March Break can be a great week for spending some quality time with your kids, but sometimes it’s hard to make every day a fun one, while also staying on budget! So we turned to our guest experts for their March Break survival tips. From tricks and tips to special outing ideas, here’s what some of our favourite moms had to say:
Tracy Moore: This will actually be the first real March Break we’ve had with our kids, as Sidney just started junior kindergarten this year. On the weekend before March Break we’ll likely go to an indoor water park for a couple of days. But really, any night out of the house is fun for kids. We’ve gone swimming at Toronto hotels before for fun or tried different free community programs in our neighborhood. Finally, a lot of kids find riding the streetcar and subway “fun” (bless their souls) so if you want cheap entertainment, take them for a spin on your public transit system. Cheap, easy and well, fun for them. Bring hand sanitizer.
Karine Ewart: We couldn’t survive March Break without our local library: The free activities they offer appeal to a variety of age categories and interests. In addition, since I can’t take the week off work, I take turns bringing one of my kids to work with me each day. We go for a special lunch, and I try to sneak in one fun activity, like a matinee, a trip to a museum, or a sporting event.
Kathy Buckworth: With four kids, I’ve learned that March Break weeks spent at home can be the toughest. So I turn it into “Camp Mom”. Make sure they get to pick one thing they’d really like to do (within budget/liability restrictions of course!) and chart it out for the week in a schedule. Tracy doesn’t call me “The Sergeant” for nothing; I schedule fun too!
Sarah Gunn: I have two little boys home every day for March Break. Planning activities such as a trip to the science centre, a movie and a lunch visit to their father’s work will make the week more fun for all of us! And a little wine for me every night is not a bad idea either.
Dr. Joey Shulman: This year we decided to do our March Break one week early (and miss the rush!). Tracy’s family looked like they had such a great time in Disney last year that we decided to take the plunge! So…part of our March break will be with Cinderella at the Magic Kingdom. Will send pics with us and Mickey Mouse!
Sharon Grech: We have had a tradition running for a few years now: we kick off the March Break with a weekend trip to a friends’ cottage – 6 adults, 5 kids, lots of snow, and great food! With the fire roaring, the kids come in from sledding and we break out the hot chocolate. The kids then spend far too many hours playing games on the Wii…while the adults, well, we anxiously wait our turn for our annual Wii Just Dance competition! Lots of laughs, and a great way to start the break!
What’s your top March Break survival tip? Any tricks to make sure you and your kids have a happy week? Share your tips in the comments!