Don’t Go Broke This Spring Break

Save money and time with these fun spring break tips.

For many parents, having their kids out of school for a week can have major implications for their monthly budget. This is especially true for families with multiple children. For over a week, you suddenly face more meals, recreation, and possibly even child care.

Here are some practical tips to ensure spring break doesn't break the bank.

Visit the Farmers Market

Start spring break with a visit to your local farmers market on the first Saturday the kids are out of school. Farmer's markets are economical and educational adventures. Talk to your kids about how local producers bring fresh food to sell and how your business improves your community by supporting these agricultural entrepreneurs.

More importantly, you can save some cash by stocking up on extra, healthy food at the great prices of farmer's markets. You can leave with a haul of fruits and veggies well below supermarket prices. Throughout the week, the kids will have fresh fruit snacks, and you'll have plenty of vegetables to make a healthy dinner.

Hit the Parks

Venturing out to local parks and beaches is one of the most cost-friendly ways to celebrate spring break. If you have the time, get the kids in the great outdoors. It will be a surprising adventure that reminds them about the world beyond their LED screens.

Make sure phones and tablets stay at home. Prep the kids with some sunscreen. If you're visiting a part, take notebooks and have them practice drawing some of the flora and fauna you see. Or, do some work beforehand and print out a checklist for a "nature scavenger hunt," where your kids can scout out local plants and animals in a mini wildlife adventure.

Check out our cheap, educational summer activities guide for more outdoor ideas.

Coordinate with Other Parents

Supervision during spring break is an expensive concern for many parents whose work weeks are filled. Coordinate with other parents to form play groups or share the cost of a safe and vetted supervisor or spring break camp. It's much easier for most parents to take one day off of work than the whole week, so consider a schedule where five parents each volunteer to care for the kids for one day.

Host Movie Nights

You probably limit TV time during the week to ensure the kids finish their work and have plenty of rest. However, when the books close for Spring Break, it's a great time to allow more entertainment. Grab some low-sugar snacks and a few bags of popcorn. Set the kids up with a movie you've vetted and allow them to stay up just a little past bedtime. If you can find a family flick on your streaming service, you've filled up a couple of hours for less than ten dollars.

Parents may also find it valuable to pick a film with meaningful themes they can discuss with their children after the movie ends. Asking probing questions about the characters, plots, and morals can help teach kids to think critically about art, movies, and books. It also ensures that entertainment is balanced by education and thoughtful reflection. And the good conversation is free.

Capture the Memories

Encourage your students to capture memories from spring break adventures. While phones are a cheap way to take snapshots, grabbing a few disposable cameras keeps kids unplugged and creates a nostalgic experience. Toward the end of the break, get the pictures developed and quickly run to a dollar store for some scrapbooking materials. Then, set the kids up to assemble a mini-book that tells a story about their break.

Having structured fun and ensuring the kids are occupied and fed doesn't have to be a financial strain. Build on these ideas and tailor them to your kids' interests for a relaxing break on a budget.

Author Bio

Clay Boggess has been designing fundraising programs for schools and various nonprofit organizations throughout the US since 1999. He’s helped administrators, teachers, and outside support entities such as PTAs and PTOs raise millions of dollars. Clay is an owner and partner at Big Fundraising Ideas.