1. Take a nature walk or hike. Go to a state or city park and look for things in nature like pine cones, bird feathers, nuts, wild flowers, interesting rocks, nests, and perhaps specific bird and tree species. You can even make it a scavenger hunt by giving them a list to look for before hand. They will love getting some fresh air and connecting with nature. If you have a park with a creek or other waterway that is even better. Let the kids get good and dirty, just bring towels for your car!
2. Garden together. Start planting some seedlings indoors or prepping your flower and food beds. Check out a copy of Sunflower Houses or Roots, Shoots, Buckets, and Boots at your local library and come up with fun gardening ideas together. Another GREAT book for spring break ideas is Don’t Throw It, Grow It. It has 68 window sill garden ideas that use kitchen scraps. Your kids could find several fun “projects” and they would be learning about gardening and recycling at the same time.
3. Read a book together every day. This is a FREE and yet very meaningful activity. Check out a dozen books at the library and plan on reading one or two together every day. Find a nice tree and take story hour outside for even more fun.
4. Donate unused toys and children’s clothes to charity or freecycle them. Have the kids help gather everything up so they can decide what they don’t need and then they can feel proud of their generosity in donating to those less fortunate. This is also a great way to get spring cleaning and de-cluttering underway.
5. Go to a museum, planetarium, or zoo. Spring break is a great time to visit the a science museum, children’s play museum, or a zoo. These are fun and educational places to go. Just pack a lunch or snack if you can to keep things cheap and healthy. It might be a great opportunity to get your annual passes as well…we will be. :)
6. Do some nature crafting. Ideas include making a birdhouse, a birdfeeder, a nesting box, or making fairy furniture using twigs, nuts, and grass. You could even make some fairy wings together and let them play woodland fairies in the backyard.
7. Go to the park and have a picnic. Let the kids help prep your outdoor feast and away you go. Lay down a blanket or sheet and eat. The kids can take time away to play on the playground if there is one. Break out the frisbee, kites, beach balls, and hoola hoops.
8. Have a movie night. Pick a family movie for one or two nights during spring break and make some wholesome snacks to munch on during the movie. Turn the lights off and light some small candles for ambience. Some movie ideas that my family would love are Old Yeller, White Fang, Zathura, Parent Trap, or Swiss Family Robinson.
9. Play a game together. In addition to board games and card games you can also go play paintball or laser tag. Bowling together is another fun game idea. Any games that brings lots of smiles and laughter is a-okay in my book.
10. Look for free or low cost community events. This may include story hour at your local library or a theatre production at a children’s playhouse. National monuments are often free to view as well. My family will be taking a trip to the Harding Memorial where former President, Warren G. Harding, and his wife are buried. They will learn a bit of history, give me some great photo opps, and it is free.
Have a great Spring Break!!
Great ideas. Thanks!
I particularly like the idea of donating old toys. When we were little we did this the last week or so of Summer Vacation. We would sort through clothes to pass down to siblings or cousins, toys we weren’t playing with were checked for parts cleaned, and books we had out grown were boxed. One thing that was a ton of fun during those 95 – 100 degree days was doing puzzles. We would make sure every piece was there put them in the box and tape it up.
The toys, puzzles, and books were given to Texas Children’s (saved my life), MDAnderson children’s ward, and Ronald McDonald house.
I remember one summer when I was tween or young teen I had a third pile of books (5 or 6). They kept getting put with the give away books. I kept taking them out. My Mom got upset with me and asked me why I was taking them out of the give away box. I looked at her like she was nuts and said because at least one kid in them dies – usually of cancer. I was allowed to sort all books from then on.
I love these ideas. Thanks!
These are great ideas! And reading a book together is great for any day (I guess the others are too…).
I posted about building a fairy or gnome house and visiting nature centers/museums on my site, so we must be on the same wavelength.
If it was snowing here I’d head out for a picnic; might be a good day for clearing out toys, though.