This evening we’re heading to Ibarra, located in the Imbabura Province, Northern Sierra of Ecuador.

I planned this trip having Otavalo and some small villages in mind, but just realized they’re celebrating their foundation these days and I prefer to stay away from the crowd and high prices.

So we’re going directly to Ibarra and then we’ll see.

So I’ll be reporting from Ibarra these days.

Leave you a picture I posted some months ago. This is a breastfeeding landmark in Ibarra city’s entrance.

A warm welcome for a nursing mother like me, don’t you think so?

Related posts:

1. Breastfeeding Landmark in Ibarra, Ecuador
2. The Happy Breasfeeder
3. A Few Shots From Ibarra

Fieldtrips are great for unschooling and homeschooling families to add some excitement and some real life learning experiences to the day. In fact our unschooling “curricula”, if any, is to have as much field trips as possible .

Fieldtrips are an excellent way to get out of the house, get some fresh air (not always true if you live in a polluted city, though), learn lots of new things, and interact with people of all ages and backgrounds. Here are some ideas for fieldtrips that could be adapted for kids of all ages:

Zoos, Wildlife Preserves, and National Parks – I’m not really into conventional Zoos, although there are many out there that work as animal shelters and are great places to visit with kids. Other great one-day-trip options are wildlife preserves and State Parks, which give children the opportunity to actually experience natural science first hand. If your city has a botanic garden, then write it down on your list of fieldtrip destinations. My little one loves to visit the Botanic Garden in Quito that we try to go at least once every two weeks.

Carlos at the Botanic Garden, in Quito

Farms – Children and adults can learn about farming and agriculture first hand by visiting local farms. Many organic farms provide an opportunity for tours or for you to pick your own produce. If you’re not sure where to go, just ask the vendors at the organic markets and they might have some options for you.

Art Galleries – Most galleries are fine to visit with kids, even if they aren’t particularly interested in art. Many even have exhibits that feature the work of child artists. What we usually do is to walk along the rooms stopping when there’s something that catches our attention. It’s fine to just enter, go thru the gallery rather quickly and leave. This is what we do when any of us is not showing interest in staying longer.

Art exhibit in the Historic Downtown of Quito

Museums – Children of all ages usually enjoy quick visits to museums. History museums give them a look into mysterious times long ago. What child can resist a dinosaur, caveman, or ancient Egyptian exhibit? Science museums usually give children an opportunity to learn about science by seeing different scientific principles in practice. These museums also have seasonal exhibits that are worth to keep in your schedule.

Long walks to wherever – When out of ideas, you can just pack your lunch and walk with a destination of your choice. It could be grandma’s house, a park or a new metro station. In fact some “field trips” have turned so accidentally when I’ve gone out of money for the bus or when we’ve just kept walking instead of waiting for the bus. My son always tells about the day when we walked from the church to our old house, stopping to buy some fruits and vegetables. It turned to be one of his favorite memories.

Field trips destinations are not easy to find. So grab a city or town map and plan your next outing!

Metropolitan Park in Quito

Related posts:

1. The ideal child friendly place
2. A Few Shots From Ibarra
3. Cows In Front Of My Window