Field Trips

Jump-start learning and spark creativity with a field trip to The Iowa Children’s Museum! Here you’ll find highly engaging exhibits that align with Iowa CORE Standards. Challenge your students to apply educational concepts in a context that promotes deep conceptual understanding and 21st-century skills.

Field trip enrichment experiences at The Iowa Children’s Museum add 28,000 square feet of active learning to your classroom. Schedule a visit for your classroom, child care center, or other organized group today!

Grades

Field trips are available for children in preschool through 6th grade. 

We recommend self-guided field trips for preschoolers, with the scavenger hunt add-on for Kindergarteners (and up). Focused field trips are a great option for children in kindergarten through 6th grade; see below for more information about focused field trips. 

Group Size

The minimum number of students for a self-guided field trip is 10 students.  Focused field trips are designed for 1-2 classes of students. For groups larger than 50 students, a self-guided field trip can be scheduled on a Monday (when the museum is closed to the public), or consider scheduling multiple trips.

Chaperones

Chaperones are required for all group visits and must remain with the group at all times. One adult is required for every five children. Chaperones must be at least 16 years of age. Teachers and chaperones receive free admission during field trips.

Cost

Self-Guided Field Trips: $4.00 per child for a standard 90-minute field trip or $4.50 per child to extend to a 2-hour field trip (we recommend 2 hours for the scavenger hunt add-on)

Focused Field Trips: $5.00 per child

Chaperones receive free admission. 

Robert E. Yager Student Enrichment Scholarship Fund: Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, The Iowa Children’s Museum is able to offer reduced rates for field trips. Rates are based on the number of students in your school or classroom enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program. This scholarship program is open to any school district and every class is eligible for funding. Funds are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. For details, email reservations@theicm.org.

The MoneyWorks Focused Field Trip is offered free of charge through the generous support of GreenState Credit Union. 

All pricing is for schools, childcare facilities, and nonprofit organizations. We do not offer reduced rates for other group visits. Museum memberships and coupons cannot be applied to field trips. 

 

Types

Self-Guided Field Trip:

After a brief orientation, your group is free to explore the museum’s exhibits at your own pace! Developmentally appropriate for children in preschool through sixth grade.

Scavenger Hunt Add-On: Add structure to your exploration of the entire museum with a hands-on scavenger hunt based on math, language arts, social studies, science, art, and drama activities. This option is available free of charge and is a great option for children in Kindergarten through sixth grade.

To request a self-guided field trip, click here.

Focused Field Trip:

Experience in-depth exploration of an exhibit, focusing on problem-solving challenges that target specific concepts. During the first ninety minutes of your visit, students will complete activities within the exhibit. The last thirty minutes allow for open exploration of the entire museum.

Focused Field Trips are aligned with the Iowa CORE standards. 

• CityWorks: Community in Action Role-play in a dynamic, child-sized town that includes a Grocery Store, Pizzeria, Hospital, Post Office, Art Studio, and more. As students explore the exhibits, they immerse themselves in problem-solving challenges that are interactive and engaging. CityWorks’ interdisciplinary experiences give children opportunities to apply and extend their skills in social studies, math, science, and language arts in the context of an exciting community that is just their size!

Developmentally appropriate for Kindergarten through 2nd grade students

• MoneyWorks: Fun in Finances This focused field trip takes place in the CityWorks gallery where students become wage earners and consumers and create a family budget based on their earnings and expenses. Spend! Save! Share! Discover the basic skills of money management in a town setting sized just for kids! MoneyWorks is designed to improve financial literacy and is offered free of charge through the generous support of GreenState Credit Union. 

Developmentally appropriate for 3rd through 6th grade students

• Take Flight: The Science of Aviation Science, technology, engineering, and math concepts are embedded in our aviation-themed learning environment that’s packed with hands-on fun! During this field trip, students learn about the forces of flight while testing their flying skills using the same flight simulators used by real pilots. They will also navigate air traffic in a two-story air traffic control tower and blast rockets 30 feet into the air! 

Developmentally appropriate for 1st through 6th grade students

• KinderTales: Storytelling Through Play Bring the magic of storytelling to life! Students learn the building blocks of a story, then explore the museum to gather ideas for their own story’s setting and characters. Using this inspiration, students work together to create a story of their own, helping them find their voice and explore the joys of storytelling.

Developmentally appropriate for Kindergarten through 1st grade students

 To request a focused field trip, click here.

 

Scheduling & Availability

Self-guided field trips are available 7 days a week. Focused field trips are only available on Mondays when the museum is closed to the public. 

Field trips are designed to be 90-120 minutes long. Due to scheduling considerations, The Iowa Children’s Museum is unable to extend your field trip if you arrive late. If you are more than 30 minutes late for a Focused Field Trip you will automatically be given an orientation and self-guided field trip in lieu of your focused experience.

Reservation requests are processed in the order they are received and the best dates and times are booked early. You must make your field trip reservation a minimum of three weeks in advance to guarantee your reservation. We recommend reaching out early in the school year for the best availability.

 

Lunch

Groups can purchase lunch in the Coral Ridge Mall Food Court or bring lunches to eat in the mall’s public space. Food may not be eaten in the museum.

 

Additional Support and Accommodations

We welcome children and adults with special health needs, disabilities, or who otherwise would benefit from accommodations to have a successful visit. Visit our Plan Your Visit page for more information and resources about how we make our space accessible, or contact Aimee at 319.625.6255 ext. 216 or reservations@theicm.org to ensure you have everything you need for a fun and successful visit!