How to entertain kids during staycation for school break?

[khalloc]

We live in a cold climate. Kids are off until March 8th on school break. DH is home with them most days, but he is WAH. Kids are 11 and almost 9 so they dont need alot of supervision, but they are BORED! I get home by 2:45ish. So we can do something then (movies? Trampoline park?) I'd rather not spend a ton of money because we have a Caribbean vacation planned for April break and I want to take it easy on my finances. We will go to Boston for the coming weekend to see grandparents. Any ideas on how to fill the voids? Good ideas on things they can do themselves while I am at work? If left to their own devices DD will watch tv 8 hours a day. DS will play with toys and stuff. By 9am this morning they were already texting me about how bored they were.

[rin]

My kids are much younger, so I'm just throwing out some ideas here.

Do you live somewhere that they can go places by themselves, maybe by bus? (I live in a relatively dense urban area where kids that age have pretty high levels of independence when it comes to being able to go to places by public transit/walking.) Could they pick a few outings where they could go together and check in with your DH (i.e. library, swimming pool, coffeeshop)?

Do they like to read? Would a run to the library to get some good books for the break be fun?

[ang79]

My girls are 8 and 10 and like alot of the same activities so they play pretty well together most days. When they have a hard time coming up with activities we do the following:

Pajama day - turn living room into a cozy den with pillows, blankets, etc., make popcorn, and watch a movie
Board games or puzzles
Build a fort or tent from pillows and blankets
Cooking - easy stuff like yogurt parfaits, grilled cheese, quesedillas, mini pizzas made on english muffin halves and baked in the toaster oven
Crafts - either an organized kit or just set out any random craft supplies we have and let them create. They love to get ideas from the internet to follow (we do this mostly with crafts for their AG dolls but I've seen other tutorials and youtube videos for different kid projects. Michaels and AC Moore have project ideas on their sites as well).

How about reading a popular book that has been made into a movie and if they finish the book by the end of the break you can all watch the movie together?
Science crafts - a friend's daughter is all into making slime right now (different colors, with glitter, etc.). There are lots of ideas online about other easy kid science experiments that they could probably do independently.

Once your home maybe making and decorating cookies together? Making pizza together for dinner?

[khalloc]

I have thought about the library. Maybe DH could swing that during the day, or I could bring them when I get home. We dont live where you can just hop on a bus. The only place they could walk alone is the park, and its gross since we just had about 16" of snow melt and its all muddy. Also I feel wierd about letting them go alone in winter because there are less people around. In the summer I wouldnt worry since there are tons of kids/families at the park.

They sometimes enjoy reading, but I'd probably have to hijack their ipads or give them some incentive to read.

I guess we can do bowling, trampoline when I get home from work some days. Today I might entertain them with a trip to Costco.

[bisous]

What about friends? I feel like at those ages kids can do the same things they do at home and bored with a friend and it is fun.

Others have provided good examples of places to go. I feel like just getting out for a few hours would probably be enough to make the day more exciting. I love the idea about libraries. What about window shopping? Grabbing a snack or dessert out rather than a full meal, since that is way cheaper? Are there cheap movie days near you? One of our theaters shows all movies all day for $5 a ticket. Groupons work great at the trampoline park. But really friends would make a huge difference too. Maybe they even have friends they can hang out with for a morning or two.

[ahisma]

Board games, movies, activity kits (TinkerCrate, etc - they have some in store at Target now), craft kits, secret code kits, etc.

[Pear]

I WAH and have to deal with breaks. We have an only child so she can't even play with a sibling. Reality is that any activity I suggest inevitably ends up with me needing to help in some fashion. Craft projects need additional supplies or have spills that can't wait. the reality is that if I need to work and haven't arranged child care, the only thing that works is unlimited electronics. Tv, computer, minecraft videos on YouTube. Whenever possible I sign her up for camps, but those aren't alwAys available here.

[khalloc]

No Target here! Boo Hoo! The tinker crates look fun.

[khalloc]

I WAH and have to deal with breaks. We have an only child so she can't even play with a sibling. Reality is that any activity I suggest inevitably ends up with me needing to help in some fashion. Craft projects need additional supplies or have spills that can't wait. the reality is that if I need to work and haven't arranged child care, the only thing that works is unlimited electronics. Tv, computer, minecraft videos on YouTube. Whenever possible I sign her up for camps, but those aren't alwAys available here.

