Traveling with a group of 10 to 20 high school students can be inspiring, rewarding and, no doubt, challenging! You’re a pro at keeping a classroom in line but what do you do when there are no chalkboards, period bells or even walls to keep everyone together? Let’s look at three ways to calm the chaotic side of travel and make group organization fun!
1. Punctuality Play
Lateness is an age-old problem in any school, and when you’re going through tours with various timing (not defined class periods), it’s tricky to get all kids marching to same drum. One way to establish rhythm is to gamify gatherings. Appoint fun leadership roles or intriguing prizes to the first at the breakfast table and the first back on the bus. This can be anything from winning a goodie bag related to the tour or getting to decide the group lunch spot. Ask your class to share their creative ideas!
2. String Together Fun
Ushering a group around on a walking tour or in a museum can be tricky. How do you keep everyone moving at the same pace together? Try planning a timed scavenger hunt with your tour director where students have about 10 minutes to check off each item on a list. That way, you can set a path around important stops while allowing independent exploration along the particular day’s tour or activity.
3. Responsibility Rules!
Assign cultural leaders for different events or on different days to plan the group activities. Either draw names and options randomly from a hat or have kids sign up for what they want—first come, first served. The student whose job it is to lead the day or activity will be more interested in creating a unique experience. And other students will aim to top the last. Just a little friendly competition to make every day on the tour a student-run victory.