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School Field Trip Safety on Farms

A school trip to a farm is a rare chance for children to see how food is grown. It also puts many young people near animals, water and equipment for a few hours.

What should teachers and farmers agree on first?

Before the day, the school and the farm should talk about the schedule, group size, supervision, accessibility, restrooms and emergency contacts. Share written expectations so everyone knows the plan.

Ask the school what its own field trip rules require, and ask the farm what its local rules and insurance require. Both vary.

Share a short contact sheet with the teacher, the lead chaperone and the farm host, with phone numbers and the farm address for emergencies.

• Group size and adult-to-child ratio
• Schedule and route
• Allergies and health needs
• Restrooms and hand washing
• Emergency contacts
• Share the plan with chaperones
• Confirm bus drop-off and pick-up
• Check accessibility needs
• Agree what happens in bad weather

How many adults and how should supervision work?

Use as many adult chaperones as your school policy requires, and more for young children. Each chaperone should have a small group and know the rules. Do a head count at the start, at each stop and at the end.

Brief chaperones before the tour so they know where children may go and what is off limits.

Make sure chaperones know they are responsible for watching children, not for taking photos or chatting. Ask phones to be put away during animal and equipment areas.

• Chaperones stay with their small group
• Head counts at every stop
• Phones put away near animals
• Report any injury to the lead immediately

How do you prepare children?

Teachers can talk beforehand about listening to guides, staying with the group, not running and not touching things without permission. Children should wear closed shoes and clothes suited to the weather.

Remind them that farms have working animals and machines, and that the guide decides where they go.

Practice a short signal, such as a raised hand or whistle, that means stop and look at the guide.

What about animals, hygiene and food?

Animal contact can pass germs to children, so use hand washing with soap and clean water after touching animals and before eating. Keep food and drinks away from animal areas. Ask your state health department or extension office about guidance for farm visits.

Plan for allergies and for children who may be more vulnerable to illness, and tell the farm ahead of time.

Provide handwashing stations with soap and water, since hand sanitizer is not a replacement where hands are dirty. Check your health department's guidance.

• Wash hands after animal contact
• Keep food and drinks away from animals
• Tell the farm about allergies in advance
• Avoid contact with animals that seem ill

How do you keep children away from machinery and storage?

Park machinery away from the tour and lock up tools, chemicals and keys. Never let children climb on or ride equipment unless the farm uses equipment suited to carrying passengers and a trained driver.

Do not allow children in grain storage, silos, manure storage or any confined space. The simplest prevention is to make them off limits.

Explain to older students why certain places are off limits, since they often take safety rules more seriously when they know the reason.

How should you plan for weather and emergencies?

Check the National Weather Service forecast and agree on a rain plan. Know where shelter is and how you will gather the group.

Keep first aid supplies and a charged phone with the leader, and share the farm address with the school. In a serious emergency, call 911.

Plan a quiet gathering spot where children can be counted and kept safe if the schedule changes suddenly.

• Check the forecast
• Agree on a rain plan
• Know where shelter is
• Share the farm address with the school

What happens afterward?

Gather feedback from teachers and farm staff. Note what worked, what confused children and what to change next time.

Programs such as the Progressive Agriculture Foundation and your extension office offer ideas for age-appropriate farm safety lessons.

Teachers can follow the trip with a classroom discussion about what children noticed about safety on the farm. Send a short thank-you note to the farm and chaperones, and share any safety observations so both sides can improve the next visit.

• Gather feedback from teachers and staff
• Note what to change
• Thank chaperones
• Update the plan for next time

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Farm Safety Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.