With schools closed and vacations postponed because of COVID-19, you may be wondering what the heck you’re going to do with your kids during their spring break. We’ve pulled together some family-friendly suggestions to keep your kids busy during spring break, so you’ll have some spare time to get your own work done.
1) Go camping in your backyard
Depending on the weather, set up a campsite in your backyard or your living room. Feed your kids hot dogs and s’mores. Have them compete to write the best ghost story. If you’re outdoors, search for stars or constellations in the sky.
2) Plan a cultural theme night
Are your kids interested in learning about other cultures? Bring a new culture to them in the form of a theme night! Pick a far off place in the world that you’ve always wanted to visit (like the Philippines or South Africa) and challenge your kids to plan out a themed night celebrating that country’s culture. Their theme night could include finding and preparing recipes from that culture, creating a playlist of local music, queuing up a documentary on Netflix that features that country, or taking a beginner’s language lesson.
3) Remote space camp
Is there anything more exciting than space camp? We think not! Let your kids plan out their own schedule for a week of space camp at home! Activities could include a virtual visit to NASA’s International Space Station, playing space science games on Legends of Learning, building your own rocket ship, or making an astronaut costume.
4) Take your kids on a grand tour of New York City
With much of New York City shut down, almost everything has gone virtual. You can take your kids on a grand tour of New York City without having to leave your couch. Get front row seats at a Broadway show, check in on the animals at the Bronx Zoo, climb to the top of the Empire State Building, explore the Natural History Museum, and take a virtual pizza making class.
5) Organize a board game competition
Are your kids missing their friends? Plan a spring break activity that allows them to socialize with their friends from a distance. Organize a board game competition where all the kids join virtually. Online game sites like Pogo allow your kids to play some of their favorite board games, like Monopoly and Yahtzee, remotely with friends.
6) Plant a garden
You might not be able to go on a hike through a national park right now, but you can get your kids outside for the day. Have them work together to plant a vegetable or an herb garden in your backyard. Task them with watering, weeding, and checking for sproutlings in the weeks to come!
