10 Tips To Avoid March Break Meltdowns! ~ Giveaway (arv $150)

Please note the following giveaway is sponsored and open to Canada only.

March Break is just around the corner.  Thank goodness!   Sometimes the pressures of school, work, extra curricular activities, grocery shopping, household chores….ug, it just all becomes…too much.  Parents are run to the point exhaustion.  Our kids are over scheduled, over worked and they really need a break.  March Break should be a chance to sleep in, unwind, change up that everyday schedule, break out of the mundane and truly recharge.  This vacation time is a true gift allowing our children the rest and break they need to recharge their little heads and get them ready to power through the rest of the school year.  March Break is nirvana for all the people in the family.  Well, everyone …..except the Mama.

Let’s face it, March break can be incredible for kids, but without a solid plan and a little bit of luck, this so called “break” for the Mama’s can be challenging.  A full week at home with your kiddos is a dream until those children expect to be entertained for every hour of every day and you are suddenly faced with the dreaded March Break Meltdown.  Survival requires love, luck and a plan.  Here are my top 10 tips and ideas to help be prepared for March Break at home with your little one’s.

1. Declare a movie day:  There’s no better way to introduce your kiddos to the classics than an old fashioned movie day.  Turn off the phones, power down the lights, get the snacks ready and dig out your favourites.  Reach into the vault to bring back the Disney Classics from Cinderella to Beauty and the Beast for the younger set, to The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink and 16 Candles for the older crew.  Bonding over movies is always a good idea.
2. Play Together:  Bring on the battery powered toys and bring on the fun. Tablets are great at keeping kids entertained, but often require re-charing and access to a wall outlet and power cord. Instead, try games like Simon Air and Bop IT that get the kids thinking and moving.   Duracell, is also your last line of defense in a world of toddler meltdowns.  Have you seen a toddler when their favourite toy no longer squeaks, walks or talks back to them?  You can trust your Duracell batteries to help make that play time last longer! #TrustIsPower.
3. Bake Together:  Get your bake on!  Spend an afternoon baking pies and cakes, decorating cupcakes and cookies.  Bonus points if you take a tray of baked goods over to a friendly neighbour.
4. Play Date: Organize a play date and include some other Moms. Playdates with other kids are great for the children.  Why not include coffee with a girlfriend at the same time?  Winning!
5. Go Indoor Camping:  Drag out all the extra blankets, sheets and pillows you have around the house and let your little’s create the fort of all forts.  Hours of fun for all ages.
6. Get Outside:  A walk around the block, an organized scavenger hunt or some time at the local park is a great way to spend an afternoon.
7. Photo Shoot:  Try some photo fun.  Letting your toddler take pictures with your smartphone may be a great distraction, but having a battery drained smartphone isn’t the safest option for parents.  Give the kids an instant camera like the Fujifilm Instax 300 (available at Walmart) and let them take endless photos to keep your smartphone at 100% life.  Allow your older kids to take those photos and create a scrap book to remember the March Break of 2017.
8. Craft Time:  Pull out the old magazines and Christmas cards.  Make a trip to the dollar store and grab a basket full of inspiration for less than $10.00.  Pipe cleaners, play dough, paint and glitter, even socks! Then just watch them create.
9. Family Game Night: Time to have fun with the old fashioned board games and the brand new favourites.  Challenge each other to a game of Hasbro Connect 4, Battle Ship complete with all the noises, or CatchPhrase.
10. Get Active:  Make a date to go bowling, rock climbing or indoor mini-golf with friends.  Take a day trip to see if the Maple Syrup is running, or find free passes to the local children’s museum where the little one’s can run off some steam.  Don’t forget that camera to capture every sweet moment!

With a little planning, a little bit of luck and truthfully a whole lot of patience you can avoid the March Break Meltdown and have a vacation you will treasure for ever.

To learn more about Duracell and how they can help you avoid a #MarchBreakMeltdown be sure to follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Now that you’re prepared to avoid those meltdowns I have even more exciting news. A fabulous giveaway!

One lucky reader of How To Survive Life In The Suburbs will WIN a prize pack of Duracell Batteries, the  DESPICABLE ME 3 OPERATION Game by Hasbro

AND a $100.00 Walmart Gift Card!

Approximate ARV of this prize + $150.00

 

To enter please comment below telling me your best tip to avoid a March Break Meltdown.  Then use the Rafflecopter form provided to earn those extra entries.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to Canadians only, excluding Quebec, and to all those who have reached the age of majority in their Province. Closes March 28th, 2017

Disclosure: I was pleased to partner with Duracell in order to facilitate this post. As always, all opinions reflected on this blog are my own.