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 in-person field trips explore how design shapes and is shaped by our everyday lives. Students are guided by a Cooper Hewitt educator through a tour of the museum’s exhibitions and collections, followed by a hands-on activity that immerses students in the design making process. Advanced registration is required for school groups visiting for educator-guided field trips. Availability is limited.

Register Now

If you would like to be contacted in the event of cancellations, please email tours@cooperhewitt.zendesk.com to be added to the fall DFT waitlist. Our team will reach out if November or December dates become available.

Spring 2025 registration will open in December. Please check back then to reserve a spring field trip.

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 children and an adult are gathered around doing a craft activity. There are materials scattered around the table such as pipe cleaners, paper coffee filters, and scissors. The dark-skinned adult is drawing and the kids in the middle designed something made of cardboard, pipe cleaners, and clear colored plastic.

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 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 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 BY GRADE

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 and is aligned with the Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education framework. To review each track in more detail, please read the overviews below:

Please note: The grade level for each track is a suggestion. We are happy to offer any of the three tracks to accommodate the specific needs of your class.

Track 1: Patterns, Places, and Spaces (Grades K-2)

How does design shape how we live at home and in our communities? In this in-person gallery and workshop experience, students will visit installations of domestic interiors on the first floor of Making Home—Smithsonian Design Triennial and explore how family, heritage, and the natural world can influence the spaces we call home. Students will also experiment with line, shape, and color to design a pattern inspired by their own community.

Track 2: Home Away from Home: Designing for School Communities (Grades 3-12)

During this in-person gallery and workshop experience, students will explore designers’ visions for community spaces and alternate models of housing that foster belonging in Making Home—Smithsonian Design Triennial. As architects for the day, students will use three-dimensional materials to tackle design challenges that address the question: How can we make school feel like a “home away from home?”

Track 3: “The Land that Feeds”: Building with Ecological Care (Grades 5-12)

How can we design homes in harmony with the environment? In this in-person gallery and workshop experience, students will explore installations in Making Home—Smithsonian Design Triennial that re-envision how we live by adopting sustainable, community-minded practices. One structure, a contemporary Hawaiian hale, or building, demonstrates how native builders and architects’ shared knowledge can support Hawaii’s ecological future. The design embodies ʻāina, a Native Hawaiian term for land meaning “that which feeds.” Inspired by the Triennial, students will think like architects and use prototyping materials to create model dwellings for specific ecosystems.

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 →