Lenten Campaign 2025
This content is free of charge, as are all our articles.
Support us with a donation that is tax-deductible and enable us to continue to reach millions of readers.
Spring break is coming up for many families, and if a big trip isn’t in the cards this year, there are so many ways to enjoy time together near home.
Here are our ideas for a fun and unforgettable spring break that won’t break the bank. Pick an idea or two from this list, and share how it goes and your ideas in the comments below.
1
Travel the world from home
Create a global adventure by learning all about a different country. You could even pick one for every day of the week!
Check out books about your chosen country from the library. This list of international children’s books is a great place to start. Then cook a traditional food from that country, or visit a restaurant featuring that cuisine.
If you want to dive deeper, watch a movie or documentary set in that country, or create art or crafts inspired by the country’s traditions.
I have to credit a delightful book called Give Your Child the World: Raising Globally Minded Kids One Book at a Time for this idea. Check it out for a lot more in-depth ways to “travel the world from home” with your kids.
And if you’re not sure where to start … My kids and I enjoyed reading Anna Hibiscus and then making puff-puff, a Nigerian dessert. Yum!
2
Plan a family pilgrimage
Making a pilgrimage to a holy site is a beautiful and powerful way to grow in your faith as a family. To quote the great Emily Stimpson Chapman on why it’s worth taking young kids on a pilgrimage:
The graces of pilgrimage are real. They are powerful. And their effects are long. I don’t know when my children will need the resources of deep grace they are building up through their encounters with saints and holy places, but I love knowing those graces are there for them when they need them.
This Jubilee Year is the perfect time for a family pilgrimage. Bishops across the U.S. have announced special designated Jubilee pilgrimage sites throughout their dioceses. Find one near you and visit over spring break. Here’s a handy interactive map to help you find it!
In my family, we like to stop for ice cream after the pilgrimage … just in case you need to sweeten the deal!
3
Movie night sleep-under
My kids are too young for sleepovers, but they’re looking forward to a “sleep-under” with their friends. They plan to wear PJs, play games, and watch a movie together … and then head home at a reasonable hour to sleep in their own beds. Put sleeping bags on the floor or make a blanket nest to make it even more fun and cozy.
4
The coziest reading time
You know how much I love brainwashing encouraging my kids to get excited about cozy reading time.
Take it to the next level with a library outing to stock up on a pile of good reads. Then come home and build a blanket fort, and sit inside it to read all those new books together. (I think I just described my perfect day…)
5
Family bake-off
I love baking, and now my kids have embraced this hobby too and started trying out their own simple recipes. Things like 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies are easy enough that even my 6-year-old can make them (mostly) on her own.
Make a fun and friendly competition out of baking. Have each child pick a recipe to make, then vote on the results at the end. We all have fun taste-testing and reviewing the end results.
6
Family book club
Read a book together as a family, then celebrate with a little family book club! Dress up as favorite characters, make foods mentioned in the book, and make a list of trivia questions or charades scenes from the book to make a game out of it.
7
Get active together
My kids run circles around me, so I try to channel their energy into lots of movement to tire them out for bedtime! You could plan an active adventure in countless ways, and here are a few of my favorites:
- Go on a hike and end with a picnic, or do a nature scavenger hunt along the way (I tell my kids to “Look for signs of spring”)
- Throw a kitchen dance party to all your favorite songs
- Make an indoor obstacle course or play “the floor is lava”
- Visit a rock climbing gym or indoor pool
- Invite your kids’ friends to bring their bikes and meet up for a “bike parade” in an empty parking lot
- Visit a playground you’ve never been to before
8
Set up an at-home spa day
Enjoy a little R&R with the kids by setting up a spa day at home. Make homemade face masks, soak in a bubble bath, and give each other massages.
Hopefully these ideas give you a good starting point for family fun over the break! You can include the kids in the planning, perhaps making a list of what you want to do each day or creating a “Spring Break Bingo” card.
What makes break fun is the chance to spend quality time together as a family. Kids just want to spend time with their parents. As long as you’re having fun together, your kids will make amazing memories.
And today we celebrate...