Stay to Get Away

Living

Living

MARCH BREAK. The time of the school year when the kids celebrate being away from school for a week and
when their parents scramble to keep them occupied. Many families go on vacations to sunny destinations as a nice reprieve from the cold weather. However, some choose to stay closer to home and have what is popularly known as a “staycation” instead. It’s easy to do yourself – as long as you plan properly. Whatever you choose to do, the kids will have a blast – and, more importantly, you will make memories that will last a lifetime.

1. SUN

Plan day excursions that involve the sun. Visit your local botanical gardens, where you can stroll the grounds as a family and get lost in the beauty of nature or learn through one of their offered programs. Most gardens also offer March Break camps for young botanical enthusiasts. Another sunny option is a butterfly conservatory, where you can get educated on butterflies, birds, bugs, and plants.

Try the Niagara Parks butterfly conservatory (Niagara Falls, ON), Royal Botanical Gardens (Burlington/Hamilton, ON), The Butchart Gardens (Brentwood Bay, BC) or Muttart Conservatory (Edmonton, AB)

2. Sand

Book a day with your kids to get active on an indoor beach. Check out your local indoor beach volleyball courts where you can work up a sweat while pretending you are on the beach! Kids love playing sports, and it’s a really great way to get a game of volleyball or dodgeball going while burning some pent-up energy. Truly a win-win for both kids and parents. Visit North Beach Indoor Volleyball Academy (North York, ON), 6Pack Indoor Beach (Richmond, BC), or The Beach Volleyball Centre (Winnipeg, MB).

3. WATER

Whether you find a local indoor waterpark or take the kids to the local pool at your neighborhood recreation centre, one thing is for sure: kids love swimming. Playing a game of water polo or sliding down an indoor slide is always a kid favorite. (And P.S. – they will end up sleeping like babies from exhaustion!)

Try Great Wolf Lodge (Niagara Falls, ON), H2O Adventure + Fitness Centre (Kelowna, BC), or Valcartier Indoor Water Park (Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, QC).

4. FOOD

Plan each night of your staycation to be a themed night. On the Sunday before March Break, sit down as a family and write out the week’s menu. One night can be burgers, the next Mexican with tacos or chili, then Italian night with pizza or pasta. Have the kids pick the meal, write out the grocery list, help you shop for the ingredients, and assemble the meal together for great family bonding time. Preparing meals can be a great confidence booster for the kids while teaching them life skills.

Find recipes on allrecipes.com, epicurious.com or foodnetwork.ca.

5. SHOWS
No staycation is complete without entertainment, so book the family for a local production. If you want something more economical, a family movie is also a great option – nothing says March Break fun like kids and popcorn!