With school being out for a few days, students have plenty of time to relax and unwind. With this list of ideas, sleeping will not be an option (or at least it’ll be your very last)! Take a look at these five activities that will keep you from sleeping your day away and prevent boredom throughout your break from school.

Visit The Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago is a great place to visit this spring. There are plenty of events and exhibits that you can see as there’s many artwork to be found by artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and Georgia O’Keeffe. On Mondays-Thursdays from 11am-3pm, you can join in to the art exchange. You could also visit on Fridays from 1pm-1:45pm to view the gallery tours. The Art Institute of Chicago is perfect for those who are passionate for art, or even for those who are looking to see creativity from worldwide. Below is more information for tickets and some of the Exhibits you can see from late March to early June!

Ticket Information:

Children – free

Teens (14-17) – $26

Students – $26

Adults – $32

Exhibits:

Picasso: Drawing from Life
Threaded Visions: Contemporary Weaving’s from the Collection
Radical Clay: Contemporary Women Artists from Japan
By the Light of the Moon: Nighttime in Japanese Prints

For more information visit: https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions

Go On A Picnic

On a nice spring-like day, you could totally go on a picnic! Get some food, drinks, a blanket, and a nice quiet activity to do and relax. This calming activity is something that you can do alone or spend time with friends and family. Some quiet places could be a local park, hiking trail, or even a spot by the lake. Examples of activities to do are painting, reading, journaling, meditating, or even doing some fun photography. The point of this is to avoid electronics, such as your phone or computer, and take in the nature sightings around you during your break from school. If you choose to go with friends or family, you could use this as a time to catch up with them. You can also do a nice bonding activity together, like painting a landscape or taking pictures of the area that you’re visiting. If you choose to do this alone, it can be a great break to clear your mind and focus on mental health.

Visit Brookfield Zoo

Are you a fan of animals like giraffes or lions? If so, you should go to Brookfield Zoo during spring break to see them and other different species of animals. Brookfield Zoo has over 3,000 animals among 500 species. The zoo is a fun place to visit with your friends and family where you can take videos and pictures of your experience. Not only are there a variety of animals to see, but there’s other attractions within the vicinity like a Ferris wheel that is available as of March 15th, 2024. During the spring break season, there’s some Easter events that take place. One of the events is the Bunny Hop which takes place March 23, 2024. The Bunny Hop event is a day full of activities to visit the Bunny for the spring season. Activities include: a photo with the Bunny, Bunny Hop Dance Party at Nature Plaza from 12-3pm, and seasonal food and drinks for purchase. Visiting Brookfield Zoo is a nice idea if you have younger siblings and want to spend quality time with your family. Check down below and Brookfield Zoo’s website for more information!

Ticket Information:

Child (3-11) – $20.95

Adult (12-64) – $29.95

Senior (65+) – $24.95

Bunny Hop

Date: Saturday, March 23, 2024

Time: 10am-5pm

Location: Zoowide

For more information visit: https://www.brookfieldzoo.org/BunnyHop

Watching A Movie With Your Friends

Watching a movie with your friends sounds like a good idea, right? Whether it’s only you and another person, or a big group of friends, going to the movies is a fun thing to do. Going to the movies is fun since you can hang out together in the theaters and make plans to go elsewhere after the movie. Although you don’t have to go out to see a movie in theaters, it’d be a fun experience to share with your friends since it’s not really the same as being at someone’s house. You can totally still have a chill day at someone’s house where you’ll have a larger selection of movies to choose from, and there’s another plus of being able to have your own choice of snacks without the large price tag that would be presented before you at the movie theaters.

Spring Cleaning

With a week off from school, this is the perfect time to refresh both yourself and the environment around you. This can be getting a new collection of clothes for this spring and summer season, cleaning and redecorating your room, cleaning and organizing your backpack, taking time to go through car maintenance if you own a car, and cleaning and refreshing your electronics. When doing any of these things, the point is to start fresh and new like the start of a fresh and new season. Here are some tips on what you can do this spring break:

Clean/Renovate your room:

• Wash your sheets and make your bed.
• Sweep and mop your floor.
• Store and organize your spring/summer clothes, getting rid of your fall/winter clothes.
• Sanitize any flat surfaces such as desks, dressers, and nightstands.

Backpack:

• Go through folders and binders and get rid of papers that aren’t needed anymore, possibly from the first semester.
• Replace any school supplies that are an essential part of your school life like pencils, folders, notebooks, or anything severely damaged.
• Pack your bag for when you return to school, make sure to charge all devices needed for school the night before the first day back!

Brookfield Zoo Chicago – Bunny Hop at Brookfield Zoo Chicago. (n.d). Brookfield Zoo. from https://www.brookfieldzoo.org/BunnyHop

Exhibitions. (n.d). The Art Institute of Chicago. from https://www.artic.edu/exhibitions

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024). 2024, March 22). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14539740/?ref_=tt_mv_close

Brown, T. (2024, February 20). Brookfield Zoo celebrates 90th anniversary with Ferris wheel. Riverside Brookfield Landmark. https://www.rblandmark.com/2024/02/20/brookfield-zoo-celebrates-90th-anniversary-with-ferris-wheel/https://www.brookfieldzoo.org/Brookfield-Zoo/Visit/New-Plan-Your-Visit-images/NighttimeWheel.aspx?width=275&height=206