Disney Imagination Campus Blog

At Disney Imagination Campus we recognize how important it is for teachers and students to celebrate learning in AND out of the formal classroom. Taking an end-of-the-year field trip can be a fantastic way to provide students with engaging learning experiences while also celebrating their educational achievements during the school year.

Here are 6 ideas to get started on planning a successful end-of-the-year trip:

1. Pick a Location that Engages Your Students’ Imaginations

When considering where to take your students for their end of the year trip, choose something that will engage your student’s creative thinking and exploration.

Give your students what they want – a fun and thrilling trip that brings them out of the classroom to experience new opportunities, but also matches certain learning requirements for your course.

Brainstorm ideas that will challenge student assumptions, encourage diversity of thought and hold interest and excitement.

2. Tie the Trip into Your Curriculum

To fit with district requirements, student trips may be regulated by certain learning objectives that must be met, however it is still possible to find a way to use these objectives creatively to stimulate student fun and imagination.

The best way to do this is through hands-on experiential learning opportunities. Bring the science to life by exploring physics principles in action at a working theme park. Explore storytelling by delving into a real story come to life through design and architecture. Showcase your student’s growth in the performing arts by attending a workshop led by one of the world’s leading entertainment companies.

These out of the box ideas will bring learning to life in a different way than that which is done in the classroom. 

3. Prepare Pre- and Post- Trip Activities

Choose learning activities that fit with the excitement of your field trip to add an additional level of discovery for your students.

One great way to do this is by creating kahoots that connect learning objectives to the fun of the field trip experience.

Kahoot! has a fantastic array of interactive quizzes that allow students to take part in game-based learning. Using Kahoot!, teachers can create their own kahoots or make use of the incredible database of kahoots made by other educational professionals to engage students and challenge them to consider classroom learning objectives in a new way.   

This is just one way teachers can create pre and post trip engagement that both excites and prepares students for their trip and also connects their experience back to what they learned in the classroom.

4. Incorporate Real-World Problem Solving

By taking learning outside the classroom, students will discover important life skills, such as real-world problem solving, that will be integral to their future careers. Too often students can become disengaged when they cannot see the payout or connection to how their lessons can apply in real life scenarios.  

Plan field trip experiences that challenge students to develop soft skills like teamwork, problem solving and critical thinking while experiencing new places and cultures.

5. Celebrate Your Students’ Accomplishments

Going on a field trip can be a fantastic way to celebrate students’ achievements.

If your performers had a remarkable year, celebrate their efforts with a culminating capstone performance at Walt Disney World.

Are your students graduating this year? Sign your class up for Grad Nite at Disneyland Resort.

No matter the reason to celebrate, students will appreciate the thought and effort put in to plan something special that provides a meaningful memory of their time in school.

6. Set Up for Success - Plan Ahead

When planning a student field trip activity, make sure to start planning well ahead of time, as there are always a lot of details to consider and execute. Planning a student trip is very different from planning a family vacation and it is important to make note of the unique steps that your student travel advisor recommends. Try making a to do list of items categorized in order of priority and urgency to check off as you go.

It is always best practice to give yourself several months to begin the planning process so that by the time the day of the trip arrives, everything will run smoothly and efficiently.

Ultimately, teachers are the guide to their students’ success. Take advantage of unique opportunities to bring your students into the real-world classroom where they can use their creativity, imagination and curiosity to reach their full potential. 

Interested in learning more about Disney Imagination Campus student group tickets for your next class trip to the Disney Parks? Check out our workshops in Arts & Humanities, Science & Technology, Leadership & Innovation and Performing Arts at our East Campus in Walt Disney World and our West Campus in Disneyland Resort for a discovery of real-world application of these concepts in our popular Parks and Resorts. Sign up for our e-newsletter to stay up to date on all things Disney Imagination Campus and explore all our academic workshops to see how we inspire imagination-powered learning.