Screen-Free Spring Break Activities for Kids
Are you looking for spring break activities for kids? Spring is just around the corner! I can’t wait to share with you these screen-free spring break activities for kids of all ages.
During spring break, many families take a break from their homeschool schedule to kick back and have a little fun.
Spring break can be a great time to connect with your kids and learn something new.
When you are a working mom, it can be hard to get time off from work and enjoy the kids.
Don’t let the “mom guilt” of working kick in yet!
The best part of homeschooling is that you control the schedule. You can choose when to take a spring break and what this break looks like for your family.
In this article, I’ll share a few fun spring break activities for kids of all ages to help you enjoy your break.
Why You Need A Spring Break
The new year can be hard on everyone. Getting back into your regular work schedule and homeschooling after the holidays is exhausting.
A lot of working moms experience homeschool burnout and with less sun and crazy winter weather, at least in my part of the world, the days can feel like they never end.
Taking a spring break is a good way to reduce stress, recharge and help you connect with your kids before the push to finish the homeschool year.
When To Take A Homeschool Spring Break
While the public school system follows a set schedule, homeschoolers do not.
You get to decide when to take a spring break. Will you take a break the same time as the local public school system or choose to take a break when your family needs it?
There are pros and cons to both.
For example, if you have some kids that are homeschooled and some in public school it might be beneficial for the whole family to take a break at the same time.
One mom in my online community takes a spring break at the same time as the public school because her daughter’s friends are available for activities. We took a break at the same time as the public school system because many local businesses would host spring break social activities for kids.
However, this means places are often more crowded which can cause stress for children with anxiety.
And of course, you need to consider your own work schedule. Will you be able to adjust your schedule to take a spring break if you decide to travel? Or take day trips?
The truth is, there is no wrong answer. Take your spring break when you need a break.
An Important Rule For Spring Break Survival
One thing I’ve learned over the last 14 years of working and homeschooling is that if you want to enjoy spring break you need a PLAN!
Spring break is a relatively short period of time, usually about 5-7 days. If you want to make the most of this time, you need to plan for it.
Now, that doesn’t mean to stuff every moment of every day with all the spring break activities for kids. If you do that you’ll end up needing a vacation after your break!
Instead, plan a few activities that recharge you and your kids. Pull out your homeschool planner for working moms and decide as a family what activities you want to do and what activities you want to save for another time.
Make a plan for the times you are working, and give your kids something to do such as in-person activities at the local library or choosing a craft for spring activities.
Working hours are a great time to take advantage of screen time or hands-on activities and save the screen-free activities for family fun.
How To Use This Spring Break Activities For Kids List
Before I share with you the list of spring break activities for kids, I want to talk about how to use this list.
Not every activity will appeal to your child. Some kids love being outside, while others would rather sit inside and read. That’s okay!
Most of these spring break activities for kids are not time intensive, the goal is to connect with your kids and have fun!
I like to invite my kids to go through the list with me and pick a few new things to try!
15 Spring Break Activities For Kids
Spring break looks different for everyone. If you are traveling you might find some of the activities I share below great to keep kids entertained in the car or while waiting at a restaurant.
If you are staying home with a few day trips, use these activities for your at-home with friends days.
Remember you don’t need to break the bank to have fun with your kids. The goal is to create memories and have fun!
3 Spring Break Activities For Traveling
If you are traveling for spring break use these activities to keep your kids entertained scree-free in the car or while waiting in line.
1. Identify Games
Play identification games with your child to make wait time fun such as:
- I Spy
- 20 Questions
- The ABC game (Road Trip Games Download)
- Finish The Story
2. Travel Board Games
You can find some of your favorite educational board games on smaller magnetic boards for the car!
- Travel Chess
- Travel Checkers
- Strategy games
Disclosure: I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
Gamie Small Magnetic Board Travel Game Set – Includes 12 Retro Fun Games – 5 Inch Compact Design – Individually Boxed – Teaches Strategy and Focus – Road Trip, Travel, Camping for Kids 6+
Travofun 2 in 1 Board Games for Kids Checkers Sets Board Games for Kids Travel Toys Magnetic Travel Games Foam Checker Pieces Young Kids Board Games Family Board Game (Checkers&Tic-Tac-Toe)
3. Activity Books
The one thing we never left home without was a notebook and crayons when the kids were small. You can invest in travel desks for kids to hold their snacks, drinks and activities such as mad libs or tick-tack-toe.
We found back seat organizers worked better for my two children when they were younger. Their feet kicked the back seat organizers as they grew and became frustrating.
ECOFANTASY Kids Travel Tray – Waterproof Dry Erase Top – Car Seat Travel Tray Table for Toddler – Travel and Road Trip Essentials Kids – Car Lap Desk with StorageLeather Car Organizer with Tablet Tray,9 Storage Pockets Car Organizer Backseat Car Organizer with Tray Car Seat Organizer PU Leather Car Organizer Back Seat with Foldable Table TrayVorspack Kids Backpack for Girls, Unicorn Backpack with Chest Strap for Preschool Kindergarten Elementary school – Pink
At this point, we switched to backpacks filled with their favorite books, notebooks, drawing supplies, and of course, snacks!
All of these ideas make perfect spring break activities for kids and any other time you are traveling!
6 Indoor Spring Break Activities
If you end up working during spring break, you can still make fun memories with your kids. Use the following list of screen-free spring break activities for kids and indoor fun!
