Things to do with kids during spring break can range from swimming to visiting a museum. Spring breaks can be a good opportunity to bond with your kid.
Spring breaks are infamously known for sneaking up on parents giving them very little time to prepare but do not worry, we have listed some easy activities around your city for your family to enjoy this year.
The break can be a beautiful opportunity for parents to bond with their kids while undertaking activities that are both educational and fun. You can try playing airplanes in your living room by letting your kids pick the destination and dressing up accordingly. Parents can help by giving basic information about the destinations.
Spring breaks can range from as early as February to as late as April in different parts of the United States. Generally, the southern states have earlier spring breaks. For example, San Antonio school districts in Texas were on spring break between March 13 and March 17.
Signing up children for spring camps can also be a fun and productive way of spending a week-long break or parents can take things into their own hands and hit the road in a rented RV.
Here are some fun and easy activities for spring break in Texas, New York, Florida, and Illinois.
Fun Things Around San Antonio For Kids
San Antonio spring break started on March 13 and continued until March 17. Kids can visit The DoSeum Museum or Japanese Tea Garden for fun.
The largest central Texas city has a tremendous amount of activities to offer for both kids and their parents during spring break. With its large and spacious botanical gardens to 5th largest kids’ museum in the country, there is everything for everyone in San Antonio.
The DoSeum Museum
The DoSeum Museum can be a perfect place for your kids during this spring break.
It is the 5th largest children’s museum in the country and has tons of activities to offer.
When your children have learned enough about the day-to-day things and their working mechanism in a fun way, the museum also provides approximately 30,000 square feet of the outdoor play area. The DoSeum will set you back $16 per person for a full day of enjoyment.
LEGOLAND
LEGOLAND in San Antonio can be another fun learning opportunity for your kids, plus they get to brag about it at school after spring break ends.
The Legoland Discovery Center lets your kids build purely out of their imagination. Other fun activities at the facility include Miniland, Lego Cinema, Kingdom Quest, Merlin’s Apprentice Ride, and Lego Master Build Academy.
The sky is the limit for your kids’ imaginations at a mere starting price of $20 per person. It also lets your family shoot trolls during Kingdom Quest. What other fun things to do on spring break with family can be then visiting the ultimate Lego Universe?
Pearsall Park
Pearsall Park located on the southwestern side of the city is the perfect place to connect your kids with nature.
Largest in the area, Pearsall Park offers Family Fun Zone equipped with picnic benches and event venues, Fitness Challenge Zone for siblings or parents-children competition, and an 18-hole disc golf course. The cherry on top is, your visit to the park is completely free as there is no ticket requirement.
Parents can help their kids learn skating at the city’s largest skate park or get fit at the Fitness Challenge Zone for summer. Your children will have a blast at the two splash pads or score a three-pointer in either of the two basketball courts.
Japanese Tea Garden
Japanese Tea Garden in San Antonio, Texas, can be a perfect place to escape the busy city within the city limits.
The facility is constructed on an abandoned rock quarry and features a year-round garden and a 60-foot waterfall. It also has an amazing pond with Koi fishes adding to the beauty of the oasis inside San Antonio.
Kids can have a productive and fun spring break at the Japanese Tea Garden where they get a chance to explore the shaded pathways while looking at the beautiful floral display. Moreover, they also get the opportunity to walk on top of beautifully constructed stone bridges.
While the fun is unlimited at the facility, they also get equal opportunities to learn more about Japanese culture and their building style. The chance to explore Japanese culture face-to-face without leaving Texas is monumental for kids.
San Antonio Zoo
Taking your kids for a friendly introduction to wild animals at San Antonio Zoo is both fun and educational during the spring break.
You can take two pathways to enjoy San Antonio Zoo, parents can either take children by themself or enroll the kids in one of five education programs offered by the zoo.
If you are going by yourself, fun things to do at the facility include, petting a rhino or feeding a hippo. You can also get closer to towering giraffes or get a chance to physically interact with a tortoise.
The facility also offers five educational programs which include Zoo Camp, School Field Trips, Overnight Camp, Will Smith Zoo School, and Dungeons and Dragons Game Night. San Antonio Zoo ensures your kids will learn a thing or two while having the best days of their lives.
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Best Spring Break Activities In Chicago
Chicago spring break adventures to keep your schoolgoers occupied while having fun can be a visit to Adler Planetarium or Brookfield Zoo.
The most populous city in Illinois has a lot to offer to kids during their spring break. Things to do in Chicago during the school spring breaks include going on a galactic tour at Adler Planetarium or traveling back in time to Ice Age at Brookfield Zoo.
Here are five fun and educational activities for all ages to undergo during spring break. Chicago schools are on spring break between April 3 and April 7.
