If you had been following my blog and our Facebook page Hands-on Parents while Earning, you’ll know that I like to prioritize going to field trips that are either free or easy on the budget.

This event that I will share with you is something that happens every year in July and is a good field trip for students, homeschooled or not. You can free tickets by registering to the link that they provide usually before the event. That’s what we did last year so we didn’t have to pay anything to enter and visit the exhibits.

We went to the National Science and Technology Week for the first time last year. It was held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. This year, 2019, they will still use the same venue. It will be open to the public from July 17 (12 NN to 6 PM) to July 18-21 (9:00 AM to 6:00 PM).

Let me share with you the things that I liked about this event and some tips to make your visit optimized.

What We Liked

FREE ENTRANCE – We have three kids. Entrance fees are practical considerations for the field trips that we plan. We usually go on field trips as a family; so, add two more people to the headcount. If, for example, the entrance fee per head to an event is P100, that would mean P500 right away for our family. So, I love that this field trip option is completely free!

LOTS OF EXHIBITS YOU CAN VISIT AND LEARN FROM – The World Trade Center is a huge venue. It was filled with booths that exhibited various things about science and technology. There is so much that you and your kids can see in one venue. So, there are many learning opportunities and discoveries that you can check out.

FREEBIES – Your kids can get some freebies in some booths. My kids enjoyed going around from one booth to another not only because of what they can see or experience but also because of the freebies. Some booths require the kids to do something and after the task or activity, they get a freebie. Most freebies are in the form of sweet treats.

TIPS

Pre-register for the event through this link.

Come after lunch. There are a few booths where you can buy food. But, if you want to save, I highly suggest that you just eat an early lunch at home before going to the event. At least, when you and your kids go hungry, you just need to buy food for snacks.

Bring your own water bottles. You can buy water at some stores or booths in the venue but that would be an extra expense on your part and that would mean buying water in plastic bottles. To prevent this, I highly recommend that you pack a reusable water bottle for each child and adult companion. It’s both budget-friendly and eco-friendly!

Bring extra money for food and other products that are sold at a discount. Bring cash. Most of those that sell products only accept cash. There was a booth that showcased rice products and they sold rice at discounted prices. We seized the opportunity to buy from them before going home.

Check the schedule of activities, the exhibitors and the layout of the venue. As I have mentioned, the venue is huge. It can be tiring for little children to go around it in one day or one half day. It can be tiring even for some adults. So, if you can check the booths first based on the list and layout, that would help you plan your route inside, especially if you have limited time or in a hurry.

Don’t hesitate to ask questions. – Some of the people who man the booths are not proactive or seem to be shy. Encourage your kids to ask questions if they do not understand or know what the booth is about. There are many labels in the displays but younger kids may not know how to read yet or cannot grasp the explanation on the labels. So, it is best to ask questions to the exhibitors.

Encourage the kids to try to experience the activities in some of the booths. Don’t just look and read labels. Make your visit as experiential as possible. That way, the kids will remember more about the things that they saw in the event.

It was a rainy day when we went last year. But I was glad that we did because it was worth it considering that it was free. So, if you have not been to the National Science and Technology Week before, I suggest that you register soon to secure your free tickets. And if you can, bring some packed snacks and water with you plus some extra cash.