Spring break has a different twist this year for many families. More seem to be staying home than spending time or money in travel. That doesn’t mean that it has to be dull or that you have to spend a lot of money while at home to make it a great spring break. We planned out the entire week with activities to do each day, special food menus and “treats” (like a slumber party in my bed!) to make this week a true break from the norm.
The key is plan the unexpected. Having a slumber party isn’t that unique for this family of ten, however, having the slumber party in my bed where they got to bring a TV in, have a big bubble bath, watch a movie marathon and have munchies all night certainly was a treat – and unexpected. The unexpected makes things exciting and fun!
Look around your city for those free or cheap options to take your family too. We spent time at the St. Louis Magic House, the City Museum, and the Zoo. Some of the boys caught a Blue’s hockey game and we all treated ourselves to a matinee movie.
Get creative with your ideas, your city options and your food. Just a few ideas on little ways to plan the unexpected:
- Have a make your own pizza night. Get several toppings and have each kid make a mini-pizza (or three as some of my boys would do)
- Make meals that fit your “theme” for that day.
- Pitch a tent in your own backyard or maybe – in your living room, for a fun camping adventure.
- Let the kids eat in front of the TV for a night.
- Stop by the dollar store and give them each a dollar to find a treat. It’s cheap and they love the hunt of finding their treasure!
- Stay up late. Sleep in late.
- Movie marathons with tons of popcorn.
- Trips to local zoos and parks.
Another twist for us? Just family. We focused on just our family this week instead of staying over at friends’ houses or having them tag with us. I wanted this to be a family spring break where we relaxed and bonded together. And it’s been great!
