around the world. You can see some of it from the comfort of your home. Take a virtual stroll through part of the museum using Google Street View. There are also numerous online exhibits on topics like Coco Chanel, Vermeer, Catholic allegory in art, and more.

Best Tour of Space: NASA

The volume of space videos.

The approachable aspect of the videos.

So much more to see on the site.

It's not easily searchable unless you know what you're looking for.

This might be cheating a bit because it's really a collection of videos, but, oh boy, what a collection to tour! The Galleries open up an array of videos covering space topics from testing a parachute for Mars to moving water in space. Each video is a mini virtual tour that will awe kids and encourage interest in science and space.

Best Tour of the White House: Google Arts & Culture's The White House

Stunning 360-degree images.

See inside and outside the White House.

Offers views of 140 paintings.

Once inside a tour, it's hard to know what you're looking at.

No search functions.

Every President since John Adams has occupied the White House and now your children can visit it, too. Google Arts & Culture offers four museum views (three tours of The White House and one of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building) plus a look at more than 140 paintings that grace (or have graced) the walls of the country's most famous abode. The 360-degree images let kids explore to their heart's desire.

Best Cave Virtual Tour: Son Doong Cave

Son Doong is beautiful.

The virtual tour includes lots of information.

Zoom into areas for a more detailed look.

No supplemental online activities.

Son Doong is the world's largest natural cave. Located in Vietnam, it features a subterranean river and the largest cross-section of any cave worldwide. National Geographic's virtual tour lets you explore the cave with full 360-degree views and immersive sounds. You can even zoom in one area to check out the campers in their tents. Son Doong is beautiful and worth a virtual visit.

Best National Park Virtual Tour: Yellowstone

Offers multiple tours.

Lots of historical information.

Amazing images.

No video tours.

Lots of written information that can turn off some kids.

Yellowstone offers seven virtual tours appropriate for older elementary and middle school ages. There's a lot of written information along with the images, and the tours aren't in video. However, the information is fascinating, and the photos are stunning.

From learning about old Fort Yellowstone to discovering park anomalies like Mud Volcano, these tours are a great way for kids to discover unique facts about America.

Best Natural History Tour: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

So many exhibits to see!

Easy, clickable maps.

Quick and easy to navigate.

It's not always easy to read the signs in the exhibits.

This iconic museum is dedicated to understanding the natural world and humanity's place in it. There's so much to see it can't possibly be listed here. However, the museum offers an online tour of most of its exhibits. Split this tour up into multiple lessons, so kids don't get overwhelmed.

Skip the ground floor and go straight to the first or second floors.

Best Aquarium Virtual Tour: National Aquarium

Easy to find exhibits.

Fun to explore using the 360-degree options.

Some scenes spin quickly, which can frustrate young learners.

Baltimore's National Aquarium features more than 20,000 aquatic animals. Kids can click and drag images to navigate their way around and use arrows, the map, or a scene list to explore various exhibits. Explore eight areas, such as the Amazon River, a tropical rain forest, and jellyfish.

Best Tours of the World: AirPano

Bright, well-produced videos and images.

Offers tours of numerous countries.

Includes video and still frame-images.

What's not to like?

AirPano has a variety of tours in China, Portugal, Switzerland, and more countries. Children can visit the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge in China, an underwater cave in Indonesia, ski resorts in France, and more destinations around the globe.

What makes this site so good is that it offers narrations of several tours, provides closeups through interactive actions, and includes short chunks of written information that's easy for kids of most ages to read. The tours are also fairly short, which makes these tours great for younger kids, but older kids will still enjoy the trip.

Best Virtual Tour for Car Lovers: Lane Motor Museum

Totally unique tour.

An inside look that allows for deep diving into collections.

There's no way to tell what a specific vehicle is unless you know cars.

Scroll to the bottom of the link to watch a fun virtual tour of one of the most unique car museums in the world. Lane Motor Museum is home to an oddball collection of vehicles dating from the 1920s up to modern times.

Your child will love seeing amphibious vehicles, microcars, prototypes, and more. The tour is easy to click through and offers six angles to entertain viewers.

Best Tours of Nature: Nature Works Everywhere

Tours are narrated and easy to follow.

Provides student handouts, vocabulary, and discussion questions.

We wish there was a larger library of tours!

Explore nature around the world with Nature Works Everywhere's virtual tours. Visit the coral reefs of Palau, the deserts and grasslands of Africa, a rainforest (from a canoe's viewpoint), a renewable energy plant, and more.

