27 Cheap or Free Spring Break Activities For Kids That’ll Keep Them Entertained!
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The kids are out of school and you need cheap or free spring break activities to keep them entertained? I got you!
Hi friends,
Ahh, spring break. The pre-game to summer break!
Kids love getting out of school for spring break but as parents it can be challenging to find activities that that keep them from yelling “Mom! I’m bored!” a million times over.
To save your sanity, here’s a list of 27 indoor and outdoor budget-friendly spring break activities, projects and more to keep them entertained.
This post is all about spring break activities for kids!
27 Cheap or Free Spring Break Activities for Kids
Here are over twenty ideas to keep your kiddos busy this spring break!
These ideas include outdoor activities and indoor activities for rainy spring days. We also included a few educational activities too to keep their minds moving over break!
Outdoor Spring Break Activities
Flowers are blooming and the days are getting warmer so its the perfect time to send those kids outside to release some energy and get exploring!
1. Egg carton nature scavenger hunt
Use an empty egg carton, paint it and go on a scavenger hunt around the neighborhood or at a local park. This one is actually takes longer than you might think!
2. Backyard camping
Backyard camping is a fun and free activity (assuming you already own a tent). Spring break is the perfect time for this since its not too hot and not too cold out yet!
2. Chalk obstacle course for kids
Have you seen people make these for their chalk obstacle courses for their kids on social media before? I’ve seen a few and they always look so fun!
3. Reusable water balloon fight
Way better than regular water balloons because kids can fill (and refill) them all on their own! That means you just can sit back and relax!
4. Rock painting & hiding
Give rock painting a try! Find cool and unique shaped rocks around a park, then come home and paint them.
We use cheap .87 cent acrylic paint from Walmart and its perfect. You can likely even find a local online community who shares about the rocks they paint and hide all over the city!
5. Make a fairy house
How stinking cute are these? You can make fairy gardens out of tons of stuff, twigs, leaves, milk cartons, etc. or stop by Dollar Tree and gather some cheap supplies there!
6. Playground breakfast picnic
Put a fun twist on a picnic by going for breakfast rather than dinner or lunch. We did this last spring break and it was so fun, the kids still talk about it to this day! Not much beats pancakes, a sunrise and an empty playground.
7. Have a mini lemonade stand
Why wait till summer to have a lemonade stand? Let your kids begin to earn and save up for summer things they want to do by holding a lemonade stand!
Tip: Older folks LOVE supporting kids who do this. Be sure to post on a local Facebook group 🙂
8. Wreck this Journal
Wreck This Journal is perfect for school aged kids! It has a bunch of random creative prompts to complete such as “poke holes in this page” and “glue random objects here”. Super fun and will last them through the summer too!
9. At home car wash
This one will definitely keep them busy for a good minute! You might even be surprised at the results lol
10. Feed the local ducks
Head to your local pond and feed the ducks! This is always a calm and enjoyable activity for everyone. Please remember not to feed our duck friends bread and instead, clear our your fridge and feed them left over peas, lettuce, berries, etc 🙂
11. Glow in the dark easter egg hunt
Since its spring break and you likely already have the Easter eggs out, why not?! Honestly, they don’t even need to be glow in the dark – my kiddos just like getting the chances to be the ones hidings the eggs for a change. This is one activity they do surprisingly well at taking turns with!
Indoor Spring Break Activities for Kids
As they say, April showers bring May flowers. Here are a few indoor activities for any days you might get rained in!
12. Movie marathon
Have a do nothing day and just watch movies all day! Or, have a themed movie day where for example, you only watch baseball movies and eat baseball related or themed foods like peanuts, hot dogs, etc.
13. At home spa day
Have an at home spa day! My kiddos (yes, even my boys) love when we do a “diy spa day”. Grab a comfy robe, make a sugar lip scrub, slice up some cucumbers, run a bubble bath to soak your feet – and voila!
14. Indoor camping fort
Grab tons of blankets and a few chairs and create an old school fort! Add extra blankets and pillows to the floor for a cozy spot to read or color.
15. Visit the library
Local free libraries are way underrated! Definitely check out your local library for even more than just books (but the books are pretty great too!). Many libraries offer tons of activities for free, especially when school is out!
16. Make bracelets
Making bracelets is a super easy craft that lets your kiddos get creative! Let them get crafty and use letter beads, macaroni, etc. to really make them their own. This is also great fine motor skill practice for the younger kiddos!
17. Visit a McDonalds PlayPlace
You don’t have to buy an entire meal to play at the McDonalds PlayPlace, just saying. Grab a coffee and/or an ice cream cone for the kids and let them get some energy out. This is perfect for rainy spring days too!
18. Make pressed flower art
Pressed flower art is so fun and perfect for spring time! Get outside, collect some flowers and leaves and then press them between heavy books for a day or two. Once they’re pressed, use them to create beautiful sun catchers, bookmarks, and more!
19. Create a spring themed collage
Collages are a great way to get creative and make something beautiful! Gather old magazines, construction paper, outside finds (maybe those pressed flowers!), glue sticks and get cutting!
You can even do themed “challenges” and tell them to make a (fill in the blank) collage. Some spring time ideas include make a bunny collage, a flower collage, an easter collage, etc.
20. Make popsicles
As the weather is starting to warm up, its the perfect time to make some popsicles! Let them get creative and try to make new or unique popsicle flavor combinations.
21. Put together a spring time capsule
Have your kids put together a time capsule with photos, drawings, flowers, etc. to be opened next spring (or even later). For older kiddos, considering having them write a letter to their future selves if a time capsule with drawings and such doesn’t sound exciting to them.
22. Watch movement YouTube videos
Rainy spring day? Get some energy out by watching kid-friendly movement videos such as Danny Go or Cosmic Kids Yoga!
Educational Spring Break Activities for Kids
Keep the learning momentum this spring break by incorporating a few educational (but fun) activities!
23. Make ice cream
Remember doing this in high school chemistry? Well, you can do it at home with your kids too! 123homeschool4me even has a printable worksheet to go along with this activity! Yum!
24. Sink or float bin
Sounds random but you’d be surprised how long a bin with water will entertain kids. Fill up a bin with water, place it outside and let them find objects around the backyard to see if they sink or float!
25. Bake sourdough bread
Baking bread is kinda the ultimate lesson in both chemistry and patience. From feeding the sourdough starter to watching the dough rise, this hands-on activity is perfect for teaching kids about fermentation and measuring. Once its ready, let them make their own sandwich!
26. Home Depot workshop
Home Depot’s workshops are such a hidden gem. These workshops are free and teach kids how to build simple projects like birdhouses or toolboxes. Plus, its an easy way to get some much needed socialization time with other kids.
27. Plant something and journal it
Lastly, the ultimate spring time activity – gardening! Start a mini garden with your kiddos this spring break. Have them keep a small journal to track growth, draw pictures and write down other observations.
As you can see, you definitely don’t need to break the bank this spring break to have fun with your kids and keep them entertained! Get creative and have fun!
