How to Do Spring Break at Home – And Save a TON

Spring Break is right around the corner—and guess what? You don’t have to go anywhere to have a blast. It may not be a luxurious beach vacation, but with a little creativity, you can turn your house into the ultimate Spring Break hangout—on a budget!

Here are some awesome, low-cost, high-fun ideas to turn your break into something special:

Spring Break Beach Party At Home

Who needs to hit the coast to enjoy the beach? Instead, you can bring the beach to you right in the comfort of your own home! This is a great spring break activity for all ages.

For babies, toddlers and children, you can recreate the beach with some beach towels and buckets. Play some fun beach music and turn the lights up bright. Have a beach hunt (a variation on the Easter Egg hunt) in which the kids search for seashells.

For teens, let them throw a beach-themed party for their friends. Let the kids dress in Hawaiian shirts and wear leis.

Put the Bob Marley on, and make a fun non-alcoholic tropical punch. Throw in some silly drink umbrellas. Play games like the limbo or set up a beach themed photo booth with props. (And yes, your teen will still cry lame, but they will have a good time despite themselves.)

Spring Break Movie Marathon

This is another spring break from home idea that works for all ages. Movies marathons are a hit for any age and super easy to customize.

For the little ones, find cartoons such as the Backyardigans and Dora or even a full length animation such as Moana and have a good time.

To make the experience even better, grab some cozy blankets, whip up a few snacks like popcorn, ice cream, or a glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade, then kick back, relax, and enjoy the movie magic!

For teens, add the sleepover component and let them pick some movies that are more suited to their age group. There are certainly plenty of spring break and beach themed movies (although you may have to decide which are appropriate for the audience).

Check out our list of Family Friendly Movies!

DIY Spring Break Activities

We all have those projects around the house, those things we’ve just been dying to do but never seem to find the time. See if there is something the kids have on their mental to-do list that the family can work on together.

Projects might sound like work, but they can actually be a lot of fun. Don’t forget you are saving a ton by staying home. Consider letting the kiddos earn some money for chores and projects. We find our kids work much harder if they known they are earning some!

Here are a few fun craft and DIY activities!

Kids’ Bedroom Redesign

With something as simple as a $20 bucket of paint, a tarp and a couple of paintbrushes, your child or children can have a whole new room. This is a great way to spend the spring break from school, and you can end those days off with something cool to show. Let your child pick out the paint color, or maybe even choose some chalkboard paint for one wall, and go.

New Play Space

Have a basement corner or unused office? Transform it. Use your imagination and come up with an innovative way to make it cool!

Perhaps for children, preteens or teens, it could be converted into a game room. If you already have a TV and game system, you won’t need to spend much. Or you could turn an old storage room or office into a fun crafts or music room.

Get Organized

Cleaning isn’t thrilling—but with the right motivation? It works. You’ll have to work kind of hard to spin this into a fun project for the kids, but a few days off provides a great chance to get things organized once and for all.

Pick an area to tackle, rather it be the storage closet, the garage, or the family room. If you’re looking to make it a competition to encourage your kids, play some music, set a timer, and maybe even come up with rewards. This turns a boring chore into a challenge, which all kids love!

Sure, a fancy trip might sound exciting. But when your family looks back years from now, it won’t be the plane rides they remember—it’ll be the silly games, movie nights, backyard laughs, and beach towels in the living room. Fun doesn’t need a passport. Just a little imagination!