Why excursions matter plus tips for how to make them a reality

While excursions take a little bit of effort, they can be a deeply enriching experience for children and can yield unexpected results for all involved, including community. We recently discovered this when we took our 2- to 3-year-olds on excursions to a local café and the library—incorporating plenty of pre and post dramatic play, music and laughter. 

These recent outings were inspired by a visit last year to the community art hub Outback Arts to see our very own artwork. Our entry ‘Recycled Rainbows’ won a prize in the Waste 2 Art competition and it was a thrill to be involved in something so meaningful and collaborative. We extended this by including a project in Nature Week at the Coonamble Show and decided to continue community connections through in-room activities and excursions. 

Excursions provide children with opportunities to expand their world, foster curiosity and creativity, and strengthen their cognitive development. By venturing beyond Coonamble Children’s Services, the children have been able to extend their interests and build their confidence. They have engaged their senses through hands-on experiences, building social skills by interacting with peers and community members. 

By visiting local businesses, children learn about the roles different people play in society and how to be respectful. At the same time, we have found members of the community enjoyed interacting with children and seeing them as integral members of society. 

Library staff, for example, said that the number of children coming through the door had reduced since COVID and it felt rewarding to share one of their core goals; the love of reading, with children. Equally, the family-run café we visited were very excited to welcome the children, allowing them to explore their workplace and learn. 

We have also found excursions to strengthen the bonds and relationships between families and the community. Parents said they felt energised after the excursions, knowing their children had been gaining some real-world experiences and life skills, mixing with people in their neighbourhood. 

Educators also develop a deeper appreciation for their local environment and the people who live there. This extends to more connections with community and more resources to foster future learning experiences. 

A morning at the library 

Our excursion to the library commenced with a trip on the bus. Some children were a bit nervous about getting on the bus so we reassured them and sang ‘The Wheels on the Bus’ to lighten their spirits. The bus company suggested exploring the town, which was a great idea. We allowed time to go to the bus depot and even saw a plane getting ready to take off. We’re lucky to have people in town with horses and sheep, which the children loved, and we also saw some farming machinery.  

We’d been learning about farming with a dramatic play farm shop in the Red Room, also reading books and singing songs, so it was great for the children to extend their interests. We had been painting farm animal figurines and doing a collage with a farm theme. 

It all tied in nicely with the librarian reading the big books ‘Cows in the Kitchen’ and ‘Old MacDonald’, which we were allowed to borrow and read again later, reinforcing the children’s learning through even more dramatic play. At the library, the children also played with toys and explored the sensory wall and did colouring-in, all supplied by the library.   

Walking trip to the cafe 

Our first walking excursion was to a local café owned by one of the families. It was prompted by a little boy who was a bit nervous when he started and he would often talk about his mum who worked in a café. We started making pretend coffees as a way to calm him down and then decided to extend his interest to the café itself. 

We’d also been learning about zoo animals and linked into that theme on the excursion. We sang ‘We are Going to the Zoo’ and played a zoo themed tap-in-the-box. We enjoyed a milkshake and biscuit and had a musical instruments session and a ribbon stick dance. Thankfully we had a private room so we didn’t disturb the other customers! 

On our way home we stopped in at a local grocery store, where the manager offered us a ‘red frog recharge’. We walked the final stretch singing ‘The Ants Go Marching’. Back at the Red Room, everyone ate lunch and went to sleep very quickly! 

These two excursions have provided us all some lasting memories and I’m looking forward to preparing for some more outings during 2025. I have found that by venturing beyond the service, we not only enrich learning, but foster stronger community bonds, and children’s growth, confidence and connection. The positives abound! 

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Helpful tips for excursions - by CELA

PLANNING: 

1. Written authorisation: Obtain permission forms from the parents and guardians of children attending the excursion. Provide details to parents about the proposed activities, a map of the route and what children need to bring. (Note that for regular outings, authorisation is only required once in a 12-month period.) 

2. Risk assessment: Do a risk assessment to identify and manage potential risks. Consider location, transport, safe drop-off and pick-up spots, the proposed route and requirements for seatbelts. More information on risk assessments can be found here: Compliance focus – preparing for excursions  

3. Volunteers: Ensure all family members and volunteers attending the excursion have an up-to-date Working with Children Check. Also ensure they are not left alone with any child or group of children and that they are informed of any risks identified. 

4. Transportation: Children can only leave the service premises if transported by the service or if transportation is arranged by the service.

5. Ratios: Consider the staff to child ratio and ensure you have enough staff members. 

6. Do a practice: Map out and physically walk through the excursion and proposed activities beforehand, so you know what to expect, the amount of time needed and identify any potential risks or challenges.  

7. First aid and equipment: Cross-check all required equipment for the excursion eg. first aid kit, personal medication, medical management plans, mobile phone, emergency contact lists. Identify a person with first aid qualifications. 

8. Prepare the children: Discuss the excursion in advance and consider putting up a visual board. Children not going on the excursion will also feel included. 

ON THE DAY: 

1. Check attendance records at set times throughout the day eg. before you leave the service, on the bus, on arrival, before you leave, before bus leaves, upon return to the service. Add times to the record and keep on file. 

2. Use tools like rainbow rings or holding hands to keep the group together during walking excursions. Practice this beforehand. 

3. Be flexible on the day. Things may not go exactly as planned, so be prepared to adapt as needed. Make observations and take notes. 

4. Take lots of photos, make observations and take notes. 

5. Debrief with the children after the excursion. Discuss their favourite parts and what they learned. Share your observations with families and use for future planning. 

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

• The excursion's purpose should be clear and support the educational program. 

• The service should consider the time away from the service, access to safe drinking water, and health and hygiene practices. 

• The service should also consider the accessibility for all children, transportation, cost, and weather.

Further reading  

Coonamble Children’s Services: From loose parts play to a recycled art prize 

How to make spontaneous outings a reality 

Belonging to the wider world: Excursions by bus and train to the city and more 

Helpful CELA resources

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Authorisation form for excursions: 

https://www.cela.org.au/publications/member-resources/forms/authorisation-form-for-excursions 

Sample policy on excursions: 

https://www.cela.org.au/publications/member-resources/sample-required-policies/excursions