Surviving March Break: How to Have Happy Kids & Save Your Sanity
With a bit of creativity, perhaps March break can be fun this year!
If you are anything like me, each year as the March break looms ahead and= I feel like it’s going to be either chaotic or just a bit of a let-down for my kids. March is a strange weird seasonal limbo that isn’t quite ‘real’ winter but it’s not actually spring year either. Too grey for skiing, skating, or snow forts, but also not perfect weather for a picnic. The kids are desperate for ‘something to do’ that isn’t just hours on an ipad or a trip to the same play centre.
I’m determined to transform this awkward ‘What they heck are we going to do for 10 days’ to a break that is fun, lacking in stress, and will actually feel like we did something once it’s over.
So, here is MY plan, and I encourage you to try it out if you are in the same boat as me. Let’s turn this challenge into a memory-making extravaganza!
Step One: Let’s Gamify this Week!
My solution to making anything instantly more fun is to gamify things. Maybe it’s my ADHD, or the teacher in me, but if you make it a game (bonus points if there are stickers or prizes) things become more fun.
I made mine into a bingo style game that you can download and sent it to your printer lickety-split. Don’t have a printer? Send a copy to your local copy centre (our fav is Duplicators) or grab some markers and paper and quickly draw one up. Don’t let this stop, you, you’ve got this!
Step Two: Get the kiddos involved
Sit down at lunch (or whenever) and brainstorm your ultimate March break. What would make it seriously epic? What would seriously blow your kids minds and be crazy-fun. What is a little out the ordinary that would make this feel like an actual break? I also at this point think it’s a great idea to set a budget for your March break fun. This is great to have you kids realize the cost of things, and together you can decide how to spend your March break budget.
After that, use this list of ideas to help fill your game board. Did you think I was going to make you come up with all the ideas? Heck, no! I’m trying to make this fun!
March Break Fun: Epic Idea List
Now, these aren’t all going to be relevant since some are for the ‘little’ kids are some are for the ‘big’ kids. Even just reading through the list with your kids is fun and have them help to decide if it’s applicable to them, and then if they fancy doing that activity.
EPIC MARCH BREAK IDEAS:
Attend a hockey game. It might be the Sudbury Wolves or simply a kids team. Get out and watch some sports action!
Check out a local library, sign your kids up for their own cards, sign out a whack of books.
Go on a winter hike. Bonus points if you pack a thermos of hot chocolate or have an outdoor picnic.
Go second hand shopping. Give each kid a budget and see what fabulous bit and bobs they find!
5. Have a spa-afternoon with DIY face masks, manicures, or make your own bath bombs.
6. Host a fancy tea-party. Make tiny desserts and sandwiches. Make invitations for friends.
7. Go skating. Check out local outdoor rinks like the Queens Athletic Oval, or the free skate options at local arena.
8. Send some snail mail to a friend or family member. Have kids make a card, a drawing, or draft a short letter to send some fun + love through the post.
9. Visit a museum. If you’re in Sudbury the small one in Rayside-Balfour is open in the winter.
10. Grab some snowshoes (you can borrow them for free at ten of the Greater City of Sudbury local libraries) and go on an adventure. Check out these fab snowshoe trail options.
11. Plan a movie night at home, or visit your local cinema. There are lots of options at the Sudbury Indie Cinema, Silver City Sudbury, and Imagine Cinemas.
12. Pick a type of food your don’t normal cook and plan a theme dinner. Involve kids in the cooking and table decor. Bonus points if you eat the food in a totally different manner (ie. with your hands, chop-sticks, sitting on the floor, or at a lower table).
13. Visit a restaurant you haven’t been to before and order sharing plates to try new foods (Tucos Taco bar is a great local option!).
14. Visit a local bowling alley for some old-school fun!
15. Visit an indoor play centre for laser tag, batting practice, or mini-golf.
16. Try a fun and messy no-plates meal, the viral ‘dump-dinner’. I’m going to admit, this isn’t going to be for everyone, but for a one-off fun meal, could be worth trying out. Bonus points if you come up for a better name for this one!
17. Create a list of chores and attach rip-off tickets to them to pay your kids for doing them (with $$$ or screen time). My kids have regular weekly chores but on the March break I make a big list of stuff like sorting the plastic container drawer out (aka my nemesis), cleaning out of the inside of the family car, washing all the doors & door handles in whole house, cleaning out the fridge or a cupboard etc. Obviously you’ll make the chores appropriate for the ages of your kids, just try to think a little outside the box for this one.
18. Head to the bank and open accounts for your kids.
19. Make a homemade bird feeder for your yard.
20. Go geocaching. There are lots of different apps to check out and then head off on an adventure in your local area.
21. Have a board game afternoon/evening with your family or friends.
22. Visit a friend or family member you haven’t seen in a while.
23. Get out a new puzzle and work on it together over a few days. Many local libraries lend out games and puzzles in addition to books.
24. Have a classic hamburger and milkshakes dinner. Go wild with your milkshake flavours!
25. Have a RAINBOW breakfast with coloured pancakes, rainbow fruit salad, and if you are brave - some green eggs (plus ham, obviously).
26. Grab your swimsuits and go for a swim at a local pool.
27. Pick a movie series or TV series (Lost in Space, Harry Potter, Nanny McFee, or Star Wars) and watch one movie a day.
28. Pick a room in the house to give a make-over. Could be a kids room, the family room, or even the entrance way. Have the kids help with the ‘freshening’ up and moving the furniture process.
29. Build an epic indoor fort. Fab if you decide to do the room make-over because you can do this one in conjunction with it.
30. Make oven s’mores and then head out for an afternoon walk.
31. If you have older kids, designate certain meals for them to be in charge of cooking.
32. Host an afternoon or evening of trivia with friends or family.
33. Have a sleep-over with your kiddos best friend, or visit a friend or family members house for a sleep-over.
LOCAL TO SUDBURY IDEAS:
34. Attend a Sudbury 5 basketball game.
35. Visit Science North for interactive exhibits, fun learning, and the IMAX theatre. There is currently an fabulous Lego exhibit on until September which looks great for all ages!
36. Take a winter walk along the Bell Park Boardwalk.
37. Try cross country skiing at the Onaping Falls Nordic Ski Club. Rent skiis and see if this is going to be your new favourite sport!
38. Check out the March Break theatre camp at Yes Theatre.
39. Take a class or workshop at Great White North Pottery, Amberhill Gallery, the Art Gallery of Sudbury, or through the Greater City of Sudbury.
40. Try out indoor rock climbing at ARC.
OK, here’s to a March break that is filled with magic and great memories - we can do it!
Julieanne