Let’s talk about budget-friendly spring break ideas. Spring break can be a great time for families to bond.
The kids get a week off from school and it’s fun to have some Spring Break Ideas for the entire family that you can do at home because there is nothing worse than hearing “I’m bored…” 15 times a day for a week…
Fun On A Budget: Spring Break Ideas You Can Enjoy At Home
Plus, we don’t just want them staring at a screen for a week, either. It’s a great time to make some family memories!
But, what happens when spring break arrives and a trip isn’t in the budget? You might be trying to save for something else or you just choose to stay at home. You can decide to stay at home to relax and save money.
But, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a fun and memorable spring break!
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Whatever reason you have chosen to stay at home, here are some spring break ideas families can do at home that will guarantee you make the most out of your downtime.
Have A Backyard Campout
Instead of spending hours traveling to a place to sleep outdoors and enjoy the warm weather, set up a tent in your own backyard and have a backyard camping trip family vacation!
Pack up your sleeping bags, lawn chairs, and flashlights, light a fire in a fire pit, and fire up that grill!
Leave your phones, laptops, and other electronics back home (er.. in the house…). To help keep the fun alive, don’t allow anyone to return to the house (except for bathroom breaks).
Have a cookout on the grill and don’t forget to end your dinner with s’mores for dessert. Once the sun sets, organize some games with your kids: Tell ghost stories, play board games or flashlight tag.
For added fun, you can invite your neighbors and their kids to go camping, too!
Check A Local Popular Attraction
Going to your state’s popular attractions, such as a national parks, is one of my favorite cheap spring break trips ideas.
This is not just the perfect getaway and day trip for nature lovers. This spring break vacation idea is also a great way to get the whole family out in the great outdoors and be in the natural beauty of the parks, beautiful beaches, and more.
You don’t have to go on a road trip to a mountain town to find your own best spring break destinations. They’re probably closer than you think, even if you live in a small town.
Don’t forget to pack all your Spring Break essentials before heading to the beach.
Even though it may be a great place to to visit, you don’t have to go somewhere like the national mall to find a great spring break destination.
Here’s a list of a few states and their popular destinations:
- Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
- Cocoa Beach, Florida
- Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Joshua Tree National Park, Southern California
- Lake Placid, New York City
- Balboa Park, San Diego
- Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado mountain town
- Washington Monument, Washington, D.C.
- Zion National Park, Utah
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- River Walk, San Antonio Texas
- Florida Keys Wild Bird Center, Florida
Spend A Day Watching Movies
If you’r looking for indoor activities, you can always have a movie marathon.
This is a great opportunity to have family time all you have to do is plan the list of movies in advance. Should you go with a theme like alien movies, comedies, or animation? Your family members can all choose their favorites!
Level up your movie day: Go Hollywood for the day. Set up a red carpet in your TV room, dress up like your favorite star or movie character, and take red carpet photos of each other.
To kick off your “movie premiere,” you can toast each other with a glass of sparkling water, juice, or cider. Settle on your sofa with lots of pillow for a more comfortable setup and don’t forget the popcorn!
Organize A Game Night
Do you love playing games? Organize a game night and challenge everyone!
Choose your favorite games: It can be a simple board game or a newly released title in a game console. Bring out the kid in everyone! You can have the best time with a round of Monopoly in the morning, Scrabble in the afternoon, and a Family Game Night on PS4 at night.
Here are a few games you might like:
Cards Against Humanity
Watch Ya’ Mouth Original Mouthpiece Game – The Hilarious Family and Party Game
Twister Ultimate Game
Challenge Yourselves With A Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts are always lots of fun. They have to be one of my favorite outdoor activities. They can be done in your backyard, in your neighborhood block, and even in your entire town!
Young children aren’t the only ones that will have a blast with this.
Print out some clues and maps, prepare some goodie bags, and hide them in different places. These clues can be straightforward questions or they can also be made into puzzles or riddles.
We have often done Photo Scavenger Hunts and Tape Recorder Scavenger Hunts (all of which can be done with a cell phone) when we were youth pastors.
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We made a list of items they had to take a picture with or a sound they had to capture and gave them a time limit. When we all got back we shared all the pictures and judged who took the most creative picture for each item.
A scavenger hunt can also be a great teaching tool for your kids. It can contain history questions or simple math problems.
You may also leave little prizes along the way like candies and small toys plus a big prize for the winner at the end.
Start Setting Up The Garden
Spring is the perfect time to start your garden.
If you have a backyard where you can start a big garden, you can start prepping the soil in advance.
If you live in an apartment or you don’t have enough space for a big yard, you can start a container garden and grow smaller plants like peppers, tomatoes or herbs.
Go shopping for seeds or seedlings with your kids. Let them choose a plant or two of those they want to grow. Then start preparing your seedlings.
Kids will surely love watching the seeds sprout and begin to grow as the day goes on.
Make your kids responsible for his or her own plant. Teach them to how and when to water the plants and even when to apply fertilizer.
Start a worm composting bin! It will be fun for them to learn how the worms make compost from kitchen scraps and how we can add that back to the garden to help fertilize our plants.
Treat Yourselves With A Spa Session
Go into full relaxation mode. Treat yourselves with an at-home spa experience!
There is no better time to rejuvenate than during spring break. Light some scented candles, take out your clay masks and cut up some cold cucumbers.
You may also spend an hour just lying in your bathtub while enjoying the sweet scent from your favorite candle and the tune of your favorite music.
Give your body its much-needed relaxation without any pending plans.
Enjoy A Family Feast Night
Hold your own Master Chef night at home! Sit down with your family and vote on a special ingredient. After deciding which ingredient to highlight, every member should plan a dish that features the main ingredient.
Younger children can team up with a parent or older sibling or they can also start with dishes that don’t require using knives or cooking at all.
If you want to spice up your family feast night, give each person a specific budget to work with. You can go shopping as a family.
After everyone creates their culinary masterpiece, you can enjoy the dishes together then fill out ballots on which was the best dish of the night.
Reward the winner with a chef hat, a certificate, or an apron.
Explore Your Creativity With Some DIY
Unleash the inner artist in you!
Go through your photo collections, print out your favorite ones, and make a creative collage or create your own slime using internet-provided instructions.
There are also a lot of DIY kits that you can purchase for you and your kids to enjoy.
Maybe use those pictures from last year to create a “yearbook” scrapbook reliving last year’s memories together.
You can also learn some new crafts like crocheting, knitting, pottery, or quilting. The possibilities are endless!
These might help:
Creative Kids DIY Magic Bouncy Balls
Just My Style ABC Beads
Elmer’s Glue Deluxe Slime Starter Kit
Make Your Own Drinks At Home
After a long day at work, you might come home and grab a beer or glass of wine and not really take notice of it.
Level it up and use your extra time to try your own hands at some creative virgin cocktails or drink mixtures for kids.
You can also challenge yourselves and have a contest to decide who can make the tastiest drink!
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Enjoying Spring Break doesn’t mean you need to embark on a trip away from home and spend a wad of cash.
There are a lot of activities that you can enjoy at home making memories with the family.
What’s your favorite spring break activity?
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