Are you on the hunt for Spring Break staycation ideas?
Trying to plan a week at home with the kids can be overwhelming – especially if your mental load is already maxed out.
To help, I’ve turned the mic over to the incredible women on the 3 in 30 team to share practical tips for how to make a Spring Break staycation memorable (and not too taxing!).
But before we dive into their helpful takeaways, let me introduce the team members you’ll be hearing from:
Emily, the Marketing Director, lives in Minnesota. She is a mom of 2 boys. Emily is the host of this week’s 3 in 30 team episode, and she also offers a little bonus takeaway at the end.
Stacey, the Community Manager for the Self-Assured Motherhood Program, lives in Sonoma County, California, and has four kids.
Abby, the Finance Director, lives in Indiana. She’s a mom of four kids.
And lastly, Steph, the Podcast Editor, lives in Hong Kong with her four kids (teenagers!).
Together, these remarkable women have children spanning ages 18 months up to 18 years old. I’m truly excited for you to learn some doable Spring Break staycation ideas from them, so let’s dive in.
Spring Break Staycation Ideas from the 3 in 30 Team:
1. From Stacey: Ask yourself, “What projects or activities do I avoid in normal life because they’re too time-consuming or messy?”
These projects and activities are great things to consider doing during a Spring Break at home! Some ideas include: messy crafts, fun celebrations, elaborate outside games, etc. I particularly loved her idea of pirate dinner combined with a controlled food fight with pasta outside! Certainly these fun activities are likely to require a little bit more of your energy and capacity – so don’t forget Stacey’s suggestion of scheduling a mid-week babysitter to be able to recharge and continue to show up well throughout the break, too.
2. From Abby: Be a tourist in your own town.
Treat a week home over Spring Break the same as you would a trip to a new city. If you were traveling over Spring Break, you’d likely Google “what to do with kids when visiting this place.” But this time “this place” is your own city! Maybe you’ll discover a new park, a new favorite restaurant, or a new bike route that can be added to your go-to places throughout the rest of the year. And of course, Spring Break often offers the space to do some of those day trips you know about, but struggle to find the time to do during busy weekends like visiting a science museum, children’s museum, or if you’re lucky enough to live by water – a trip to the ocean or a creek stomping adventure!
3. From Steph: Give the kids the planning power (and the pressure!).
The mental load of planning a fun Spring Break is real, so Steph suggests letting your kids take some of that from you (if not all of it). I loved her simple idea of creating a space for the kids to put their ideas for things they’d like to do – and putting them in different categories like free, low-cost, and pricier activities to consider. And not only do they get to plan the fun things, but they also get to take some ownership in planning a healthy unstructured schedule for themselves that includes movement, learning, and helping. This takeaway is a win on so many levels in that it removes the mental load from you as the mom, ensures kids actually want to do the activities that are being planned, and teaches valuable life skills all at the same time.
Bonus Takeaway from Emily: Too much fun is too much fun.
I loved Emily’s reminder that too much fun is too much fun, so don’t pack too much into your days! Simple is often best!
No matter what you end up doing, I want to assure you that your kids are still going to have an AMAZING Spring Break! Because like we all shared at the beginning of the episode – none of us did anything particularly special or over the top for Spring Break – but we all look back on the time so fondly because it was A BREAK. The break from school and the usual daily routines in and of itself felt special.
If you want more info on some of the ideas we shared + a list of even more ideas, we have put together a 1-page printable that lists 50 easy free and low-cost ideas to create a memorable Spring Break from your home. We’ve broken up the list into ideas of things to do with little kids and ideas of things to do with big kids.
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>>>Were these takeaways from the 3 in 30 team on Spring Break Staycation ideas helpful? What ideas do you have? Share in the comments below!
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Related Episodes on Spring Break Staycation Ideas:
- 405: 3 Tips to Manage Your Mental Load During the Holidays // 3 in 30 Team
- 402: How to Travel More as a Family without Breaking the Bank // Amber Paul
- 237: Our Best Hacks for Summer! A Crowdsourced Episode from the 3 in 30 Community
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