Spring Break is right around the corner! Have any fun plans? Last year we had our amazing trip to Kauai during spring break, but this year we’re keeping things close to home- a spring break staycation of sorts. So, I’ve been working on a plan of some fun & affordable things we can do right in our own backyard (literally and figuratively). 
Spring Break Staycation – Affordable & Easy Family Fun!
Here in the Arizona desert, we are usually lucky with gorgeous weather over spring break – perfect for outdoor activities. But I know that’s not the case in all parts of the country, so we’re kicking off our list with outdoor activities. But, if it’s still cold in your neck of the woods, go ahead and scroll down to the indoor section for some fun ideas and a tasty snack idea!
Outdoor Ideas:
Our favorite outdoor activities around here are hiking and going to the park. Both are FREE – so that makes it perfect for our affordable ideas list this year! If we lived near a beach or closer to a big lake, those would be awesome free outdoor spring break activities too! 
We often try to combine our time outside with some a fun hike and then finding a park nearby for some play time for the kids. To make it extra fun though, you can pack a picnic. Picnics do NOT have to be overly involved or expensive to be fun & special for the kids! My boys LOVE a picnic lunch! Here’s an easy example – 
The Smucker’s® Uncrustables® are SO easy for a fun ‘on-the-go’ meals for kids! Whether you’re doing a road trip or outdoor picnic, they’re great for packing in the food bag. We also like Jif® To Go™ for the same reason – perfect for traveling or just being out and about during the day. Pack those items along with some drinks and dippers for your peanut butter (like apples, pretzels, celery, etc). Then you’re all set! 
I love the ease of it all and the kids love that it’s something fun and different! BIG win for everyone involved – and a perfect way to enjoy some time together on spring break!
The kis also love making things and working on projects together! So here are some great projects you could work on together over spring break that then you would have a finished product to enjoy!
- Water Blaster Sprinklers
- Kiddie Car Wash
- Easy Bird Feeders
- Family Ring Toss
- DIY Ladder Golf (Kid Safe)
- Pretend Backyard Fishing Pond
- Simple DIY Tree Swing
My kids have loved ALL of those, but REALLY love the simple tree swings! They hang in our yard year round! 
Indoor Activities:
Even if the weather is gorgeous, you inevitably will spend some time inside over spring break. So, here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Fun themed family movie night!
- Special baking day
- Build a fort in the living room
- Indoor picnic (you could always do the above picnic idea in the living room – maybe even tie it into the fun movie night)
- In-house camping (do the whole tent set-up inside and have a family camping night!)
- Make some special fun snacks
Where kids are concerned you REALLY cannot go wrong with snacks! My boys especially love anything that they can dip into like the Jif® To Go™. But, for something special inside (like during a fun movie watching time), it’s fun to do a special little platter for them. This strawberry cream cheese dip plate came together SO quickly and was a HUGE hit! 
I just put half a brick of cream cheese (4 oz) on a plate and covered it with Smucker’s® Squeeze™ (I LOVE that there is a reduced sugar option). Then, surrounded that by strawberries, apples, and pretzels. So easy and the kids went nuts for it!
Simple things like this really are so easy to do and are great memory-makers for the kids! And, prepping for things like this doesn’t have to be hard or involved either. I grabbed all my spring break #Snackation supplies at Walmart! Super easy to find – and definitely budget-friendly! To make it even easier, here is a handy shopping list to get you started:
- A new movie for movie night
- Popcorn
- Smucker’s® Squeeze™
- Jif® Peanut Butter
- Smucker’s® Uncrustables®
- Fresh fruit (apples, strawberries, etc)
- Pretzels or crackers
- Cream cheese
- Bottled Water
- Sunscreen
- Playing Cards or Board Game (if you need something new)
- Some crafty supplies to do a project with
What are your favorite affordable, family-friendly spring break ideas?
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of The J.M Smucker Company . The opinions and text are all mine.
