The Field Trip

I helped chaperone a field trip for my ds' class on Tuesday. Remember when field trips were to the planetarium, the Coca Cola plant, the ice cream plant, or the zoo? This trip, and the only one allowed this year due to budget cuts, was to a nearby town that had not one but three rooms of animatronic figures all decked in various Christmas scenes. There was a creepiness to it I cannot even begin to explain. It was raining, so to add to the fun, the children were encouraged to ride the little train around the town square and also ride the carousel. Everyone was SOAKED! Of course, my son loved the moving figures, riding around in the rain, and just being out of class for the day. So, I guess as long as he had fun that is all that matters. Still, I wonder what happened to the idea that kids should LEARN something during these trips?