5 Creative & Affordable Ideas for a March Break at Home

Yes, you want to get your kids outside, but the reality is it’s -15 degrees Celsius, and that’s without the wind chill. It sounds like the perfect time for a movie. But this time, take the at-home film to another level.

Start with a bit of dress-up. Get everyone to dress as a favourite character in the movie. Get your kids to use only what they have at home. It will challenge them to use their imagination and have the whole family giggling.

Popcorn is a crowd-pleaser, but you might want to challenge your kids to create a menu of snacks based on the movie. Like pretzel and cheese string broomsticks for viewing Cinderella or chocolate pudding swamp slime while watching Shrek. Take the challenge a step further and try replicating a meal they enjoy in the film or build a lunch around the culinary styles of the movie’s setting.

These ideas will get your kids excited for the movie, but you can still have fun once the movie ends. Have your children come up with the after story. They can draw pictures, make a comic book, or even act out what happens to the characters after the movie is over. It’s always fun to see what their minds create (sometimes it’s better than the sequels we end up with).

Odds are you have probably done a Scavenger Hunt at some time during the pandemic. The concept is simple but engaging, with each found object revealing a clue to the next, sometimes ending in a grand surprise at the end (or merely the satisfaction of completing the hunt). Many communities created photo scavenger hunts, both indoor and outdoor, to get kids moving, exploring, and entertained during lockdowns.

You can try a reverse scavenger hunt, great for kids of all ages. Have your kids grab sleeping bags or large tote bags and let them fill them with 10-15 objects from around the house. While they’re doing that, you make a list of real or fictional items —life preserver, comb, magic wand, time machine, etc. Once they’re gathered with their bags, read off your list one by one and see what items they have that match what you said. Challenge them to be creative with the things they have. Maybe their Nintendo can double as a time machine, or the fork can transform into a comb. It’s a fun twist on the typical scavenger hunt and challenges their young minds to shift their perspective of how they view the objects around your home.

After watching Canada take the podium in Beijing, you can bring that spirit home by creating your own Olympics.  Challenge your kids to create an obstacle course, arts and crafts challenges, fort building, silliest walk. Or integrate chores into the Olympic line-up; fastest laundry folder, anyone? Get the kids involved in curating your line-up of challenges.

Spend the first day of March Break creating the opening ceremonies. Have kids or other family members choose a country and learn about it or create a fictional country to represent. Design uniforms and flags and let them make up a national anthem. Parents can help MC the ceremonies, or you can let your children take the reins while you observe as an enthusiastic fan in the living room stands.

Hold events over the week and create a leader board. Create a homemade podium and medals.

Consider collaborating with a few other close families. Hold events over zoom and share your achievements over the week.

This March break, turn your kitchen into a restaurant. Hand the spatula to the kids. Let them create the menu for a day (or a meal) and get them involved in preparing the meal.

One helpful way to inspire them is by grabbing some kids’ cookbooks from the library. The images and recipes will give them the motivation they need.

If children are young, be their sous-chefs, even helping them curate a manageable menu. Teach them about the whole process, from washing fruits and vegetables to chopping to plating. Have them smell the foods and spices to teach them how to create different flavours. You may unlock a lifelong passion for cooking, or at the very least, get them excited about exploring new tastes.

As areas throughout the country are slowly beginning to reopen, getting out of the house is sure to be a hit. If you are comfortable being around groups of people, visiting a local aquarium or museum can be fun and educational while spending some quality time together.

Not quite ready for crowds? Consider dining out in a quiet, small-town restaurant, an afternoon of sledding or skating, or learning how to snowshoe. Public nature areas are fun to try new things outdoors and learn about natural habitats while getting some much-needed screen-free time.