THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THIS DOCUMENT: In this day and age of budget problems, school districts are cutting back on many programs, one of which is field trips. Why worry? There must be dozens of trips that can be made on the playground of your school. Let's look into activities that can be accomplished there. SOIL STUDIES: Have you ever seen a playground that isn't covered with dirt? Sift some soil, try seeing how porous it is, where do puddles collect after rain? etc. EXPLORE THE PLAYGROUND ON YOUR BACK: What do you hear and see and smell? Clouds, leaves, birds. EXPLORE THE PLAYGROUND ON YOUR STOMACH: Insects, grass, smells. PLANTS ALONG THE FENCE: There should be a wide variety of "weeds" and grass. Do they have flowers? Take them into school and "key" them out. In the fall you might get some seeds to germinate. Make a dried flower collection from your playground. INSECTS: Worms, ants, beetles, slugs. Maybe you can dig down about 12 inches in the corner of the yard. Sift through that soil. What insects can you find? What do they eat? EARTHWORMS: Keep a few in an aquarium. After you collect them watch their habits. Feed them lettuce, corn meal and grass. But...keep your worm farm slightly damp and be sure they have food. You can probably keep this going for a year or more. NATURE SCAVENGER HUNT: Hunt only those things you can return safely and not damage the environment. Examples: thorn, feather, nuts, etc. TREES: Measure them, feel them, make drawings, measure the shadows. Each of these things are only bare minimum ideas. They need to be expanded by you, the teacher, to fit your needs and your playground. The references listed are filled with these ideas and many more. Don't overlook your playground. It can be a most valuable and creative teaching tool. Let your imagination soar. REFERENCES: Cooper, Elizabeth, K., "Science in Your Own Backyard," Voyager Books, Harcourt, Brace and World, Inc., N.Y., 1958. Cornell, Joseph Bharat, "Sharing Nature With Children," Anande Publications, 1979. Gross, Phyllis and Esther P. Railton, "Teaching Science in an Outdoor Environment," Univ. of Cal. Press, 1972. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, "Examining Your Environment," Minneapolis, Minn., 1974; particularly "The Dandelion" and "Trees." (Author)