FIELD TRIPS at MoChiMu

“Play is the highest form of research.”
– Albert Einstein

Modesto Children’s Museum is the ultimate laboratory of play! Here, your learners can climb to new heights; explore color, sound, and light, experiment with new processes; discover skills and interests they never imagined; test their creativity, cooperation, and critical thinking, and become the heroes of their own stories!

HOW TO BOOK

Field Trips for the 2024/2025 School Year are now available! Call MoChiMu’s School Program’s Coordinator, Candy, at (209) 232-6060 ex. 104 or email cjara@modestochildrensmuseum.org to book for this school year!

October 9 update: Many morning slots in the Spring are full! Before calling, please prepare your availability for dates in October, November, or December, or consider coming for an afternoon visit (arriving around noon) in the spring. Sign up for our Educator E-News to be the first to book for next year!

FIELD TRIP BASICS

  • Group admission is $15 per person (including students, teachers, and chaperones) and provides admission, a group welcome and orientation, specialized Maker Lab staffing, and an organized goodbye experience.

  • For the 2024/2025 school year, we are excited to offer a discounted chaperone rate to groups achieving a 1:3 adult-to-student ratio or better on the day of their visit.

  • We require a 1:5 adult-to-student ratio at minimum (i.e. 62 students require at least 13 adults); chaperones are not just “general supervision” – they are the leaders of small groups who explore the museum together. Chaperones must stay engaged, stay together with their groups, and model constructive play for students.

  • A Field Trip visit is scheduled for about two hours – either morning (arriving around 9 AM, departing no later than 11:15) or afternoon (arriving no earlier than noon, departing around 2 PM).

DEPOSIT INFORMATION

A 50% deposit based on your estimated attendance (children + minimum 1:5 ratio adults) is required within one week of securing your date in order to hold and confirm your spot for this spring. To submit your deposit, you can either:

  1. To pay with a credit card: Call our Director of Administration, Allie, at 209-232-6060 ex. 201 during regular business hours (M-F, 9AM - 5PM).

  2. To pay with a check: Send a check made out to Modesto Children’s Museum to MoChiMu, Attn: Allie Schubert, 928 11th St. Modesto CA 95354. Please include your school’s visit date on the memo line.

  3. If you require an official written estimate in order to pay the deposit: Reach out to Allie (209-232-6060 ex. 201, or aschubert@modestochildrensmuseum.org)

Two weeks prior to your confirmed visit, you’ll receive a call from MoChiMu’s Education Team to discuss details for the day! We look forward to seeing you soon!

FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS

  • A Field Trip visit lasts approximately two hours. We will be in touch to discuss details of the day two weeks prior to your visit, but in general, a typical Field Trip includes a structured Welcome and Goodbye with small group, chaperone-led exploration of the museum as the primary feature!

  • Group admission is $15 per person (including students, teachers, and chaperones).

  • Our maximum group size is 96 total attendees (80 students + 16 chaperones to remain in our 1:5 ratio). Larger groups will need to book more than one visit (either on different days or morning / afternoon groups) as needed.

  • We will require a 1:5 adult to student ratio. For example, a class of 30 would require at least 6 adults (teachers, paraprofessionals, and adult volunteer chaperones); a group of 60 students would require 12 adults, and so on.

  • Due to the special circumstances and additional experiences offered for Field Trip groups, we have just one Group Visitor rate of $15 per person. As a non-profit, MoChiMu does not currently have a scholarship fund to underwrite Field Trip access. We recommend that you reach out to local business leaders or community groups to seek community-based support for a Field Trip!

  • This is the reason we require a 50% deposit based on the attendance you estimate and ask that you please do not pay in full until the day of your field trip when your numbers are finalized! However, if you pay in full and then require a refund, you must request that refund be processed by calling our Director of Administration at 209-232-6060 ex. 201 within two weeks (14 days) of your Field Trip.