Courtney Burkholder

Throughout the school year, my children look forward to the holidays. At the beginning of the school year, it’s Labor Day and Halloween. As summer turns into fall, Thanksgiving and a long weekend with family is on the horizon. Then there’s Christmas - two weeks off from school, Santa Claus, family get-togethers, and lots of Christmas cookies to enjoy.

And now I find them looking to the horizon once again in great anticipation of something wonderful to come.

You guessed it!

Spring Break. Two little words that bring smiles of joy and excitement to children, and anxiety and trepidation to their parents. What is it about Spring Break that makes parents cringe and start counting the pennies in the money jar? Spring Break is no longer just about time off from school to relax and play in the backyard. It’s about taking a big family trip. It’s about going somewhere fun to ski or scuba dive or climb Mount Kilimanjaro. It seems that more and more, parents feel pressure to provide extravagant, expensive trips for their children’s spring break experience.

Well, I say it’s time for a reality check! Spring Break is exactly what its name implies. It’s a break from school at the beginning of spring that gives children time to relax and recharge before the final leg of the school year. If that week happens to be the perfect opportunity for your family to do an excavation in the deserts of Egypt, then so be it. If Spring Break is the only time available for that safari you’ve been planning in the plains of South Africa, then good for you! But if Spring Break falls during a busy time of year, when work is hectic and money is tight, then forget about snowboarding in the Swiss Alps. There are plenty of fun activities to do right here in your own backyard.

San Antonio boasts many great attractions that kids never tire of: a fun day on the Riverwalk with a barge ride, lunch at the top of the Tower of the Americas, biking and a picnic in Brackenridge Park. Spend an afternoon at the zoo and the Witte Museum. Take your dog for a play date in the new dog park in McAllister Park. If you want to get out of town, but you don’t have a lot of time, how about a day trip to Austin, or a hike through Enchanted Rock State Park outside of Fredericksburg? Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch in Garden Ridge offers a wonderful drive-through zoo with exotic wildlife that come right up to your window.

And don’t forget visiting family.

One of my favorite Spring Break memories is when I spent a week at my grandparents. I spent time with my cousins, learned to sew on a sewing machine, ate home-cooked meals of fried chicken and okra, attended a family reunion (pot-luck dinner at the Methodist Church) and rode my bike to the Ice House for slurpees. It was simple, relaxing, and fun. Rarely did I have the opportunity to spend that much quality time with my grandparents, and it was very special.

Remember, parents, Spring Break is about giving your kids a break from the pressures of school. It’s not about spending an exorbitant amount of money, keeping up with your friends, or giving them the most exciting topic to write about for the “What I Did for Spring Break” essay. Children are simple creatures. They have fun playing with a water hose in the backyard or riding bikes in the neighborhood. Whatever you do will be fun and special if you make it so.

And if you’ve got teenagers? Well, start counting those pennies.