The tours are narrated and give great, quick facts to help kids learn in simple, straightforward ways. All tours are appropriate for grades 3 through 12 but are marked with notes about the grades most likely to enjoy the tour.

Best Historical Tour: Ellis Island

A clear explanation of Ellis Island, how it worked, and why it was needed.

Includes children asking questions of tour guides.

The images in much of the tour are small in order to focus on the tour guides.

Ellis Island is a key piece of American history. This virtual tour offers lots of anecdotes and features actual guides from Ellis Island telling stories. Plus, it includes lots of pictures and views of the island.

It's more appropriate for fourth grade and up, mainly due to the litany of facts and complexity of the information provided.

Best Slime-Based Virtual Tour: Slime in Space

Nickelodeon

It's playful and educational.

Good production values.

Fun experiments.

It's a video, not an interactive virtual tour.

What happens to Nickelodeon's iconic slime when it's in space? That's the concept behind the Slime in Space virtual field trip. Featuring real astronauts and Nickelodeon celebrities, the 15-minute video shows kids how slime and water react in a microgravity environment 250 miles above the Earth. Along the way, it answers burning questions like, "Is slime a solid or a liquid?" and "Can you slime a person in space?" (The answer is: yes, very slowly.)

Best Virtual Zoo Tour: San Diego Zoo

Live cams of the animals.

A variety of educational videos.

Fun games and activities.

Fixed camera angles mean you're not always guaranteed to see the animals.

The San Diego Zoo is home to more than 3,500 animals of more than 650 species and subspecies. It's widely considered one of the best zoos in the world. But, if you can't make it to California, it has a robust virtual experience online.

You can peek in on the animals through live cams. There's also a variety of videos that teach kids about vultures or show them how to draw a tiger, for example. There are also zoo-related games and activities kids can do at home.

Best General Farm Tour: FarmFood 360

360-degree views of the farm.

Offers a free app for Android and iOS.

It can be hard to see things on a mobile device.

FarmFood 360 gives an inside look at the activities of a Canadian farm. Kids see 360-degree views of the farm as they learn about milk and cheese production, sheep farming, egg processing, and more.

There's an app available for Android and iOS devices, and it's compatible with some virtual reality headsets.

Best Virtual Planetarium: Stellarium

Realistic night sky simulation.

Mobile apps are available.

Includes a telescope control module for experienced astronomers.

Can be difficult to navigate.

The mobile apps aren't free, but the money supports the project.

Stellarium Web is an online planetarium created by two brothers. Offering an accurate and realistic view of the night sky, it lets you pan around and spot stars, satellites, and other celestial bodies.

It offers mobile apps for Android and iOS that aren't free. The money goes toward paying server and development costs for the two-person project.

Best Living-History Virtual Tour: Colonial Williamsburg

Next best thing to being there.

The virtual scavenger hunt.

The virtual tours are highly interactive.

Virtual tour models can load slowly.

Condensation or inclement weather can obstruct the webcam views.

Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum in Virginia that offers a glimpse at what life was like in the 18th century. Its virtual tour is highly interactive and includes videos, informational signs, and 3D models you can rotate.

With its various webcams, you can see the armory, courthouse, merchants square, and more. Colonial Williamsburg's website also offers a virtual scavenger hunt your kids can participate in as they tour the area.

Best European Museum Virtual Tour: The Louvre

It's the Louvre.

The website offers a list of online family-friendly activities.

The virtual tours include a map and an information button.

The website offers limited language options.

Sure, we'd love to jet off to France and tour its fabulous museums personally. But if that's not an option, the Louvre has several virtual tours available on its website. The offerings include exhibitions on the body in movement, founding myths, Egyptian antiquities, and more.

The Louvre also has a handy list of family-friendly online resources everyone can enjoy, including a Mona Lisa VR experience.

Best Factory Virtual Tour: M&M Factory Tour

Zoonar RF / Getty Images

Who doesn't love chocolate?

360-degree views of the factory.

It's short.

The Food Network teamed up with candy maker Mars to give M&M fans a virtual tour of one of its factories. During the short YouTube video, viewers can pan around as a tour guide explains how unrefined chocolate is turned into the little candies we know and love.

Best General Virtual Tour Resource: Discovery Education

An eclectic variety of virtual field trips.

Watch live or on demand.

Trips come with a companion guide packed with activities.

A schedule of when field trips go live would be nice.

