With winter break around the corner, you’re not alone if you’ve already found yourself lost in thought over how you’ll be attempting to entertain your children. Sure, the holidays are entertaining enough, but once the tinsel is cleaned up and the presents are unwrapped, filling these two weeks can feel pretty daunting, especially if you don’t have plans to leave town or a huge budget, for that matter.
As a single mom of one very active toddler daughter, I have had winter break on my mind since school started, and that is no exaggeration. With many of our friends heading out of town and a budget that simply won’t allow us to tag along, I’ve had to get creative. I’m hoping these tips on how to spend your winter break with your children will be as helpful for you as they will be for me.
Tips to enjoy Winter break on a budget with your children:
1. Find a local play
This time of year, performances are a plenty at local playhouses, town halls, and community theatres. With winter and holiday-themed shows, I guarantee there will be endless options to entertain your little ones and inspire the seasonal cheer while curing the boredom blues. The bonus? Tickets tend to be really affordable!
2. Have a Pinterest party
Every mom’s best friend, when it comes to getting creative for your children, is Pinterest – whether we like it or not. Invite your child’s classmates or neighborhood friends over to have a craft party, complete with creative snacks. I’m not saying your creations have to look like the one’s in the photo, but hey, at least you can give yourself an A for effort and your investment will be minimal!
3. Enjoy a staycation
There are plenty of ways to “get away” without actually getting away and spending tons of money. The beautiful thing about children is that, if they’re experiencing something for the first time, it won’t matter to them if they’re 3 miles from home or 3000 miles across the country. Make it a point to visit a local museum, library, or even a shopping mall, which is bound to have holiday activities for the kids at a reasonable price.
4. Bring the theater to you
My favorite time of the holiday season is the nostalgia I feel watching classic holiday movies. Plan a themed family movie night, and even invite some friends over. Engage your child by having them help you get snacks ready, by setting out blankets and pillows, and by helping choose a theme for the event. Nothing brings my daughter more joy than being able to help me with whatever it is that I’m doing, and when it’s something as fun as a movie night over the holiday break – they’ll be more excited than you realize! Bonus points for saving all that money on a pricey movie ticket!
5. See where the day takes you
Have you ever had a spontaneous and random day out with your kids, where you sat back at the end of it all and thought to yourself, “this is the best day we’ve had in ages?” I love those. Some of the best and most memorable parenting moments are the ones we haven’t planned for. It’s vacation – see where the day takes you and enjoy every second, because these moments don’t last forever.
Happy holidays!