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spring breakSpring break season is upon us, and while the kids are counting down the days until they're free, we moms are often panicking at the thought. Not that we don't love spending time with our kids and all (most of the time anyway), it's just that when you're in the swing of school days, it's often a bit daunting to swing out of them. Just what are you supposed to do with them ALL day, for an entire week anyway?

In order to get both you and your kids excited about the break, it's best to have a plan instead of leaving all those days looming ahead filled with thoughts of nothing more to do than drive each other crazy. Here are 10 things to consider adding to your Spring Break agenda:

Go on vacation -- This is the perfect time to plan a trip to see grandma, the cousins, or a new location you've been dying to explore. Even if you haven't planned ahead, there are often last-minute deals to be had on airfare or hotels. Sometimes impromptu trips are the best, because you have less time to stress about all the details, and you just go!

Take a road trip -- Pull out a map, select a destination, and go. It could be a day trip that involves just a couple of hours each way, or a longer one that takes you across state lines. Every family must endure a lengthy road trip together at one point.

Organize a local playgroup -- Talk to the mothers of your children's friends and each pick a day to host the group of them. That way you'll actually get a break during the week, when it's someone else's turn.

Check out museums -- There are likely museums in your town that you've never explored. This is the time to do so.

Exercise -- Start the season off right with a new commitment to get moving. Get out the bikes, the scooters, and roller blades, and hit the road. Go for a jog, find a pool, organize a game of tennis; just get moving.

Have a movie day -- Get out all those DVDs you've been wanting to see, and have a movie marathon. Don't even bother getting dressed; stay in your pajamas, pop popcorn, snuggle up, and enjoy.

Have a cleaning party -- Spring cleaning probably doesn't sound all that appealing to your kids, but you can make it fun. Organize a game to see who can find the most toys to donate to a charity, or have a garage sale and let them make some cash off of their old junk.

Get Crafty -- You know all those arts and crafts projects you wistfully flip past in magazines, wishing you only had the time to be "that" kind of mom? Well, now you do. Find your glue and craft supplies and get creative.

Volunteer -- Find a local organization that needs help, bake cookies and take them to your local nursing home, or help clean up the yard of a neighbor in need. Helping someone else is a great way to spend the extra hours.

Be Bored -- Make sure to build in some time with no activities at all. Too often our days are so busy that our children are never bored. Boredom can be good for kids; it makes them creative, and you'll be shocked at the cool things with which they find to fill their time when we don't fill it for them.

What do you do with your kids during spring break?


Image via Totsie14/Flickr