Spring Break — ‘Tons of Things’ to Do While Kids Are Home

By Mike Dougherty, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.

Mar. 24–Most of the snowy days are done. Spring has officially begun. Easter awaits us.

So here we sit. Spring Break has begun. An entire week of kids and no school awaits us next week.

What do you do?

If you read the stories, watch the television news and buy in to the stereotypes, we’re all cavorting on some sandy beach or maybe schussing down some sunny, snowy ski slope. But in reality, most of us aren’t going anywhere.

So what are you going to do?

Have fun.

Lindy Lange, a Rochester mom of two young kids who runs the successful Web site at RochesterFamilies.com, says it’s good to map out the week, if the kids are home. But don’t schedule everything down to the minute.

“You want to have a plan, so pick a couple of things you want to do during the week, so you’re not wishing you’d made more of your time,” Lange says. “But don’t schedule it too much. For our family, it never works. Things break down as soon as the schedule is too full.”

If the parents aren’t home, there are options.

The Rochester Area Family Y opens its doors with special programs all week with supervised activities. Registration is required.

And School Age Child Care (SACC) is expecting about 150 elementary-school-age children for its week of programs that include field trips to a children’s museum in LaCrosse, Wis., ice skating, swimming and several theme days at Northrop Community Education Center, where the program is based. Registration is required.

The SACC program is a good template to follow, even if you’re home.

Go with a destination or theme each day and include your kids in the planning, Lange says. “It can be as simple as library day or a Quarry Hill day.” It can be themes at home, too, cooking, art or pajama day are fun choices.

Linda Thomas, a parent educator at Parents Are Important In Rochester (PAIIR) suggests choices.

“Decide what you’re willing to do for activities and then let the kids help,” Thomas says.

She said it’s good to include play dates with other friends, as part of the equation.

“Spring break can be like summer vacation, where the kids soon miss their friends and complain about boredom,” Thomas says.

Lange says the plans don’t have to be expensive or far from home.

Need an example? The Rochester Art Center has a free event Thursday titled “Paint with Your Food” for pre-kindergarten through 12 years old. Two sessions run from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

“There are a ton of things to do in Rochester, so when you lay out all the things you can do, people realize we have a pretty good hometown; it’s a keeper,” Lange says.

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