With the winding-down of Christmas/New Years holiday season, Valentine’s Day and winter activities, it’s easy for March Break to creep up on the savviest parent. Didn’t get the chance to book that cruise? Was hoping to get away with the kids to Mexico for the week?
Fear not! All hope is not lost.
Read on for tripatlas.com/new’s 10 Ways to Explore the World this March Break – right from your very own backyard, staying local to keep costs down but without sacrificing your sanity or a fantastic week for your kids. On the other hand, if you’re looking to get away, be sure to check out our 10 Great Family Travel Ideas & Destinations for Kids.
10 Ways to Explore the World this March Break – from Home!
1) Get your kids involved in a new travel-hobby
Give your kids the travel bug early! Hobbies like geography, looking at maps, reading books about far-off places, writing and photography are great ways to get your kids inspired about travelling and passionate about the world around them.
2) Discover the countries of the world together
Here’s a great way to start. Buy a world-map in a puzzle form and work on it together as a family. Once your little ones see how big the world is, they’ll start asking about these places, what they’re like, how far they are, and etc. That’s your cue to visit the library; learn about culture, peoples, customs, religions, and more! The world is a huge and exciting place when you’re that young!
3) Go local for some "voluntourism"
Check our organizations like Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit organization that helps build homes and communities in cities and countries all over the world. They let anyone over 5 years volunteer. This is a great opportunity to get kids involved in issues of social justice, poverty and learning about a socioeconomic world outside the one they know. Learn more about Volunteering or Working Abroad in Europe.
4) Take some field trips to local ethnic neighbourhoods
If you live in a relatively large enough city, you’ll find all kinds of ethnic neighbourhoods that are yours for the travelling! Visit China by visiting your local Chinatown; spend time in Italy, rolling spaghetti on your fork by visiting the Italian neighbourhood; or yell "opa!" in your local Greek town to get a taste of Greece.
5) Learn about cultures at art galleries or music concerts
During school break weeks, there are tons of great programs put on by art galleries and local music companies that offer arts/music appreciation for kids programs. Learning about other cultures through art and music is a great way to teach cultural appreciation to your kids: check out some Aboriginal art, ancient Egyptian sculptures or go listen to a live country band.
6) Explore new tastes throughout the city: restaurants, cafes
One of the easiest ways of exposing your kids to different cultures without them even knowing it is by bringing them to restaurants that explore tastes and dishes from somewhere else! Go visit a Thai restaurant for a taste of pad thai; to an Indian restaurant for butter chicken or chana masala; or learn about Japan by visiting your local sushi restaurant. 
7) Cooking and baking days with an ethnic twist
Since eating out can get expensive, another way to experience ethnic foods from all over the world is right in your very own kitchen! There are a number of great food websites like FoodTV.com that bring you recipes and video clips on how to make dishes from all over the world: spicy Cajun dishes from down south to rustic Italian dishes and traditional Spanish cuisine.
8) Check out the local tourist spots
Funny enough, you’ll find often enough that many locals haven’t visited or are even aware of the many tourist sites in their own city. Whether it’s the museum, an old heritage house, an art gallery, university building, park, famous building or attraction, bring your kids to these great spots and open their eyes to the world around them.
9) Get adventurous: fun new activities/sports
This will take some added effort on your part – but why not try out a new activity or sport? There are tons of great camps that teach kids during the March Break: whether it’s skiing, skating, snowboarding, dancing, crafts, singing, sports – it’s a great time to add a new physical skill to your child’s repertoire for their future travelling escapades!
10) Take a minute for struggling countries
Go beyond just learning about countries, their customs and foods – dig a little deeper and teach your children to have an appreciation for life. Go through the newspaper and look at world issues, wars, political strife and fights that are taking place internationally – and explain it to them so that they can understand and begin to really – and I mean really – see the world for what it is, for better or for worse, and to really appreciate it.
Have a safe and happy March Break or school holiday!