Adler Planetarium
Who loves the stars and planets more than the kids?
Adler Planetarium offers 12 exhibits which include Astronomy in Culture, Chicago’s Night Sky, Doane Observatory, Misson Moon, and a collection of old and antique telescopes from as early as the 17th century.
The facility also offers seven sky shows in a variety of themes at its dome planetarium theater. You can jump into the future circa 2096 and book yourself a solar system visit trip with Space Express Tours or join Sesame Street stars Big Bird and Elmo to learn about everything seen in the night sky.
Visit to Chicago’s Adler Planetarium located on the easternmost side of the city in Lake Michigan will be both a fun and a great learning opportunity during the spring break.
Brookfield Zoo
Brookfield Zoo houses 1200 animals of over 450 species.
It is a perfect place inside Chicago city to escape the bustling downtown rush and connect with nature and wildlife for your kids during spring break. Animals at the zoo are kept mimicking their natural habitat and categorized accordingly.
Visitors can witness everything from Australian Kangaroos to exotic dolphins. It also houses big cats including lions and tigers and has separate enclosures for butterflies and dragonflies.
For an unmatched learning experience with hands-on experience with most of the variety of wild animals in their replicated habitat, tickets for adults will set back $29.95 and kids between 3 to 11 will get an entry for $20.95.
Maggie Daley Park
If you believe spring break must be all fun and games for kids, Maggie Daley Park is the perfect destination.
Located at the heart of the city, Maggie Daley Park offers both a quiet and peaceful environment and fun things to do with kids. It offers activities like mini-golf, wall climbing, and ice skating.
You can also enjoy the park with your kids on bicycles as the park offers bicycle paths through the middle. Kids and families can also spend quiet time engaged in conversation at the Cancer Survivor Garden overlooking the beautiful spring-blooming flowers.
For the fun part, Maggie Daley Park offers a play area for kids. It has The Sea which features a custom-built metal play ship equipped with up and down ladders and a captain’s wheel, The Watering Hole, The Harbor, Enchanted Forest, and Slide Crater among others.
Navy Pier
Navy Pier is one of the most popular family attractions in Chicago and a perfect spring break getaway with your kids.
It offers everything from adrenaline-filled amusement park rides to a calm family cruise in Lake Michigan. Navy Pier is the perfect destination if you are looking for something fun and beautiful during this holiday season.
Navy Pier offers several rides and games including Chicago’s most iconic Centennial Wheel, a large 200-foot-tall Ferris wheel that gives a complete view of the city. Other entertaining rides include Carousel, Drop Tower, Wave Swinger, Amazing Chicago Funhouse Maze, and many more.
Garfield Park Conservatory
Schoolgoers are up for a treat this spring break with a special Spring Flower Show at Garfield Park Conservatory.
The special show aims to give visitors a closer look at the relationship between bees and flowers and have several species blooming at the display. Flowers including daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, and hydrangeas, among others, will be at the display.
Similarly, the conservatory has also strategically placed demo bee hives among the blooming garden to help the visitors understand the importance and roles of bees in nature.
Other exhibits at Garfield Park Conservatory include Outdoor Gardens, Palm House, Fern Room, Desert House, and E.M.G. Children’s Garden, among others. All the dedicated houses and rooms are filled with categorized plants from those geographical regions.
Things To Do During Texas Spring Break
Texas spring break activities can range from the old-west experience at Dixie Dude Ranch to sunbathing at Corpus Christi. Texas offers amazing experiences for all ages.
The second largest US state offers a variety of activities for all kinds of families during spring break. Most Texas school enjoy their spring break between March 13 and March 17 and families try to find the ideal activities for the occasion.
Here is a list of fun as well as productive activities to undertake during the week-long break from school.
Old West Experience
Let’s kick things off Texan style with Old West Experience at Dixie Dude Ranch.
Dixie Dude Ranch is located in Bandera, Texas, where visitors can have an authentic old-west experience. The hilly geography of the locations helps keep the place vibrant and offers pleasing views of the surrounding valleys and hills.
They offer outdoor activities like horseback riding, fishing, and outdoor swimming among other things. The real cowboys at the ranch will help your kids relive the history of the United States in authentic style.
Families can also engage in campfires, hiking, and exploring their century-old barn. As the night falls, people can enjoy authentic Western music and dances. They also have massage facilities to relax your family and recharge you after an activity-filled day at the ranch.
Go Rodeo
Take your kids and family to visit a rodeo near you during this spring break.
The most Texan thing to do during your spring break this year is to visit your nearest rodeo show and give your young one an opportunity to witness horse shows firsthand.
Some of the most popular shows in Texas include Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, WRCA World Championship Rodeo in Amarillo, Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, and Rodeo Austin, among others.
