Spring Break Ideas for Kids
Things to Do With Children at Home for School Vacation
Looking for some spring break ideas that will bring your family together and won’t break your budget? You don’t have to take a trip to make spring break fun for your kids. With some advance planning and creativity, you can make spring break as much fun as a week at the beach.
If you’re staying home during spring break, think of the outings and activities you can’t fit into your school-day schedule and get them done. Visit the places you can't get to on weekends and do projects your regular schedule won't allow.
Something Fun Every Day
Make every day a different theme, using the things that your kids are interested in. Designate one day a “Backwards Day” or “Opposite Day” and do everything backwards. (Eat dinner food for breakfast, have pancakes for dinner, wear your clothes backwards and inside out, say hello when you greet someone, and say hello when you leave.)
Camp out in the back yard on Wild West Day, do some stargazing on Outer Space Day, and go for a fossil hunt on Dinosaur Day. Have a Birthday Day, when it’s a special day for everybody; organize a gift exchange and have cake for everyone.
Plant a Garden With Your Children
Spring break is the perfect time to start thinking about your garden. Let your kids choose a small piece of ground in the back yard and dig it out into their very own garden. Let them put in a border with bricks or rocks and plant what the season allows.
Start some seeds in potting soil in Styrofoam cups indoors so they can plant them outside when the weather gets warmer.
Spring Day Trips
What’s within driving distance to where you live? Get out a map and let the whole family look at what’s nearby. Schedule some trips to an arboretum, a planetarium, museums, factory tours and other local offerings. Many attractions have free-admission days on week days and off season discounts, both of which you can take advantage during a spring break.
Volunteer
More and more college students are giving up party-filled Florida spring breaks in favor of building houses for Habitat for Humanity and other volunteer projects. You can do the same with younger children. Call your church or town hall to find out what volunteer opportunities are available. Sign up to do a week’s worth of laundry at a homeless shelter, serve dinners at a soup kitchen, or help out in a low-income day care center.
Sign up now with the Idaho Food Bank...there are many shifts available but they fill up fast.
Get Ready for Easter
If you celebrate Easter and your spring break falls before the holiday, use it to prepare the biggest and best Easter celebration ever. Make natural dyes for coloring Easter eggs, do lots of Easter crafts, and make your own heirloom Easter baskets.
Spring Idea's, activities & food:
Getting the Most from Spring Break:
NRC Spring Break Activities:
Treasure Valley Spring Break Idea's:
Treasure Valley Family Calendar of Events
Events posted by Idaho Statesman:
Staycation Ideas:
Things to do/crafts for little ones:
Crafts for Boys:
1- Movie Marathon: This will be a list of movies they can watch, provided this is a list you’ve put together that are okay for them. Now they can make a theater in all types of ways. Hand them Easter or Halloween buckets and let them decorate them for Movie popcorn. Designate the older children to pop the popcorn and get the younger kids to make the mix. Have fun! Yes, mom there will be a mess but they should be out of your hair for at least 1-3 hours depending how long the movie is. 2- Library: Take a trip to the library and allow each child to get a certain amount of books. Give them each a certain amount of days to get them done and write a mini report on it. Or maybe (if they are smaller) have them put on a play.
3- Picnic: I can never say this one enough, but going out and having a picnic with your family can really bring the memories home. Make sure to have a bag to put all the food in, or a basket. Buy or bring all the necessary items and don’t forget the football, basketball, soccerball or some other type of fun activity to engage in while you are out. Your kids will love this and you will get exercise.
4- Make a garden: It’s spring, plant a garden. Make sure to have ready some hand tools or big yard tools to get the job done and some seeds. Or have them make a list of all the things they’d like to plant and the reason why. Yes, a little writing to go along with this one. Go out and shop for the materials with the children, you could get the items on your own or give each of them a list or dollar amount they could spend. Once back at home, give them each assigned jobs or spots in the yard to have their own area. They’ll get to play outside, get dirty and you’ll not only have the kids enjoying fresh air but you’ll have them away from the BOOB Tube as my father use to call it and making your yard look better.
By Eliza Ferree
Spring Break Ideas
By: Family First Staff
Kids get one week in the spring to take a break from school and relax. While kids look forward to this week, sometimes parents dread it. Here are five suggestions to keep you busy and smiling.
1. Have a campout right in your backyard. If you don't have a tent, borrow one and spend quality time outside under the stars. Bring along board games, books and plenty of food. Don't forget the s'mores. If you want to watch a movie as you and your kids drift off to sleep, try using a portable DVD player.
2. Go to a local sporting event. Spring training baseball is just around the corner, so if you live close to a team, take the kids to see their favorite players before the season starts. Since teams usually train in a different city than they play, it's a great way to see teams you wouldn't normally see.
3. Visit a local art museum with your kids. Once they've seen the paintings, sculpture, photography and other creative works, give them some drawing paper, modeling clay or a camera and let them recreate their own favorites at home. Then create a gallery in your family room featuring their finished works of art.
4. Recreate Italy. In one week, it may be tough for your entire family to absorb the culture of another country by actually going there. Instead, choose a country and get decorations and some cheap outfits that would fit their culture. For dinner, make the country's food and play some authentic music found on iTunes. Later, you can watch a movie that depicts the country you chose. The magic of another country right in your home!
5. Take some fun classes together. See if there are any classes offered at the local community center that your children are interested in. Instead of dropping them off, join. Try taking tennis, racquetball or golf lessons. Then, you'll have something that you can all enjoy together throughout the year.
6. Visit the local zoo. It's amazing how the zoo doesn't get old whether you are four or 40. Those monkeys and giraffes do cute things all year long. Ask your kids what their favorite animal is; then, call the zoo ahead of time and ask what time that animal is most likely to be awake.
7. Local theme parks. I know what you're thinking. This is expensive. It doesn't have to be though. The bigger theme parks usually offer year-round passes for the price of one admission. There are also smaller parks that will have water slides and a little beach area for a small fee.
8. Do arts and crafts. This is more for the kids in elementary school, but some older kids might like it too. Go to the nearest craft store and look for an interesting project. I learned how to cross-stitch one summer, and it's something I still enjoy doing. If your kids are really young, try glitter, glue or Play-Doh.
9. Plant a garden. Make sure to plant something your children will actually eat. Start by clearing a spot for the plants. If you are planting something that birds will eat before you have a chance to, make sure to ask Home Depot how to keep the birds away. As your children remember to water their plants every day, they will learn responsibility and have a tasty treat!
10. Go ice skating. Kids love learning how to skate, and I'm sure it won't be long before they are doing laps around you. It's a fun way for all of you to get out of the house and get a little exercise.
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