Ahhhh, spring break! A week of flexibility and fun before the start of standardized testing, end of school year planning, and all the crazy things that take place in-between.
In previous years, I’ve been in a huge hurry to do nothing. During spring break, I wanted zero planned activities and some serious bonding time with my TV and social media. While I’m still looking forward to a little bit of this (hey, a busy mom needs her down time, too!), this year I’m looking at spring break differently. This year, it’s all about getting the kids involved and messy (literally) with all the fun things our house and community have to offer.
My goals for this spring break are:
- Take time to cook with my kids – We won’t be in a hurry to get dinner on the table, which means they can make a mess with the food and I can take the time to fish broken egg shells out of the muffin mix or clean up spilled flour. Remember, cooking with kids is proven to increase their willingness to try and actually eat their food.
- Take time to explore my back yard – There are so many wonders just outside our back door including bugs, leaves, clouds, stars, animals, etc. Take time to go on a hunt for these things and then come back inside to identify and (gasp! Learning during spring break?) learn what they are.
- Take time to explore my community – Just like our back yards, there are so many undiscovered treasures in our local communities. My goal is to check out some of the local parks, preserves, and other recreation opportunities that we haven’t been to because there hasn’t been time to explore. Most of these are free so take advantage of this!
- Unplug – This is going to be my biggest challenge (refer back to my desire to bond with social media during this time), but it’s important for my kids to have full access to me and my attention during the above activities in order to obtain a complete experience.
Whatever you plan to do during your spring break, take time to slow down and enjoy the small things that will make the biggest memories for your kids and your family. When given a choice, most kids will always choose an experience with you over any sort of object.
So, during your spring break, go make healthy, lifelong memories with your kids and then come back and share them with us. We would love to hear what you’re doing to keep your little ones entertained and engaged during their week of freedom and fun!
Today we feature OWG guest blogger and childhood obesity consultant, Melodie Griffin. Melodie’s passion lies in the prevention of childhood obesity through the school and early learning settings. All programs Melodie promotes are fully approved by her home based lab rats, five year old son, Howie, and two year old daughter, Hope. You can connect with Melodie on her Facebook page, WellConnect LLC.