Discovery Education offers a variety of virtual field trips for kids learning from home. The offerings change often but currently include an NFL experience, a doodling experience meant to encourage creativity, and a virtual field trip through the internet of things. You can watch the field trips live or catch the videos later on-demand.

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Experiential learning.

Connect directly with Explorers pushing the boundaries of science and discovery.

‘Travel’ to different parts of the globe through cutting-edge technology, interactive live sessions, and virtual field trips – without even leaving where you are. Learn about protecting rhinos firsthand from a conservationist in Africa. Explore the underwater world of manta rays with a biologist who swims among them.  Through immersive learning experiences, young people develop the skills to think critically, cultivate empathy, and seek solutions that create impact on their communities and the planet.

Explorer Classroom

Join live, interactive sessions that connect young people with National Geographic Explorers to hear behind-the-scenes stories and interact with these cutting-edge scientists, researchers, and powerful storytellers from around the globe. All events are free, open to the public, and include an instructional guide to help learners get the most out of the experience. 

Tracking Elephant Seals with Roxanne Beltran

Planetary systems with munazza alam, unplastify your world with agustina besada, seeing the sea floor with zoleka filander, virtual field trips.

With our Virtual Field Trips, students can travel back in time, go on a deep-sea excursion, or even explore the outer reaches of our Solar System – from anywhere in the world.

Virtual Field Trips Playlist

Exploring the Amazon

Native American Stories

Black history month, revisiting history.

Our Solar System and Beyond

Wild Washington

The Why of Where

Women Pushing Boundaries

Photo Credits from top of page: Mark Thiessen. Below: Michael Nichols, Andy Mann, Paul Nicklen, Ami Vitale, Christian Tryon, Kenneth Garrett, Mark Thiessen.

National Geographic Society is celebrating Earth and, this month only, you can make TWICE the impact. Donate to National Geographic Society and help us make remarkable discoveries about the ocean’s intelligent marine life. The planet and our Explorers are counting on you.

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Virtual Field Trips

Explore the World with Virtual Field Trips

Designed for ages 9-15 but customizable for all ages, virtual field trips allow students to travel the world and explore natural environments without leaving the classroom. Each virtual field trip contains a video, teacher guide and student activities.

Working Trees: Reforestation and Responsible Forestry

Forests represent a powerful opportunity to pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, helping to cool our planet while also providing clean air, clean water, and habitat for wildlife.

Less Harm on the Farm: Regenerative Agriculture

Food is more than something we eat to survive; it's a part of how we thrive. Learn how regenerative agriculture can help us feed a growing population while restoring nature.

Climb-It Change

Explore how climate change is impacting alpine ecosystems and go on a climbing adventure with scientists who take you to some of the most stunning mountain ranges in the United States. This film is a Rocket Soul Studios production.

Protecting Our Oceans and Ourselves

More people rely on our ocean for food, energy, transport, recreation and other natural resources than any other time in history.

Climate Heroes: The Power of Trees

Trees are our climate superheroes! From Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States to St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean, trees are playing critical roles in cleaning our air and improving our resilience in the face of climate change.

You’re the Scientist! Citizen Science, Frogs and Cicadas

The conservation community relies heavily on volunteers not only to restore natural areas but to help gauge the success of restoration efforts.

Changing Climate, Changing Cities

Get a front-row, ground-level seat to the challenges cities face as they confront this force of nature, and discover the solutions experts are promoting to mitigate it.

The Secret Life of Corals

Learn how fragile reefs are being damaged by human activity and climate change, and how scientists are developing ways to restore corals.

Borneo: The Symphony of the Rainforest

On this journey, we’ll learn how experts are using cutting-edge science to find out how healthy the rainforest is—and to discover where it needs some help!

View from a Canoe

Can you imagine a place with 100 million acres of forest and 30,000 miles of coastline? It exists. The Emerald Edge is home to the largest intact coastal temperate rainforest.

Wild Biomes: America’s Rainforests & Deserts

Two wildly different ecosystems, both dependent on the same precious resource: Water. On this virtual field trip, we’ll travel to Seattle and Arizona.

The Coral Reefs of Palau

Join our expert scientist, marine biologist Stephanie Wear, on a virtual field trip to the coral reefs of Palau where you'll explore amazing underwater cities.

China’s Great Forests

Join our expert scientist Yue Wang, a conservation planning officer for The Nature Conservancy, on a virtual field trip across the world to two stunning provinces in China.

