A Failproof Formula for March Break Fun on a Budget

Whether you call it March break or Spring break, a large block of time where our children pause school life is sneaking up quickly.

Regardless of what we do, we can all celebrate not having to pack school lunches for five days straight.

So what will Spring Break hold for you this year?

We may have visions of lounging in front of the fireplace while our children quietly read nearby. Or sleeping in while they entertain themselves with non-screen activities.

More likely, we realize that we need to find a balance between planned activities or downtime so we don’t lose our everlovingminds.

And as much as we might like to be packing for a plane ride, that is not always an option.

What if an expensive getaway is not in the budget?

Our children are surrounded by friends who fly to Dubai for the week. Or head up north to ski at a resort.

I try to convince them the airplane in kiddie land counts as real travel, but they’re not buying it. Apparently exit when the ride comes to a complete stop is not the same as a pilot bringing us to safety.

Travelling with a family of six is expensive, so we have been saving up for an adventure for a while. But because we have committed to paying cash for items, it is taking longer than expected. #keepingitreal

Authentic sound bytes in our house include:

• It’s really tough when we can’t do something that other kids get to do
• Sometimes it feels like we won’t ever be able to take a big trip
• How much do we have saved up so far, Mom? So we can afford to fly there – just not to fly home again? That might not be a bad thing…

So until we have gathered enough Air Miles and cash to cover flights (return) and accommodations, we keep saving. And our children learn patience alongside their big people.

Can a staycation really be fun?

We are entering our seventh year of official March Break Staycations.

And we fill our calendars with an abundance of adventure. Homespun, picture-worthy day trips. Laughter that is not sold at a duty free shop.

In fact, March Break has become one of our favourite weeks as a family. All of the cousins gather together, including those who live five hours away. Pretty sure the sleepovers are the very favourite event every year.

You can imagine that combining nine children, with a huge age gap (currently 3 – 17 years), involves some preplanning. We do need to be more scheduled than normal in order to keep the kids entertained and the siblings from squabbling.

And we are careful to choose events that are budget-friendly.

Except for one special splurge. But we have even learned how to find more expensive activities at a greatly reduced price.

I’ve taken all my tricks and secrets and compiled a free ebook for you. Let’s prove together that March Break fun can be affordable. And we can collect beautiful pictures and memories from local adventures.

So instead of turing pickle green with envy over what we can’t do, let’s embrace the fun this cheery, spring green ebook offers.

More parenting encouragement awaits….click these images.