Today is the first day of a ten day school Spring break for my kids. Early last week I started brainstorming things we could do to keep them busy, help them outlet their energy and have fun without breaking the bank. We don’t have plans to go on a big vacation – we are just going to stick around our local area. I wanted to plan at least one thing for each day so that we could get out of the house and keep some sort of structure to our routine. On top of that, without letting them run off energy I might loose my mind!
Here is the list of ideas we came up with – I hope it helps you think of something fun to do with your kids on their break too!
- Sidewalk chalk – Color with sidewalk chalk, make and play with sidewalk chalk paint or make your own sidewalk chalk. Draw a hopscotch to get them moving!
- Play-doh Create – Make play-doh or use the store bought stuff and give the kids a theme. Give them some cookie cutters and have them make play-doh pizzas!
- Scavenger hunt – Create an indoor or outdoor scavenger hunt where you can hide things, have them find things of a certain color or have them find things in nature such as sticks, pinecones, shells or rocks.
- Go to the Park – We have two quite a few local parks so we are going to go to two of them. I think one day we will take a blanket and lunch to have a picnic
- Arts and Crafts Time – There are endless possibilities with arts and crafts from pipe cleaner beaded bracelets, to construction paper crafts and simple crayons and coloring books.
- Visit a Museum – We have quite a few museums within 1-2 hours from our house and even a small kids museum about 30 minutes away. Check the hours and prices (some have a free admission day during Spring vacation weeks!)
- Play Dress Up – Boys and girls alike love playing pretend or ‘dress up’ as we used to call it as kids. Fill a bin with all of the dress up things your kids already have and throw in some of your own clothes and accessories to make it even more fun. Take pictures of them in their outfits or set up a full length mirror – they will love looking at themselves!
- Go Swimming – Depending on the weather where you are head to the beach, a lake or even a pool. Swimming is always a hit and really wears my kids out! If swimming is out of the question set up a sprinkler in the yard.
- Trip to the Zoo or Theme Park – Take a trip to the nearest zoo or theme park! Don’t forget to check their website first to see if they offer any coupons or deals. This will not only wear the kids out but a full day of exploration will probably wear you out too!
- Go Camping, Hiking or Fishing – Camp in your backyard or head to a local camp ground for a night or two. Taking a break from the electronic world can be so refreshing even for kids!
- Set up a Play Date – Set up a play date with a friend who has kids. As often as my boys play well together they also fight so adding more kids gives them a break from each other and also gives YOU a break. Meet at an indoor play place, park or one of your homes.
- Go Geocaching – Geocaching is like a treasure hunt and you never know what you might find! Download the free app on your phone or visit their website for more information if you aren’t familiar with it! Your kids will love searching around and get so excited when you find one.
- Make Popsicles – Popsicles are always fun to make and eat! Make easy kool-aid popsicles for them to enjoy after playing outdoors.
- Blow Bubbles – There is something so magical about bubbles. I still remember having my grandma make bubbles from dish soap as a kid and blowing them all around the neighborhood.
- Make a Sweet Treat – Bake cookies, make cereal treats or
