Are you chaperoning a school field trip? Taking a group of kids on an outing? Hosting a Birthday party? Or just traveling with a large family? These are the tips you need to survive Group Trips when you’re outnumbered!

We’ve got you covered with our best tips for… Keeping everyone together. Keeping everyone Safe. Making sure you can easily spot your kids in a crowd. Tips for keeping everyone on good behavior. Just to name a few!

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Tips for Group Trips

What can you do to keep the stress level down and the enjoyment up when you’re outnumbered on group trips?

These are some tips for keeping everyone together, on their best behavior, and safe!

Keeping your eye on everyone

The thing that can be the most nerve wracking with large groups of kids is watching everyone and keeping them together.

Field trips make me so nervous for this reason!

When you’re responsible for more little people than you can hang onto, you have to make it easier on yourself to spot them all quickly and keep them together.

Matching Clothing

Having something that will allow you to scan and recognize your group quickly is so helpful!

I’ve chaperoned a few field trips, but when I decided to go on the trip to the zoo I was nervous! Rightfully so, too, because it was so crowded!

The night before the field trip, I ran over to the Dollar Tree and got half a dozen red hats. When we got to the zoo and saw about 20 other buses there, I put a hat on each kiddo’s head.

Lifesaver!

There are so many things you could do to spot your group quickly

• colored shirts
• Neon anything!
• Glow bracelets or necklaces
• hair bows for girls
• bandannas or ribbon on backpacks

Helpful things to have on group trips

Snacks

Nothing is worse than hungry kids. Hungry kids are cranky kids.

Keeping plenty of easy snacks on you to head off those moments is so helpful!

If it’s a group field trip, this can be difficult. You don’t want to feed the kiddos your own snacks in case of allergies. However, in my experience, many teachers provide snacks for longer trips.

If you have a bunch of kiddos who aren’t your own, make sure to discuss snack options with parents or have the kiddos bring 2-3 snacks of their own.

If you have a kiddo with allergies, these Allergy Alert Labels or Allergy Stickers are a great thing to have!

However, if you’re on a trip with your own kids, I say bring all the snacks!

• granola bars
• fruits like apples, oranges, and bananas are easy to throw in a backpack
• pretzels or crackers
• applesauce
• string cheese, veggies and dip, or beef sticks if you have a cooler
• fruit snacks
• water or juice

First Aid

You’ve always got to be prepared. You never know what may happen.

There are so many handy small first aid kits you can pick up. They’re so easy!

If you don’t have time to get a small first aid kit, grab a few items from home. Add some band-aids, hand sanitizer, and tissue to a small back. That should pretty much get you through most common incidents.

Tissues / Wipes

Never underestimate the importance of having tissues!

I chaperoned a PreK trip to the nature center in the fall and forgot tissues. Never again! It was a scramble to find a tissue for one of the little ones, and it was not pretty!

This is why I say it’s important to have tissues AND wipes. If you need to help a kiddo use a tissue, or if you’re not fast enough, you will definitely wish for a wipe.

Wipes are just smart to have anytime. It’s amazing how quickly kids can get sticky or filthy.

Keep the group interested and on their best behavior

It’s also helpful if you have little ways to keep the group together and interested in what you’re doing.

Large groups of kiddos can easily get side tracked or wind each other up.

There are a couple things you can do to keep everyone on their best behavior.

• Easy rewards for good behavior – something simple like small stickers
• Take small breaks for food or drink
• Play a quick and easy game
  • Rock, paper, scissors for where to go next
  • I Spy
  • Do a marching chant

 

 

Safety on Group Trips

The most important thing to consider on group trips – especially when you’re outnumbered by kiddos – is safety!

Makes sure to talk about strangers, what to do if they get lost, staying together, etc…

We’ve given some tips for staying together, but sometimes thing happen.

Safety Bracelets

I couldn’t believe it when I came across these custom safety bracelets from Mabel’s Labels! They are the smartest thing ever! It couldn’t be easier.

You can get bracelets – like the ones for admission to fairs, concerts, etc. – printed up with emergency contacts.

You could order some specifically for one particular outing, or you could have some on hand for all of your group trips.

These also made our list for 7 Overlooked Items to Pack for Disney. We love them!

 

Do you have a group trip coming up?

How many kiddos have you had to keep track of at one time and where did you go?

 

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