Spring Break @ home

So I was thinking about Spring Break the other week.  As most of you, we didn't have one either.  Ours is usually in early April, but it wasn't until recently that things were starting to hit more and I was thinking about Spring Break.  Spring Break also usually falls around Easter for us as well and so we were preoccupied with trying to keep Easter as real as possible.  But, here we are a month into staying at home other than some essentials and I thought why can't we have a Spring break? 

My girls love to play traveling, anytime they play together they end up going somewhere; the library, the grocery store, to visit family.  They play what we've done as a family or what my husband and I have done.  This last summer my husband and I went to Paris and London, well guess what my girls played after we came back?  They wanted to pretend it all!  To be on a plane, with seatbelt bells, the captain speaking in a muffled speaker and even the snacks!  

So, what if you took next week as a Spring Break trip!  Plan a different place everyday.  This doesn't have to be a long trip, I understand trying to balance life and school.  I have 3 girls, one doing 1st grade school work, one doing some preschool school work and one doing preschool play as she's only 2 1/2, but wants to be like her sisters.  So, I get the trying to find time for all these things people are posting about.  The fun thing about this is it can last the whole week, it can be just a day or two, but really it doesn't have be more than what you need for the day. Really 1 hour playtime at most, or more if you want, just some time set aside for a trip together.  Below I have lots of different ideas, once I started thinking they just kept coming, I think I'm ready to do some traveling myself!  

Pre-trip: 

First: Decide, where are you going? Is it close?  Will you need to fly instead of drive?
Second:  Make a list of places you may stop at while you're there. (itinerary for older kids) 
Third: If you travel to another country, find it on a map or globe. 

Transportation: 

Go through the steps as your kids can. These are just guidelines, you may only get on the plane and get back off!  

Car:

fasten your seatbelts
Drive for a bit and then arrive 

Plane:

turn in ticket*
find seat
Captain welcomes passengers 
take-off 
seatbelt bell ~ fasten your seatbelts
seatbelt bell ~ you are free to move around the cabin. (this was my girls favorite part) 
snack cart! 
turbulence 
seatbelt bell ~ fasten your seat belts 
landing 

*you could have a ticket for the plane or car.  You could have a punch card that gets a punch every time you visit a place!  So many options for what you could add, or keep it simple! 

Spring Break Stops: 

1. Visit the Library 

Grab some books and put on a book self or a place that they can set on.  Grab some old gift cards as your library card, or use your real one if you have one.  Go to the library, check out some books and even take some time to read them.  Or, take them back to your car, train or plane and read them as you go to your next destination.  Take turns playing the librarian even! 

2. Go to a Movie 

Make some popcorn, grab some treats and a special drink. Set it all out on a counter or tray.  Arrive at the movie, get your ticket punched (if you chose to do tickets), grab some goodies and watch a movie together!  

3. Go to an Ice Cream Parlor 

So when my husband was a kid, his mom made an Ice Cream Shop.  They could come and ask for a malt, or ice cream or frozen treat during the time the Ice Cream Parlor was open.  What if you set up an Ice Cream shop to stop at?  Keep it simple, ice cream on cones or in bowls.  The fun is in the trip and the treat! 

4. Go to a Bakery 

Can't do ice cream, or want to do something different.  Pretend you are stopping at a bakery, grab a cookie and special drink! 

5. Visit Family

Have family you haven't seen for awhile, pretend to go to where they live to visit.  Maybe even use this time to zoom call them or FaceTime with them!  

6. Visit the Zoo 

Take a trip to the zoo via your computer by watching some zoos live! OR, set up a zoo in your room using stuffed animals. Take time to walk through and see each one's favorite animal!  For older kids, have them make a map of the zoo too! 

7. Visit the Science Center 

So I was sent this fun idea to do space camp from a close family member.  She found this blog post on space camp for toddlers.  It's such a great idea, it's what sparked the Spring break theme!!  If you have a space enthusiast how fun would Space camp be for Spring Break!! 

8. Go to the Pool 

If it's warm enough, set up your kiddie pool outside and take a trip to the pool!  Use your Ice Cream Parlor again, but make some fun popsicles too to choose from!  

9. Go to a Restaurant 

Plan a special trip to a fun restaurant that you enjoy.  Like a local hamburger joint, make some hamburgers and fries.  Put a fun table cloth on the table, maybe even some coloring pages with crayons like the kids' menus.  Order like you would at a restaurant and enjoy your "eating out" in your own home! 

10. Go to a Carnival 

Visit a carnival, have some indoor carnival games.  Grab some pop bottles and playing bowling.  Grab some empty plastic containers and a bouncy ball and try to make the ball bounce in the containers.  Blow up balloons and try to keep them up for a minute.  Go outside and have make a obstacle course to follow. Have prizes, have popcorn, have fun!

11. Go to a show/ball

My girls like to put on dance performances, or shows.  They dress-up in their princess costumes and dance.  Could you go to a ball?  Or have one family member perform a show? Magic? Dance? 

12.  Plan to visit another Country. 

Use the above places to learn about from that country! For example, go to Paris for the week and visit a bakery, and then a restaurant, and a museum.  Did you know you could do a virtual tour of most museums?  Pick a country and take some time to learn about it as you go through your week!  Or visit a couple different countries.  Hop on the plane and then the train to travel between countries.  

So here are some options for days if you wanted to follow a more detailed plan.  But, remember the fun part is coming up with what you want to do as a family so pick what works for your crew! 

Monday: Head to the library to grab some books & then visit family, then check out the science center. 
Tuesday: Stop at the local bakery for some tasty treats & then visit the zoo 
Wednesday: Hop on a plane to visit another country, while there check out their local museum and eat lunch at a local pizzeria. 
Thursday: Hop back on the plane to come home and visit a carnival. 
Friday: Go to the pool and then head to the movie theatre! 
Saturday: Don't forget to take those books back that you checked out!