This post is sponsored by Casa de Corazón
Preschool-Age Field Trips
Let’s adventure! It’s time to plan some field trips!
The Twin Cities metro area is filled with adventure for any age. For field trips for the preschool set, we love outdoor fun but with easy access to indoor spaces like restrooms. Also, room for creative fun is a must as well. With these criteria in mind, here is our list of five fun field trips to take with your preschool kids. For even more great ideas, check out all of our Go, See, Explore field trips!
Casa de Corazón
Casa de Corazón is a premier full-day preschool that emphasizes bilingual education, social responsibility, and environmental awareness. By enrolling your children in our full-day bilingual preschool, our team will ensure that your children will grow and learn in a setting that focuses on cultural appreciation as an integral part of preparation for kindergarten. From the moment you drop off your child in the morning to when you pick them up in the evening, they will enjoy a day filled with caring connections with their teachers in a safe environment for learning.
Preschool-Age Field Trips
Oliver Kelley Farm | 15788 Kelley Farm Rd, Elk River
For a step back in time in a peaceful location, look no further than Oliver Kelley Farm. We discovered this historic farm in Elk River at the end of last summer while exploring our Minnesota National History Society Membership. Our tour of this countryside oasis started with an invention by guides dressed in period clothing to come into the farmhouse and help with the morning’s chores. And just like that, my kids stepped out of the life they knew in the twentieth century and into working life on the farm in 1860. They mixed up bread, dug for potatoes, fed the oxen, and pumped water for drinking. It was a museum experience, unlike anything I have participated in before. It was as if we weren’t just visiting the farm, we were a part of it. We weren’t just learning, we were doing, and having fun all the way.
Hours:
Visit the website for updated seasonal hours.
Admission:
Adults $12
Children 5-17 $8
Children 4 and Under FREE
Minnesota National History Society Members FREE. MNHS membership is the best way to create your very own historic adventure. Members get the best deal in history with free general admission and discounts on events, purchases, and more at our 26 historic sites and museums for a full year.
Tamarack Nature Center | 5287 Otter Lake Road, White Bear Township
Tamarack Nature Center is a full center location with trails, guided wildflower walks, day camps, nature preschool, and a hands-on nature center with great opportunities to learn about the ecosystem of Minnesota. But Tamarack also recognizes the best way to explore nature is through play. This is what makes their Discovery Hollow Nature Play Area the greatest feature of the park.
Discovery Hollow has something for every explorer of every age. The architects can build their own fort inside the forest with logs and sticks. The archeologists can dig in the sand and look for treasure. The spelunkers can climb through caves or scale rocks taking in a stunning view of the park. Water explorers can splash and play in any of the gentle water features around the park, making it a great way to cool off on these warm summer days.
Don’t forget to pack snacks and a picnic lunch, a towel and change of clothes, and an imagination ready for fun and exploration.
Hours:
Tamarack Nature Center Building
Monday – Saturday: 9 am – 4 pm
Sunday: 12 pm – 4 pm
Holiday hours
The nature center building is closed during all Ramsey County holidays. Trails and Discovery Hollow remain open to the public.
Discovery Hollow Nature Play Area
Open daily: 9 am – dusk.
Garden
Opening in May. When open, the garden hours will be 9 am – 4 pm
Trails
Trails are open 5 am – 11 pm, daily.
Visit the Tamarack Nature Center website of Ramsey County for full details of free and fee-based activities as well as any changes to hours.
Spring Lake Park Reserve | 8395 127th Street East, Hastings, MN
On the hunt for a park that has something for everyone in your house? Spring Lake Park Reserve is an incredible park to check out with the whole family. There is biking, hiking, a playground, and a picnic area, plus an incredible view of the Mississippi River that will leave you speechless. This 1,200-acre park in Dakota County only 40 minutes outside of Minneapolis could keep you busy all day.
There are many hiking options for your family here. The most popular is the Schaar’s Bluff Trail. Start in the parking lot and take the short-paved section to the dirt trail located near the playground. This 2.1-mile loop winds along the bluffs and back to the parking lot again. For the best scenic view take the first gravel trail, before the picnic area for a hike of less than a mile. Having the playground right there is a great incentive to get those little feet moving along the trail!
Love to bike? The Mississippi River Regional Trail connects through the park. It’s only a 5-mile ride into Hastings, too, so you could add more to your adventure with the options in that charming town.
Hours: 5 am -10 pm daily
Admission: FREE
Historic Fort Snelling | 200 Tower Ave, St Paul
Between the Historic Fort Snelling museum site and the Fort Snelling State Park, you could spend an entire day, or more, exploring this part of the Twin Cities!
Start the adventure at the historic site and museum to learn stories of the military fort and its surrounding area home to a wide history. Daily admission includes access to the visitor center, landscape & overlooks, and historic fort where you can view demonstrations, take short tours, participate in activities, engage with staff, and explore over 10,000 years of history. When your kids get bored of all that learning (it happens, no matter how cultured we hope they will be) take a walk exploring the many trails on the grounds. Or bring your bike and take a path in either direction. You could even go as far as connecting with Minnehaha Falls Regional Park not far down the road.
This is another great place to bring a picnic and be prepared to be surprised around every corner!
For daily schedules and new events, check the website or ask a guide when you arrive. Everyone is always so helpful during our visits. This is also another great reminder to consider the Minnesota National History Society Membership. Multiple visits are always entertaining.
Hours: 10 am – 4 pm Wednesday through Sunday.
Admission:
Adults $12
Children 5-17 $8
Children 4 and Under FREE
Minnesota National History Society Members FREE. MNHS membership is the best way to create your very own historic adventure. Members get the best deal in history with free general admission and discounts on events, purchases, and more at our 26 historic sites and museums for a full year.
Richardson Nature Center | 8737 E Bush Lake Rd, Bloomington
We are big fans of Nature Centers around here and Richardson Nature Center is a favorite of our kids for field trips. Located just minutes off the busy Highway 494, Richardson Nature Center offers the peaceful escape from city life you seek in the summer, or any time of year for that matter.
There are hiking trails all around the grounds with shade to stay cool from the summer sun. Naturalists are on site to give ideas for your little explorers to hunt for on their walks. Trail guides and interpretive signs are available throughout the park. Your kids will love hunting for all sorts of animals and fun plant sightings. Be sure to ask about the exploration kits like bird-watching backpacks, pond exploration kits, bug kits, frog kits, and more!
But what we love the most about this is the nature center space inside. Besides having a space to use the bathroom and take a break from the heat, there is so much to see and do inside with nature too. The center features interactive exhibits, live animals, a meeting space, and a professional naturalist on staff. Upstairs, floor-to-ceiling windows offer views of backyard wildlife and an active bee hive. The center plans year-round activities for all ages so check their website for your next fun adventure!
Hours:
Mon–Sat, 9 AM–5 PM; Sun, 12–5 PM
Admission: FREE. Some activities and events involve admission fees. See the site for details.
