Spring Break is here and I wanted to share a few tips and tricks (from a teacher and a mom) on how to plan and organize a week home with your kids.
Plan Your Week
- Write a schedule for the week. Children thrive when they know what’s coming up and what’s next on the schedule. If they can read, write each day’s plan out on a chalkboard for them. If they can’t read, discuss it with them at bedtime and during your morning routine, it will help them identify with what’s expected of their day. (See planner notepads below.)
- Set expectations for your kids. It’s important for the kids to be clear about expectations. If it’s a “movie day” getting them dressed and prepared will get them in the mindset of how to behave and even gets them excited about what’s coming up!
- Plan your meals ahead of time. I struggle with this one because I always have a fallback plan (Chick-Fil-A) duh. But I’m going to try my best to write out our meals and maybe even involve the kids in my cooking/baking to make it more fun.
- Keep bedtime and/or nap routine consistent. This one is important!! Sometimes we think “oh, it’s Saturday” or “they don’t have school tomorrow” and although I think this is fine once in a while we need to remember how our kids thrive on a schedule. It’s important for the kids to get their much needed rest and (let’s be real) for the parents to get their rest as well. If you allow their sleep schedule to be thrown off, prepare for your entire day or sometimes days to be thrown off. Stick with a schedule, you’ll thank me later.
- Plan extra activities (more than what you need) to prepare for downtime. Teachers ALWAYS plan more than what they need because you NEVER know how plans can go. As moms keeping our kids busy, we should do this as well. Sometimes you think crafting will take 20-30 minutes and you toddler throws all your paint brushes in the toilet the first 2 minutes aaaand you’re done. Plan more than what you think you’ll need because chances are, you’ll need it. For more ideas, check out my Pinterest board on Fun Activities for the kids.
I’ve learned that these Bloom Planners are my favorite for planning meals or weekly activities. These notepads come in handy so much and they make cute gifts. 🙂
1. Weekly Planner / 2. Meal/Grocery Planner / 3. Weekly Planner / 4. Packing List
Spring Break Activities
- Spend time outside. Whether it’s at a playground, picnicking or going for long walks if it’s a nice day spend it outside! Sometimes I set a chair (for myself) outside and give the kids some chalk, paint brushes with water, and some cheap bubble sticks and let them play.
- Make crafts. Construction paper, glue sticks, scissors and stickers make for a great craft time. I make sure the kiddos use these trays whenever we’re doing crafts to keep the the mess from the table- especially paint!
- Visit a local library, museum, farm, or aquarium. Obviously this isn’t the cheapest option but sometimes you can find free storytimes or activities if you do your research.
- Plan a scavenger hunt at home. This would be great for St. Patrick’s Day, check out this fun scavenger hunt from Play.Party.Plan. It would make a great activity just be sure to plan it out the day before. 😉
- Find neighbors that need help and serve. Ask an elderly neighbor if they need help with pulling weeds, bringing in their groceries or (for older kids), mowing their lawn. This is a great way to show service in your community.
- Go to a movie or have a movie night at home. My kids LOOOOVE movies- they love watching at home or at a theater so I was sure to make a big deal about going to the moviehouse and getting to eat lunch while we watch. Don’t want to spend money? Spend it at home at make it extra special by allowing the kids to make their own edible necklace snacks with fruit loops and pretzels!
- Shop with them. After a trip to the grocery store or an errand, reward the kids by allowing them to pick one (or two) items from the Dollar Store. Who doesn’t love the Dollar Store right?
- Go camping. This one is definitely for the hubs (in my opinion). If you’re not outdoorsy (like me) set up a tent in the living room and let them bring in their favorite blanket, nightlight and stuffed lovey- it will surely be a fun time, especially if you make some s’mores!
- Plan a playdate. This one seems like a simple one but I always seem to forget. Invite your kid’s bestie to come over and play or meet at a local park or play place, they will love seeing their friends outside of school/daycare.
- Bust out the board games. The kids absolutely love playing board games and if it’s a nice day outside we try and take a few outside and enjoy the sun!
If you’re visiting in the DFW area I recommend checking out the DFW Child Calendar. They have virtually everything happening in this area that you can think of, so surely you’ll find something that will suit your family’s needs.
No matter what you do, just remember to make memories with your kids and enjoy the time together. Hope you guys found some tips to make it a memorable week.
Happy Spring Break!
