By Ken Partridge
Is it wrong to say I’m already looking forward to March break? At the point I’m writing this, many people are still returning from Christmas holidays, but I’m too busy looking ahead.
March break was always a great time of year for me. Growing up I was never envious of the kids that got to go away to Disneyland or Europe (OK, I was a little envious, but not for long), because there was always plenty to do. Sledding, snowball wars (ours were a little too big to ever be called just fights), sleepovers at friends, road trips with family, going to the movies, you name it and March break had it.
Even after I grew up and had kids of my own, it was still fun to plan activities we could all enjoy. I always made sure to book the week off from work, so I could participate too.
My most memorable March break? It would have to be the time my wife and I took our youngest son down to visit family in Vermont. We had a grand time exploring the Green Mountain state, visiting Stowe, seeing where the famous von Trapp family of The Sound of Music fame came to live after escaping Europe, taking in some great scenery, and doing it all without worrying about timetables or agendas. It was also the first time we made a major road trip with our dog, Gryphon. Aside from making a break for it a time or two just to get us to chase him (he loved doing that), he was a wonderful traveler.
Working on Our Children let’s me take this to a whole new level. Now I get to help other parents with ideas and suggestions of ways they too can plan and have an enjoyable March Break with their kids.
If you’re one of the lucky families that have a big trip planned, we have some tips that might make the flights involved a little easier to manage.
If you’re more like my family and will be going the staycation route, then check out our cover story for a more budget conscious approach to fun and entertainment. We’ve even thrown in some suggested day trips and completely free activities to round out the experience.
If you’re a bit of a history buff, we’ve gone back in time to examine the roots of March break in Canada to see where March break came from, why was it created and what purpose it continues to serve in today’s context.
Hope the issue proves useful in creating your own March break memories. Let us know if it does. We would love to share some of your stories with your fellow readers.
