I suppose Spring Break "officially" began at noon Friday as the early-dismissal bell rang, but today is the first day of "no school." My workload didn't make me feel so "free" the way my kids felt Friday afternoon. Nonetheless, the last few days have been filled with frolicking outdoors. I definitely hope my kids continue that trend. The weather has been spectacular and it definitely has that "spring break feel."
My guess is that the kids will soon shout out for things to do, though. And so we will have to figure out how to tackle their "boredom." (Oh how I wish to have such free time!)
Usually school breaks are when we discover new things, whether it is a new restaurant, a new television show, or a new park. A few weeks ago, my 6-year old and I did double-duty with this, discovering both a new restaurant (an amazing burger joint) and a new television show - Design Squad Nation - both on the same day. We headed out to one of our favorite spots - U.C. Berkley's Lawrence Hall of Science - for a special Design Squad Nation "Ingenuity Day." It was great to meet the TV hosts of this creative show. They used their giant catapult to launch balls for the kids to catch. Alas, one ball met not my son's hands, but his eye. Oh noes! Adam and Judy gave him some extra attention and he even ended up with a terrific Design Squad Nation T-shirt!
Perhaps my boys will use some of the ideas on the Design Squad Nation website to create an excellent project during their Spring Break time. That sort of activity is much cooler than just lounging around the house (though that has its place, too.) Maybe they could be the winners of the Build Big Contest?
But then if they do decide to just watch TV rather than "doing" something, they can watch Design Squad Nation, plus other favorite educational shows like PBS Kids' FETCH! with Ruff Ruffman, and Discovery Channel's Mythbusters (They love the Mythbusters game!)
Of course, no Spring Break would be complete without video games. I have two boys, and there is definitely something about electronics that especially attracts those of the male persuasion.
One of my youngest son's favorite games is the Super Why! app from PBS Kids. He is one of the youngest in his class, so he started out the school year in a "catch-up" reading program. Shortly after he played around with the Super Why! app, he graduated from that program and is making tremendous progress. Not that I want to be super-competitive, but he's surpassed several of the older students in reading ability. I am amazed at how quickly he has progressed this year, and I know that the Super Why! app played a role. Anytime a game is seen as "fun" and not necessarily "educational" it's seen as a treat rather than an obligation. (Bonus: PBS Kids just launched Super Why PAINT!)
Meanwhile, my older son is attracted to various level-editors. He also adores tower defense games. This summer he is looking forward to attending a video-game design camp. He's also taking a "minor" in comic book design. I think he wishes there were a Spring Break camp like what he'll experience this summer! A couple weeks ago he listened with rapt attention to Rhymes with Orange cartoonist Hilary Price. Real-world application of interests is always a great motivator for kids.
I'm sure our Spring Break will be filled with a little bit of everything, so I certainly hope they won't go back to school saying they were "bored."
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Disclaimer: I was invited to Design Squad Nation's Ingenuity Day by PBS Kids. Since I am a member of the Lawrence Hall of Science, I was able to enter for free anyway; however, PBS Kids also provided entry for two of my son's friends and their mom. I received the Super Why! app ($2.99 on iTunes) for free so my son could give it a try. I will receive no further compensation for this post. I love PBS Kids, and so enjoy spreading the word about their shows, apps, and opportunities! Other products/places/shows that I mention in this post are completely unprompted and uncompensated - it is just stuff we like!
