{UPDATED} Spring Break with Kids: 7 Amazing Ideas

After being cooped up indoors all winter long, it can feel really revitalizing for the whole family to travel out of town and see something new! Not every destination is a family-friendly spring break vacation spot (we’ll avoid those) but there are plenty of places to visit that the whole family will enjoy. Whether you’re craving the mountains, ocean, or something in between, we’ve rounded up seven of the best vacation ideas for a fun spring break family adventure.

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Hike together in Yosemite National Park

Central California’s Yosemite National Park is breathtaking all year round. Visiting the park during spring break is even better for families because you can avoid the large summer crowds. You can also take advantage of perfect backpacking weather: sunny in the high 60s! If you have a little one, they can ride comfortably in a baby backpack or carrier. This 1,200-square-mile park is home to striking views, wilderness, and wildlife everywhere you turn.  

The spring melt makes for gushing waterfalls at both the Bridalveil and Lower Yosemite Falls. Families can visit both of these sites by following an easy-to-hike trail. Kids will love getting sprayed by the water as they get closer to the falls! Be sure to check out the giant sequoia trees in Mariposa Grove and the stunning views (both day and night) at Glacier Point. The park even has a Junior Ranger (ages 7-13) program and Little Cub (ages 3-6) program where kids can learn about park wildlife and earn a badge!

Yosemite offers several lodging options if you are planning to stay the night for a longer visit. Being one of the busiest national parks, it’s highly recommended to plan a Yosemite trip ahead of time to reserve a spot before they are gone! Whether your family prefers luxury accommodations or pitching a tent for a cheap spring break option, staying the night in the park makes for an amazing spring break adventure. Some campgrounds offer fun family activities around the campfire with storytime, singing, and of course, smores!

• Location: Mariposa County

• Things to Do: Hiking trails, visit Bridalveil Falls and Lower Yosemite Falls, sign up for a park program, lodge in the Yosemite hotel, or camp outdoors in a tent

 

Enjoy Sunny San Diego

While we’re talking California, we’d be remiss not to mention the boundless options that exist for family travel fun in San Diego County! The 70+ miles of coastline include dozens of amazing beach options. During the springtime, San Diego may even be warm enough for a swim, depending on your weather luck. Some favorite coastal excursions include a low tide adventure at the La Jolla Shores tide pools or a beach day at family-friendly Coronado Island. You could make the trip even more special by booking a stay at the Coronado Resort!

Curious about other family-friendly options in San Diego? Take a look back at the city by jumping on a San Diego Harbor cruise; you’ll likely also see sea lions while aboard for a photo op! Definitely consider planning to stop by Sea World or the San Diego Zoo if you and the kiddos would love to see even more wildlife. You could easily spend a day at each of these spots exploring all they have to offer. The Safari Park (located inside the zoo) will make you feel like you’ve been transported to the bush of Africa! 

For even more fun (we told you San Diego is a great spring break spot), check out more popular attractions like LEGOLAND, which features an incredible water park, and the iconic Belmont Park at Mission Beach. Families can jump on rides, play games, and take a stroll on the beachfront boardwalk. 

Of course, we can’t forget to mention some wonderful dining spots. The whole family will appreciate the delicious Mexican food San Diego has to offer. If you love Mexican food or are open to trying it, we highly recommend the California burrito, which comes stuffed with carnes asada, some standard condiments, and a pile of french fries—a diet staple of toddlers everywhere!

• Location: San Diego, CA

• Things to Do: La Jolla Shores, Coronado Island, San Diego Harbor Cruise, Sea World, San Diego Zoo, Safari Park, LEGOLAND, Belmont Park (Mission Beach)

Enjoy thrills upon thrills in Orlando

Photo: niagarafss.com

If you’re in the mood for some serious amusement park fun on your spring break with kids, there’s no better place than Orlando, Florida! In fact, there are so many things to do in Orlando, we highly recommend you plan ahead of time as much as you can. Do your research so that you can secure lodging accommodations, theme park tickets, a rental car, and anything else that can be handled from home. Trust us—you do not want to wait until the last minute and become overwhelmed! 

For example, planning a trip to Disney World alone is quite the venture. To keep visitors happy, Disney has put together rules and regulations that are helpful for everyone, including implementing stroller requirements (so visitors don’t bring too large of strollers into the park). Well-seasoned Disney locals have created entire websites, podcasts, and YouTube videos that are dedicated to showing parents how to plan a magical trip to Disney World. In the case of Disney enthusiast and travel writer Carlye Wisel, she’s created all three!

Besides Disney, which includes Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom, there are other widely popular attractions in Orlando that the whole family will enjoy visiting. Top attractions include SeaWorld, LEGOLAND, Universal Studios Universal’s Islands of Adventure, and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, to name a few. But we do recommend (if you are up to it) digging a little deeper and seeing what else is available for the family to enjoy. We are talking about animal parks, museums, nearby beaches (including beautiful Cocoa, Daytona, and New Smyrna Beaches), and even the Kennedy Space Center. The excitement doesn’t stop; this place was made for family vacations, especially during spring break!

