Horses, Kohlrabi, Llamas… Oh My! Learning Comes Alive Outside the Studio
At Acton Academy Columbus, learning doesn’t live only inside a classroom—and it was never meant to.
Children are wired to explore, to move, to wonder, and to discover the world through real experiences. A worksheet can tell you what life was like in the 1800s—but walking through a historic farm, feeding the animals, touching the tools, and seeing real people keep old traditions alive? That leaves an imprint no textbook ever could.
This year, our learners have already stepped outside the studio walls and into the wider world—visiting homesteads, farms, festivals, forests, horses, and even a city-wide Halloween celebration. Each adventure has offered a new way to learn to think, do, and be.
Because at Acton, field trips aren’t “extra.” They are part of the journey.
✅ Why Learning Outside the Studio Matters
Traditional schooling often treats field trips like a rare treat—a reward, a break from “real learning.” But at Acton Academy Columbus, real learning isn’t limited by walls.
- They use their senses
- They ask their own questions
- They see real people doing real work
- They connect ideas learned in the studio to the real world
When a learner meets a farmer, a horse trainer, a beekeeper, a chef, or a historian, something shifts. Agency grows. Curiosity grows. Courage grows.
But What Makes Acton Field Trips Different?
We plan them as education—real, deep, meaningful education.
When we study agriculture, we go to farms. When we study community, we attend community events. When we study animals, we visit real caretakers.
Learners make connections because the field trip has purpose.
We don’t script what learners must memorize. We let them wonder:
- Why is the soil here darker?
- Why do llamas live with sheep?
- How do you know when apples are ready to pick?
- What did children do for fun in the 1800s?
- How do horses communicate?
Curiosity drives real learning.
Field trips ask learners to try new things:
- Talk to unfamiliar adults respectfully
- Ask questions
- Share space
- Practice safety
- Be responsible for their actions in public
It is real-world training for real-world life.
When Eagles explore the world together:
- Friendships deepen
- Conversations become more meaningful
- They help each other when someone is nervous or excited
- They feel proud of themselves
You can’t teach that from a desk.
Learning That Sticks
The best learning isn’t what comes up on a worksheet. It shows up in:
- ✅ A child who remembers how apple cider is made
- ✅ A learner who can explain the difference between straw and hay
- ✅ A student who now wants to work with animals
- ✅ A group of Eagles who thank farmers, volunteers, and guides without being asked
- ✅ A quiet child becoming brave enough to hold a chicken
- ✅ A learner who goes home talking about kohlrabi, llamas, pioneers, horses, and homesteads
These aren’t just memories. They are moments of transformation.
Field Trips Build Heroes
Our goal is not to raise children who only know facts. We are raising:
- Problem solvers
- Explorers
- Question askers
- Helpers
- Leaders
- Heroes
A Hero’s Journey cannot happen in a single room. It happens out in the world. And we are just getting started.
More adventures are coming—more farms, more history, more nature, more community experiences, more hands-on learning that makes education come alive.
Because at Acton Academy Columbus, learning is not confined to four walls. It’s in the soil, the forests, the animals, the festivals, the gardens, the people—and every corner of the world Eagles are brave enough to explore.
Field Trip #1: Slate Run Historical Farm
Growth + Discovery Studios
At Slate Run, history stopped being “something long ago” and instead became something our Eagles could touch and live. Learners explored a working 1880s homestead—meeting the animals, touring the farmhouse, and watching real farm tasks happen just as they were done generations ago.
- Feeding and brushing the animals
- Seeing antique tools used in daily chores
- Learning how food was grown, harvested, and stored
- Discovering what school and home life looked like in the 19th century
A field trip becomes powerful when a child whispers, “I wonder what it felt like to live like this?” That’s curiosity. That’s empathy. That’s education at its best.
Field Trip #2: Heritage Founders Festival – Homesteading Comes Alive
Hocking Hills – Growth + Discovery Studios
The Heritage Founders Festival gave our Eagles a chance to experience early American living in a way no book could replicate. Learners rotated through hands-on stations and workshops—meeting animals, exploring survival skills, learning about tools, and seeing what it took to live without modern conveniences.
It wasn’t a show. It was real people demonstrating real skills that kept communities alive long before grocery stores, plumbing, electricity, or machines.
Field Trip #3: Stratford Ecological Center
Growth + Discovery
At Stratford, learners walked barefoot in nature, explored vegetable gardens, pressed fresh apple cider, fed animals, and learned how a regenerative farm works. Our guides didn’t just lecture—they let the Eagles do.
One of the most beautiful moments: our guide Pauline stopped in the forest, handed out buckeyes from her own tree, and talked about gratitude—for sun, soil, seeds, rain, farmers, animals, and the delicate ecosystem that feeds us all.
Field Trip #4: Dublin Spooktacular
Growth + Discovery
Not every learning moment happens quietly. Some are loud, colorful, joyful, and full of celebration—and Spooktacular was exactly that. Community matters at Acton, and we want our Eagles to see how traditions bring neighborhoods together.
Field Trip #5: Duzan Riding Academy
To a 5- or 6-year-old, walking into a barn full of horses is like stepping into another world. They practiced gentleness and courage, asked questions, and connected with living creatures much larger than themselves.
Want to see learning beyond the classroom in action?
The best way to understand Acton Academy Columbus is to experience it. If you’re exploring whether Acton is the right fit for your family, we’d love to help you take the next step.