School Field Trip to Plymouth

One of the highlights of this school year was The Boy's trip to Plimoth Patuxet. This field trip is almost like a rule for children who live in eastern Massachusetts. My first time going to Plymouth was when I was in the third grade, just like The Boy is in this year.

There were preparations to attend to leading up to the big day. Students wear the same shirt so no one gets lost if something distracts them and they stop walking while the rest of the group proceeds. I felt I should have the same shirt as The Boy so we could be field trip bros on this special day. He wasn't as excited about this idea as I was. We both had yellow shirts. Wife surprised me by designing my shirt so it had the same logo as The Boy. Now we were really bros. The Boy still wasn't impressed.

The Day of the Field Trip

The big day had finally arrived. I was ready. The boy was ready but he wasn't as excited as I was. I had been looking forward to this. The Oppressed wasn't able to go when she was in the third grade due to Coronapalooza. Not to worry, though. She has had plenty of opportunities to go without a school field trip.

Parents don't travel on the bus with the teachers and the children. The reason for this is because the school is so grateful for us taking care of them on the trip, they want to give us a little break before we have to deal with them running around open spaces and having us make sure everyone goes back to the meeting place alive and in one piece. Officially, I was responsible for my son and one other child. In reality, all the adults knew as soon as we get to a site, children, especially the boys, will all be running around the place bumping into each other.

Inside Plimoth Patuxet

Children trying out a wetu
in the Wampanoag village.

We get to the site and begin our day at the Wampanoag village. My group and I step inside a wetu where a Wampanoag is working on his daily chores. He takes some time to speak to us about the tribe that lived many years ago and what the responsibilities were for both adult and children. Stepping outside the wetu, we see a long boat that looks like it could hold all of the visiting third graders. It was that long. We are told it is called a mishoon. A mishoon is made by setting fire to a fallen tree and then carving out the inside. The children were excited to see a completed boat. I think they were excited because the work had already been done.

There were other things the tribe showed us. We learned how they grew their crops and stored their food during the winter. The Wampanoags showed the Pilgrims the best method of farming and how to trap animals. The meat kept them fed. The fur got them money. Bones were used for jewelry and tools.

The Puritan Village

From the Wampanoag village, we went to the plantation where the Puritans (Pilgrims) lived in small houses with just enough space to cook, eat, and sleep. The boys are thrilled to see the open fields and are able to run around and tackle each other. This is where I remind The Boy that we are in public. We have one rule when we are in public: Act normal. I also tell my son that animals like the wide open spaces because that is where they can relieve themselves. The Boy immediately stops what he is doing, looks at me, looks around to make sure there are no droppings and goes back to the rugby-style antics. It doesn't matter that we are technically in someone's backyard.

Once the boys have seemed to gotten the excess energy out of their system, we walk up and down the road, checking the houses and how they are similar to and different from the rest of the houses "built by the Pilgrims".

Pilgrims fire their muskets much to the
 delight of the covered ears you see on the left.

A Pilgrim was making his way down the road just as the boys had finished their wrestling. His name was Goodman Jones. He stopped and talked with the boys and their chaperones. Goodman Jones was very nice and very patient with all of our questions. The boys' favorite part of the talk was when they learned the local militia would be drilling soon. Minutes later, a small group of men bearing muskets marched down the road. Children scurried for the best spot to watch the men march, keep formation, load their weapons, and finally fire the weapons. The discharge of the muskets caused excited shrieks and cheering from the third graders who wanted to see them do it again. The Puritans and the 21st-century adults had to explain that the limited gunpowder had to be saved for hunting and, God forbid, a skirmish.

I take my time looking at the houses on the site. I recently read a book about a 17th century brick maker, so I'm paying extra attention to the fireplaces in the home. The boy finds me in one of the houses and informs me he has looked at all of the houses and is ready to go to the museum. He and his friend drag me out of the house and we make our way to the museum where we look at artifacts from when people lived in the 1600's with no electricity or running water or Wi-fi.

Pilgrims gathering outside a home.

The End of Our Day 

It is now time to meet at the designated spot where the chaperones say goodbye to the children. The teachers thank us for volunteering our time. I try to give The Boy a hug, but he's with his friends so that's a "NO!" I return to my car and eat my lunch. After lunch, I start up my car and begin the drive back to school to pick up my bro and ask if he had fun. He had fun with his friends, now he wants to get home so he can meet his friend at the bus stop.

Until next time...