Spring break is coming up! Or did your kids spring break already start? I know it’s different for everyone.
I have my oldest C in 3rd grade in public school and my middle one T is in a paid preschool two times a week for a few hours. They will both have 2 weeks off from school right before Easter.
What am I going to do with them?!
That got me thinking maybe other parents are wondering the same thing? I came up with a list of 15 activities to do with your kids over spring break. Whenever I plan activities I always think about C and his ADHD and Autism.
These activities have to be something he would enjoy or be willing to partake in.
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1. Make a spring break bucket list
Sit down with your kids and make a list of things they would like to do. Have some ideas and activities already in mind to help them out. Write everything down and check off the activities as you do them.
2. Collect interesting leaves
This sounds like something to do in the fall. But where I live (California), we have leaves all year around. I like to give my kids an assignment such as “find a leaf that is brown” or “a leaf that is really big” or “really small” or something like that. And maybe even make a little competition out of it if you have more than one kid.
3. Have a sword fight with sticks (be careful)
You have to be very careful with this one and be mindful of your children’s age. My boys are 9 and 4 and love to “Play Fight” as they call it. They play pirates, and heroes, good guys, and bad guys. They will find large sticks in the backyard or at the park and will play pretend.
4. Plan a relay race
I did this a lot with my siblings at birthday parties when we were little. Create races like -hop to the other side on one leg -use an old pillowcase for a sack race and jump to the finish line. -it’s Easter season so maybe run with a raw egg on a spoon in your hand Have the kids come up with fun ideas of ways to race.
5. Go to the zoo
Are you lucky enough to have a local zoo or animal sanctuary? Plan a day when you take the kids to the zoo. To keep them engaged create an animal bingo. Or sign up in the opt-in form below and I’ll send you one. Every time they spot an animal on the page they color it in or put a sticker on it. Whoever gets 5 in a row first gets some kind of agreed-upon prize.
6. Hide a treasure and make a treasure map to find it
My kids love to play this. We have even done this around the house. Hide something like a toy or candy. Draw a map for the kids to follow. They find it, they keep it! You can switch and have the kids hide an item and have you find it. Loads of fun!
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7. Decorate Easter Eggs
It is Easter season after all. Life can get busy over spring break. Don’t forget to schedule in some egg decorating time. I use to buy dye for the eggs but my kids weren’t very interested and it was messy. Last year I had the kids use crayons. They loved it and it wasn’t messy.
8. Make an Easter craft or card
This hasn’t always been possible but my kids are older now and I’m planning some crafts for them to do this break. There are lots of ideas on Pinterest.
9. Do some Gardening
Go to a local garden store and have the kids pick out something they would like to plant. I suggest different herbs. They are easy to plant and grow, and you can eat them later. If you have a backyard, great! Let the kids have a patch of land for their plants. You can also use planters and keep the plants inside or on a balcony.
10. Go on a picnic at the park
If weather permits plan a picnic at the park. Let the kids pick what they want to eat and pack up a blanket and the lunch. Let them play and get hungry. Then sit down and have a little lunch and rest time.
11. Let the kids plan the day
This may not work for every family. But if you have very creative involved kids, let them plan the day. From the food, you and they eat, to what activities you will do that day. I personally haven’t tried this but I’m up for an experiment. Should be interesting.
12. Practice school work/homework
This one is definitely not my kids favorite one. But because C has to work harder than anyone else to keep up with school work, we do school work even where there is no school. Make sure some reading, writing, and math are still done every day or every other day. That way when they go back to school in two weeks they didn’t forget everything.
13. Plan an Easter egg hunt
This is so much fun every year. C cannot have most of the candies that are placed in the plastic eggs. So I make sure to buy little party favors and fill the eggs up with those. I also like to put a dollar in a couple of the eggs. The kids love to find money in the eggs!
14. Bake and decorate cookies
I don’t even need an excuse for this one. Make sugar cookies from scratch or buy dough from a store. Cookies are so much fun to decorate and eat! Go here for my favorite recipe.
15. Make Easter Bread or Pasachka (Russian)
Or make whatever is traditional in your culture. In my Slavic culture, we make yeasty bread that is slightly sweet. Pour sugar glaze over it and decorate with sprinkles. It is delicious and great for breakfast, snack or dessert. I love to bake and eat this bread. Here is my own personal recipe in case you would like to try it.
Fifteen different activities for your Spring Break. That should be enough to keep your kids entertained for a little bit. Most importantly don’t stress out and have fun! What fun things are you planning this Spring Break?
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