Ideas for Spring Break at Home

Spring Break is normally a time where many families take vacations or road trips, maybe visit family out of town. This year, while we feel like the world is returning to normal, not everyone will be able to travel and run around town at this time.  Here is a list of ideas for Spring Break at home, it can still be a great time for family time!

Get outside

Spring Break is here and it’s a great time to get outside and be active.  With this week of hot temps, head to the lake or heat up your pool for a few days.  It’s not something you might normally do in March/early April,  but then again, what is normal?

Head to a park on the days the weather is nice and run around the open areas.  Hike a trail, take their bikes, head to Lake Las Vegas and find a quiet spot for lunch.  There are still lots of places to go and things you can do as a family.  Pick up some silly string or water balloons from Target or Michaels.

We grabbed a cheap tent off of Amazon that we can pop up indoors or out and let the kids really “camp”.  We found a cute one for around $23 and it got here in a couple of days.   Totally worth it and it’s something we can use over and over again.

Watch movies and have screen time

It’s okay to watch too many movies or have too much screen time during Spring break.  Let them play their video games an extra hour, or better yet, join them!  There’s no reason the whole family can’t play Pac-Man or Halo together!  Being stuck at home isn’t ideal, so be relaxed on the rules. Just make sure they know that rules are back in place after Spring break.

Play cards,  games and puzzles

Most kids and teens actually love playing cards or board games.  Why not go online together and pick out some new ones?   Amazon is still offering their buy 2, get 1 game free deal, and Target now has buy 2, get 1 on all kids books and movies.  Get them Frozen II or Spies in Disguise,  or maybe something more classic.  The great thing about movies is you can play them over and over again,  something anyone with a toddler already knows.  Order a new puzzle and have it delivered.  Puzzles are a great challenge and are a great opportunity for family time as well.

Make (or order) something delicious

Most kids love to help mom (or dad) mix and bake in the kitchen.  Last week, we made a batch of our homemade Saucepan brownies.  They are the perfect mix of moist and chewy in the middle, and crunchy on the outside.   This week, we will likely make a fresh loaf of my homemade banana bread.  We had some bananas get a little too ripe last week, so they are sitting in the freezer just waiting for us to do our magic.  

Photo: Krispy Kreme

Or, if you aren’t a baker, have Krispy Kreme deliver you a box of their Spring Minis doughnuts, in shops right now!  We had them delivered this past week and my kids loved them.  Have them for breakfast, or dinner, rules don’t apply this week!

Make something messy

I’ve been saving up a couple of messy items to make for chilly or rainy days, and kids love making messes.  Cloud dough is an easy one, and it’s on our list for the first rainy day this week.   We are going to use this recipe from southernplate.com.  You only need Cornstarch and hair conditioner.   Both of those things should still be readily available to order for delivery or pickup, or like me you just happen to have an extra bottle of cheap conditioner sitting in your closet.

Make some homemade slime as well!  Now, slime can get a little more messy, just designate an area for play and make sure no slime leaves that area or table!  You can give each kid a baking pan to play on as well, that works well in my house.   Because slime can be made out of multiple things, you can check out littlebinsforlittlehands.com.  She’s got multiple slime recipes, made out of different ingredients.  Just follow the directions!

If you don’t want to invest the time or ingredients into making your mess, and are able to, order a mess for home!  Many stores like Target and Michaels offer curbside pickup or delivery, and have slime kits, Kinetic sand, play dough, paint kits, aquabeads, face paints,  the list goes on and on.

Decorate for Easter

One more thing that might make Spring Break feel like spring is putting out any Easter or spring decor you might have. Get the house ready for Easter, order your eggs ahead of time, grab an egg coloring kit and some Easter candy.  Many stores will have some of that on sale this week, as Easter is Sunday, April 4th.

Do some virtual traveling

If you can’t travel anywhere really right now, but you can take some virtual trips all over the world.  Here are some great links for live zoo webcams, museums, even outer space!

• Discovery Virtual Field Trips
• Virtual Animal Experiences
• NASA online resources
• Free stories for kids on Audible
• More virtual options from home

I hope this list gives you some hope and some great ideas to make your Spring Break fun and easy.  Remember, your kids may be as stressed out as you are, so relax this week, and let your kids be in charge.  It’s a time that they will remember being in control and getting  say in everything they do.  Everyone needs a break right about now.

Stay tuned for any updates regarding events and promotions around the city.  Bear with us as we navigate this new territory and strive to give you relevant information. 

Don’t forget to subscribe with your email to receive more of Vegas Living on the Cheap.  For even more cheap fun, “like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.