Not everyone plans a big vacation trip when the kids are out of school during Spring Break. It is, however, a great opportunity for some family time, especially if you can get a day or two off for a special adventure with the family.
If you need to keep children occupied while you are working many of the area cities and towns have Kids' Clubs for Spring Break; contact your city's Parks Department to see what programs they have available.
Sign Up For Spring Camp
There are several organizations around town that usually offer a short camp program during Spring Break. If you can't stay with the kids and take them here and there, at least maybe they can have some fun at camp.
Visit the Animals
The Phoenix Zoo is located in Papago Park in central Phoenix. It's easy to get to from all directions, and it is a lovely zoo, especially on a day when it isn't too hot. Get there early on those warmer, sunny days.
If you haven't been to Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium, you might want to give that a try for a change of pace. They are more focused on exotic animals. Wildlife World Zoo is on the west side of town in Litchfield Park.
The fish are jumpin' at Sea Life Arizona where you can get up close and personal with seahorses, sharks, rays, tropical fish and the sea turtle, Ziva. Sea Life Arizona is in Tempe.
Go to a Baseball Game
Everyone knows that March is the month for Cactus League baseball. Tickets are very reasonably priced, and the ten Spring Training stadiums around town are easy to get to. There are usually six games or more scheduled on any day in the month of March! If you can't take off from work, there are evening games, too.
Go to Amusement Park
Amazingly enough, Castles and Coasters in Phoenix is the closest thing to a theme park that we have in the Phoenix area. The water slides and features are only available during the summer, but the miniature golf courses, large arcade, and the rides, including roller coasters, are always popular with the young folks.
Enchanted Island Amusement Park is geared to the younger kids. It is located at Encanto Park in Phoenix.
Go to a Water Park or Pool
Wet 'n' Wild opens on a limited basis for the 2012 Season on March 17th. It typically operates for a nine-day Spring Break.
Golfland/SunSplash will have their water slides, including The Cauldron, open for Spring Break. Saturday, March 10 through Sunday, March 18, 2012 and on weekends after that through April.
The FlowRider at Rhodes Pool in Mesa will be open during spring break on Saturday, March 10 and Monday, March 12 through Saturday, March 17 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Sunday. Prices in 2012 are $5.50 for youth and $11 for adults for 1 hour of ride time and a mini-lesson.
The indoor wave pool at Kiwanis Park in Tempe is open year-round (except during maintenance periods). It is a popular place during Spring Break! Some of the municipal public pools are also open. Check with your neighborhood parks and recreation department.
Two pools in Chandler, the Hamilton Aquatic Center and the Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center, will be open Saturday-Sunday, March 10-11 from noon to 5 p.m.; Tuesday-Friday, March 13-16 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, March 17-18 from noon to 5 p.m.; Tuesday-Friday, March 20-23 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, March 24-25 from noon to 5 p.m. The water is heated at both facilities. The Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center features a lap pool, diving area, two slides, water vortex, lazy river with tumble buckets, and a play area for kids. The Hamilton Aquatic Center features a lap pool, diving area, two slides, water vortex, current river and a play area for kids. Check online for hours and prices.
Drive the Apache Trail
You'd better be a confident and calm driver for this one, but a road trip on the Apache Trail will be a memorable trip. Stop at Tortilla Flat before you continue your desert driving adventure. Don't be frightened, now....
Hike Waterfall Canyon
This is an easy hike; I did it once with a 5 year-old! This is a great way get the kids outside, see some petroglyphs, and let them do some climbing on boulders, too. You probably won't see any waterfalls in March unless we've had a good rain. Bring water and a hat!
Visit the Arizona Science Center
The Arizona Science Center has exhibits, many hands-on activities, a large screen theater offering movies related to science, and a planetarium. Located in downtown Phoenix.
Tour a Dairy Farm
The farms are slowly but surely disappearing in Maricopa County, and as development continues it's getting harder and harder for kids to see a real cow around here! Problem resolved at Shamrock Farms, where you can see thousands of them, and take a cool tour of this huge, high tech operation. There's no petting zoo, but if you bring the little ones there is a playground, and you can bring your own snacks for a picnic.
At Superstition Farm you'll experience the family dairy farm, take a tour, and pet some of their resident animals. It's a more casual, close-up experience!