Powering the Planet: Renewable Energy

Join scientist Alex Wegmann as we embark on a Virtual Field Trip to explore a compelling question: How can we get the energy we need without harming nature?

Journey of Water: Colombia’s Páramo

In this virtual field trip, we will explore the magical páramo ecosystem and the stunning mountain landscapes found just beyond the capital city of Bogotá.

Peru: A Coastal Ecosystem

Join fisheries scientist Matias Caillaux to explore the Humboldt Current Ecosystem off the coast of Peru while learning about the area’s amazing diversity and productivity.

Ridge to Reef: A Virtual Field Trip to Hong Kong

The “Ridge to Reef” (R2R) concept is a holistic approach that takes into consideration all the environments within a watershed — from the top of the mountains down to the ocean — and shows that what happens on land affects what happens in the water.

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• Virtual Field Trips: Exploring the World Through Technology-Infused Learning

Ms. Priyanka, a passionate and creative history teacher was eager to ignite her students’ curiosity. She sought to transform traditional classrooms into captivating explorations. Embracing technology’s potential, she introduced virtual field trips, revolutionising history lessons.

Through seamless integration of history and technology, her students embarked on virtual journeys to ancient civilizations, battlefields, and iconic landmarks. Immersed in these experiences, they witnessed historical events and marvelled at architectural wonders, igniting a new passion for history.

Ms Priyanka’s approach not only sparked enthusiasm for history but also deepened their understanding of diverse cultures. Join us on her remarkable journey of technology-infused learning, where virtual field trips bring history to life like never before.

The virtual world has opened the door to many possibilities. One such door that has led to unimagined explorations is that of virtual field trips. Virtual field trips are a great way to teach different subjects to students by making them go through something real in a virtual realm. But how can teachers use the fantastic concept of virtual field trips in their classrooms? This blog will help you unravel the 8 ways in which you can integrate virtual field trips in your classroom.

8 Virtual Field Trips Ideas

Historical exploration:.

Virtual field trips for historical exploration allow students to step back in time and witness significant events and landmarks from various historical periods. For instance, students can visit the ancient city of Pompeii and learn about its destruction during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. They can also virtually tour the Palace of Versailles in France, gaining insights into the opulent lifestyle of French royalty during the 17th century. Through these immersive experiences, students can develop a deeper understanding of historical contexts, cultures, and the impact of past events on the present.

Natural Wonders:

Virtual field trips to natural wonders offer students a chance to marvel at Earth’s awe-inspiring beauty and diverse ecosystems. For example, students can explore the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia, discovering its rich marine life and the importance of coral reef conservation. They can also venture into Yellowstone National Park in the United States, observing geysers, hot springs, and diverse wildlife. These virtual experiences provide an opportunity for students to appreciate the significance of environmental preservation and the delicate balance of nature.

Space and Astronomy:

Taking students on a virtual journey through space and astronomy allows them to explore the vastness of the cosmos and gain insights into celestial phenomena. Students can virtually visit the Hubble Space Telescope and view stunning images of distant galaxies and nebulae. They can also experience a simulated spacewalk to understand the challenges and discoveries of space exploration. These virtual trips inspire curiosity about the universe, igniting students’ interest in STEM fields and space sciences.

Cultural Immersion:

Cultural immersion virtual field trips transport students to different regions and cultures worldwide, fostering understanding and appreciation for diversity. For example, students can explore the ancient city of Kyoto in Japan during traditional festivals, like the Gion Matsuri. They can also virtually visit the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, learning about ancient Greek architecture and mythology. These experiences help students develop cultural sensitivity, empathy, and a global perspective, encouraging respect for various traditions and customs.

Science and Technology:

Virtual field trips in science and technology offer students an inside look at cutting-edge research and innovations. For instance, students can tour the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Switzerland, where scientists study particle physics. They can also visit NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and learn about the latest space exploration missions. These virtual experiences inspire students to pursue careers in STEM fields and understand the impact of science and technology on society.

Career and Industry Insights:

Virtual field trips focused on careers and industries provide students with exposure to diverse professions and workplace settings. For example, students can virtually visit a newsroom to understand the inner workings of journalism and media reporting. They can also explore manufacturing plants to observe industrial processes and learn about engineering and production. These experiences expose students to potential career paths, helping them make informed decisions about their future and develop essential employability skills.

