Spring is here, and with that comes the urge to get outside!
Everything has that new feeling, the days are getting longer, and we are in that happy place of warm days without all the humidity. But there is one time during this season that stands out: Spring Break! Somehow that week is filled with all the promises of summer and long lazy days, but squeezed into the middle of that last push in the school year. So here are 10 fun ideas to help fill that time, both out and about and at home.
For Getting Out of the House
Cochran Mill Park
With four different trails, it is possible to find a hike for every skill level. Some of the park’s best features are its waterfalls. It can feel like you are in the mountains without having to leave South Atlanta! Picnic tables are available for lunching, or take a blanket to eat by the waterfall. This park’s website makes planning your visit easy—check trail statuses, map out which ones you want to hike, and see the weather for the day. Bonus if you have an iPhone: There is an app you can download!
Pine Mountain Area
The Pine Mountain area could occupy your whole week with all the fun and interesting things available! Between Callaway Gardens, Wild Animal Safari, and F.D. Roosevelt State Park, you can find something for everyone (not to mention the shopping for mom!). Callaway Gardens offers so many wonderful experiences it could be hard to pick just one: the butterfly pavilion, fishing trips, and the beach make up just a sample of what is offered. Right down the road is F.D. Roosevelt State Park with the Little White House, a museum, and stables that offer horseback riding. And don’t forget the Wild Animal Safari! Noted as the best drive-thru animal park, a visit to Pine Mountain wouldn’t be complete without stopping!
Fire Station Tour
The fire stations in Newnan are doing tours! You can call ahead or just stop by to see the fire engines and meet the firefighters. They are allowing children to climb in the trucks, see the equipment and go down the slide. This is a fun and safe activity for kids of all ages, plus they can meet the men and women who help keep our area safe.
Horseback Riding Lessons
Several stables within a 45-minute drive offer horseback riding lessons, and many offer them for children as young as three! They range in price, but the experience is so fun. Kids learn how to brush a horse, put on the saddle and have a riding lesson. For younger kids, this consists of staying in a pen and mostly riding in circles as the instructor holds the bridle. For older kids, there may be a trail ride, and some allow the horses to get up a gallop depending on age and comfort level.
Pickett’s Mill Battlefield
This Civil War battlefield located in Dallas, GA, offers a look into the past. Explore trails, walk across battlefields and see what a pioneer cabin would have looked like in the 1800s. There is a museum that is open Friday and Saturday, but the trails are open seven days per week. The State Historic Site’s $5 per car charge includes access to all the trails and playground. Pickett’s Mill is noted as being one of the best preserved battlefields in the nation, so maybe it can double as an educational outing as well!
For Staying Home
Build a Fort and Camp Inside
Using as many blankets and pillows as possible, let your kids turn your living room into the biggest fort they can imagine! This is a time-honored tradition that many of you probably remember doing as a kid. Your kids can play inside all day, and then you can let them sleep there that night. This is such a fun way to pass a rainy day, or one that may still be a little too cold to be outside.
Flower Walk and Crafts
With new blooms popping up, this is a great time to take a flower walk! Have a paper and pencil for your kids to write or draw the new flowers they see when in your yard or neighborhood. Then they can pick a few flowers to use in a craft later. You can let them dry out first or glue them down right away. This can be a fun way to learn the names of different flowers that grow right outside your door!
Hunt for Treasure
This is a great activity for kids of all ages! Find a few small toys and hide them around your house. For younger kids, you can verbally tell them clues to help find the treasure, and for older kids, you can write down the clues. If you have an older child who can read and a younger child who isn’t quite there yet, this can be a great way for them to work together!
Get Creative in the Kitchen
Kids want to help in the kitchen, so this can be a great time to try something new! Have older kids complete the whole process: Have them help pick out the recipe, go shopping for the ingredients, and then help with all the prep and cooking. For younger children, you can give them two choices and then let them help with the measuring, pouring, and stirring. The whole family can get in on the fun!
Make an Indoor Obstacle Course
This one takes the most time, but is so enjoyable in the end. If your kids are older, have them help set it up and be involved in the design (who knows, they may do it all on their own next time), but for younger kids, you may need to do most of the set up. Using objects around your house, make an obstacle course for them to climb, jump, crawl, turn around and walk in funny ways. You may find they want to spend hours just trying to master it or beat their siblings!