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the largest Rodeo show in the United States with over 2.5 million visitors every year and features Parade and trail rides among other activities. The rodeo visit will be a fun learning opportunity for your youngster.
Revisit History At Glen Rose
Glen Rose is the perfect destination for young dinos lovers.
Dinosaur Valley State Park at Glen Rose offers an experience to walk side by side with dinosaurs, just millions of years apart. It features several dino marks on the river bed and is waiting for your child to explore.
Other activities can be exploring the huge primitive park on a horseback, both guided and unguided tour options are available. If you can handle your own horse, you can bring your own and explore.
Nearby attractions include Barnard’s Mill Art Museum, Big Rocks Park, Creation Evidence Museum, Dinosaur World, and Wheeler Branch Park, among several others attractions.
Taste Ice Cream At Brenham
Brenham is the home to the famous Bluebell Creamery.
Bluebell Creamery is one of the most sought-after local ice cream companies in Texas and offers tasting and location visits for youngsters and families during spring break. Well, ice creams can make most kids jump with joy during spring break but it has more to offer.
The small Texan town is surrounded by large fields of wild and state flowers which pop with color during the spring making it one of the most beautiful scenes to witness. The poped colors and vast flower fields can be ideal for casual strolls and a family picnic.
To keep your young one occupied during their visit and make a memory out of it, you can also task them with collecting ten different types of flowers or ten different colored flowers to bring home and preserve.
Children’s Museum of Houston
If you are around Houston then the best place to visit will be the Children’s Museum of Houston.
The permanent exhibits at CMH include Tot*Spot, Kidtropolis, USA, Matter Factory, Kids’ Hall, Cyberchase, SECRET Spy Game, and Heart and Seoul, among many others. All of the exhibits are interactive and specialize in enhancing specific learning in children.
The 90,000-square-foot exhibition space at the facility is carefully crafted just for young ones but adults can also rejoice by looking at their young ones having fun. It offers a bilingual learning experience for visitors.
It also has practical sessions for kids such as Kidtropolis, USA, which encourages kids to take jobs in the fictional city and run the economy to reach the skies.
Best Activities in Florida During Spring Break
Florida Spring Break is not complete without visiting Walt Disney World. The warm climate in Florida invites vacationers from other parts of the country as well.
Florida school spring break started as early as March 10 and will continue up to as late as April 21 in 2023 depending upon the school district. However, most schools were on break in the second week of March according to Florida Smart.
With its tropical climate and beautiful golden sand beaches, Florida is flocked with vacationers and visitors from around the world. Families and young adults love the destination alike and it offers fun activities to all ages.
Walt Disney World
The spring break in Florida is incomplete without visiting Walt Disney World.
Located just off Orlando, Florida, Disney World offers world-class themed and non-themed resorts and hotels to say one and several amusement parks for fun activities. The 25,000 acres resort is divided into four themed-amusement parks, two water parks, 31-themed resorts, and nine non-themed hotels.
The four themed-amusement parks include Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The two waterparks are Disney’s Blizzard Beach and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon.
The youngsters will definitely love their experience at Walt Disney World and the adults will also have plenty of fun. Your kids will also get to talk about their experience at the one of world’s most sought-after vacation destinations at school once it re-opens.
Go Cable Water Boarding
The bright Florida sun calls for water during spring break and what better than to go waterboarding?
Hold on, you do not need to rent out a boat or loads of equipment to have fun doing waterboarding. Elite Cable Park offers all the activities with their electric cable-pulled waterboarding activities.
There is no denying that youngsters love water and showing off some skills with a board on top of water multiplies fun exponentially. You can enjoy waterboarding will a full gear set at just $75 per person. Both adults and kids will have fun alike at the venue.
Camelback Ride At Safari Wilderness Ranch
Well, you will not need to travel to the middle east for a camelback ride this spring break.
Safari Wilderness Ranch which is located in Lakeland, Florida offers camelback ride safari to its visitors. The one-and-a-half-hour-long tour is led by two experienced guides and camel handlers and the tour provides a view of exotic animals in their natural habitat.
However, the camelback ride is not the only attraction at Safari Wilderness Ranch. It also offers drive-thru safari, custom vehicle safari tours, ATV safari tours, and kayak safari tours.
Visitors also have the option to feed a guinea pig colony and feed ring-tailed lemurs. The ranch also offers African-style bush accommodation in specially built tents for a limited number of guests every day.
Soak Up Sun At Florida Keyes
If you missed your chance to book a tropical holiday to the Caribbean this year, no worries, Florida Keyes will provide you with the experience.
Located in the southernmost part of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico, Florida Keyes is a long stretch of a series of small and big islands. Keyes mimic the tropical climate of the Caribbean and have long and beautiful sandy beaches.
