Virtual Field Trips to Colombia
Colombia is a hidden gem people often overlook, but it’s a country with so much to offer. And whittling down my list of virtual field trips to Colombia was tough -there’s a lot to see!
Keep in mind some of these virtual field trips to Colombia are meant for adults, but I’ve included them on the list because they are interesting and mesmerizing enough that, depending on the interests of your kids or class, they will absolutely find some value in it.
Lastly, before we get started, here is my friendly PSA to remind your students that Colombia is spelled with two o’s (Colombia) and is not spelled with a u (Columbia). Shout it from the rooftops.
Virtual Field Trips to Colombia
Dive in with some background information, good music, and eye-catching sights.
For All Ages
Start your virtual field trips to Colombia by giving students a quick introduction (in English) with this video above.
Though you can use the video below if you prefer something in Spanish.
For Older Students
However, you should use this video by Geography Now for older students. It gives an in-depth look at the history, geography, and politics of Colombia. It does a fantastic job of mentioning and explaining the turmoil of the ’80s and ’90s without letting that overshadow everything else. FYI, they use hell a few times (just in case that’s a dealbreaker for your school or age group of your students) but it’s such a well-rounded video on Colombia, I wanted to include it here. If anything, use it to brush up on some Colombian background information yourself.
Music Meets Tourism
Lastly, save this YouTube playlist because you’ll want to come back to it again and again. It’s Colombia’s official tourism campaign from a few years ago called Feel the Rhythm or Siente el Ritmo. They created these gorgeous videos that focus on a specific region with music by contemporary artists tailored to that area. I dare you and your kids to watch these and not be mesmerized.
Sights
La Piedra del Peñol
Also known as El Peñon de Guatapé, this piedra is a giant rock/mountain located two hours from Medellín. Interestingly enough it has two different names (La Piedra del Peñol vs. El Peñon de Guatapé) because of the two towns that border the rock and have claimed it as their own (El Peñol and Guatapé).
Kids can save themselves from climbing the 740 steps to the top by touring the rock virtually. The beauty of going in person is being rewarded with eye-catching views of the lagoons surrounding the mountain, but you can get a sense of it from the video above.
Monserrate
Monserrate is a mountain and monastery that overlooks Colombia’s capital city of Bogotá. And it is one of Bogotá’s most famous sights. Check out their website for interactive features and videos.
Caño Cristales
Also known as the River of Five Colors, kids can look through pictures of Caño Cristales and try to find all five (yellow, blue, green, red, and black). P.S. caño in this context means fountain because the water is crystal clear and the river is small and relatively calm.
Santuario de Las Lajas
Located near the border of Colombia and Ecuador, this church sits on a 130-foot tall bridge. It is a stunning, must-see visit for any virtual field trip to Colombia. Check it out by clicking here (go to Lugares and select Las Lajas) and watch the video to learn the legend behind the Cathedral de Las Lajas.
Archaeological Sites
Start with the Instituto Colombiano de Antropología e Historia (ICANH)’s kids page. It gives a brief, kid-friendly explanation of anthropology. Plus there are a few games thrown in for good measure.
Then head over to Tierradentro and Ciudad Perdida. Tierradentro includes an extensive network of underground tombs and above-ground monumental statues. They have an amazing interactive tour that’s well worth a look -and makes any virtual field trip to Colombia come to life.
On the other hand, Ciudad Perdida is a lost city located at the top of a hilly mountainside. It’s similar to Machu Picchu -but much older. The only way to get there is a 5-day hike there and back or, to tour it virtually.
Arts & Culture
Maguar’e
A full-on kid’s paradise of books, karaoke, animated videos, and games brought to life by Colombia’s Ministerio de Cultura. Its purpose is to further digital education in early childhood, and they have several activities focusing on the different indigenous cultures of Colombia that are especially worth checking out.
Cuentos Para Niños
Colombia’s official tourism site strikes again with these animated children’s stories about various cultural points of interest. They are in Spanish and the speed of speech is pretty quick. However, you can put subtitles on (by clicking the CC button) or go to settings at the bottom of the video and select auto-translate.
Museo de Oro & Museo Botero
This website represents various Museos de Oro around the country as well as Museo Botero in Bogotá. They offer several cultural activities just for kids, available here. Activities include art workshops, music videos, and a Botero-themed ABC book. Everything is in Spanish, but easy to understand and entertaining enough for all levels of Spanish.
Older students can continue to learn about Fernando Botero, the famous artist of exaggeratedly voluminous forms, by learning a few facts about his life. It’s available in English on Google Arts & Culture.
Casa Museo Quinta de Bolívar
The Casa Museo Quinta de Bolívar is a house and museum dedicated to the infamous Simón Bolívar, the man who led Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama to gain their independence from the Spanish Empire. The house was given to Bolívar and he used to stay there whenever he was in Bogotá.
The museum website has a great section for kids. They can take a virtual tour of the house in the video above. Then they can complete puzzles, print posters, make colonial recipes, and learn about the clothes people wore in that era.
Orquesta Filarmónica de Medellín
Check out these children’s stories set to music by the Orquesta Filarmónica de Medellín. The narrators speak quickly so this is geared towards bilingual families or kids with a high level of Spanish. Though the animations and music are worth a look (and listen!) in and of themselves.
La Cigarra y La Hormiga by Félix María Samaniego
Juaco el Ballenero by Colombian poet, Rafael Pombo
Go Bird Watching
Did you know Colombia has nearly 2,000 species of birds? That’s more than any other country. Birds Colombia uploads one bird a day to their website. They provide photographs, audio of what each bird sounds like, and characteristics of each species with a goal to have every species on their site by July 2022 -that means they have over 1,200 birds on their site right now.
Their focus is on conservation and education. Perfect for any young ones interested in birds or bird watching. The downside? This site is only in Spanish and geared towards adults. So browsing through pictures and listening to different species might be the limit for some young ones.
Learn to Dance
Learn to dance Salsa Caleña (salsa from Cali) by watching these how-to videos by Cali dance company, Delirio. These are also in Spanish, and kids can work on their counting (uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis) and mimic the dancers’ movements to varying degrees of success.
Interactive City Tours
Finally, no virtual field trip to Colombia would be complete without a virtual tour of its biggest cities. Click on the links below to be redirected to each city’s virtual tour.
If you’re interested in more virtual tours of Colombian cities and sights, check out Ciudades Virtuales and Ciudad Cúbica which are slowly adding more content to their sites.
And there you have it, virtual field trips to Colombia in a nutshell. There is plenty to see and do. And if there’s one thing your kiddos should remember: it’s that it’s spelled C-O-L-O-M-B-I-A.
Looking for more virtual field trip ideas? Check out these Virtual Field Trips to Spain for Kids!
