Spring Break Kiddo Activities

I am not a mother but after being a nanny for 6 years and babysitting since I was 12, I know a thing or two about kiddos.  Spring break is about here for most grade schools and that means keeping them occupied for a week without breaking the budget, that is if you aren't heading somewhere warm!  So here are some of my tricks that I use to keep the kids entertained and you sane.

1.  Create a tentative schedule of special activities around town:

Most towns have some sort of website with a list of fun things to do around your neighborhood.   Do some research on google to see what special events are going on during that week, things like a book reading at your local library, a discounted day at your local museum, etc.  Pick some of those things, maybe one a day or every other day.  Try this website at Sprout.

2.  Get together supplies for random crafts:

Of course keep the staples near by, things like colorful paper, glue, foam paper, markers, crayons, paint, and ribbon.  I loved to pick up 'random crafts' at local thrift or dollar stores.  Things like plates, bud vases, picture frames, etc.  They end up being fun things to decorate.  Let them paint, add stickers, glitter, anything fun.  You can have them create the projects for a special person, let them help wrap it and make a day trip to give the gift.  Grandmas love it!

 3.  Cooking classes are always a blast

Make creating dinner fun.  Let your kids help with every step of the process, giving them kid friendly duties of course.  Baking and decorating is always a hit, it doesn't have to be Christmas to make fun shaped sugar cookies and douse them with frosting and sprinkles

4.  Fort sleepovers

Building forts was one of my favorite things to do as a kid.  Some of my best memories about it was when my mom was cool enough to have 'Fort Sleepovers' with me.  We would build the biggest, coolest fort we could of course leaving access to the t.v. so we could snuggle up in our sleeping bags, watch a cool new kiddo movie and eat loads of popcorn.  Following the movie we got to read stories and sleep in our fort for the night.  Its like camping inside!

Do you have any other fun and cool spring break kiddo activities?? Good luck to all of you mommas, nannies, and babysitters and enjoy your break blogland!