Wahoo! It's finally spring, which means spring break! As a stay at home mom, I'm sure I can relate to a lot of other moms by saying spring break isn't always a treat when you do not have plans to go on vacation. In Chicago, where I'm from, it will probably be cold and might even snow! As a momma of three, I will not be taking a vacation this spring break, but I have planned out a week of things to do to keep the kids busy and me sane! Depending on your location you could have a long list of possibilities to keep the family busy while the kids are on break so you do not loose your mind! I've compiled a list of activities for the home, outside the home, and even some crafts.

Places To Go

Local Libraries: We have a lot of great libraries by us and they have awesome kids areas.

Museums: A lot of museums have special free days and discounts during breaks!

Indoor Waterpark or Beach: Depending on where you live these could be an option, you may even start looking on groupon.com to see what discounts are available!

Pottery/Painting/Art Places: We have this fabulous place by us called Clay Monet! We just go in, pick out a clay piece and sit and paint. You are allowed to bring food and drinks of your own. This is fun as a family or even as a group! Again, Groupon is how I discovered this place.

Zoo: This is a favorite and go to for my family. If you have a pass, take advantage, get some fresh air and enjoy!

Bowling: We recently went with a group of friends from my son's school and had a blast! Afterwards, smoothies are definitely in order!

Indoor/Outdoor Parks or Play Places:

Like I said, we will be cold here in the northwest but even for some with younger children a play place is great because most are enclosed areas, moms and dads can sit and enjoy a cup of java and let the kids burn off energy! One place to look into if there's one in your area is Legoland! It's a little pricey but worth it! We are planning on spending the day there for sure during spring break. I found coupons at our local mall for buy one adult get a child free. Check out legoland.com. Pump It Ups and Jumpzones are other great places to go to, my kids love inflatables and again they do specials during days off school.

Movies: A good daytime (or nighttime) movie is always fun! If you look around at smaller theaters, you can get a ticket for $1 - $5, it may not be playing new movies but my kids love just going to the theatre. It's probably the popcorn that excites them the most!

Forest Preserve/Nature Walk: As a photographer, this is a great way for me to get out and look for new locations, and snap candids of my babes. My kids love to collect things out in nature. I usually give them a large ziplock bag and a list. Then when they get home they like to look at everything they collected and glue it to paper or make a craft.

One Night Overnight at a Hotel: Again Groupon or livingsocial.com have great deals.

Day of Service: Now, you might be looking for something to do that will allow you to give back to the community, We are doing a day at Feed My Starving Children: http://fmsc.org/. I like to do something to give back and teach my kids about giving back. This organization is fun and local for us. Some others to look into are food pantries, volunteering at animal shelters, or even helping a neighbor out.

Things To Do At Home

Make Slime:

My kids love slime, what's better than making it?! It's simple and fast and three ingredients! This is the recipe I use: Glitter Glue 1/4 cup of water 1/4 cup liquid starch Mix and hand toss until stretchy

Make A Garden (indoor or outdoor): A cute idea is to save an egg carton and grab some dirt and seeds and label using Popsicle sticks. This way when it's warm enough it's easy to transfer.

Otherwise, the dollar store and Walmart have small pots to plant in, to make each kid's garden unique and allow them to paint or draw/decorate their flower pot. The dollar section at Target also had some available that were cute.

Make A Bird Feeder: This is a great DIY bird feeder that I've used in the past. It is super easy and the birds can eat all of it. Check out the tutorial here: http://raisinglittlesuperheroes.com/homemadebirdfeeder/ Toast, peanut butter and bird seed is all you need.

Bow Tie Butterflies: Using pasta, paint and glue you can make bow tie butterflies!

My kiddos love to play with their food so why not, right? http://www.craftymorning.com/bow-tie-noodle-butterfly-craft-for-kids/

Make An Indoor Fort: Get some blankets, chairs, pillows and start building! If you want a fort that lasts longer you can do what we did. We ordered a color/build your own rocket by Melissa and Doug! They have houses and boats, too. Amazon.com has the best deals!

I am a pinning queen so I would highly recommend you go on Pinterest and check out spring crafts! I hope this lists gives you some ideas of things to do if you're staying close to home this spring break. Happy spring!