The best part is, you do not need to board a plane or a boat to reach there as you can drive along Florida State Highway A1 better known as Sea Highway. The spectacular highway is an engineering marvel and is built on top of the Gulf of Mexico in some parts.
Key Largo, Key West, and Saddle Bunch Keys are some of the well-known attractions known for their beaches and tropical climate. Florida Keyes is also the perfect place to get your summer tan early at the beach while kids get busy with their castle building.
Miami Children’s Museum
Miami Children’s Museum is a 56,500 square feet facility located on Watson Island in Miami, Florida.
It offers 14 permanent galleries, a 200-seat auditorium, a preschool classroom, and a Subway restaurant. Unlike other children’s museums, it focuses on giving a perfect classroom learning experience to the visitor with hands-on experience.
Tickets for visiting Miami Children’s Museum must be purchased online and will set you back $24 per person in general. However, the rate is $16 per person if you are a Florida resident and able to produce a valid State of Florida ID.
Spending Spring Break In New York
New York spring break with kids can be fun and educational. New York break activities can include visiting Lady Liberty and Central Park.
The most populous city in the United States, New York City has over 8.8 million people, which is more than double the second most populous city, Los Angeles. Finding an activity for spending spring break among so many people can be daunting.
However, we have collected five activities and places to visit with your family and little ones to make this spring break enjoyable and perfect. New York City schools have their spring break between April 10 and April 14 in 2023.
Visiting Lady Liberty
Lady Liberty stands at the New York Harbor depicting freedom and independence while welcoming immigrants since her dedication on October 28, 1886.
A visit to Liberty Island will be a monumental learning opportunity for your kid in New York City. They will have an opportunity to experience one of the world’s most iconic landmarks firsthand.
You can also take your kids to the observation deck located at the crown of the statue and have a glance at the Governor’s Island and Brooklyn across the Upper Bay. However, you will need to climb more than a few stairs to reach the viewing deck.
Families can extend their Spring break day out by visiting nearby Ellis Island and viewing the exhibits at the Immigrant Museum. Liberty Island and Ellis Island are connected via a 10-minute ferry route.
NYC Central Park
Spring break visits to New York City central park can be a way to connect with nature in the middle of Manhattan’s chaos.
You may also be able to find and spot a few migratory birds that visit the park every year in the spring season, over 302 species of birds have been spotted in the park since the beginning of maintaining an official list in 1886.
The park stretches 2.5 miles in length from north to south and 0.5 miles from east to west. It features a lake, numerous walking trails, baseball diamonds, tennis courts, picnic benches, meadows, and huge woods. People can easily spend the day with their families gazing at all the fountains and arch bridges.
Spring break is also the perfect time for watching cherry blossoms in Central Park. It houses two species of cherry trees and both look stunning during the spring season with their flowers.
Empire State Building
Empire State Building lies just south of Central Park in Midtown Manhattan.
It is best known for giving a panoramic view of the Manhattan Skyline from a height of 1000 feet in the air. The historic building has three observatory decks at 80th, 86th, and 102nd. The 102nd floor is 1,224 feet from the ground.
Although the Empire State Building has 102 floors, only 85 floors are used for office and commercial spaces. 86th is an observatory and 87 to 102 are in the spiral used mainly for maintenance and mechanical purposes.
Taking your kids and family to have a bird’s eye view of Manhattan from the Empire State Building will have their perspective changed about the city. You can also ask your little one to find your building if you live nearby.
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Brooklyn Children’s Museum is another popular destination to have a fun experience during spring break.
Fun things to do on spring break with family include visiting a children’s museum. Brooklyn Children’s Museum is a 100,000 square feet facility located in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York.
Some major permanent exhibitions featured at the facility include Totally Tots, The NEST, Neighborhood Nature, and World Brooklyn, as permanent exhibitions. World Brooklyn is a miniature community constructed with reference to real-life buildings and shops around the neighborhood.
Children get to assume the role of members of the community including the shopkeepers, pedestrians, and even the customers at the shop and developed an understanding of the importance of cooperation and teamwork in the community.
Madame Tussauds New York
Madame Tussauds New York houses wax statues of some of the most iconic figures.
Your kids would love to see their favorite superhero’s life-like wax statue at the museum or get amazed by the statue of people they have been reading about at school.
According to its Wikipedia page, Madame Tussauds currently hosts sculptors of fictional characters including Captain Marvel, The Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Grizabella, among others.
Notable figures and athletes including Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Barack Obama, Martin Luther King Jr., Marilyn Monroe, Angelina Jolie, and Rihanna, also have their wax statues featured at Madame Tussauds New York.
Apart from statues, other activities include 4-D movies and 7D immersive gaming among others. You can also have one of your hands replicated in wax for just $16.50 to remember your visit.