Spring break is just around the corner, and while relaxing with your family on a sunny beach somewhere may be the ideal way to spend it, an expensive vacation is not always practical. If you’re staying home this spring break, there’s no reason to despair or for your kids to complain that they’re bored. Just pick one or more of these fun ideas to turn your spring break into a true “staycation.”
Schedule a Movie Day
Have your very own family-friendly film festival right in your living room by planning a movie day. Load up on movies from Netflix or Redbox, encourage everyone to stay in pajamas or comfy lounge clothes, and set out plenty of pillows and blankets. You can even set up movie-style concessions stand and have your children take turns playing “shopkeeper,” which is the kind of imagination-friendly role-playing Montessori encourages. This list of family-friendly movies that both kids and parents will enjoy is a great place to start planning your movie day.
Play Tourist at Home
Sometimes when you live somewhere for a long time, you begin to take your town for granted and forget what brought you there in the first place. If you’re lucky enough to call beautiful, charming Hudson home, why not dedicate a day or two of spring break to playing tourist in your own town? This is a great chance for your family to bond and check out local sites they haven’t managed to visit so far or only checked out years ago.
The Fire Museum and Visitor’s Center is fun and educational for family members of all ages. Most locals know that Hudson was an important part of the Underground Railroad, but has your family every checked out these related historical sites? Older children who have learned about abolitionism in school may find this especially interesting. While you’re out and about, treat younger children to story time at the delightful Learned Owl Book Shop.
Have a Pool Day
You don’t have to travel to a far-away beach resort to enjoy a day at the pool over spring break. The five pools at Life Center Plus will give your kids plenty of space to swim and splash around, including great indoor pools if the weather is uncooperative. There are also steam rooms and whirlpools for Mom and Dad to get a little de-stressing time in. You can even have an entire pool or beach-themed day by cranking up the heat at home, donning bathing suits, playing island-style music, and serving fresh juice with tiny umbrellas.
Try a Technology Detox
These days kids and adults alike tend to spend way too much time glued to tablets, laptops, and cell phones, which can make it hard to spend true quality time together as a family. One fun idea is to plan a technology detox over spring break, for a few hours one night or even for an entire weekend. The idea isn’t to punish your children by taking away their access to technology, but rather to unplug, recharge, and connect with each other.
Once the devices are powered down and put away, break out the board games, go for a walk around your neighborhood, or just spend time chatting and catching up with each other. If you opt for a longer tech detox, be sure to allow periodic breaks to quickly check texts, missed calls, and emails. This will reduce anxiety about missing something important.
Do you have any fun activities planned for your own spring break staycation? Let us know in the comments! And for more Montessori-friendly parenting ideas, be sure to subscribe to our blog.
