6 Winter Break Ideas for Families

I know it seems like we just had a holiday break, but winter break in February will be here before you know it.

For most schools, winter break or mid-winter recess is just a couple of days off of school, which generally gives you a four-day weekend.

This short mini-break is one of my favorite school holidays because it is short and quick, but it gives you the break you need to make it until spring break.

With that being said, now is the time to plan winter break. Don’t wait until the week before to try to book a hotel, or you risk higher prices and no vacancies!

Enjoy a Staycation

One of my favorite winter break ideas for families is to simply enjoy a staycation. A four-day weekend isn’t long enough to go on a huge trip, but it is plenty of time to enjoy different places around where you live.

Visit a museum, go to a zoo, or explore a new park. Get outdoors, exercise, see some new sights, and visit familiar favorites.

Go Somewhere Warmer

If you live in a cold climate, head somewhere warmer. Take a road trip south or hop on a plane and enjoy a couple of days at the beach. Soak up the sun.

Go Somewhere Colder

If you are all about the winter weather, head somewhere colder. Book a trip at a ski resort and enjoy watching your littles go snow tubing. Bundle and enjoy someplace frigid.

Visit Family

I think a long weekend is a perfect time to visit family. You don’t have to worry about overstaying your welcome or looking for an excuse to leave early. This works really well if you weren’t able to see your family over the holidays.

Catch Up On Your To-Do List

If you’re like me, you made a big list of things you wanted to accomplish in the new year. And if you are like me, many of the items on this list haven’t been tackled yet – much less fully completed things.

The problem is that people always plan to put things off for Spring Cleaning, but I would much rather go on a spring break trip than stay home and work around the house. But, I feel much better about “working” during a short winter break.

Be Lazy

Or… you can do the complete opposite! Don’t make any big plans. Instead, stay home and catch up on sleep. Let the kids binge watch TV and play hours of Minecraft. Read some books. Play some board games. Relax and simply enjoy one another’s company.

Plan for Spring and Summer

One final idea for winter break is to spend your days off planning for your longer days off (aka spring break and summer break). Use this time to make bigger plans for the near future. Start shopping for your spring and summer wardrobe. Start researching vacation spots.

What are your plans for the February winter break? Tell me in the comments!

A Winter Weekend Getaway to Pocono Mountains

My family likes to escape the city often. Since I love a good weekend trip, I am always happy to explore places that are a short drive away. Recently, my family decided to take the two hour drive from new York City to Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania.

Pocono Mountains is a wonderful family-friendly destination – especially in the winter time. In addition to all the fun winter sports you can participate in, there are also indoor waterparks allowing you to experience a little bit of summer in the winter. This trip we did our best to experience the best of both.

Play in the Snow

Both of girls are now old enough to experience the thrill of snow tubing in Poconos Mountains. There are several places where you can take your family snow tubing. Speeding down the hills on the tubes is always a blast and something we look forward to each winter.

Photo: visitpoconos.com

While snow tubing is fun period, it becomes even more fun when at night as galactic snow tubing is now a thing. How cool is this?

Enjoy Kalahari Indoor Waterpark

Another popular reason to visit Poconos Mountains during the winter is to check out one of the indoor waterpark resorts. This trip we stayed at Poconos Kalahari, which is America’s largest indoor waterpark. This huge waterpark facility is kept a warm 84 degrees all day every day. The resort tricks you into forgetting about the snow outside!

The waterpark has several water slides and kids play areas. There is enough to do in the waterpark are of the resort to fill up a whole day. My girls had a wet and wild time!

If you want to visit Poconos Kalahari but don’t plan to stay at the resort, they do offer a limited number of day passes.

Tons of Indoor Fun

In addition to the awesome waterpark, Poconos Kalahari is indoor fun central. They have everything to make your kids have the time of their lives. For example, they have a game room, virtual reality, escape rooms, mini golf, and mini bowling. That’s not even including the kid-friendly dining options.

Rest and Relax at the Spa

Photo: spaweek.com

Last but certainly not least, Poconos Kalahari has an outstanding spa. When I have spent the weekend snow tubing and riding water slides, I need a little time for relaxation. I also need a small break from loud children. So, I head to the spa which is for guest 18 years old and up.

And, it was heavenly! On top of offering traditional spa services, they also offer a halotherapy room (where pure salt is vaporized into the air) and a hydrotherapy room which includes a steam room, a sauna, a relaxation sanctuary and more.

Now, before you judge me, they also have Spa Kalahari Junior where your little ones can be pampered, too. Spa Kalahari Junior offers manicures, pedicures, facials, and make-up application.

After seeing all the fun we had in just a weekend, don’t you see why the Poconos Mountains makes a great winter weekend escape?