days until camp!

Staying busy during Spring Break (without having to leave the house!)

February is officially behind us, and we’ve finally stepped into Spring which means the kids are gearing up for Spring Break! A week off of school, staying at home, sleeping in and doing whatever you want. As a kid, it sounds like a dream come true!

As a parent, though, the idea of the kids being at home for a full week could be a nightmare, especially during the cold weather when everyone is cooped up together.  Everyone knows a bored child will look for something to keep them occupied- and often times they find something we would rather they not do. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of some of our favourite activities to do inside, so you can keep the children busy and out of trouble this Spring Break. And all without having to leave the house!

Build a Fort

I don’t think there’s an adult around that doesn’t remember building a fort as a child. This activity can be as simple or complex as you want. Use one blanket or ten, bring over the couch cushions or the pillows from the bed! Let your children name their fort, and decide if it’s a princess castle, a secret club, or an igloo in Antarctica. With a little bit of imagination, the possibilities are endless….even a soccer stadium!!

Make your own Wild Thing

Break out your craft bin and paper bags or paper plates and you have the recipe for building your own Wild Thing! We recommend reading Where the Wild Things Are  to the children first for inspiration, or even popping on the movie while they make their monsters.  Challenge each child to make their very own monster,  and celebrate the differences between them all. One may have feathers, the other might have fur. One could have a construction paper beak while the other might have pipe cleaner horns!

Break out the board games

This was always a family favourite for us, and Monopoly Fridays became quite the staple during my childhood. Board games and card games are a great way to get the family together and spending time with each other. Just be sure to keep the games developmentally appropriate (a four year old might get frustrated trying to keep up with Risk or Monopoly, but might love Candy Land or Twister!)

Put on a play

Tell the children you’d like them to put on a play for the adults in the house, and encourage them to develop their own script and story line together. This is great for developing teamwork skills and problem solving, as everyone will need to work together to agree on what’s going to happen. Don’t forget to gather all of your dress-up equipment let everyone make their own costume, and be sure to set a time for the opening night (we recommend after dinner once all of the adults are at home)! Consider making it an event and inviting aunts & uncles, or grandparents. If you’d like, you can even use sheets and cardboard to create a stage or curtains. Before you know it, this project could turn into a week-long project with opening night being the weekend before the kids go back to school!

With all of this in mind, you may notice the one thread between these activities: spending time together! The most important thing to remember about Spring Break is that it’s an opportunity to get together as a family, and pause from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. So whether you’re working on that arts & crafts project, or watching a movie, just make sure you’re doing it together!

-Jessica

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