April Vacation Ideas
Where to Go and What to Do
It’s April vacation and for many students, it’s one of the best weeks of the year. No school. No homework. And no getting up early in the morning. Just fun, fun, and more fun.
However, for millions of parents across the country, April Vacation week is another week of plotting and planning on what to do with the kids while parents go to work.
Here are some ideas to help keep everyone in the house sane:
- If you have older kids (high school age), they can be in charge of their younger siblings if you have to work during the week. Give the teens some important and clear instructions. Check in on them during certain times of the day (once you get to work, during your lunch break), and just before your workday ends.
- If you are able to take the week off, here are some things to do with the kids:
A. If they are young, take them to the park or playground. Let the kids run around for a few hours, and bring some snacks and water. Believe me, by the time you get back home, the kids will be nice and quiet for the rest of the evening.
B. For older kids, take them to an arcade or amusement park. It’s the same idea — let them spend a few hours playing games and riding the rides and they’ll also be too exhausted to disturb your evening.
C. Look for programs at the local library. Oftentimes, the library will offer special programming for kids and offer classes in face painting, legos, and drawing. It’s a nice way for kids to be crafty and someone else can clean up the mess.
D. Go to museums. In my city, we have a children’s museum and an art museum. Depending on the age of your children, you can spend the day having the kids engage with interactive exhibits or try to draw one of the artworks.
E. Plan a day at the beach or go for a hike. If the weather is good, getting outside for some fun in the sun is just what the kids need. Again, a few hours of outdoor activities will have the kids nice and exhausted.
The bottom line is to keep your children active and engaged in fun, healthy activities. They shouldn’t be in the house all day watching tv or playing video games. If the weather is not conducive to outdoor activities, play some board games with the kids or have them read and talk about what they’ve read.
Before you know it, the vacation will be over and the kids will be back in school.
