Saturday, April 15, 2017

What Should I Do with My Children During Spring Break?

Hi Everyone!

Happy April, Happy Poetry Month, and Happy Easter & Passover!  This past week, I had the opportunity to guest blog on Danielle Knight's blog, Study All Knight.  I wrote a post about how to make poetry a little less grueling with 7 steps!  Check it out!

If you are like me, I had this past week off for Spring Break; however, I do know some of you have this upcoming week off. Yay!  I am very lucky because the weather was outstanding, and my son, Joe, and I had a chance to spend a ton of time outside in the 70 degree weather.

I am sure many of you are beginning to plan out your week, and asking yourself, "What should I do with my kiddos during the break?".  We don't want them to be glued to the boob tube, IPads or their devices, so what else can they do?  Here is a list of things my son and I did that did not cost a lot of money, and we enjoyed our time together.


1.  Two Hikes in the Woods:  Take your children for a nature walk in the woods! We went to a nature preserve about five minutes from us twice this past week.  This beautiful preserve offers a few different trails varying in mileage.  We packed up Yale, our black lab, and we hiked the mile trail through the woods.  Joe used his imagination and created fairy/troll houses in the crooks of trees, we looked for bugs, cool rocks, and any other fun finds (I also got some much needed exercise!).

2. Paint: I bought Joe some small canvases from Walmart and let him paint away on our table in the backyard.

3.  Chalk Creations on the Driveway: I had Joe create friendly images and nice notes for the passing cars. In his creations, he drew a friendly "Happy Easter" sign, eggs, smiley faces and other adorable 7-year old art.

4.  Ride Bikes:  Last year, Joe was a bit leery riding his bike (he is a cautious kid).  This year, two-wheels is a breeze, and we biked miles around our neighborhood.  During our bike rides, we would make up stories on where our bike riding adventures would lead.

5.  Trampoline Park: If the weather is cold or dreary, do you have a local trampoline park near you?  We have Sky Zone very close to us, and what a way to expel some energy if you cannot get outside.  We went over to Sky Zone with a friend and jumped away!

6.  Local High School/College Games:  Joe is in love with lacrosse, and he plays it three times a week.  During the break, our high school played a rival team.  We decided that we would go to the game and root them on.

7.  Quality Time with Friends:  I am sure you agree, but during the regular school year, it is hard to get together with friends and their kids.  We made it a priority to see Joe's Godmother and her kids, as well as some other dear friends.

8.  RELAX:  Don't forget to relax.  Being home is sometimes more crazy than working. Remember, it is called a break for a reason.  Treat yourself to something you have been wanting.  Get some much-needed rest and relaxation.

I hope this a helpful beginner list for you for the next week.  Just some food for thought as you begin planning. I hope you have a wonderful week!

Kim