Orlando Field Trip Survival Guide: 10 Tips Every Parent Chaperone Should Know

Being a chaperone for your child’s school isn’t just an opportunity to be present in your child’s life. Your presence is a help to the teachers and student staff when kids are taken out of their school environment. It’s a serious job that shouldn’t be taken lightly, so we’ve prepared some tips to help make your field trip outing as a chaperone a fantastic (and safe) one.

After Orlando, there are plenty of fun things to do with kids, and that includes field trips. In this parents’ guide, we break down how to prepare for a field trip as a chaperone, what to pack in your little bag of chaperone tricks, and more.

In Case You’re Interested:

>> Super Fun Family Restaurants
>> Cheap Family Fun
>> Orlando Hotels with Waterparks

Tips for Field Trip Chaperones

Volunteer Approval Process

Before you even sign up to become a chaperone, OCPS requires that all potential volunteers and chaperones sign up online. Part of this process requires an in-depth application about any felonies or misdemeanors you may have, a bit about your background, and it does require a background check.

Once you pass your background check, you must review the online videos for training to familiarize yourself with handling emergencies on campus.

After you have gone through the formal requirements of becoming a chaperone, you can then apply for positions on the ADDitions portal, such as ‘school volunteer’ or ‘field trip chaperone’ and individually request to be a chaperone per event with the teacher directly.

Start your OCPS volunteering journey at: https://ocps.samaritan.com/

Do Your Homework Before Field Trip Day

Be plugged into the classroom Parent Square (the OCPS app for parent communication) and get familiar with the names and faces of the kids in your child’s class. Even if they don’t end up in your group, you will want to mentally keep tabs on everyone if you see a kid getting lost.

Find out what to wear from school staff, and plan for appropriate clothing for the event. For instance, a day of walking at the zoo will require some good shoes and nothing overly fancy. Visiting the Orlando Science Center is a dress comfortable day, with a light hoodie or sweater. A day at the theater would certainly suggest theater attire, like slacks for men and a casual dress or skirt for women.

In fact, many of the recent OCPS adventures have taken kids to places like Orlando Shakes and the Dr. Philips Center, both wonderful locations for a day to soak in some art and culture. Dress up and enjoy the opportunity to do something out of the norm during a school day!

Prepare a Bag of Tricks to Help You

This list should come from your personal experience with your own children – what do they beg for on weekend car rides? What time of day do they have a hankering for a snack? Understanding the temperaments of the age group is pivotal to success.

You don’t have to pack as much as our hurricane preparedness kits, but it’s a good idea to have the essentials on hand in case of just about anything that could happen.

Examples of great items for your purse or handbag include:

• Grocery bags (for anything and everything)
• A pen and notepad (easy entertainment for tic tac toe or pictionary on the bus)
• Bandaids
• Hand sanitizer
• LOTS of tissues or wet wipes
• Headache medicine (that one is just for you, parent! – you may need it by the end!)

Remember the goal is to keep kids safe and happy. Abide by some of our back to school germ buster tricks and you’ll be well prepared!

Get All “Extras” Approved by the Teacher or School First

Because of allergies, always get snacks approved in advance, and never leave a child out. Many school field trips come with included school lunches, but it’s always best to know the plan.

And think ahead about spending money. My kid loves to beg for things in gift shops, so have an answer well prepared in advance for that inevitable conversation with your group.

Get Your Group Communicating as a Team

Anticipate their needs from the moment you meet and address them both individually and as a group. Some questions to ask: does anyone here know what we’re doing today? Who is excited? What do you think we will learn today?

These questions will tell you quite a bit about your new group of kids – who is shy, who is excitable, and who may need extra attention.

Be prepared to tell them something cool about yourself (I work with Mickey Mouse! Or I go on adventures to Europe!), and then share the safety tips like:

• No running
• Stay together
• Pick a buddy and don’t lose them
• Explain to them when snack/meal time is 
• Explain venue formalities like quiet voices, don’t touch certain exhibits, etc

Gain trust and respect from the children so they are open with communicating to you if there are any issues or problems.

Before you embark on your adventure together, see if you can take a selfie of you with your group of kids, to help you bond with your group, and also in case you need help with your group.

If Someone Gets Lost…Seek Help Immediately

My mother loves sharing stories about when she used to chaperone for me, and one particular time she tells me it was she and another parent who was clearly in over his head, and he lost some of his kids at the zoo. He begged for her to help him find the kids, but she had her own group to deal with. So what do you do?

Well, she grabbed her group and made a fun game of it! Together they all scouted out and found the children, who luckily were not far away. But just like that – as a chaperone, panic can set in in an instant.

Don’t panic. Seek help. Consult that selfie you took!

What to Do When There’s a Grey Area

When there’s a grey area on what to do, like bathroom trips or having to separate from your group for whatever reason – seek the help of the teacher or staff.

In many cases it is against policy for chaperones to assist kids with sunblock, bug spray and other such skin care in Florida’s elements.

The bottom line here is, you don’t know what you don’t know about each kid’s temperament, allergies, or potential medical issues. So consult a teacher.

Bottom line – don’t be afraid to ask questions. Always consult the teacher.

Handling Emergencies with Confidence

For any level of medical need or emergency, the teacher needs to be informed right away. Get the teacher’s cell number for emergencies to text or call. 

Always ask before that school bus rolls out, “what would you like us to do during an emergency?”

Overall, chaperoning should be a fun experience, but one that must be well prepared for in advance. It’s not just a ‘take your parent to school day’ for your child; it’s a serious responsibility. Stay present and pleasant, be fun but firm, and keep safety a top priority for the entire day.