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“Home is where; love resides, memories are created, friends and family always belong, and laughter never ends.”
-Unknown
If you’re staying close to home for spring break, you’re not alone!
Tighter budgets and higher gas prices are putting the brakes on spring break trips for a lot of families.
Have you ever thought about a spring stay-cation for spring break? Being a mom of three I am very familiar with the spring break trips and friend conversations about who’s going where. But what if you decided to budget this spring break? What if going on vacation wasn’t feasible with your work schedule? Below I’ve listed some general fun stay cation ideas to do with the kids if you plan on staying home for spring break.
Fortunately, you don’t have to drive or fly to faraway places to have fun and make memories with your family!
This option is not only great for outdoor activity and burning energy and calories but it will also get the kids out of the house. Maybe plan a nice picnic and have the kids help with the snacks. This is a fun budget friendly option
This is a great choice to get your kids to think beyond themselves. Is there a soup kitchen, food pantry or shelter that they can volunteer at? It’s great when this is something you can do together, where they can see the examples of parents serving.
When was the last time you visited your local museum? The aquarium? Are there some in your area that you haven’t yet explored? A stay-cation would be a great time to visit these local amnesties. Many places have children’s museums, which are great for the kids, too!
Take the kids to the local zoo and enjoy a family picnic at a local park nearby. Or just lay out a blanket in the living room and prepare the picnic in the living room. The conversation and interaction with the kids is what matters.
Maybe there’s a new restaurant that you have been wanting to try or the kids have been asking to go to. Plan a lunch or dinner at a new restaurant or family favorite.
Take the kids for the day of games and yummy pizza. Some of the arcades also offer laser tag and bowling. Enjoy a family day of fun and food.
There are always family friendly movies around this time of the year. If there is a newly released movie or a good one that you may have been too busy with school and activities. Utilize this extra time to enjoy these special moments.
There are usually camps or programs that are offered like sports or church camps. Check with your local community center to see all the offered activities.
A break from school is a great time to catch up on some family movies and Netflix and chill moments. You can stay in your PJs all day and plan and lazy day with the kids. Be sure to get their favorite snacks and popcorn.
Campground fees are super-cheap and if you have one in your area, that’s a fun getaway without all the travel. You can also camp in your backyard or your living room or basement. Don’t forget the s’mores!
Take a trip to the local library and explore some new books. The library will tend to also offer some free activities for children during the summer or breaks.
Take a dip in the pool or your local community pool or go to a local water-park. Even if you don’t own a pool, you can set up a family size inflatable, slip-and-slide, sprinklers and other types of outdoor fun.
This is a personal favorite that I enjoy with my kids. Play your family board or card games together. Make it into a tournament if you want to take it up a notch.
Take a walk by the lake or pick some scenic places nearby, get up early, grab some hot chocolate or coffee and watch the sunrise. Get some breakfast, enjoy the day and end the day with a beautiful sunset.
Pick a country and use it as a theme for the day! Have food from that country, do activities that they would do there, make crafts associated with that country-dress up in their festivities right in your home!
Set up an obstacle course in your yard or inside your house. Create a course to complete and then have a competition.
Plan a day for your family to compete in all kinds of sports together-soccer, basketball, volleyball, baseball-or just some outdoor activities. Create your own mini-Olympics!
As a family, complete a project together. This can be making your own family tree, a memory book, putting together photo albums and looking at old photos. Or it can be just something you all complete together as a family.
Take a bike ride or enjoy a nice hike together. Chances are, there are lots of outdoor things in your area that you have been too busy to explore. Being out in nature is a fantastic way to bond and unplug.
This is a great time to explore your creativity and engage in some crafty projects. You can do a seasonal project, around an upcoming holiday, or just get out coloring books, crayons, markers and paint. This is a fun time for a structured art project or craft, just letting their creative instincts and imagination run a little!
So often, we forget about how amazing these state parks are! Check out which ones are in your area within driving distance. There are often sites like waterfalls and activities like horse-back riding that would be a ton of fun for the kids!
A little family friendly competition is always fun. Try playing lasertag, paintball or bowling is lots of fun! Winner gets ice cream!
Lots of times, we don;t have time to enjoy the local amusement parks nearby. Is there one that’s close or an hour or two away? It doesn’t have to be Disney World to be a ton of fun! Many are open year-round.
Choose a letter and only do activities and eat food that starts with that letter. Or, work your way through the alphabet.
What tourist spot is within a few hours of your house? Plan a day there. Get up early, hit the road, spend the day exploring and then be home to sleep in your own beds.
If you can afford it, spend on night in a local hotel. You can get great rates during the week, and even just hanging together at a hotel, in the pool, playing games and really feel like you’re “away.”
What is your town sponsoring for free? You can usually find a ton in local groups as well as newspapers. You might not get to join in on these fun events during the busy school year, but a stay-cation is a perfect time to catch a festival, a movie on the library lawn or store sponsoring projects and crafts (like Michael’s and Home Depot)!
I really hope this list has your brain humming for local ideas to enjoy with your family during spring break. There are so many things you can do without leaving your house or digging yourself into a financial hole. Activities and vacations do not have to involve fancy locations and spending gobs of money!
