If you’ve found yourself approaching spring break without a plane ticket or weeklong camp, check out these fun ideas that don’t require a packed bag or long car ride. From horse rides to a yoga retreat, here are 12 activities guaranteed to bust spring break boredom.
photo: Oregon Beach Rides
1. Saddle up from some specially priced rides with Oregon Beach Rides. Kids ages six and up will enjoy this hour long trot along the sandy shores of Nehalem Bay. It’s $65/child and $75/adult, and be sure to call ahead before you drive out.
2. Get your art on and have a colorful spring break at Spark Art Center. From March 23-26, kids in grades K-5 can create kaleidoscopes, make tie-dye t-shirts and explore the world of explosive colors. Camp is $175 for the week and registration is required, so remember book online. They also have drop-in Pre-School Messy Art Monday through Friday for kids ages 2-6 for just $7.
3. Rain or shine, playing at The Craft Factory will bring a smile to your kid’s face. From March 23-25, they’re extending their hours to 10 a.m.-2 p.m., and budding artists can make anything from butterflies to robots from any supplies on hand for $12. Also, on March 27, there’s a free story time at 10:30 a.m., which features a $5 ornamental craft.
4. Get those legs moving with a spin around the Oaks Park Skating Rink. At $6.25/person (skates are $1.75 extra), kids of all ages can get rolling.
photo: Honey Heart Yoga
5. Stretch those minds and bodies with Honey Heart’s Spring Break Yoga Retreat for kids 6-11 at Yoga Shala. The retreat runs March 23-27 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and incorporates learning yoga principles and techniques through games, stories and songs. It’s $200 for the week.
6. Kids can go see what it was like to live 100 years ago with Stumptown’s version of Downton Abbey, the Pittock Mansion. For $25/member; $35/non-members for a half-day camp, young ladies and gents, ages 8-12 will get to go back in time for an interactive, hands-on experience. Preregistration and prepayment is required for this popular day camp.
7. Go on a Honeybee Hike nature walk and discover what’s blooming around the bees at the Leach Botanical Gardens. Little buzzers ages 2-5 must be accompanied by an adult ($3 per walking child, adults and non-walkers are free), but be sure to check the site before you leave the house! The March 25th walk may be cancelled due to inclement weather.
8. Join Mimosa Studios for a fun time painting pottery while school is out. They will have party favors for each child, and a daily drawing of cool art supplies. Call ahead to make a reservation.
9. Cook up a storm in The Merry Kitchen with Julie Merry. During Spring Break, she hosts two-day baking camps that kids ages 8-12 will love. Classes are $75, and fill up fast, so remember to reserve your spot here.
photo: © Michael Hatten
10. Stop and smell the flowers at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Woodburn going on March 20th-May 3rd. Walk around 40+ acres of sweet tulips and daffodils, play in the kids’ play area with games, slides and bouncy houses and eat yummy food. It’s $20/car, so bring some friends along for the ride. Other activities may require a fee.
11. Play in the forest! Tryon Creek plays host to half-day camps for kids 4 years through Kindergarten and full-day damps for kids in grades 1-5 on March 24-26th.
12. Touch, see, smell and explore the refuge from March 22-25, 1-3 p.m. Discover wildlife in its natural habitat at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge with hands-on, free kids’ activities. Meet at the Wildlife Center.
What do you have planned for this Spring Break? Let us know in the Comments below!
—Suzie Ridgway
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