It may feel like the year just started, but blink and Spring Break will be here! Here are our Top 10 Spring Break Activities for Phoenix families.
1. Take a Hike: You can’t have a top 10 Spring Break Activities list without telling Phoenicians to opt outside while we still can! Soak in all the sun you can before those triple digits hit, and my personal favorite way to do that is hiking. I love hiking with my kids and the Phoenix area has so many great trails to offer. If you need some tips for hiking with kids, we have your back- click here! If you need some advice for top trails to explore with kids, we have that covered too- check out this post!
2. Go Back in Time: Spring Break always falls at the same time as the Arizona Renaissance Festival. From jousting to a variety of musical performances to giant turkey legs, the Renaissance Festival is quite the memory to make with your family. The Festival is only open on the weekends, so plan accordingly and you’ll save some money if you buy your tickets ahead of time. Children 4 and under are free. Money saving tip: March 4th and 5th 2023 there is a special offer to get children 5-12 in free when you donate two new kid books! For more information see the Renaissance Festival website.
3. Take a Daytrip: If a full on spring break trip is off the table for this year but you are still longing to travel, a day trip may be the perfect solution for your family. No need to book an airbnb or pack heavy, but your kids will still have a brand new place to tell their classmates all about when they return from break. You can read about three of our favorite family day trips around Phoenix here.
4. Spring Clean: I know, I know, I listed what sounds like a chore on our top 10 Spring Break Activities?! Hear me out: spring cleaning doesn’t have to mean scrubbing baseboards or hauling half your stuff to goodwill. Spring clean an area of your life that feels like it missed the New Year’s motivation bump. Especially if you feel like a nonstop chauffeur service when the kids are in school, take this week to shake things up and let go of what isn’t working that you can hopefully hold on to the rest of the school year. But also, if you want to do the traditional spring cleaning route, we have tips for that. I know that in my family if we have a special activity planned for the second half of break, my kids are extra motivated to cooperate the first half, and maybe even earn a little extra spending money.
5. Make a Mess! If spring break is not the time you want to clean, what about going to the other extreme? Let this break be the time when you do all the messiest things with your kids that you usually turn down. For me this means painting projects and anything to do with slime. For you it might mean a mud fight in the backyard or finally saying yes to baking together and accepting that batter is going to end up on every surface of your usually tidy kitchen. Somehow it is easier to make a mess if you know it will be a mess to remember!
6. Take a Staycation: If you are antsy to get out of your home this break, but a full on vacation just doesn’t fit, consider taking a staycation at a local hotel. Maybe choose a new part of town you want to explore, or just pick a resort with a great heated pool! This takes a little more planning and funds than the rest of our list, so start looking now. Even if you pick somewhere simple and do the same activities you’d do with your kids at home like card games and trips to the park, there is something special about not being distracted by all those day to day chores or projects and spending time focusing on each other.
7. Golf: While you may not be taking your smaller kids to a full on golf course, Spring is the perfect time to hit up mini golf or Top Golf. Castles N’ Coasters is a place my oldest kid begs me to add to our list of mother-son dates over and over again. Budget friendly tip: you can save money on your Top Golf trip if you can book a weekday morning. If you have a smaller family, try to meet up with some friends, as Top Golf charges per golf bay and each bay accommodates up to 6 players. For more information check out the Castles N’ Coasters website HERE and Top Golf’s website HERE.
8. Take a Food Tour: Do you have a food genre that your whole family absolutely loves? Make a plan to try 3-5 different places that specialize in that food over the course of your spring break and then see if you can come to a consensus on which was the family favorite! Be sure to check out our guides if you decide you want your food tour to include local pizza, Mexican food, or ice cream. Yum!
9. Catch a Game: Spring Break means spring training season. This is a top 10 spring break activity for visitors from all over the country and we don’t even have to travel to enjoy some gorgeous weather and catch a spring training game. Pro tip: if you have antsy littles, you can take advantage of lawn seats- all the peanuts and cracker jacks, all the room for your kids to run around and stretch their legs, and a more budget friendly option so you don’t feel bad if you have to arrive late from a last minute diaper change or leave during the 7th inning stretch due to a toddler meltdown. You can check out the game schedule and find links to tickets here.
10. Check Out a Culture Pass: There are so many great places to explore this spring break that it was hard to narrow down our top 10 Spring Break Activities, so the final one leaves you with lots of options- your local library offers culture passes that you can check out. These grant admission for two to a variety of wonderful places around Phoenix including most of our local museums. Stop by your local library branch and find the culture passes on display- or ask your librarian if the passes are tricky to find.
