Family-friendly spring vacation ideas

Every school year, I always look forward to spring break, not just for the week off of school, but because of the opportunity to travel to some exotic place and experience something new. However, I think the couple of Disney/Caribbean vacations I had with my family when I was in middle school may have clouded my expectations just a little bit. I always think, “This year will be the year that I finally do something new and exciting,” but given my limited college-student budget, nothing ever comes of my inner child’s high hopes for a wildly entertaining spring vacation. Unfortunately, with the exception of one service trip I participated in a couple years back, I usually end up spending the break in my hometown wishing I were sunbathing on some beautiful beach somewhere in the tropics.

Nevertheless, this got me thinking. I will obviously not be able to afford an expensive resort vacation on a remote tropical island, but who’s to say there aren’t other things out there for the budget-minded spring break hopefuls? I searched around online and quickly found that there are tons of fun things to do all across the country (and Canada!) that the whole family can enjoy together during the spring break months. Here are just a few options that I came across.

National Cherry Blossom Festival – Washington, DC

Something really interesting that I found is the National Cherry Blossom Festival that takes place in Washington DC this year from March 26 to April 10. If these dates coincide with your child’s spring vacation and you find yourself in the D.C. area, you should definitely check it out. This festival celebrates springtime in Washington as well as the thousands of cherry blossom trees that Tokyo gave to Washington in 1912 as a symbol of the enduring friendship between the US and Japan.

The festival includes hundreds of special events and cultural performances such as art exhibitions, bike tours, river cruises, kite-flying demonstrations, sushi-tasting, fireworks displays, drawing for kids, and a lantern-lighting Family Day, which includes a bunch of hands-on activities and performances. What’s great about it is that many of the activities are free and those that require a fee range from $5 – $125 a person, so you can easily create an itinerary that suits our family’s interests. Go to the festival’s website for more information.

Maple Harvest – New England

For those people that love New England, another really cool option is visiting a sugar farm anywhere from late February to early April, during the maple harvest season. There are tons of sugar shacks all over New England in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Maine. Many of them offer tours where you can see exactly how they tap the trees to harvest the sap and later the process by which they make 100% pure maple syrup.

Spend the day in the beautiful woods of New England to see sap harvesting first-hand and then relax in the farm’s sugarhouse where you can taste the authentic maple products. Go to Boston.com to find your local maple shack and to find out more about how maple sugar is made.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade – New York or Boston

Even if it does not fall over your child’s spring vacation, going to your local St. Patrick’ Day Parade is a wonderful way to have a day packed full of fun. If you can, try to make it to either New York City or Boston, where the heart of Irish culture lives. New York’s parade is the oldest and largest and takes place on March 17 this year.

The parade in South Boston is on March 20 and travels through the most Irish neighborhood in the city. Check out the St. Patrick’s Day website to find out when your local St. Paddy’s Day parade is.

More inexpensive and local vacation ideas

These of course are only a very select few of the many activities that are out there. If you and your family enjoy the outdoors, go on a ski or camping trip, or visit a dude ranch in the south. If you prefer a more educational spin on things, do a search on your local museums that you’ve never been to. Amusement parks can also be great and there is still always the good old-fashioned family road trip if you are into exploring new places.

Finding new, fun, and exciting things to do for spring vacation is only a search away. Remember, vacation does not have to be about the expensive island resort or the trip to Disney World. You can easily find great family-friendly alternatives right in your own area.

Evann McGrory is an intern at Mom Central Consulting.

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