School vacation ideas

Looking for something to do over your child's school vacation???I found this article to be helpful.  All of the ideas are practical and could be done very easily!  Check out the article below:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Fun-Things-to-Do-With-Your-Kids-During-School-Vacation&id=2003660

School vacation week is here and you realize you haven't made any plans. You want to do some fun things with your kids, but your mind is blank. Here are some fun, and many cost effective, things to do with your kids this week...


See a show - Whether it's the movies, live theater, the circus, a comedian, or a band, let others entertain you! This can be as simple as having dinner at a local restaurant that has live entertainment. If you've been to the regular movie theater, try an IMAX theater or the Planetarium.
Take a Hike - Watch the weather and get the kids outside for some fresh air. If you're not lucky enough to live where it's warm, just bundle them up in their winter gear. You can even make a list of things to find on your hike to make it more interesting - I.e. Find a sign with the letter "R" in it, a yellow house, a blue mailbox, a green car, and a house with their holiday lights still up.

Plan a Scavenger Hunt - A scavenger hunt is like a mental obstacle course. Make a list of clues and hide small prizes (candy, gum, small toys, tickets to the movies) for them to find.

Organize a Book Swap - Email friends and relatives and host a book swap. Kids bring up to 3 age-appropriate, gently-used books. Moms can bring books for themselves too! Open your house for an hour or two and maybe even ask each mom to bring a lunch item. Another version would be to play bingo and let the kids win their 'new' books.

Go See the Animals - Visit the zoo or aquarium and let the kids explore the habitats of other living things.

Take a Tour - Take a tour of a professional baseball park, football stadium, or basketball or hockey arena.

See a Piece of History - Visit your local history museums. These may be in the form of a natural history museum, an art museum, naval museum (battleships), armory museum, or an outdoor history museum like Old Sturbridge Village (Also a great place for a hike!).

Learn to Skate - Most rinks have open-skating times each week and you pay just a few dollars to ice skate for an hour. Or you can also get a few friends together and rent the ice rink. In-line skating rinks are also lots of fun!

Bake Some Dough to Play - Kids love to bake. Try making basic vanilla cookies, dividing the dough into four parts and coloring each differently with food coloring. Let the kids use the dough like they would modeling clay to make shapes and then bake.

Play Ball - Go to a local park and play basketball, baseball, or tennis. Or, get a few friends together and rent the local gym for an hour. The Boys & Girls Clubs, local YMCA, or tennis club are good places to check into.

Let Them Paint - Pick up a few inexpensive canvases at the local craft store or go somewhere like Plaster Fun Time and let the kids create a masterpiece!

Clean the Closets - Set aside a few hours this week to clean out the kids closets. If you need to entice them a little, try hiding a surprise or two somewhere under all of the mess. This may be tickets to the zoo or a $5.00 gift certificate to their favorite fast food restaurant.

Visit Friends & Relatives - Vacation weeks are a perfect time to catch up with the cousin's and friend's that live a bit further away. So get together for a simple lunch at either their house or yours. The kids will entertain each other while the Moms get a chance to relax.

Sled, ski, go tubing, play golf, and swim. Choose at least two of the ideas listed here and your sure to have an enjoyable vacation with your kids.