8 Boredom-Busting Ideas for March Break

A lot of families may have opted to stay close to home for March Break but that doesn’t mean there’s still not loads of fun to be had! Editor-in-Chief, Rachel Naud has some ideas to make March Break the best break yet.

IN TORONTO

This is what I call “Fish and Dish.” Going to the Ripley’s Aquarium is always a special outing so I say make an afternoon of it! It’s also a wonderful spot if the weather is yucky and wet and cold. No teen can resist the Planet Jellies exhibit for an Insta-worthy or TikTok moment! It’s so stunning. Plus, it’s always fun to take the moving sidewalk through the Dangerous Lagoon and see all the sharks swimming above you. I don’t care how “chill” your teen is, that’s just a cool experience that will challenge any eye roll! So, here is my suggestion. Don’t just meander the aquarium and go home. Afterward, do what I call “Fish and Dish.” After you’ve seen all the beautiful fish and underwater creatures, go for lunch or dinner at a nearby restaurant and challenge your kids. Tell them they have to come up with one fun fact that they learned at the aquarium: the person with the best answer gets to order dessert that they don’t have to share with anyone!

Get ALPACAN (AND HIT THE ROAD)!

Alpaca Farms make for a great day visit! Perfect for the animal-loving family, you and your family can get up close with these cozy creatures and walk and feed them. My family and I drove to Beaverton, Ontario to Forget Me Not Alpacas and it was so much fun! You get there and dozens of Alpacas come out to greet you. You can feed them and pet them – their wool is so amazing! And let’s face it – Alpacas with their crazy hair and teeth make for fun social media shoots! So, even if your teen doesn’t seem to be into it, I guarantee you’ll catch them taking a pic or video or two! In addition to Alpacas, there are beautiful Great Pyrenees dogs, some chickens and even a duck! I’ll tell you, on the way there, my son was a typical teen – sitting in the back seat, listening to his AirPods in his own little world. After an hour with the Alpacas, he was chatty and joking! And we were only there for an hour but it was just a really special way to spend time together. You can check out their website (https://forgetmenotalpacas.ca/) and book a tour over March Break!

PIZZA AND A MOVIE…WITH A TWIST

There’s nothing better than pizza and a movie night! But I say, do it with a twist. Get everyone in the family to choose a movie or TV show that they want to watch. Put the suggestions into a hat or an old tissue box and pick one. The rule is no complaining! You have to watch what’s on the paper! This stops the endless scroll through the streaming feeds and gets your teen involved. Because sometimes, if you want to get them off their devices and out of their rooms, you have to give them some incentive! Plus, I’ve seen many interesting shows and movies using this method! Speaking of incentive – food is always a great one! I say skip the takeout and make these turkey pizza joes! They are so easy to make! Your teen can make it with you or even for you! Because it’s a slow cooker recipe, you could even make these in the morning and go see those Alpacas and it’ll be ready for you when you get home.

Ingredients:

1 green pepper

1 onion

1 pound of ground turkey

1 package of turkey pepperoni

1 jar of marinara

Seasonings: 1 tsp each of Italian seasoning, oregano, dry basil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper

Mozzarella cheese

Buns

Directions:

Chop up one onion and green pepper and saute it in some olive oil until soft. Then add in a pound of ground turkey and fry it until it’s no longer pink and cooked through. Drain off any excess water or grease and toss it in your slow cooker. Add in a package of turkey pepperoni and a jar of your favourite marinara sauce. Add in one teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, dry basil, dry oregano, salt and pepper, and mix it up! Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2 hours. Toast up some of your favourite buns and spoon the mixture onto the bun. Top with some good mozzarella cheese and broil it until the cheese is gooey and melty! Enjoy!

Get baking!

Growing up in Winnipeg, at every special event there was always these “Stained glass peanut butter squares.” It’s not a dessert that I come by often anymore and I really want to pass the tradition on to my son, Tristan. He loves to try new recipes — especially desserts — and I like to shop Walmart Online Grocery for all my ingredients and more! If you’re in a rush like me, you can order online at walmart.ca and pick your order up in as fast as 4 hours completely free if you spend over $35. New customers can also save $15 off their first four grocery orders over $75 with code word 60CANADA. Want to make my peanut butter squares? It’s so simple.

Melt 1/2 cup of butter, 1 cup of peanut butter, and a package of butterscotch chips in a pot. Take it off the heat and fold in one package of fruit flavoured marshmallows and 1 tsp of vanilla. Put it in a pan and put it in the fridge until it sets. Enjoy! Tip: Freeze your marshmallows before you add them in so they don’t melt!

Heat up the Competition!

My family likes to heat up the competition with Nintendo Switch! We love the gaming system, especially the Nintendo Switch OLED model because it has a 7-inch screen and the colours and graphics are very vibrant. When it comes to games, we all have our favourites – mine is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which is the ultimate version of Mario Kart with more characters and courses than before. And on March 18, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — Booster Course Pass comes out and it has 48 new courses from across the Mario Kart franchise added to the game until the end of 2023! I live in a house of boys so I get my sister, who lives in Winnipeg, to join in on the fun using our paid Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership — so we can play together, even when we’re apart!

Pamper Yo Self!

As a busy working mom, I sometimes forget that I need to take the time and effort to pamper myself and give myself a little boost. Just because I’m often exhausted doesn’t mean I want to look it, which is why I’ve switched up my skincare to include this Neutrogena Rapid Firming Peptide Multi-Action Eye Cream. It is formulated with vitamins and peptides, which help target my dark circles and smooth the look of fine lines around my eyes. Plus it instantly hydrates to smooth skin and visibly improve brightness and look of puffiness and firmness, which I so badly need during these drab, dry days of winter! And I’m not alone. A whopping 91% of people who tried this product noticed brighter-looking and a more even skin tone after just four weeks of regular use.

Get Puzzled!

Doing a puzzle together is a great way to spend some time together!  I love the fact that my son and I will turn off our screens, turn up the music and get going on one of these Ravensburger puzzles, They offer a huge selection of puzzles for any age — which is great if you have younger kids at home too — from Scooby-Doo and Harry Potter to Star Wars. You can see all they have to offer at Ravensburger.org or purchase online at amazon.ca

Soak it up!

To relax after a busy day with my son, I like to take a long hot soak in the tub with some nice candles, music, and this Elderberry collection by Dr. Teal’s. It has vitamin D and Essential Oils, which is known to revitalize tired achy muscles combined with antioxidant-rich Elderberry to help boost and renew the body. The Epsom Salts and the foaming bath really help me to relax and de-stress so by the time I get out, I feel relaxed and rejuvenated!