Although March Madness is a sports reference, to me it’s the crazy time leading up to March Break. It’s that time when parents everywhere are scrambling around, trying to figure out just what the heck their kids are going to do for an entire week!
March Break is something I have a love-hate relationship with. I love that my kids get to be home and we get to spend some great family time together. But on the flip side, it’s tough to keep them occupied sufficiently for 5 days. It seems every museum, zoo, play center and just about every other kid-friendly venue, is packed to the gills during that crazy week. It makes it extremely difficult to partake of many events because, let’s face it, who wants to wade through a sea of people to see a monkey?
As my kids get older (the eldest is five), I’ve learned to keep it simple. An easy way to keep kids occupied during school break is to get together with 4 other families to plan play date ‘parties’ on each day of a school break. The idea is that one family hosts each of the five days, and all of the kids are entertained with fun, unique activities. No more boredom!! The best part? While you will have a house full of kids for an afternoon, you are assured four more afternoons of peace and quiet! And, your kid(s) will have something fun (and free!) to do. Not a bad trade-off, right?
All you have to do is pick a theme; tropical island always works well, because it’s usually rainy/snowy and grey outside during March Break, so it’s a nice to pretend it’s warm and sunny inside! There are so many great activities you can do as well, such as:
- Making tissue paper flowers
- Decorating picture frames with shells and sand
- Preparing yummy sno-cones and tropical fruit skewers for healthy snacks
- Making grass skirts out of paper strips and ribbon…and lots more!
When I learned I had been chosen to be a KinderMom, I was excited that I’d be able to share our love of Kinder Eggs with our friends and family, and figured a March Break party would be the perfect way to do it!
But, no matter what you do this March Break, be sure to have fun! Kids love to be independent and feel their opinions are valued, so let them help plan the week’s activities. And, always make time for a treat. Kinder eggs are one of my kids’ favourite treats, because they’re really two treats in one. I don’t know which part my daughter likes more – the chocolate egg or the toy inside. 🙂 At this age, she still needs a bit of help reading instructions and getting help assembling the toy, so we do it together… it’s just another way we enjoy fun, quality time together. In our household, treats make fun occasions even more special, and for “normal” days… well, they’re a great way to make even ordinary days extraordinary!
If you throw a March Break party this year, consider sending each child home with their very own Kinder egg… it’ll be the perfect ending to another wonderful vacation day!
Did you know you could win $500 towards your very own staycation from Kinder Canada? It’s true! Visit the KINDER® Canada Facebook page to enter this great contest! You’ll also get a peek at the 2012 toy collection and hear about exclusive monthly contests!
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Hello, lovely! What a fabulous post! Thanks for sharing! I'll certainly be doing some of those activities with Little One next week! xo