Spring break is one of the best times of the year for students all the way from elementary through college. It’s a hot topic! The weeks leading up, kids will be asking “What are we going to do for spring break?” They’re having the same discussion with their friends. While some kids are excited to talk about their big family vacation, others are just happy to not have homework.
Spring break can be a stressful time of year for parents. It’s a week of trying to avoid hearing, “I’m bored!” from the kids. For working parents, it can be even more stressful trying to consider things like childcare for younger aged kids or Personal Time Off (PTO). For them, spring break is a hassle.
Think about the parents who just started their role in a company and haven’t accrued enough time to take off. Think about the parents who must sparingly use their time for other events throughout the year and can’t take a week to play. What about the parents who simply cannot afford childcare for a week? Simply taking time off may not be an option for many working parents. Spring break and even summers tend to be more of a stress for them.
Parents need time off. People need time off. It’s encouraging to see companies shifting to unlimited vacation days, company-wide vacations, shorter work weeks, and more flexibility in general. Post pandemic, many companies saw the value in offering hybrid work schedules or offering full time remote opportunities. As a working parent myself with children in various grade levels, work flexibility has become a critical factor in selecting my employer.
For the parents who may not have the flexibility to take a full week off or travel during spring break, I’ve got you covered. If you live in the Houston area, here are a few fun tips to make spring break memorable for your kids.
- Plan a weekend road trip. Maybe you can’t take off a full week, but how about the Monday kicking off spring break or the Friday ending it. This allows for a three-day getaway! Here are a few quick places to go visit.
- Kalahari Resorts and Convention in Round Rock, TX
- Great Wolf Lodge Water Park in Grapevine, TX
- Sea World & Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, TX
- Natural Bridge Caverns in New Braunfels, TX
- Lake Travis in Austin, TX
- Visit a beach (Galveston, South Padre Island, Port Aransas, Corpus Christi)
- Plan an in-city Staycation. Sometimes just getting out of the house can be just the breather you all need. Even if you have to run into the office, you can still return to fun in the hotel
- The Woodlands Resort
- Margaritaville Lake Resort
- Moody Gardens
- Hotel Zaza – The Memorial City location is minutes from Houston City Centre while the Houston location is in the heart of the Museum District.
- Marriot Marquis Houston
- Here are a few daily activities around the city. Check Groupon or GetOutPass* for discounts.
- Discovery Green
- Houston Museum Visits
- Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo + Carnival
- Indoor Trampoline Parks
- Altitude
- Urban Air
- Bounce Bounce
- Houston Zoo
- Drive-Thru Safari
- Water Park
- Lagoonfest Texas in Lago Mar
- Typhoon Texas
- Stay Home – as much as we may want to get out and explore, lots of fun memories can be made right at home!
- Have a movie night
- Host a back yard cook-out/picnic
- Cook together as a family or even have a bake-off
- Family Game Night
- Grab an inflatable pool for backyard fun
- Have a family paint night!
It’s not always about an extravagant vacation. You can make memories anywhere. It’s about being able to spend time with the ones you love. Research continues to show how more flexibility in the workplace increases productivity and company morale. Employers have got to get on board with taking care of people first.
*Use Code: LIFEWITHKESH to save $65 off the GETOUTPASS March 2023 sale!!