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Travel far, while staying close to home



Virtual field trips for the family

Take a virtual field trip with the family


It is interesting indeed to consider the internet as we move further into Covid-19. Parents who once viewed it mainly as the thief of their children’s energy have likely changed their tune somewhat, if not a lot. Of course it remains a potentially destructive tool, the greatest time suck ever known, a galaxy of wonder alongside a swamp of awfulness, but without its positive attributes, how would so many kids have continued their education, albeit in fits and starts? And their teachers – how could they have kept doing their jobs? How could millions of folks (me included) continue to work, enjoy performed music (or, like me, perform it), and visit with friends and loved ones via Zoom, Google Hangout, et al? The mind reels.

Aside from standard education, during Covid-19, the internet has proven quite useful in other, pleasantly unexpected ways, like the virtual field trip. Writing for RealSimple.com, Lisa Milabrand points out some truly enriching and fun activities you can make part of your child’s school day, or, in fact, any day you would otherwise be going to a museum, or to see a natural wonder, or to a show.

READ MORE: Find lots more virtual fun with our virtual calendar

Milabrand even makes you realize the possible advantages of a virtual field trip over an old fashioned on-site one, pointing out that, post-Covid-19, some virtual alternatives will likely remain popular. As she puts it, “Pointing and clicking may not be quite the same thing as seeing and experiencing science, arts, culture, and history in person, but when your field trip can include viewing artwork from the Louvre in the morning and then heading out on a leopard safari in the afternoon, it might be a fair tradeoff.” Maybe.

The mother lode is the Google Arts and Culture section, from which you can tour the Paris Opera House, or the Discovery Space Shuttle, for starters. Interactive options are available via AirBnB and various theaters offer interactive tours. Those are just a handful of options.

It’s easy to loathe many aspects of the internet, but opportunities like this go a long way toward bringing some appreciation and gratitude into the equation. Now, parents can describe their relationship with the internet not as “love/hate” but “it’s complicated.”



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