March Break is meant to break up the school year—and Canadian winters—by giving students a week-long, or in some provinces, two-week-long break during the school semester. While this is a great time for a sunny holiday or getaway, for many families, travelling during this time of year just isn’t feasible. Flights can be expensive and many simply don’t have enough vacation time to take a holiday.
However, there are plenty of stay-at-home-fun options for families with teens that aren’t traveling out of town for March Break.
Use Giftcards. Still have some of those Christmas gift cards around? Usually, my kids do and have now made it a tradition to keep as many as they can to use over Spring Break. Drop them off at a local mall, and let them shop away with those unused Christmas gift cards.
Colouring Books. Colouring books for teens and adults have become popular and are available for sale at many different retailers. Intricate patterns and shapes take hours to colour—and it’s the perfect way to unwind from the busy-ness of high school.
Volunteer. As most kids are over-scheduled and don’t have as much time to volunteer, March Break is a good time to get in some of those hours. Many Senior Homes or daycare facilities welcome teen volunteers any time of the year. Check with some local businesses, and make sure to have the proper paperwork they require—then volunteer away!
Pinterest Hacks. Like most adults, teens often have Pinterest Boards saved with Art and Journal ideas, but never get around to doing them. Take some time to pull out the craft bin, or take a trip to the local dollar store to get a few items to journal and craft those Pinterest ideas. My daughter and I took a collection of things from our New York City trip to create a collage—using a simple bristol board, mod podge and glue.
Take a Fitness Class. Most gyms, yoga studios or spin studios offer a free trial period. Take a class with your teen or give them parental permission to go alone and try it out. My daughters have done trial classes during school breaks at barre studios, spinning and yoga studios, and each found something new that they love and were able to share with us. Now we are taking classes together.
Got Points? Depending on your city, plenty of local hotels offer deals on one or two-night hotel packages. If you are a points collector, you may only need to use a small amount of one of your points collections to take advantage of a hotel stay in your city. Take a Sunday or mid-week hotel staycation; you can be off to work in the morning while your teenager lounges in the hotel or uses the pool or health facilities.
If you’re not travelling away for March Break, there is always a little bit apathy that happens with teenagers, no matter what type of activities you suggest. However, combining some fun suggestions along with letting them find some time to simply be bored, will be sure to help them pass the time and take advantage of the break.
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