Snow is falling, music is playing, and the wonderful smell of cookies is in the air. School is out for the holiday, and students aren’t the only ones excited about the break! So, what can teachers do with their free time away from the classroom? Here are some fun ideas to give you inspiration:
- Go sledding! Be a kid at heart and join the young ones out on the hills.
- Read a book just for fun—no grading required! We spend so much time encouraging our students to read and don’t often set aside the time for ourselves to indulge in a good book.
- Treat yourself to a movie and dinner at either a favorite or new restaurant.
- Take a drive to look at holiday lights in other neighborhoods or in the nearest big city. Bring hot chocolate for the car ride or stop somewhere local for a warm drink.
- Try something new, like a cooking class or glass blowing. Or, go old school and grab some friends for a bowling night.
- De-stress by doing something mindless like a puzzle. Be sure to bring a warm coffee or tea and some sweet treats to the table with you!
- Clean out a closet, cabinets, drawers, or that space that you put off all year—the idea may seem daunting at first, but the reward is the good feeling you get from an accomplishment.
- Put together some freezer meals. Working ahead now means you can have an easy meal later in the year after a busy school day!
- If there's snow outside, make snow angels, build a snow fort, or make snow ice cream—but only if the snow is new! No snow where you are? Take a hike instead and enjoy what nature shares at this time of year.
- Go out for lunch or dinner with the friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with all year. And pick up the bill to put an extra smile on your friend’s face!
- Support your local museums and attractions like a zoo, art museum, or theater that's open during the holiday.
- Sleep in! Pretend you’re a teenager, put the pillow over your head, and see if you can stay in bed until noon.
- Pamper yourself. Go for a massage, facial, hair appointment, or even a pedicure and manicure. Guys, you can do this as well! It feels good to be treated like a king or queen for a day. You can even have a spa day at home!
- Plan a game night with family or friends. Have everyone choose a game to bring along with their favorite treat and drink.
- Interview elderly family members and tape their memories. Better yet, transcribe their thoughts and create a written family history book complete with photographs through the years as a special gift to the next generation of family members.
Still thinking about cleaning your classroom, grading your stack of papers, or shopping for school supplies? Well, if those would give you the warm fuzzies you need to enjoy the rest of holiday break, accomplish those first, then get started with enjoying your well-deserved time off!
What’s your favorite thing to do over the winter break? Let us know in the comments below!
This blog was written by Claire Jones and Denise Scribner.