Spring Break. Vacations. Road trips. Amusement parks. Family gatherings. Is your wallet hurting just thinking about it? Is sweat breaking out as you plan for the hectic travel plans, fast paced schedule and jam packed fellow Spring Break goers? Perhaps you are even planning on no break chaos at all and just hunkering down at home. . .
Having an epic vacation as a family doesn’t have to be stressful, expensive, or even cost money at all! There are a lot of fun activities your family can do to make memories during school holidays without breaking the bank, or even leaving home!
This Spring Break, try out one. . .or several. . .of these activities to give your family a change and make some new and different memories.
1. Hiking or a Picnic
On nice days there is nothing better than getting outside in the fresh air and drinking up some much needed vitamin d! But it can get boring pretty quickly just sitting on the front steps for so long. So it’s time to lace up those shoes, grab a water bottle and hit the hiking trail!
You can go exploring your local area, get some beautiful pictures, and enjoy some quality time, all while getting some great exercise and fresh air. You can even pack some food and make a day trip of it, finding a nice spot for a picnic lunch!
2. Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts are a fun way to gather family and friends together in a variety of places, builds critical thinking and problem solving skills, and can even be a good form of exercise (especially if they are timed hunts!).
A scavenger hunt can be done inside or outside, depending on the weather. You have a lot of freedom to work with this one. You can do random searches, themes, riddle solving, finding physical objects, photography hunts, presenting challenges to be completed, there can be prizes, or just plain old healthy competition. The options are pretty vast!
3. Family Game Night
It’s time to put the screens away and start bringing back family game night! This is a great way to bring the family together and get some brain activity, too. From board games, to card games, to live action and guessing games, the options are endless! Clue, Twister, Catch Phrase, and Pictionary are some favorites for families of many ages. You can even take Clue up a notch and do a live action game. Give each family member a character/role, set up the crime scene and leave clues for them to solve the mystery. It’s always fun to put a twist on the normal routine and this gives the family a chance to try out their acting chops!
4. Dress Up Photoshoot
Take a fun spin on a family photoshoot by adding in character or period outfits! Make up a theme together and, using what you find in the closets, create some dress up costumes and start shooting! For another fun twist you can even take pictures to tell a story, rather than just snapping a bunch of random photos.
5. Visit Local Historical Sights
A break from school doesn’t mean you have to stop learning, and learning can be fun! There’s always some local historical sight nearby. Do a tiny bit of research in your area, then take a day to sightsee and discover some fun facts about history and geography! You might discover some cool new info about your city or state.
6. Cultural Cuisine Dinners
Make dinner extra exciting this Spring Break by exploring different cultural cuisine! Pick a different country each night and make some of their traditional dishes. It’s a great way to get a “taste” of other places when you’re unable to travel. Your family can enjoy Pad Tai from Thailand, Paella from Spain, Fish and Chips from England, Risotto from Italy, Vindaloo from India. . .and if you are all feeling REALLY adventurous, Haggis from Scotland!
You can even take it up a notch and play cultural music from your country of choice to set the mood, or round out the night with a movie about the place.
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