By Monique Roth
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — If you have a school-aged child, the beginning of April will bring something always anticipated by students but sometimes dreaded by parents — Easter Break.

The week off from school means parents are often left scrambling for activities to keep their children entertained. While break times for private schools vary, the St. John the Baptist Parish School District will break for Easter April 1-7, while public schools in St. Charles Parish and St. James Parish will close April 3-10.

With a little creativity and planning, however, Easter Break can be a time for family fun and the introduction of new traditions rather than a stretch of “I’m bored” declarations and everything else that comes along with children having ample free time. Detailed below are several ideas to spark some fun and get your family started on their most successful and fun Easter Break yet!

Become a tourist

Sometimes, day-to-day life gets in the way, and it’s easy to forget what gems are right around the corner.

Every local parish government’s website has an area devoted to information on local attractions, and by looking around you may find a field trip activity perfect for your family during Easter Break.

Evergreen Plantation and Cajun Pride Swamp Tours are just two of the local attractions listed on St. John the Baptist Parish’s webpage at sjbparish.com/visitors_general, and St. James Parish officials detail a historic driving tour of its parish — among other parish attractions — at stjamesla.com/attractions-festivals. At stcharlesgov.net/visitors/attractions, St. Charles Parish officials list 14 must-see places in St. Charles Parish.

Backyard camping

Everyone knows the weather in South Louisiana may not be the best for actually sleeping outside, but setting up tents in the backyard and staging a backyard camping trip can still be fun even if it is void of actual slumber. Lay out your sleeping bags, fire up the grill and grab a couple of flashlights and lawn chairs.

By leaving your laptops, cell phones and handheld games inside — remember, you’re camping — you’d be staging an activity focused solely on family time.

A cookout on the grill, and don’t forget the s’mores for dessert, are easy menu options. Once night sets in, organize some games with the kids. Try flashlight tag and telling ghost stories … both are camping mainstays!

Video or board game Olympics

If the weather makes it impossible to get outside and you have a video game system, or even a stash of board games, host an Olympics-themed competition.

The key is to choose games that are short so no one’s attention spans, and if you plan out your games well enough in advance, you can set up tournaments and give out prizes or trophies to the top three finishers in each category.

If enough people are participating, breaking up into teams and wearing team colors may be a fun option. A unique snack idea would be to set up “fueling stations” with sports drinks, protein bars and fruit. After all, everyone involved is an Olympic athlete for the night!

Movie marathon

Another great indoor activity is a movie marathon. Ideas to pull one off would be to plan the marathon beforehand. Will all of the movies have a common theme, like space adventures or slapstick comedies? Or will each family member get to choose a favorite film?

Then, go Hollywood for the day. Maybe set up a red carpet in the TV room (you can use a cheap red vinyl tablecloth), dress up and take “red carpet” photos of each other. To kick off the movie, toast each other with sparkling juice or cider and then settle in with lots of pillows and comfy seating. And don’t forget the popcorn and candy!

Scavenger hunt

Scavenger hunts can be lots of fun and bring out everyone’s competitive sides. Depending on how adventurous you’re feeling — and how many adults you have for supervision — your scavenger hunt can include covering ground in your backyard, your block or even your entire town.

Clues for the hunt can be straightforward or written as puzzles or poems. A scavenger hunt can be a great teaching tool for children because clues can contain simple math problems or local history questions. Leaving little prizes along the way (like candy or small toys) can serve as incentives, and one larger prize for the eventual winner(s) can be motivating.