Environmental Conservations:

Virtual field trips focused on environmental conservation allow students to explore natural habitats and learn about efforts to protect biodiversity. For example, students can virtually visit the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil, where they can witness the diverse flora and fauna and understand the importance of conservation efforts. They can also virtually explore Antarctica and learn about scientific research to monitor climate change. These virtual experiences inspire environmental awareness and encourage students to become stewards of the planet.

Global Connections:

Virtual field trips that facilitate global connections enable students to interact with peers from different countries, fostering cultural exchange and collaboration. For example, students can engage in video conferences with classrooms in other parts of the world to discuss shared interests, traditions, and social issues. These virtual connections create opportunities for students to develop cross-cultural communication skills, empathy, and a sense of global citizenship.

Incorporating these diverse virtual field trips into the curriculum enriches students’ learning experiences, making education more engaging and immersive. These virtual adventures expand students’ horizons, promoting empathy, curiosity, and a deeper understanding of the world around them. By fostering a sense of wonder and appreciation for history, nature, space, cultures, science, and more, these virtual field trips inspire a lifelong love for learning and encourage students to become informed, compassionate global citizens. If you are a teacher who wants to understand the applications of AR VR in a classroom, then attending the Masterclass on AR VR for Teachers by upEducators is a must for you. This Masterclass will help you unravel the multiple possibilities of using AR/VR in the classroom and help you in teaching better.

Author : This article is written by Samiya Rashid for upEducators blog.

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Virtual Field Trips Designed For Your Curriculum

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Take your students around the globe, or around the block, and open their eyes to the majestic and magnificent world around them, what we have to offer.

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Video links for remote learning – no student logins.

Mobile-friendly website.  Use any device.

Well-researched and professionally narrated videos.

Video length from 5-35 minutes long.

Foreign language videos.

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We have video sharing links for remote learning! Copy and paste our links into your favorite digital platform. Just click and play – no student logins needed!

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Looking for inspiration?  We’ve put together a huge collection of fun and educational classroom ideas to inspire you and your students! Games, activities, writing topics, art projects, worksheets and so much more….

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What You Can Expect

Video content that is aligned with your curriculum.

More time added to your day.

A budget-friendly resource.

An incredibly easy way to incorporate technology into your classroom.

A resource that supports independent learning.

A classroom resource that will help shape students into global citizens.

Increased learning outcomes for certain groups of students.

A classroom resource that uses best practices for e-learning.

A 21st century learning tool for 21st century students.

An easy way to take your students to places they may not ever get to visit.

What Our Customers Have To Say

5th Grade Teacher , Hawaii

“ I took my students on a Virtual Trip to the Amazon today!  They told me this field trip was much better than the one we went on from Discovery Education!!! “

3rd Grade Teacher , Maryland

“I just want to let you know how much of a blessing this site has been to me and to my students during this pandemic.  The theme in my classroom is “travel.” We have been able to continue with this theme by having weekly field trips. It is the highlight of everyone’s week. This was by far one of the best purchases I made this year.”

3rd Grade Teacher , North Carolina

“My 6th grade students are always excited to learn through reading and the Virtual Field Trips site. The videos are incredibly engaging and informative. The ease of use is very appreciated as a teacher pressed for time.”

6th Grade Teacher , Arizona

“I use the Virtual Field Trips site and the students LOVE it. Learning by virtually experiencing has been highly successful for my students. A few of our favorites are the Amazon, Coral Reefs, African Safari, and Rome.”

Thank you very, very much for including your site for free during distance learning. You made the virtual field trips easy for both teachers and children to use. All I had to do was copy the link into my Seesaw activity and my kiddos just tapped on the link and learned about places, people, and things. The DC Tour fit in nicely with their weekly reading selection on U.S. symbols. 

2nd Grade Teacher , Virginia

“You have brightened my day, as I have looked extensively for high quality virtual trips, and your site is clearly one of the best I’ve found!”

5th Grade Teacher , Minnesota

“I teach 9th graders who are 2 to 3 years behind in their reading and writing.  They are also socioeconomically disadvantaged with not many experiences to write about.  I thought this would give them something to write about as well as be educational and enjoyable.  We do one each Monday and they love them!  They ask, “Where are we going today?”

9th Grade Teacher , Texas

“Your videos and accompanying lesson ideas are very helpful and high quality.”

8th Grade Teacher , New Mexico

“I teach grades K-3 Science, Social Studies, Government, Geography, and Economics.  I have found Virtual Field Trips videos a valuable piece in many areas.  I use an interactive white board on a daily basis and have been able to link the videos into the flip charts making access to them very easy during the lesson.  I look forward to more of these quality videos.”

