Montessori Going Outs: Elementary Field Trips

I think Maria Montessori was brilliant! As a scientist, she observed children and noticed that children aged 6-12 had a deep desire to learn about the world around them. In order to learn about the broader world, they have to leave the confines of their classrooms and their schools. Enter the Montessori concept of Going Outs.

What are Montessori Going Outs?

Elementary-aged children “go out” in small groups as an extension of their research and to gain experiences in the world outside the classroom. As a result, children develop independence, resourcefulness, and self-confidence through functioning capably in the larger world without adult intervention.

Going Outs take all kinds of forms. Children might walk to the local library to check out books that are not available at school. They might walk to the grocery story to pick up supplies for an art or cooking project. They might take the city bus to a new art exhibit that relates to something they are studying. A couple children might go to the pet store to purchase a pet that the class has been raising money for.

Detailed Example of a Montessori Going Out

Last week, I had the opportunity to chaperone Henry and his best friend on their very first Montessori Going Out. Henry and his best friend are both in 2nd grade. They decided that they wanted to learn more about war (while other children in the class were focusing on other things that were interesting to them).

So many skills are involved in planning a Going Out. First, there’s the science or social studies content that is typically associated with a Going Out. However, there is also an incredible amount of reading, writing, speaking, listening, planning, and problem-solving.

First, Henry and his friend did all of their research about war. Then they planned a trip to Camp Mabry, which is an old military base that still has an active museum.

They went on Google maps and figured out the bus route from school to the museum. They communicated with me as a chaperone—such as letting me know how much money I needed to bring for my bus fare.

On the day of our trip, we walked from our school to a nearby bus stop. It was an incredibly liberating experience to walk out of school while everyone else was still there!

We had to take three different buses (for a total of one hour) to get from the east side of Austin to the west side. It was such a profound experience to ride through our community on the city bus. We connected with so many different kinds of people—all doing different things and going different places in our city. The boys were responsible for figuring out where to get on and off the bus.

We thoroughly enjoyed walking around the military base and even found what felt like a secret pond! The boys climbed on tanks, tried on military clothing, and sat in old planes.

I felt such a deep appreciation that my child had the opportunity to venture beyond the school walls in order to extend his learning on a topic that matters to him. Hooray for Montessori Going Outs!

I look forward to continuing the concept on our upcoming Montessori vacation!