I hear ya! Electronics it is! I guess they will have to deal for the majority of the week and I can try to do some afternoon things with them when I come home. I thought about camp, but DD(11yo) complains non stop about how she doesnt want to do camp and how much she hates it, etc...etc...I do sign them up for camp all summer (except when I am off on vacation) but was hoping to avoid the cost this week.

[hillview]

This past week we had a staycation and it was long ....
a boat load of electronics here, trampoline park, playdates, a bike ride, walk in the city to a new playground and to check out a new gourmet donut shop, out to lunch almost every day, lego batman movie.

[rlu]

I like the library suggestion as well. We have several systems we go to - each has their own "extras" beyond the storytime programs. DS doesn't care about lego club anymore (weekly at the closest branch) and the teen programs (manga, programing, movie making etc.) don't appeal to him. We do however try to be there for their "reading with rover" monthly event. (A lapful of dogs is always something to look forward to). One of the other systems is good for author readings (Skype or live).

DS plays with GoldPup when bored and if he tells us he's bored we point him to his unfinished merit badges.

My sister and I are 3.5 years apart and when we were around the ages of OP kids growing up we played a lot of board games on rainy days. We always read a lot. If we got too stir-crazy my mom would send us out with the hard rake to clear the gutters up and down the block.

eta: my folks had a book of hoyle and every now and then we'd learn a new card game.

[jayali]

UGH, I hear you. We just finished our Winter break and it was LOOOONNNNGGGG! I used to love this break, because we would go skiing with another family, but they had this break taken away and DS doesn't want to go alone (he is an only). This year we stayed home and I have to say I was bored for him. DS is almost 13, so he is allowed some level of freedom and we live in an urban area. I took one day off and we visited a family friend who is not well, totally boring for him, but he knew he had to go. Another day I brought him into the office (I work in NYC) and he was allowed to walk to the NBA and Mets stores and use his money to get stuff. He liked that. But the other days he was home, getting ahead on projects and reading. As he put it "a total waste of a vacation". We too tried to do stuff when my husband or I got home, but there really wasn't much of that either. Sorry no real suggestions other then make the best of it!

I don't like February break. Prices to travel are quite high and unless you ski, we live in the Northeast, the weather doesn't always cooperate. I was just talking to some parents on Friday night and said I would gladly give up this week to get out a week earlier in June!

[khalloc]

Well DS has a day planned to day with his friend so thats good. He will be out of the house most of the afternoon. DD on the other hand doesnt even want to invite a friend over!

We were thinking of hitting the Great Wolf Lodge Sunday night on the way home from Boston, but it looks like we waited too long and all the standard rooms are sold out. I dont want to spend $500 on a waterpark for 2 days. Wish I had booked yesterday so we could get a standard room!

[ang79]

I don't like February break. Prices to travel are quite high and unless you ski, we live in the Northeast, the weather doesn't always cooperate. I was just talking to some parents on Friday night and said I would gladly give up this week to get out a week earlier in June!

Its interesting to hear about different school breaks. I'm in PA (and also went to school in PA, though a different district). When I was in school some years we had a week long spring break, but they did away with that after I graduated. Our district here only does a few random days off in Feb. (one day as an inservice and then President's Day is a snow-make up day if needed, plus 2 early dismissals for parent-teacher conferences). Because we've had no snow this year, we did get that 4 day weekend over President's Day, which went by way too fast! Beccause we don't have extended breaks throughout the year, our district finished before Memorial Day this year (last year we finished the week of Memorial Day due to a few snow make-up days).

[khalloc]

Our kids have off a week at the end of February and the following Monday and Tuesday of the next week! Its town meeting day here in Vermont on the 1st Tuesday in March. I'm not sure if thats why they keep schools out. but the schools use those 2 extra days to do parent-teacher meetings. We also get a week off in April and a week at Thanksgiving! I think the Thanksgiving is overkill. When I was a kid in MA, we had a 1/2 day the day before Thanksgiving and then got Friday off.