Exploration Teacher , Minnesota

“I really appreciate the value of this site.  My students are very much enjoying it.  Thank you!”

3rd Grade Teacher , Montana

“ My students love these virtual field trips and honestly can’t get enough of them.  They ignite awesome writing. “

1st Grade Teacher, Teacher Librarian , Toronto

El Limonar International School in Murcia, Spain absolutely loved Virtual Field Trips when we were given the opportunity to use it in June. There are so many topics included in their library that we study in the Primary School that it is well worth buying into and the children were mesmerized from the moment they began watching. The images were bright and colourful while the commentaries very informative and clear, leading to a lot of discussion afterwards. I definitely recommend it.

4th Grade Teacher , Spain

I really want to thank Virtual Field Trips for allowing full access during the hardest time of education when we had to switch to remote so suddenly. It was super exciting for the students to tour around the world with just a click! They loved all the videos and naturally the assignments that followed. I really appreciate the support! Thank you thank you thank you!

“You have a great site with videos that are outstanding. I like how easy your site is to use.”

4th Grade Teacher , New Mexico

“My students are in love with your videos”

Research Says:

Research shows that virtual field trips can:[su_list icon=”icon: check” icon_color=”#e02b20″]

• Boost students’ reading scores.
• Help students see themselves as global citizens.
• Provide the benefits of field trips without the expense.
• So much more –  check it out!

Our Videos Are Great For:

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• Time-pressed teachers.
• Teachers who want to use technology.
• Homeschooling families.
• Visual learners.
• Disadvantaged students.
• ESL students.
• Students with dyslexia.
• Reluctant readers/writers.
• Literacy programs.

Check Out Our Standards

Scroll to see how many curriculum standards we can help you meet!

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the quizzes, quizzes are at the bottom of the full video page..

Scroll down to the bottom of the page to the Learning Resources section and you’ll see the quiz file(s).

CAN I SHARE VIDEO LINKS WITH MY STUDENTS?

Yes. As a subscriber, you will find all of your video links on your Account page. You won’t be able to successfully share the URL’s from the video pages on the website. Those URL’s will end up showing an error message because they are behind the login wall.

WHAT MAKES OUR VIDEOS DIFFERENT?

Our videos are researched, written, and produced by educators for educators.  Teachers and instructional professionals are responsible for the production of each video and quiz.

Our videos are also different because they are closely aligned with the curriculum.  In particular the social studies, geography, life science, and ancient civilization curriculums.

Each video is professionally narrated by voice actors.  We hope you’ll agree that not many other “educational” videos can say the same.

ARE SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR A SCHOOL YEAR OR A CALENDAR YEAR?

Subscriptions run for a calendar year.  So, if someone subscribes on November 1st then the subscription runs until October 31st of the next year. They are not related to the school year.

WHAT DO I GET WITH MY SUBSCRIPTION?

Each subscription allows for unlimited video viewing and use of the quizzes.  In the case of an individual video subscription, that means unlimited viewing of the single video. A Teacher + Classroom subscription allows unlimited access to all videos on the website, as does a Schoolwide site license.

DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER RESOURCES?

What does teacher + classroom mean.

A Teacher + Classroom subscription means that the videos and video links can be shared by a teacher with all her/his students.

DO I NEED ANY SPECIAL SOFTWARE OR TECHNOLOGY TO WATCH YOUR VIDEOS?

All you need is a device and an internet connection together with the video links, or login information (user name and password).  The faster the internet connection, the better.

HOW CAN MY STUDENTS ACCESS THE VIDEOS?

Teachers share their video links with their students.  They can be copied into other platforms like Google Classroom. Video links can be found on your Account page (see link in Footer). Page URLs can’t be copied and pasted because they are behind the login wall.

ARE YOUR VIDEOS CLOSED CAPTIONED?

At this moment they are not closed-captioned. We do offer to provide transcripts of a video if that can be of help.  It is our intention to have all of our videos closed-captioned as soon as we can, since we appreciate how important this is.

CAN I DOWNLOAD THE VIDEOS?

No, you cannot.  The videos are our copyrighted content. Ours is a subscription-based website, which means you have unlimited access as long as the subscription is active.

HOW DO I CANCEL MY SUBSCRIPTION?

You can cancel your account at any time from your Account Page (see link in Footer area). After canceling, you’ll still be able to use your subscription until the expiry date. If it has already renewed you’ll need to contact us to make other arrangements.