FIELD trips
Field Trips at the Cayton
Turn your school day into a one-of-a-kind experience! At the Cayton Children’s Museum, learning means connecting to the arts, the world, and most of all, to one another.
We offer field trips for students from infancy through 3rd grade from 10AM-12PM and 2PM-4PM. School visits to the museum extend classroom learning, provide foundational tools for success, and our guided field trips meet appropriate California Common Core standards, Visual and Performance Art standards, California Preschool Foundation standards and Next Generation Science standards.
The Details
Group leaders are provided with important logistical information prior to the visit.
All school groups require a ratio of 1 adult to 5 students (1:3 ratio for infant and toddler ages)
Educators may choose from engaging arts education experiences that weave together the Cayton’s signature blend of social-emotional learning and connection to community. Each activity is facilitated by museum staff and aligns with VAPA standards for California Common Core.
Why?
To experience the transformational and lifelong benefits of abundant, creative, and purposeful play. Supported by scientific research, we emphasize that play is vital for children's cognitive, emotional, and social development.
Who?
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Age Range: Infant to 3rd-grade students
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Group Size: Minimum of 10 students, Maximum of 80 students, 1 adult to 5 children ratio (Maximum of 20 students and 1:3 ratio for infant and toddler ages)
What?
Guided Field Trips Include:
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30-minute lesson featuring story time and a related process-based activity facilitated by a dedicated member of our museum team
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90 minutes of full museum playtime, including our art studio
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Available at 10AM and 2PM
When?
In-Person field trips are available during the school year from September to June, on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. You may select either a 10AM reservation or 2PM reservation.
Cost?
Guided Field Trips:
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Cost $14 per student
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Chaperones (up to 12 adults per 40 children) can attend at no cost
Title 1 School Field Trips:
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NO Cost for Title 1 schools
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Up to $400 travel stipend for qualifying transportation needs (while funds remain available)
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10AM reservation only
Open Field Trips:
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Cost $12 per student
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Chaperones (up to 12 adults per 40 children) can attend at no cost
Open Play Field Trips Include:
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30-minute lesson featuring story time and a related process-based activity facilitated by a dedicated member of our museum team
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90 minutes of full museum playtime, including our art studio
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Available at 2PM
A non-refundable deposit of 50% is required at the time of booking to secure a reservation.
Contact us for bookings and questions at
groups@caytonmuseum.org or call 424.416.2448.
The Options
The Cayton offers a variety of field trip lesson plans. Select the experience that best suits your classroom goals and grade level.
Field Trips Offere
Field Trips Offered
In-Person
PLAYDOUGH PLAYDATE | grades PK–K
Designed for special education schools and classrooms. Open to public and charter schools.
COMMUNITY CONSTRUCTION | grades PK–K
Students will explore the types of buildings that make up different communities. After comparing the designs of these everyday structures to those in popular artwork and architecture, students will use geometric shapes to design their own community building!
MINDFUL ART | grades PK K
Students will create an original abstract art piece expressing an emotion of their choosing. Through this exercise they will learn to define and practice mindfulness, receive an overview of the color theory and connecting color with emotions.
WHAT’S YOUR POWER | grades K-3
We all have the power to make the world a better place! By comparing superheroes to real-life heroes, students will explore what someone in their life has done to help their family, school, community or our planet. Students will then write letters or draw pictures for their favorite community hero!
MY COMMUNITY MAP | grades K-3
With this activity, students will learn how to build a better community by designing neighborhoods that serve the needs of their community through the use of various art materials and methods. By learning to identify a community’s essential needs, children can bring their newfound knowledge to make their neighborhood stronger.
PUZZLE ME THIS | grades K-3
What makes you unique? In this activity, students will make a puzzle using pieces created in shapes that best represents themselves. This project empowers students and builds their confidence as they identify qualities that make them unique.
Sensory Field Trips
We are excited to introduce Sensory Field Trips—a new pilot program designed for special education schools and classrooms.
These field trips are open to public schools, private schools, and organizations that serve children with sensory sensitivities and those who may benefit from a quieter and more secure environment. Sensory Field Trips are offered on Tuesdays when the museum is closed to the public to reduce noise and stimuli for a more comforting experience. Teachers can also choose from a variety of lesson plans so you can tailor the experience to your students’ needs.
When?
Field trips are offered from 10am–12pm on Tuesday, February 21 and Tuesday, May 9 2023
How?
Spots and availability are limited. We will do our best to accommodate all requests. Once we have reviewed your request, we will contact you to schedule your trip!
If you have questions, you can email us at groups@caytonmuseum.org or call 424.416.2448.
2023 Lesson Plans
MAKING SCENTSIBLE ART | grades PreK–3
(Olfactory)
Students learn that it can help to be nosy when they explore how their brains process smell through a fragrant art project. Using all-natural powders, children will concoct their own scented paints that they'll then use to create colorful masterpieces that make scents.
KEEPING IN TOUCH | grades K–3
(Tactile)
Unlike other museums, we encourage exploration through touch! Using different materials with a variety of textures, children will build their own engaging sensory boards and use adjectives to explain how the individual components feel.
HEAR COMES THE SOUND | grades K–3
(Auditory)
This is a welcome opportunity for students to sound off on listening. Meeting at the intersection of art and music, children are captivated as they draw how an array of nature sounds and different genres of music make them feel.
SEEING YOUR TRUE COLORS | grades 1–3
(Visual)
Students get to make a hue-ge splash with visually stimulating sensory bottles. Using vivid primary hues, children will identify both primary and secondary colors as they mix them in bottles. They'll also employ different tools like glowsticks and mini flashlights to explore the full spectrum of colors.
WE LIKE TO MOVE IT, MOVE IT | grades K–3
(Proprioception/Vestibular)
Here’s one for the movers and shakers! Students will focus on the different ways their bodies respond to activities that utilize a wide range of motion. From gentle yoga to an exhilarating obstacle course, children love to shake things up during this field trip.
Fine Print
Actual field trip schedules may vary depending on the arrival of groups. Los Angeles traffic is unpredictable! Please allow ample time for your drive to the museum. If you are late, we CANNOT extend your field trip time, and museum playtime may be shortened.
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Memberships, discounts and promotions do not apply to Field Trips
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NO REFUNDS will be granted for groups that cancel within two weeks of the scheduled visit
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NO REFUNDS will be granted for any child or adult chaperone that has prepaid, but does not attend on the day of visit
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Any excess funds that cannot be refunded will be considered a museum donation
Frequently Asked Questions
Check out the FAQ page HERE