• Location: Orlando, FL

• Things to Do: Disney World, SeaWorld, LEGOLAND, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, Kennedy Space Center, multiple beaches, animal parks, museums

Road trip through the Florida Keys

If you’ve never been to the Florida Keys, get ready to be blown away by the gorgeousness of this coastal spring break destination! When most people think of the Florida Keys, they think of only Key West, but there are actually over 800 different ‘keys’ that stretch for over 100 miles. What makes the Florida Keys one of our recommended spring break spots beyond the beauty? Each location has something unique to offer that will intrigue families from all around. Consider renting a car and taking a week to drive around and explore. Driving south from Miami you will start to cross some of the 42 bridges that link the Florida Keys together.

As you arrive at Key Largo, think about taking the family to the Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder to get up close and personal with these amazing animals! If you’re looking to give the kids an amazing lodging experience, book a stay at the Hawks Cay Resort on Duck Key, where you’ll find a playground, five different pools (including one with a pirate ship!), a game room, and even a pirate show! 

Heading south over the Seven Mile Bridge, your next stop should be at the Bahia Honda State Park for a relaxing time with the family. Next, check out Big Pine Key and stop by the National Key Deer Refuge where you can spot adorable deer in their natural habitat, along with more varieties of wildlife. After another hour of driving you’ll be at Mallory Square in Key West. This stop is the perfect place to stroll around and enjoy one of the most beautiful sunsets the US has to offer! 

• Location: Florida Keys, Florida

• Things to Do: Visit the many ‘key’ locations, Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder, Hawks Cay Resort, Bahia Honda State Park, National Key Deer Refuge, Mallory Square

Experience the Atlantis Bahamas

If you’re looking for a playground in paradise for both kids and adults alike, look no further than the Atlantis on Paradise Island in Nassau. Spring break with kids has never been so stimulating! This mega-resort is less than an hour’s flight away from Miami and less than 3 hours or so from New York City, making it an attractive family spring break vacation destination, especially for east coasters. It’s a little pricier than other more affordable spring break options we’ve mentioned, but you’ll probably think it’s worth every extra penny! If you love the greenery of Hilton Head, you’ll love Paradise Island.

Be prepared to spend a lot of time at the huge water park (over 140 acres!), which features slides, waterfalls, and pools for all ages to enjoy. There are two lazy rivers (one of which is not so lazy!) to sweep you through the property. In addition, there is a beautiful white sand beach, numerous restaurants, and so much more. Be sure to enjoy the animals and wildlife here; stroll through giant underground tunnels that double as aquariums, sign up the whole family for a dolphin encounter, and take a shuttle over to Happy Trails for horseback riding on the beach!

• Location: Paradise Island, Bahamas

• Things to Do: Enjoy the massive water park, white sand beach, wildlife, underground aquariums, dolphin encounter, Happy Trails

Discover Puerto Rico

Photo: discoverpuertorico.com

Another nearby tropical destination is Puerto Rico, and you don’t even need a passport to vacation there! The island is pretty small (about three times the size of Rhode Island) and offers a lot to family spring breakers. You’ll probably fly in and out of San Juan, in which case you should definitely take the time to explore Old San Juan! View the fortresses along the ocean and let the kids run around the surrounding huge green lawns. The brightly colored buildings, colonial architecture, and cobblestone streets give this place a great vibe that kids will enjoy.  

One of the most popular family destinations in Puerto Rico is El Yunque National Forest, a tropical rainforest on the eastern side of the island. Here you will find beautiful hiking trails, views, waterfalls, and the Dora-famous coqui frog. Don’t forget your parkas and some sturdy shoes, it’s pretty much always raining (and muddy) there!

If you’re up for a few more hours of family travel and looking for some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, keep heading east until you reach the Caribbean Sea. Hop on a ferry to one of two gorgeous islands that lay off the coast, Vieques and Culebra. Both spots, with their insane natural beauty and fun island vibes, are well worth the extra time and effort!

• Location: Puerto Rico

• Things to Do: Visit Old San Juan, El Yunque National Forest, beaches, Caribbean Sea, Vieques Island, Culebra Island

Hit the slopes at Keystone Ski Resort in Colorado

Photo: keystoneresort.com

Looking for a spring break with kids idea that doesn’t involve warm weather? Try the Keystone Ski Resort, located about an hour and a half west of Denver International Airport. This place is super family-friendly and is able to keep the lifts running into April! Set on over 3,000 acres of terrain, Keystone offers a good mix of trails for all ability levels. Kids three and up can participate in ski and snowboard lessons and that’s just the beginning of what this place has to offer!

There’s ice skating, tubing, sleigh rides, snowcat tours, horse-drawn carriage rides, parades, and a massive snow fort at the summit. There is an adventure zone with rides and other fun features, freshly baked cookies every afternoon, and fireworks every Saturday night! The resort will even give you a complimentary red wagon to help you tote gear and/or exhausted kiddos around. This place has family priorities figured out for sure!

• Location: Keystone, CO

• Things to Do: Ski or snowboard, ice skate, tube, sleigh ride, snowcat tours, horse-drawn carriage rides, parade, snow fort, fireworks show, adventure zone

These spring break ideas are just some of the many fantastic options that are out there! Just being together and making special family memories is what it’s really all about. Summoning that bravery to travel with kids is half the battle! What are your favorite spring break destinations as a family? Leave your ideas in the comments below!