Activities to get you through March Break

Activities to get you through March Break. Insidetoronto.com is offering ideas to keep your kids busy this March Break. Courtesy photo

Insidetoronto.com wants to help keep your children occupied this March Break by offering you ideas to keep your children smiling. And don't forget there is nothing wrong with suggesting to your children to discover their own fun with their imaginations.

Camp out in the living room

Pyjama parties are always a hit. Set up a fort, make a healthy snack, turn down the lights and tell stories and play board games.

Check out your community

Local community centres offer activities and camps for kids that are inexpensive. Don't forget to check out public libraries, pools, ice rinks and museums as they often have events on the go.

Tag team with other parents

Get together with other parents to break up the week. Each parent will be in charge of one day of the week. It takes the pressure off for parents who can't take time off work.

Plan your garden

Grab some library books or search for the Internet for a tutorial on how to create a vegetable garden. Planting indoors first gives seedlings a head start and makes for stronger plants. Get creative with homemade signs to identify your veggies.

Go for a family bike ride

Plan a 'route' before you go and ask your kids what landmarks they want to see. Ride past their school and ask them to point out where they play at recess or surprise a friend or family member with a visit and an invitation to join in on the fun.

Go for a nature walk

Take a walk around the neighbourhood and look for signs of new life. Bring along a magnifying glass to examine things closely. Add a digital camera to the mix to document the experience.

Find your inner child

Fly kites, play football or street hockey, play hopscotch, toss a frisbee, anything that gets everyone out of the house and moving around.

Read a book

Take turns reading a book out loud. You can help your child develop better reading comprehension skills by discussing plot points and talking about the characters.

Buy a new board game

Board games can help your child be organized, to plan, to be persistent, to think strategically. These games can also develop problem-solving abilities, memory skills and teach children the value of teamwork. Games that use money, such as Monopoly, can teach essential math skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and even concepts such as estimation.

– Courtesy of News Canada

And more ideas:

Host a mini Olympics

Create a scavenger hunt

Go ice skating, indoor or out

Hit the slopes at Toronto's Ski and Snowboard Centres (http://www.toronto.ca/parks/recreation_facilities/skiing/skiing.htm)

Go for a walk around your neighbourhood

Visit High Park (www.toronto.ca/parks/highpark.htm)

Spend some time in Toronto's parks (http://www.toronto.ca/parks/parks_gardens/index.htm)

Need some snow? Drive out of the city and go tobogganing, build snowmen, create snow forts and make pictures with coloured water in spray bottles.

The following ideas are courtesy of Kraft Canada.

Activity jar: Let the kids come up with their own ideas for outside or inside fun. Throw all the ideas in a jar and pick a new activity the whole family can participate in each day.

Groove on the move:

Put on a variety of music and dance to the tunes. Or let the kids create a rock band or host a karaoke afternoon.