Keeping kids busy during Spring Break!!

[jacobsmom]

Alright so our spring break is coming up and I am looking for ideas. One day will be spent driving, another day we are going to go to the Zoo and have a picnic, and a third day we are meeting up with friends and taking the kids to Chuck E. Cheese.
We have bird houses to paint and decorate, wooden kits to build, and a mini scrapbook to create together. Other than that-- I'm already getting stuck. Partly because whenever my cousins or niece come over we end up crafting and did some of the activities I had put together already.... HELP!!!
What activities would you plan for elementry kids to keep them busy during spring break?

 

[here757]

Alright so our spring break is coming up and I am looking for ideas. One day will be spent driving, another day we are going to go to the Zoo and have a picnic, and a third day we are meeting up with friends and taking the kids to Chuck E. Cheese.
We have bird houses to paint and decorate, wooden kits to build, and a mini scrapbook to create together. Other than that-- I'm already getting stuck. Partly because whenever my cousins or niece come over we end up crafting and did some of the activities I had put together already.... HELP!!!
What activities would you plan for elementry kids to keep them busy during spring break?

LOL anything involving duct tape and super glue!!
all kidding asside.. i wondered the same thing.. i plan a trip to the mall big play ground area inside.
if weather premits then i will take him to outdoor park.

 

[luckey-lasvegas]

Pitch a tent in the back yard and have a back yard camp out.

Find a rock wall and go rock climbing.

Find a indoor pool and go swimming.

Collect pet food, blankets, sheets and news paper in your neighborhood and deliver it to the animal shelter or ASPCA.

Go ice skating.

Have a neighborhood egg hunt and picnic at the park.

 

[disykat]

Are you doing daycare/daycamp, or are these just your own kids? Are you talking about in your own home? I guess I'm confused by the driving day?

 

[ntink]

How old are your kids and how many are there? I am confused by the driving day also. Are you going away somewhere?

Your lists sounds like plenty to me, even a little too much. My girls are 7 & almost 11 and they like the opportunity to have down time at home to play outside, ride bikes & play with their toys.

 

[Laurabearz]

we are going to make ice cream one day

having lunch with grandpa another day

Museums on two days

then chillin

 

[DawnM]

What is wrong with down time? That is what our kids never seem to get anymore....let them play in the yard or at a park outside.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

Wow. I don't plan that much for my kids. We are going out of town Friday until Monday to visit friends that moved away in October. We will be home Monday night. That leaves 6 days still.

I am taking them to a butterfly exhibit near our home one day. That is all I have planned. The kids will find things to do. If the weather is nice they will play outside most of the time. They can dig in the dirt for hours. If it isn't, then they will just find something indoors. Probably playing with legos most of the time. They need to be able to entertain themselves sometimes.

 

[jacobsmom]

Driving Day---is actually a day where first DS9 will be in the hospital for a sedated vision exam and testing and then we'll be driving from Rochester, NY all the way home to TR, WI (about 14 hours). So I want to make the most of the remaining spring break.
I don't daycare, but we get together with friends kids and my soon to be niece age 6 and they all want to do crafts (I'm kind of known for this now and I need more ideas to keep it up). Either way we go go go all the time. I would rather be going somewhere and doing things with friends than at home with the tv on.

 

[disykat]

Do you have a backyard? My kids always enjoyed the tent idea someone suggested. They would play camping for hours. We also liked to ride bikes or walk to nearby schools or parks and play on the playground.

Indoor play doesn't have to mean tv, just don't allow it on during the day. If they need suggestions for playtime, try challenging them to come up with a new game to play using two random toys you select.

We always used to rearrange bedrooms during Spring Break, go through old toys to donate, etc. Sometimes when we got done, we'd shop for a new poster or two on allposters.com. I usually try to get some "work" out of the kids when they're home - either have them help me or give them some jobs depending on their ages.

On a rainy day, if we decided to have tv time, we made an event of it. They'd make a giant blanket fort (it has to include the tv!), we'd bake cookies or something special for a snack, they'd drag out all their stuffed animals and pillows, etc.

One time, my boys and the neighbor boys put on a "bike show." They practiced "tricks," and went around and invited all the neighbor kids. We made brownies and lemonaid. They spent two days totally occupied as they planned it.

I guess since I was a SAHM, I'm having trouble relating to the idea of having planned activities every day. We're all pretty laid back and my kids complain if we don't have down time to just hang out!

 

[all4fun]

We're going to Disneyland.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

[tloveswdw]

It sounds like you have a lot planned already... think of it as summer vacation preview

My children rarely watch any tv, (Disney movie here or there, or a Mickey Mouse CLubhouse LOL)... so they are on the go with their imaginations, and bodies all day long

Swingset, gymnastic mat, bikes/helmets, soccer balls, other assorted balls... those are the daily things....

Swim somewhere, (we swim daily, but it is still a treat )...

Just go out for an ice cream?

Relax and enjoy... we never sit around, never are bored... kids are a wonderful adventure...

 

[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

We're going to Disneyland.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

how totally uncool..LOL

 

[Tanzanite]

Hi we are staying close to home Ihave trip to Europe planned in June so have to not spend to much.Will do movies Chuck e cheeses &maybe the park.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

My poor kids have dentist appts. Otherwise we're going to the children's museum and probably will visit the park one day and feed the ducks. Otherwise they'll play outside each day, maybe a Wii marathon one day.

 

[sk!mom]

I'm mostly in the camp of- let them hang out, relax, and be kids but then my DD is older (12) and she stays really busy all the time so when there's no school we really enjoy just relaxing. Spring Break is over for us and while we did a couple of small room redecorating projects, she spent most of the week hanging out with various friends and they made their own fun.

Several suggestions already in this thread of things we did when DD was younger but how about some type of service project. One thing we do every school break is to spend at least a few hours helping others. Spring Break, we delivered Meals to the Elderly one day. Delivering Meals is one of our faves and they always need sub drivers. When DD was little she would make cards to be delivered with each of our meals.

 

[McKelly]

Take them to Blue Harbor in Sheboygan to swim in the waterpark, they offer day passes.

Bowling always kills a couple hours too - relatively inexpensive.

 

[jacobsmom]

So far we ran errands, went to the library, did lunch a McD's, played legos and cars (so those are all over the house) made some string easter eggs using a ton of glue and balloons....
Upcoming events at our house (since I try to do something special every day)
Coloring Eggs (after hard boiling)
Baking sweet breads for Easter Breakfast
Going to the New Zoo for the egg hunt
Making some special easter treats to share: egg shaped cookies, birds nests, dipping pretzels in white chocolate etc.

 

[wishtdream]

We will only do One activity per day

Dye eggs
Library
Playground
Six Flags Park
Six Flags Safari
Zoo
Craft

We also still have soccer practices and a game.
I think that kids need some down time to be spontaneous during the break. When School is in session our days and weeks follow a pretty rigid schedule, unfortunately there is no other way to fit everything in.