5 spring break staycation ideas
Consider all the hassles of travel around spring break time. If you’re gone for even a night or two there’s a whole headache of logistics and expenses.
So while the kids may beg for a trip to Disney World, teach them a valuable lesson: Fun is all around the town or city you live in or near. We’ve come up with a few ideas for a spring break “staycation” that the kids will enjoy.
In Just-spring:
The poet E.E. Cummings had it down when he said that “the world is mudluscious” and “puddle-wonderful” in spring. Guess what young children love? Puddles and mud. Instead of denying them that pleasure, tell them to put on their beat-up jeans and worn-out T-shirt, buy them an inexpensive pair of rubber boots that can easily be hosed off, and let them be kids and splash around. Check out Bass Pro Shops for kids’ boots and earn 4% ShopAtHome.com Cash Back on your online purchase.
And on this farm…:
Most people can get to a farm in an hour or two. Chances are, a quick search will reveal one or two that offer tours. Pick a day in the middle of spring break week and head out to the county. It’s a chance to show your kids where the food on grocery store shelves comes from. The best part of the outing? It’s prime time for baby animals. Nothing excites children more than a glimpse of a calf, foal, lamb or kid.
Bring on the culture:
Next on the “staycation” plan: a trip to a kid-friendly museum. The charge for most museums is low, and some are even free. Many art museums offer activities for children. But don’t just stop there. Visit the closest historical museum, and show your children relics from the past. Take the opportunity to show your children the clothing worn long ago, the tools people used way back then — and ask them to imagine life without a television, or even a car. These museums often are fairly small, so they’re perfect for small children with short attention spans. Children’s museums, natural history museums and aquariums are options for spending at least a half a day. Check out Groupon or Living Social for deals on local museums and earn Cash Back from ShopAtHome.com.
Destination: fun
The cost of flying the whole family to the tropics might be out of reach, but there’s likely a town you’ve always wanted to visit. Find a town with a charming, historic downtown area and wander through kid-friendly stores. This might be a good way to teach your children about stretching the dollar (or few dollars). Tell them if they’re well-behaved on your day trip, they’ll earn enough to purchase a treasure in one of the shops. Spring break is a good time to ignore the “no bribe” rule!
On the road again:
There’s nothing wrong with having no destination. You know that road you’ve always wondered about? It’s time to make that turn and explore. Take a few hours for a road trip to nowhere – though if an ice cream shop happens to appear, it’s like the gold at the end of the rainbow. If your little natives are restless, pick up a travel game to occupy them like Humpty Dumpty’s Wall Game, travel sized, $8.99 (plus Cash Back), Target.com.
