It’s time for Spring Break! This can be a fun time to spend as a family- a week of fun, whether you go out of town to a beach or like many, stay at home. It’s not always possible to get away for the week, but it can be hard to come up with things to do so that kids have fun while they are out of school.
Fun Doesn’t Always Mean Money
There are things you can do around your area that don’t cost much (if anything). Right before Spring Break, many local businesses start publishing deals and camp offerings geared towards kids. Even if you are a SAHP, these can be a great way to get the kids out of the house for a few hours, if not the whole day during the break. These can get expensive, though, especially if you have multiple kids.
What is a parent to do?
- Host a sleepover. If your child(ren) have friends and/or cousins that live nearby, this can be a fun experience. This doesn’t need a theme or lots of heavy planning- just let them play outside (depending on weather), watch a few movies, and eat some yummy food while letting the fun develop. Take pictures for memory purposes and you have a fun activity without the kids even realizing it. My kids have had lots of sleepovers with their cousins over school breaks and still talk about them.
- Look into the library. I am a huge fan of my city’s library system. I live in Louisville, KY, and the city’s library is wonderful. We live about five minutes from a small branch, and they hosted about 90 programs during this year’s Spring Break. Most of them are meant for younger kids, but we still went to check out books, use the computer and my oldest had a school project to work on. It’s free and everyone loves it.
- Did someone say spring cleaning? My house is messy, and most others that have kids living in them are messy too. This can be a great time to clean out closets- go through winter and other clothes that don’t fit, get rid of old toys, shoes and other things that your kids don’t want anymore. They can help with other areas that need to be cleaned, depending on their age and abilities. This can be an all-day or even 2- day adventure. Plus, you don’t have to spring clean alone. Everyone wins, and when you are done cleaning, what you don’t want or need can go to GoodWill, Salvation Army, or other local stores.
- Go to the park. Again, Louisville wins for having great parks. We live within 10 minutes of two of them. (I’m never moving because I would miss the great things we live near) If the weather permits, let the kids run around for a few hours in the sun and play. Most kids love climbing and swinging on playgrounds. I have found this stops being fun at around 13, as my oldest thinks this is boring. (He’s 14 and finds video games and sleeping a lot more fun.)
- Start planning for summer vacation. Is there somewhere you want to go over summer vacation? Look at websites for that location. Look for hotels, things to do, places to eat, etc. This can be fun to do as a family and give everyone something to look forward to as the school year comes to an end.
- Fun with makeup/cooking/whatever. Every kid has something they love- devote an afternoon to it. For example, if your child likes to cook, allow them to plan and cook a whole meal, start to finish, like dinner. Take them to the grocery store, let them pick out ingredients, go home and let them take over. Of course, help them if they need it, but let them see how much they can do on their own. You may be surprised.
- Movie marathon day. This can be a lot of fun, and if the weather goes downhill, it can replace the plans you had. If you have more than one child, let each child pick one movie. Make popcorn and other snacks, get comfortable and let the movies play.
- Get creative. Kids like to try new things. This could be a good time to try something that they haven’t before- knitting, sewing, felt projects, etc. Start small to prevent overwhelm and frustration.
- Redecorate your child’s room. This can be an incentive to get your child to help clean (see step #3) and/or if you have been meaning to do so, this can be a great time. You can do this cheaply by going to thrift stores or even yard sales. You never know what cool things you can find.
- Pajama day. If you have nothing planned and nobody feels like getting dressed, why bother? Everyone stays comfortable and you have a bit less laundry to wash. You can even end the day with breakfast for dinner if you want to go with a theme.
Spring Break is Meant for Fun
This is a time meant for memories, fun and not being in school. Make the most of the week off with the ideas above and a few of your own.
