Spring Break, School Break: 10 Family Fun Ideas

With Spring break on the way, now is a good time for parents to plan something memorable to do with their children. After all spring break isn't just for high school and college students. Here are some ideas to get started with.

1. Go camping. Camping means different things to different people, but anyone can agree that it's a great bonding experience. Let the kids help pick out what foods they'd like to have cooked over the campfire. If using a tent, let the kids help pitch it and set up the sleeping bags. If there is a lake near the campsite, take the kids fishing. Try water skiing if the water is warm enough. Or at least rent a boat and take a ride around the lake. Let the kids help collect firewood and kindling, if allowed where you are, and build a campfire. Sitting around the campfire is always a good place to share songs, stories, laughs, and memories with others. And of course, enjoy some smores!

2. Go on a trip. Whether you hit the roads or hit the skies, getting away on an adventure with your family is a good way to build fun memories. You could take the kids to see family that you don't get to see often. Or maybe go some place the family has always wanted to go. Getting away together is a good way to reconnect.

3. Visit an amusement park or museum. Of course there are always the biggies such as Disney World and Sea World, but there are also smaller more local amusement parks you might be able to take them to that could be just as fun. This is a good way to let them know that summer vacation is just around the corner and lift their spirits up.

4. Learn something new together. Sign up for a pottery class, take a cooking lesson, or stop by your library and pick up interactive information on a topic you and your child are interested in knowing more about. Gaining a new skill with your child can help bring you closer and encourage them to continue to grow. It shows them that learning is fun and that you never really stop doing it. That it's just a part of a life.

5. Help others. Volunteer at a local shelter or the children's hospital. Offer to help an elderly neighbor to clean up their yard or paint their house for them. Volunteering with your children is a good way to teach them the importance of helping others and valuing others. It's a chance to show them what it means to care and to get into action instead of sitting idly by thinking about how things could be better. Help them learn how to make a difference in the world around them.

6. Spring clean. How can this be fun and memorable? Get rid of the old and maybe bring in some new. Feel the freshness of a clean house. Getting rid of clutter and unneeded or unwanted items can make for a much more relaxing and welcoming home. Letting the kids in on the action can be fun as you come across old memorabilia and as you let them help make the decisions on what stays and what goes.

7. Garden. There's nothing like getting your hands dirty in the garden, right? Gardening with your kids is a good time to share undisrupted interactions. Let them help plan what will go in the garden and what they can do to help with it. Research with them the steps that need to be taken in order for your garden to grow well. Take them shopping for all the supplies that will be needed. Let them know this is their garden too.

8. Take a hike. Getting out in nature is a good way to refresh and reconnect as a family. Kids need this just as much as their parents do. Getting back into nature can also be inspiring and give the child strength to get through the rest of the school year. Besides there is so much that they can learn from it as well.

9. Make a change. After you've finished the spring cleaning try rearranging things. Do something fun with your child's hair. Go shopping for a new outfit for your child to wear when school starts back up. Do something that gives your child a feeling of refreshment and boosts their morale to help them through the rest of the school year. It doesn't have to be anything big, as long as it brings a smile to their face.

10. Have a party. There are lots of reasons to celebrate. The coming of spring, how the child is doing in school, the fact that soon enough it'll be time for summer vacation, even celebrating your family or your child and their friends. Having a part is a great way to boost your child's spirit and get them excited again. Let them help plan it and shop for it or make it a surprise. Either way they'll love you for it.