Take a family field trip to the Frost Science Museum or serve a meal together at the Chapman Partnership for the Homeless. Concoct together a power ball snack in the kitchen with oatmeal, peanut butter, flax seed, and honey. Encourage your teen to intern in a law office, take a coding camp, or go virtual and explore academic online courses. With President's Day, spring break,k and perpetual teacher workdays fast approaching, parents get creative and help your children seize the free days with productive, educational, and enriching home and community activities.

Go with the flow:

There's a world of academic enrichment right in one's home, laptop, or neighborhood. So on school days off, parents steer their children from digital default mode and facilitate creative, imaginative activities where little ones become engrossed "in the flow," which helps them to build resilience, creativity, and impulse control, says parent.com. "Children are naturally curious”' says David Shernoff, Ph.D. an educational psychologist at Rutgers University. “They readily become engrossed in an activity. As a parent, you need to set up the conditions that make that most likely. Start by choosing activities that target your child's interests, get supplies together, then let them be."

For younger children, the article suggests imaginative play activities like working at a restaurant, which help them practice creative thinking, self-regulation, and problem-solving. STEM suggestions range from constructing a skyscraper with spaghetti and marshmallows to creating a Play-Doh monster. Check out how-to and favorite library books.

Peer through the microscope:

Break out those holiday art kits and nurture artistic self-expression. Or teach math in the kitchen through a kid-friendly recipe where they can practice tricky fractions, recommends the parallellearnlearning.com article "10 engaging educational activities to keep kids learning during the holidays." Encourage outdoor exploration in one's own neighborhood, whether photographing that colorful lizard lurking at the front porch or stargazing on the junior telescope. "Gather natural objects like pinecones, leaves, or rocks to spark curiosity and scientific inquiry," it suggests.

Think SMART on holidays and during free time:

Days off are a good time to reflect on semester goals and aspirations. Parallel Learning says to discuss your child's accomplishments and challenges from 2024 and areas for improvement and together set goals for 2025 that are smart, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timebound--SMART.

Do at least one activity to mark a holiday, whether checking out a library book or watching a florida.pbslearningmedia.org video on Memorial Day.

Days off can also be used to organize study space (tidy up!), review challenging schoolwork, or get extra practice for tests. Teens can research summer opportunities, explore career interests, build a portfolio, or write a resume, writes Mom Junction on "10 Productive Activities for Teenagers." They could also use the time to apply for The Children’s Trust-sponsored Summer Youth Internship Program, which offers a paid summer internship at hundreds of companies and organizations in Miami-Dade County. Visit miami.getmyinterns.org for more information. "If your child has not decided which career to pursue, then this is the best age to experiment and innovate to see where his or her interests lie. For example, if your child enjoys making funny videos, then you can ask him to start a YouTube channel and upload videos," the article says.

Also, experience Miami wonders with a staycation to a local museum. For spring break consider internships and camps to explore fitness, arts, academic and career interest. The Children's Trust features a directory of after-school and summer camps.

Serve and ye shall find:

Meaningful service activities on free days are always a good way to build character and compassion for the marginalized, connect with the larger community needs and gain valuable work experience. So sign up your child for that Rise Against Hunger meal preparation or visitation of a local nursing home. "Giving time for teen volunteer activities such as helping at an animal shelter, teaching underprivileged children, cleaning the local park, or spending time at an old age home makes children feel grateful for every little thing in their life. It widens their perspective and helps develop a sense of responsibility towards society," affirms Mom Junction.