14+ Spring Break at Home Ideas and Quick Tips for Families in Friday’s Fast Five 28th Edition

Building a stronger, happier family is at the top of most parents’ list. However, we are busy! These weekly Fast Five ideas and tips are a quick way to brainstorm, check-in, and create the family relationships you really want. This week’s Fast Five includes some spring break at home ideas, a little science lesson, a simple service idea, and more. Happy Friday!

* These ideas are NOT meant to be a checklist or guilt trip of things we “should do.” Rather, they are intended to inspire you to find what works for YOUR family to learn, laugh, and love together. Remember to stick to the Simple Side of Parenting.

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What is Friday’s Fast Five?

Each Friday, we share five quick and simple ideas for families under the following categories:

• Something fun
• A Little Lesson
• A Service Idea
• Something Random
• A Quick Tip

As I try to simplify my own parenting journey and help others do the same, these help us think about what I feel is a simple version of good parenting…learn, laugh, love.

Subscribers also receive exclusive tips and downloads to simplify parenting life.

Yes, Please!

With that, here is the twenty-sixth edition of Friday’s Fast Five. (You can find other editions HERE.)

1. Something Fun: Book and a Movie

Here’s one of our favorite spring break at home ideas…

.During breaks, we love reading a chapter book as a family and then making an event out of watching the movie adaptation together.

Here are some fun chapter books with movie versions that are family friendly:

• Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
• Holes by Louis Sachar
• Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
• The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
• Stuart Little by E.B. White
• Matilda by Roald Dahl
• Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

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2. A Little Lesson: Experiment with Growing Crystals

This simple experiment is a hit with all ages. Add it to your list of spring break at home ideas!

Dissolve a solute (such as salt, sugar, borax, etc.) in boiling water. When it cools, put it in a plastic cup. Add food coloring if desired. Tie a piece of yarn around the middle of a pencil. Place the pencil over the top of the cup containing your solute so that the yarn hangs down into your mixture.

Then wait. Don’t disturb your crystals while they grow.

We grew these three sets of crystals from salt, alum, and baking soda. We started to see definite crystals forming after two days, but we waited much longer to see how big they could get!

See this post for more pictures, in depth instructions, fun facts about crystals, and more: Colorful Crystals Science Experiment.

Wondering how to fit Little Lessons into your busy family schedule?

The two main ways to fit important lessons into your busy family schedule are to find spontaneous teaching moments throughout the day and to schedule family learning time each week. These two posts go into detail about these two ways and tips for making it happen with your family.

How Busy Parents Can Teach Important Life Lessons

6 Tips for Family Time that Teaches Life’s Most Important Lessons

3. A Service Idea: Spring Clean

Take your spring cleaning fever to a grandparents’ or friends’ home.

Growing up, my parents regularly provided opportunities for us kids to serve our grandparents. We built love, respect, and connection in serving them and felt a lot of joy. If you’re lucky enough to live by grandparents, I highly recommend finding ways to serve them. Spring cleaning during spring break is one simple way to do that.

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Service is a great way to build a stronger, happier family. If you want more service ideas, request Raising Compassionate Children in a Conceited World, which includes 101 Service Ideas for Families.

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Other Spring Break at Home Ideas

Here are 11 more activities for spring break at home.

• Go on a hike
• Make a collage from old magazines
• Go for a bike ride
• Visit a local museum or library if it’s open
• Complete a project for your home
• Dye Easter eggs
• Do a service project
• Make a family memory book with words, drawings, and pictures
• Camp in the living room or yard
• Have a family band and learn or make-up a song together
• Try one of these 101 Indoor Activities for Families

4. Something Random: Teachers on Spring Break

Bless our teachers!

With the crazy year it’s been, I’m so thankful for the consistent effort our teachers are putting in to still make it a great year. Thank a teacher you know!

5. A Quick Tip: Volunteering

Some kids might not be gung ho about volunteering while on break, but…

Does your child have a lot of energy that could be used for yard work? Maybe your child is very organized and could help declutter. Build kids up and help them recognize their own strengths with service opportunities.

When our kids recognize their strengths and use them for good, it increases their feelings of self-efficacy and self-esteem, but that’s only part of the positive outcomes of volunteering.

Here are 5 Big Benefits of Volunteering with Kids and How to Get Started.

And that is Friday’s Fast Five!

Yes, Please!

You can also see Friday’s Fast Five on Instagram or other editions HERE.

Building a Stronger, Happier Family

It takes time and intention to build a stronger, happier family. I hope Friday’s Fast Five helps you find the ways that work for YOUR family to learn, laugh, and love together.

We will never regret the time we devote to our families and relationships with our kids.

Have a great weekend with your family, know that you’re loved, and keep on lovin’!

Do you have a great idea for a future Friday’s Fast Five? Have a question or parenting struggle you want help with? Share in the comments, shoot me an Email, or schedule a call.

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