Spring Break is just around the corner! We would all love to take a big trip to celebrate the time off, but everything from fear of unwanted behavior to inflation may be keeping us at home this year. With that in mind, let’s look at some super fun stay-at-home Spring Break ideas that can take our week from dull to delightful!
Spring Break Ideas
Stay-at-home Camping Trip
Whether in the backyard or in the living room, some pretend camping can be a blast! You can enjoy a lot of the same joys of camping like s’mores, singing around the campfire (or fireplace), and a night in a sleeping bag, but with the added benefit that if something doesn’t go quite right, the bedroom is just a few steps away! If a real camping trip is on your wishlist, this is also a great way to introduce the idea to your kiddos.
Painted Rocks
This is such a simple activity, and it brings joy to more than just your family. Collect a few cool looking rocks, get some paint, some brushes, and a drop cloth, and have some fun. You could paint animals, faces, or just mix colors into something abstract and pretty! There are no rules. Then, when the rocks are dry, take them around town, drop one by a tree or on the curb. Someone will find it, and it is sure to put a smile on their face!
Virtual Sightseeing
The world is at our fingertips now more than ever. What places have you always wanted to go? The pyramids? The Grand Canyon? The Great Barrier Reef? All of it is explorable through Google Earth as well as hundreds of YouTube videos. It may not be the same as actually being there, but the great part is that everyone can pick an incredible place to visit!
Cook Together
The wonderful thing about cooking is that it encompasses so many vital lessons about life. Everything from measurement to time
management to adjusting to mistakes. What you cook doesn’t have to be complicated, but don’t be afraid to try something a little more daring than you think your kiddo can handle. As long as you are being safe and don’t mind a little mess, it should all work out fine. You’d be amazed at what your little one is capable of! Plus, hopefully you end with something delicious to share together.
Pick a Letter, Any Letter
For each day of the break, have your kiddo pick a letter at random. Then everything you do that day has to start with that letter. For example, if they pick the letter P, you can eat pancakes, dress like pirates, eat pizza at the playground, paint pictures of porcupines, and watch Princess and the Frog with popcorn!
Board Game Creator
A lot of board games are really great, and if you just want to play, that’s fantastic. But if you really want to up the ante, try making a board game as a family! Start with something your kiddo loves. Maybe it’s unicorns or bulldozers. Whatever it is, come up with a simple story and some obstacles. The unicorn has to get to the other side of the rainbow, but there are marshmallow monsters in the way. Anything will work. Now you get to create the board, the pieces, and the rules! This is a complex activity that takes a lot of time, but it can yield some pretty incredible results. And you never know, your little one might be the next Milton Bradley!
Playground Time
This one feels like a no-brainer, but take your kiddo to a local playground. There is one catch, though. We want you to play, too! Not just play…play! Follow, lead, be silly, climb, slide, and fall! It’s so easy to sit on the bench while they run around (I’ve done it more times than I’d like to admit), but really getting out there and playing with your kiddo will change your perspective on a lot of things. And they will appreciate it more than you know!
Here’s hoping that your Spring Break is a blast! If you have any questions or want more information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at The Helm ABA!