Generations Day Care Part Six: The Field Trip
The Battle Monument
Every Thursday we went on a field trip. Lunch at McDonald's, free movies at the theater, and when you live in Bennington, Vermont no summer camp or school year would be complete without a trip to the Bennington Battle Monument.
At the time we had a total of fifteen kids. This was into my second week and I couldn't drive and Sarah was the only one who owned a car. So the kids were divided into groups. Amanda went up on the first trip and I was left with the most well behaved ones while Amanda watched the kids at the Monument.
Back in the 1930s you would take 300 stairs all the way to the top. Back in 1999 when we arrived, we took an elevator where the monument curator gives you a brief history of the monument and the Battle Of Bennington, while also pointing out that we were going three hundred feet up.
At the top of the monument you can see for miles in all four directions. I pointed out the location of my house , which you could easily see at the time. Also, though it's since been removed, there was a penny that was stuck on a ledge near one of the windows on the sides and I happily pointed that out.
Once the novelty of the monument wore off we went outside and it was a typical field trip routine. We made sure everyone went to the bathroom and got drinks of water before we leave. This takes about half an hour because no one ever has to go to the bathroom until they are back in the car or until they are waiting for Sarah to come back for the next group.
While we all waited I showed the kids a cool trick where you keep your backs on the ground and put your feet up against the monument. This makes it feel like you are standing on a long brick road as you look up at the sky.
The kids took turns seeing if I could lift them off the ground and played Duck, Duck, Goose. I got to know the kid a little better and we all had our horizons broadened. After all, that's what field trips are for!
