Winter school break ideas to take Beaufort County students beyond phones and video games

During this year’s holiday break, Beaufort County School District students will get eleven and a half school days off with the first full one being this Friday and the return to school date of January 8. These ten days away from school are actually 17.5 calendar days at home. The break officially begins this Thursday with a half day and then early student dismissal.

For parents and caregivers, this fortnight plus three can seem like a lifetime of having students home but with a little preparation, it can be a break to remember.

The easy answer isn’t always the best one

Allowing them to binge watch their favorite shows the entire time might sound easy, it may not be enough to truly keep the kids occupied. Having their noses buried in their phones, tablets and video game consoles is also a necessary evil for some of the long hours but having a plan can replace screen time with activities can help everyone’s mental health.

Here’s 15 ideas that can make a difference

Here are a few suggestions to avoid hearing the dreadful, “I’m bored…” phrase over the holidays:

–So Fresh, So Clean: Empty and clean book-bags. That peanut butter and jelly sandwich that was forgotten will be a not-so-pleasant surprise on the first day back in January. Also, wipe down tablets, laptops, etc. and ensure that cords are in good condition.

–Take It To The Streets: Take in one of the local events happening in the area over the holiday.

–Put Your Hands Together: Volunteer at a place of worship, shelter, Habitat for Humanity, a food bank, or an environmental group doing clean-up.

–Game On: Host a family game night with marathon runs on Monopoly, Scrabble, checkers, Jenga, or Uno.

–Lowcountry Talent: Put on a family or neighborhood talent show. The next Stee may be living next door to you, or living under your roof.

–Food Check: A frequent complaint by parents is that children tend to eat a lot more when they are not in school. Plan a day to clean out and organize the pantry and fridge, check the dates on snacks, perishable items, or anything else that has been there, “a while.” Rotate the items to the front that will expire soon.

–Crafty Business: Make cards for a local children’s hospital, build a birdhouse or build a model car.

–Library: Whether it is to check out a book, use the computer, do research or participate in one of many scheduled events, the Beaufort County Library has you covered. Check online for the list of events at various locations from Dec. 27 thru Jan. 6.

–Redecorate the kids room: With 2.5 weeks off, this is the perfect time to paint, rearrange furniture, and purge unnecessary items.

–Movie Night: Pick the days for binge watching and let your children make the selections.

–Push Pedals: A bike ride will get the kids fresh air and exercise.

–Relax, Relate, and Release: Have an at-home spa day.

–Apply Yourself: If your high school student is going away to college next year, this is the time to apply for scholarships, ask for those letters of recommendation.

–Resume Review: The window for summer jobs and internships usually opens late winter or early spring. But reviewing resumes over the holidays could help your young job seeker avoid scrambling once they start hunting employment.

–Picture This: Because we live in the technology age, everything is digital. Even pictures. Make time to go through the pictures and create a scrapbook.