Field Trip Fun

I tell you, the children in Teddy's kindergarten class are some of the luckiest kindergarten students ever. They have been on a whopping six field trips this year, all with educational value tied to their curriculum, but field trips are field trips. They are fun, exciting and great opportunities to learn and make memories with your friends outside of the classroom. And Teddy has been included on every single field trip. 

The last one I attended was to Culver's, where Teddy loved the ice cream and french fries and did fairly well during the tour. Of course, he loved the bus outside in the parking lot more than sitting still, so much so that my arms were sore the next day from wrangling him. Still, he had a great time and managed really pretty well during the tour itself.

I think his dream field trip would be riding a bus to tour the bus company.

The most recent, though, neither Dave nor I could chaperone because it fell the week we're leaving for vacation. So, we couldn't arrange our work schedules to make it work, and quite honestly, the thought of keeping Teddy in a seat for a play wasn't too appealing. 

The day before the field trip, we got an e-mail from the kindergarten teacher that there were enough staff to accompany Teddy. All we had to do was send in the permission slip and the money for the ticket, and Teddy was able to go, just like every other parent.

First, how awesome that Teddy's teacher and kindergarten teacher didn't just accept that Teddy couldn't go because we couldn't chaperone to support him! Second, Teddy got to go along on this field trip, made it through 20 minutes in the theater before heading to the lobby and had a great time with his para-professional. She got to witness his sheer joy to ride the bus. Seriously, that boy jumps for joy each time he gets to ride the bus.

Look at his happiness to be included!

Second, I love the experiences not only for Teddy but also for his classmates. When we went to Culvers, all the kids were excited to have Teddy join them, with a chorus of, "Hi Teddy!" and "Teddy's coming with us!" There was also one girl who reached for Teddy and held his hands for portions of the tour and patted his arm as they learned all about Culvers. For a parent, that acceptance is priceless. 

We couldn't be happier with how Teddy's been included in the kindergarten class, particularly with the field trips. The dynamics of Teddy's regular classroom changed this spring, so that his teacher and para-professionals have more time to spend with each child. That means more educational opportunities and more inclusion, which benefits everyone.