Guest blogger Emily Graham is the creator of Mighty Moms.  She believes being a mom is one of the hardest jobs around and wanted to create a support system for moms from all walks of life.  On her site, she offers a wide range of info tailored for busy moms — from how to reduce stress to creative ways to spend time together as a family.

Whether you’re planning a spring “staycation” or a summer getaway for the end of quarantine, pulling away from work and school should be a fun respite for your kids. With some healthy downtime, you can refresh their energies and attitudes in time to return to academics. Whether it’s sprinkling in a little fun educational time, volunteering, or getting out in nature during your vacation time, just remember to leave work behind (where it belongs) so you can be in the moment.

Avoid Boredom With Educational Activities

One of the mantras of childhood seems to be, “I’m bored!” The last thing you want is for your youngster to feel bored during vacation, but there will inevitably be times you can’t provide super-exciting things to do. For those lengthy car trips, airport layovers, and lazy evenings at home, why not have some fun-yet-educational activities at the ready? Some new games and toys can be just the ticket to avoiding that unwelcome phrase!

To stretch pennies, moms and dads can tap into online shopping sites like Amazon to pick up things like interactive-learning video games, STEM kits, and educational toys. You don’t need to look far for good deals, thanks to savings opportunities like Amazon Outlet and the Bargain Bin. Rakuten offers a great Amazon shopping guide to make sure you find all the best deals on goodies for your kiddos so the “I’m bored!” mantra won’t play a part in spring break.

Enrich Their Lives With Volunteering

One of the most important lessons we learn in life is to be empathetic with others, and as Omaha World-Herald explains, that is just one of the many wonderful things kids can learn from volunteering. It’s also an opportunity to help kids hone their abilities to work well with others, develop new skills, and explore new interests.

With all that in mind, why not make summer a time to dive into volunteering? For instance, CHiPS has several volunteer roles waiting for you and yours to explore, including options for kids under the age of 16. Just get in touch and you can get connected! All it will cost is a little time, and the benefits will pay out in spades. Your youngsters will have a fresh perspective when it’s time to return to school. And it will be a great way to reconnect with the post-pandemic world.

Explore Your Own Backyard

Many people are sticking close to home these days both by choice and not. If your family is among that bunch, getting into your own backyard is a budget-savvy way to enjoy your spring break! Pitch a tent to engage your kids with nature, spread a blanket for a picnic, and round things out with a DIY fire pit for evening camp songs and yummy s’mores. You’ll save money yet make priceless memories that will last a lifetime! Just make sure you and the kids wear repellent to keep biting insects away, since itchy skin will quickly spoil the fun.

Speaking of bugs, for another budget-friendly backyard experience, Fatherly suggests digging into insect identification. Some kids are interested in bugs, especially younger ones, and it’s a chance to connect them with the natural environment while learning respect for our planet’s ecosystem.

If you prefer winged visitors to creepy-crawly ones, do some birding! Learning to distinguish various feathered friends helps develop kids’ attention to details, it’s a hobby they can enjoy throughout life, and it takes minimal equipment to participate. There are all sorts of free and low-cost apps you can try that enhance the experience, and you can pick up some binoculars for under a hundred bucks to help with viewing. You and your kiddos could even build a bird feeder or bird house together to draw birds to your home routinely—what a fun memento from your
budget-savvy spring break!

Spring and summer breaks don’t need to break the bank! Find fun and educational toys and games to help avoid boredom, consider doing some volunteering for lifelong benefits, and make your own backyard a memorable part of your time off together. Your kids will have a new appreciation for life and will be refreshed when it’s time to hit the books again, and you won’t go broke with the effort!

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