Design Field Trips

A photograph of an adult and group of children sitting in a circle on the ground in the corner of a room doing an activity. Each child has a clipboard and pencil and are listening to the adult. The light-skinned adult has short brown hair, is holding a clipboard with a drawing of a house and is pointing. The wall behind them is bright blue.

Design field trips

Cooper Hewitt welcomes K-12 classes to experience design at the museum. Our Design Field Trips explore how design shapes and is shaped by our everyday lives. Students are guided by a Cooper Hewitt educator through discussions and activities in the museum’s exhibitions paired with a hands-on workshop that immerses students in the design making process.

Register Now

October through December field trip dates are now available. January through March dates will be released in late November.

If you would like to receive notification, please email tours@cooperhewitt.zendesk.com

For additional information, please visit our FAQs page or email us at tours@cooperhewitt.zendesk.com

A photograph of a group of children walking in a single file line behind an adult in a gallery space. The adult is standing at the front of the line and is facing the children. The adult and children are all carrying a clipboard and pencil. On the wall behind them there are a series of graphic posters that show the winner of the national high school design competition.

A photograph of a young dark-skinned child with braids, ties a piece of string onto a vertical wire attached to the wall. The wall has multiple pieces of red, blue, yellow, purple, and white coloured string tied to it. There is a larger dark-skinned hand next to the child’s, helping them tie the string.

A photograph of a light-skinned child with short straight black hair and purple rimmed glasses smiles enthusiastically holding up a drawing. In the drawing there is a purple and orange builds and a big yellow school bus. In the background there are more young children drawing.

A photograph of two children sitting on the floor. The child on the right is holding up a clipboard and pencil and is looking enthusiastically at the other child. On the wall behind them is a projection of multiple, scattered orange and purple squiggly lines.

A photograph of a group of teenagers in a gallery space, gathered around a small blue object filled with fishnet-like holes. They smile playfully while reaching out to touch it. In front of the group is a large object on a stand that is around the shape and size of a car tire. It has the same blue colour and holes as the smaller object.

A photograph of a group of teenagers doing a craft activity. A medium skin toned teenager with short black hair and wears a red sweatshirt and glasses is cutting a paper coffee filter. Craft materials are scattered around the table.

A photograph of a medium-dark skinned teenager wearing a black and orange baseball cap and sweatshirt who constructs something that looks like a desk lamp made out of paper cups, purple and yellow pipe cleaners, and pink paper.

FIELD TRIP TRACKS

Design Field Trips are tailored to meet the needs of students in every stage of their learning journey. Each track has been developed to meet national and New York State Standards.

Please note that exhibitions visited during the gallery portion of the tour will vary depending on the date of your visit and gallery availability. Please include requests to visit specific exhibitions in your field trip registration form.

DESIGN EXPLORERS (Grades K-2)
K-2 students will be introduced to design features such as color, shape, texture, and material. Students will learn to identify where they find design, understand why it’s important, and experience the design process as they create a pattern unique to them.

ARTS INTEGRATION: DESIGN AS STORYTELLING (Grades 3-12)
Students will identify key approaches designers use while visiting Design Across Time: Exploring the Smithsonian’s Design Collection and explore how design reflects the time and place in which it was made. Students will practice using design to shape a user experience, convey ideas and tell stories.

STEM PROTOTYPING (Grades 3-12)
Students will explore and analyze design solutions for functionality and sustainability, building connections to Next Generation Science Standards learning objectives. Working together, they will engage the design process of prototyping and practice communicating their ideas.

Check out our online resources

Explore current exhibitions, design activities you can use in the classroom, and more.

K-12 Classroom Resources →
Professional Development Resources →