1. Painter’s Tape Games
Painter’s tape can be used to create fun games at home. These activities are perfect for getting the wiggles out.
One roll of painter’s tape and a little creativity equal’s hours of fun. Make sure you use painter’s tape because it is designed to come off surfaces without damaging anything.
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Use the tape to make lines, hopscotch, or a life-size tick-tac-toe game!
Here are a few more ideas:
2. Fashion Show
Do you have a dress-up box? Or maybe you were decluttering clothes and still have the bags in your trunk to be dropped off at a donation box.
Dig them out and let the kids play dress up and create a fashion show! If your kids like to sew, let them create their own fashion pieces.
Feel free to jazz it up with music and a taped-off runway or keep it simple and have fun.
Need a little inspiration?
3. Ballon Volley Ball
I’ll admit this was my favorite game to play with my kids. All you need is an inflated balloon and some energy.
We divided our kitchen in half and gently batted the balloon back and forth. The goal was not to let it hit the floor!
You can also use tennis rackets or paper plates to make it more interesting!
4. Paper Airplanes
Creating paper airplanes is a great spring break activity for kids! Dig out paper of different weights, scissors, and tape, and let their creativity go wild!
5. Freeze Dance
Save this spring activity for kids when you are ready for music!
Freeze dance is a game that is perfect for getting the wiggles out, burning off energy and having fun.
- Ask the kids for song suggestions or use a playlist you already have created.
- Make sure the music can be turned on and off manually.
- Pick a DJ. This person is responsible for pressing play. They will also stop the music and call out those who continue to move instead of freezing!
- Spread out. You need lots of room to move and you don’t want any injuries.
- Remind the kids that when the music plays they move and dance but went the music stops everyone freezes!
6. Bake Or Cook
Grab a pre-made cake mix or a favorite cookbook and get cooking!
My youngest loves to bake and the spring break is a great time to try a new recipe or decorate a cake because we have more time to experiment.
In fact, last break my oldest went to the bulk store and picked out ingredients not normally added to cookies and added them to a basic cookie recipe.
The giggles between my two kids could be heard from one end of the house to the other.
Make sure your kids have a few basic cooking skills and adult supervision.
6 Outdoor Spring Break Activities
Take advantage of warm sunny days with this list of outdoor spring break activities for kids that are screen-free!
1. Hike A Trail
One of our favorite family activities is hiking. Spring is the perfect time to get back outside and explore your neighborhood.
Pack a backpack with snacks, drinks, and a few essentials and you are good to go!
- Find a hike near you
- Learn about hiking safety
- You can check out our full camping and hiking list on Amazon here.
2. Ride Bicycles
Bike riding is a wonderful spring break activity for kids that all ages can enjoy.
Get outside and explore a park, and the neighborhood or discover new places.
- A chart to see which bike is the right one for your child.
- Bike safety for kids
- Bike coloring pages for kids
Don’t forget things like snacks, water, and sunscreen if it is sunny out!
3. Plan A Picnic
One of the best spring break activities for kids is to plan a picnic.
Keep it simple with a blanket, fresh fruit that your kids will eat, crustless sandwiches, and bottles of juice. Invite a friend or two and a ball for the kids to kick around.
Or dress it up with a basket and one of these picnic food ideas for kids.
4. Visit A Zoo
Plan a visit to the zoo or wildlife park for an outdoor adventure.
A few years ago, we had the privilege of visiting the Toronto Zoo. It was a lot of fun.
One thing I would do differently is making a plan. We didn’t realize how big the zoo was and how much time we would need to see and do everything we wanted.
If you add a zoo or wildlife park visit to your spring break activities for kids list, remember to keep in mind that the venue may be busier during spring break and to allow time for that.
5. Sidewalk Chalk
Sidewalk chalk is a win for warmer weather. It’s affordable, fun, and great for all ages.
Plus it’s a great way to sneak in some learning fun without your kids even knowing.
I always pulled out the large box of chalk and let the kids go crazy on our walkway blocks. Clean-up is easy with the garden hose most of the time.
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If you don’t have access to a sidewalk, an outside chalkboard works great!
6. Bubble Paint
Have you heard of bubble painting? It is when you combine bubbles and paint to create art.
Bubble painting is one of the best spring break activities for kids of all ages.
All you need is dish soap, paint (I recommend washable paint!) cups, straws, and paper! I also recommend something to cover your surface to make clean-up easy.
You also might want to make sure the kids are in old clothes or aprons.
Spring Break Activities For Kids
There you have 15 spring break activities for kids that will make for a stress-free, fun, and memorable break.
Not every single idea on this list will work for your family and that’s okay!
Use this list as a jumping point to create your own amazing spring break plan for your working homeschool life.
This list might also come in handy when you are creating your spring homeschool schedule.
More Activities For Kids
Need a few extra resources? Check out these activities for kids!
- Quiet boxes for kids
- Winter Activities For Kids
- Indoor Activities For Kids
- Printable Kits For Kids
- Spring Bucket List
- Screen-Free Activities For Kids
When it comes to creating your list of spring break activities for kids, don’t forget to ask the kids what they want to do!
You’ll be amazed at how creative kids can be. What spring break activities for kids are on your list this year?
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Hi, I’m Jen. I help working moms juggle their career and homeschool their kids by providing support, systems and tools. You are warmly invited to Join the Online Community Here!