10 things to do this March Break

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Looking for inspiration this March Break? Can’t bear the thought of staying indoors and surviving on five-minute craft projects and Treehouse TV? We’ve got some ideas for you to have fun with the fam all week long.

1. Bake together: As in everyone in the family. Thumb through recipe books or do a recipe search for kid-friendly recipes you can all get your hands dirty with. (And then enjoy afterwards!) Don’t like baking? How about working together to make a soup or chilli to take the edge off the (still!) frosty winter.

2. Create a play together…or a video or a TV show: The point is that you bring your collective creative minds together to create a family show, suggests Jennifer Kolari, a Toronto-based therapist and author of Connected Parenting: How to Raise a Great Kid.

3. Think spa day: If you’ve got some girly girls on your hands, head to the drugstore or even your pantry to get some spa essentials for the day — think creams, face masks, nail polishes — and have an in-home spa day, suggests Debbie Frye, general manager of Flyerland.ca.

4. Search for deals: “Lots of attractions have deals on that day, such as the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Ontario Science Centre, Fallsview Indoor Waterpark and more,” suggests Frye. To save even more dough, bring your own snacks or lunch to make a day of it. More than one kid at home? Have each child pick one special excursion to go on this week to cater to everyone’s interests.

5. Take the family out to lunch: It’s much, much cheaper than dinner and you won’t have the same pressure of other adult diners eagle-eyeing your kids because they think they’ll spoil their night out.

6. Think theme days: For each day of the week, pick a theme to adhere to all-day long. For instance, maybe it’s red day and you only wear red clothes and eat red foods such as raspberries and pizza. Or maybe it’s boy’s day, where the little men in the family pick the activities, the restaurants and the movies to watch. 

7. Be silly: For little ones especially, a little silly goes a long way, says Kolari. So add some food colouring to a bottle of water and go nuts spraying the backyard; have lunch or snack time under the dining room table; or turn your entire living room into a fort.

8. Be crafty: If you are into crafts, go bigger with your project today, says Frye. Hit Home Depot for a kit to make altogether, or head to a craft supply store, such as Michaels, for some more unusual items to work with.

9. Head outside: If you like the outside but aren’t fond of playing in the snow, find an outdoor attraction to enjoy on an off-season day, like a local visiting farm, a special playground or zoo.

10. Make it pyjama day: Stay in pyjamas, order in take-out, set up the board games and sleeping bags in the living room and camp out on your main floor all day.