Ten Totally Inexpensive but Super Fun Spring Break Activity Ideas

So, you’ve been gazing longingly at the calendar since January, anticipating the next long hiatus from homework assignments and carpool duties. But now that spring break is actually upon you, the lightbulb has gone on and smashed you over the forehead. You’ll soon be the resident activities director at your house! A quick check up your sleeve reveals a sad fact…you got nuthin. Have no fear, mommy dear, we’ve got your back. Skim through our free ideas for spring break activities, and pick yourself up a little happy.

1. Picnic in the Park

The kids are full of energy and want to play with friends, but how do you keep it simple? How about sending out a SignUpGenius RSVP party sign up to meet at a park and bring a picnic yummy to share? When folks RSVP, they can fill in what they’ll bring in the comment field. All you have to do is pack your savory snack, load up the kiddos and show up!

2. Garage Sale Goodies

What better time than when you have a few extra hands to do some spring cleaning? While you’re at it, you can gather all of those underused treasures and outgrown clothes for a good ol’ garage sale. For a new twist, try listing the more valuable hand-me-downs and their prices on a sign up list. Give your family and friends first dibs by inviting them to sign up and “reserve” their purchases. They can swing by the morning of the sale to purchase and haul away the loot.

3. Flag Football with Friends

Organize a neighborhood flag football game the easy way. Ask your HOA Board to send out a link to an RSVP sign up that you create on SignUpGenius.com. If you want to make a day of it and hold multiple games, ask people to write in their comment field the names and ages of people who want to play. Then divide them into teams and send out an email with a schedule of game times a few days before the event.

4. Crafting Hullabaloo

Coordinate an afternoon of craftiness for your kids and their friends. Offer up an artsy project or two and invite others via a party sign up to bring their kids and all of the supplies and directions for one craft per family. To keep it simple, hold the creative shindig outside and invite a few parents to help you oversee the controlled madness in lieu of bringing a craft.

5. Bargain for Babysitting

So much fun crammed into one week can be exhausting. Why don’t you call a time out for yourself and prearrange a babysitting swap? You could limit it to an exchange of free time for an afternoon with one friend, or you could offer up a more complex sign up where multiple friends could benefit.

6. Catch a Cheap Flick

Send out an RSVP party sign up to all of your friends inviting them to a must see movie. Include the showtime and location details for meeting up, so you can save enough seats. If you choose a discount theatre, you’re guaranteed to draw a crowd.

7. Video Game Tourney

If they could, the kids would be hooked up to the video game console 24/7, so why not get a step ahead of them and protect your sanity? Plan a gaming tournament and let them know that will count as their Mario Cart time for the week. Be a sign up genius and lay out team slots in a sign up that can easily be sent out to all of their friends. Ask invitees to leave a comment to let you know if they have a favorite game or munchie they’d like to bring and share.

8. Sow Some Seeds

What kid doesn’t like playing in the mud? Invite friends and neighbors to trade seeds and bulbs via a sign up, and then put the whole family to “work”. Only don’t use that four letter word during spring break or you’re bound to be banished to your bedroom. Assign kids their own plot of dirt and watch them take ownership of their very own garden.

9. Community Service Call

Visit a nursing home or shut-ins, hand out toiletries and snack bags to the homeless, or clean up trash along a greenway or in your neighborhood. Once you nail down the details, post them in an RSVP sign up and invite friends to join you.

10. Free Ideas from Friends

Use SignUpGenius to generate even more creative spring break activity ideas. Send a sign up out to your 10…25…or 50 closest friends asking them to contribute one unique suggestion. When they sign up, they can leave their idea in the comment field, so within a short amount of time, you’ll have one central list of great activities that all of your compadres will be able to access.

So much potential fun you can hardly stand it, right? Just wait. We’re not done yet. Go to SignUpGenius.com's Facebook page to enter our Family Photo Contest and snag yourself some free ice cream. Register for the contest and post a photo and caption of your family enjoying one of these ideas. Then have your friends vote for you. Every contestant with more than 25 votes will be entered into a drawing to win one of two $50 gift certificates to the ice cream shop of their choice. What are you waiting for? Let the spring break family mania begin!

Posted by Angel Rutledge