Spring break has finally arrived... well, sort of. Spring break is sort of wonky for us this year. My oldest is out of school this week (Holy Week, heading into Easter). My youngest is out of school next week (the week following Easter). My hubby teaches at two local colleges, and their spring break was in March. Isn't it awesome to have three spring breaks that don't line up? Luckily, we have a little wiggle room in our schedules which will allow us to take a family beach trip after Easter, but this week, we're at a standstill at home while the grown-ups work, and while we volunteer our time and talents at our church for Holy Week and Easter.

I didn't want my son to feel like his spring break was a total wash- even though he does get to come to the beach with the family after Easter. It can be a total bummer to have to shuffle to work with mom or dad while peers are doing fun spring break activities.

I decided to take today off, and my hubs doesn't teach on Mondays, nor does our youngest go to school on Mondays, which meant that we could have a family day to do something fun and spring break-ish on a local level. Since our week is tied up with school, work, and other responsibilities, I've promised B that we can do one fun thing each day this week- as long as it's local. We made a list of 5 fun things we could do that were close to home to help us enjoy the week, and the wonderful things to do that are all around us.

Here's what we came up with for 5 Spring Break Staycation Ideas:

#1- Visit a Museum

Visiting a museum was the number one thing B wanted to do this week, and since we were able to take Monday off, we decided to go to The Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia, NC. This is a wonderful museum, full of history, cool exhibits, and seasonal exhibits- with an indoor play area, and an outdoor nature trail, picnic area, and a super cool planetarium. It's just about an hour's drive from where we live, and admission was under $20.00 for the four of us!

Check out museums in your area- there are so many that are free or have very low admission prices.

#2- Have a Library Day

The local library is one of our favorite spots to enjoy during the summer, so why should it be any different during the spring? Our library headquarters is amazing and they are always offering super cool programs each and every week. Check your local library's website for details on story hours, special programs and events! Sometimes it's just nice to visit and hang out in the children's room- reading, playing, and learning!

#3- Visit a park and take a picnic lunch

Local parks are so much fun, aren't they? Our county happens to have a lot of really cool parks, but our favorite is Dan Nicholas Park. This is a huge park with multiple playgrounds, a petting barn, reptile house, train ride, carousel, mini golf, a small zoo, hiking trails, picnic shelters, large fields, and much more! 

#4- Have a Downtown Day

We love strolling down Main St. and popping in and out of some of our favorite shops downtown. It's fun to eat lunch at a local spot, grab an ice cream cone, and check out local events.

#5 Go all out for Easter!

With it being the week before Easter, there are plenty of Easter activities and events happening all around us! I've looked at our county's event calendar, and neighboring counties as well, so I can see all of the egg hunts, Easter festivals, and more that are happening locally. We have a family tradition of getting together with extended family on Good Friday to color eggs, have an egg hunt, enjoy lunch, and then all attend Good Friday service together at church. It's a special day that I look forward to every year.

*Bonus idea- check out Earth Day events!

This year, Earth Day is super close to Easter and many spring break weeks. There are lots of cool happenings for Earth Day and you can even celebrate by cleaning up a local area in your neighborhood, planting a garden with your kids, making birdfeeders, etc.

How are you spending spring break this year?

Let's chat spring break ideas in the comments- or catch me over on MBP social media

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