France has been recognised worldwide for its rich culture, exciting cuisine, and fascinating history, making it a popular destination for secondary/primary school residential trips.
Whether you’re an educator or an educational coordinator planning a residential school trip to France, you’ll want to ensure that whichever destination you pick enables you to create an itinerary packed with fun-filled educational activities and impactful experiences.
To help you get started, we’ve outlined several ideas you can use to plan an educational, fun residential trip to France for you and your pupils. From planning outdoor activities and connecting with local communities to visiting iconic landmarks and developing language skills, we outline several options to suit various learning objectives and interests – keep reading to find out more.
Keep The Kids Active
Young children and adolescents need to get around sixty minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily (even if they’re across the sea!). While walking around and taking in France’s historical landmarks will keep them mildly active, your itinerary should include moderate-intensity physical activity so your pupils can burn off all that extra energy.
And since your destination is France – home to the iconic Alps and Pyrenees – why not take them skiing? France is proud to house some of Europe’s most popular winter resorts and skiing schools with hundreds of kilometres of slopes for skiers of all abilities, some offering residential school trips like PGL.
To learn more about skiing/snowboarding residential school trips (or the other school trips they offer in France), consider visiting their website to browse their different locations, read testimonials from other schools, and take advantage of their helpful resources. Or contact them directly and see how they could help you plan a fun (yet educational!) residential trip to France.
Take In The Art/Culture
Part of the reason that France has become such a popular destination for secondary/primary schools in the UK is due to its vibrant art scene and fascinating culture. Therefore, whilst visiting, you want to ensure that you squeeze as many opportunities for your students to develop their knowledge of other cultures as much as possible.
Fortunately, whether you’ve journeyed to the romantic streets of Paris or the touristy valleys of the aptly named Loire Valley, there are tons of museums, iconic sights etc., to pick and choose from.
Whether you dedicate a day to exploring France’s most-loved tourist destinations, such as The Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame Cathedral, or opt to explore the historic architecture and stunning boulevards that have creatives have drawn inspiration from for years – France has hundreds of art/culture opportunities for students.
Explore France’s History
After you and your students have each gotten your fill of Frances’ art/culture scene, next on your itinerary should be exploring the country’s rich history. No matter which region of France you and your pupils find yourselves in, there is something different for eager historians to sink their teeth into.
While the region of Normandy is arguably one of the most historically-rich areas of France since it was most notably the setting of World War II, also known as the Normandy Landings or D-Day, however, if Normandy isn’t on your school’s travel list, many destinations have equally interesting historical moments. From the fashion roots in Paris to the fortified hilltop position of Languedoc, there are hundreds of historical places in France for you and your students to explore.