Make Spring Break Magical with a Few Curated Fun Activities

Staying home this spring break & wondering how to make the week memorable for the family? Me, too.

Let me curate a little list of fun-filled adventures for you. Having 5 children myself, ages 22 down to 10, it can be tricky to find activities for all, but…I got you. We will be doing many of these activities ourselves next week.

  • Kayaking & Paddleboarding: The Comal River, provides gentle cool currents ideal for tubing, kayaking & paddleboarding. River Acres & Cypress Bend Park are great spots for swimming too.

  • Fishing: Cast a line in the Guadalupe River or Landa Park. Ensure you obtain the necessary permits before heading out. Nothing says quality time like fishing together.

  • Pickleball & Disc Golf: Landa Park offers facilities for both.

  • Landa Park: Pack a scooter, bike, roller-skates, fishing poles & bring along a picnic. Relax under the shade of ancient oak trees in Landa Park next to a serene lake. The park also features paddle boats, a cute train to ride & great playground, perfect for a leisurely afternoon.

  • Game & Movie Nights: Host themed game nights or movie marathons at home. Choose family favorites or explore new genres together. We love dusty off the classics, like Mary Poppins, Harry Potter or Narnia with a fun charcuterie.

  • Drive-In Movie: Experience nostalgia at the Stars & Stripes Drive-In Theatre in New Braunfels. Get there early for the playground and take advantage of the earlier sunset/movie start time. (summers are pretty late). I still remember watching Aliens at the drive-in from the top of our station wagon as a kid-So fun-scary!

  • Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo Spring Break Bash with interactive animal experiences, petting zoo & feeding experiences, live shows & unique attractions. March 8-23.

  • Coffee Shop Visits: Visit local coffee shops in New Braunfels, such as Kora Kora & Betty Lou, offering a cozy ambiance, delicious brews & the BEST baristas. Bring along a small game to play (cards, chess) at the table together.

  • Pickle Festival: Start the weekend with the New Braunfels Pickle Festival March 15, 11-15 at the Comal County Fairgrounds. Pickle ice cream, popcorn and pickle cotton candy. Live music, pet parade and pickle contests.

  • Loki’s Axe Haus (For the teens) is open for darts, arcade options, food, pool table, axe throwing & a free beach & playground outside.

Day Trips

•  Gruene: Super close.Visit the historic Gruene district, home to Texas’ oldest dance hall, Gruene Hall If you go early on certain nights it is quite family friendly. Stroll through antique shops, ice cream at Rhea’s or the general store & grab a lovely dinner at the Gruene River Grill

•  Port Aransas: Head out early and play all day in the sand & ocean. Make lots of sweet memories together playing outside all day and get coffee at Barefoot Beans then stop at Scoopy’s for ice cream on the way home.

• Austin: Biking Around Lady Bird Lake: The 10-mile loop provides picturesque views of the city skyline & natural landscapes. Rent canoes or paddleboards or stop at Zilker Park for the playground & Barton Springs for a swim.

• San Antonio: Fiesta Texas & SeaWorld. Just a short drive away. Who doesn’t love to hear their family laugh & scream all day?!!

Important Reminder:

Simple is sometimes better. Have your kids ever said, like mine have, that they wish they would have grown up in the 80’s when there were no phones, video games were at the local DQ and they played OUTSIDE all day. Give them what they ask for! Take them to a local river with buckets and nets or find a nature park and let them gather sticks and try to build a raft for the stream or a tree fort. Bring a long a chair, a cooler and a good book for yourself and you are set for the afternoon.

If you have “littles” or younger grandchildren, don’t forget this is the perfect week to build the forts under the table, pop the popcorn, make the s’mores, sleep in the tent in the backyard, star gaze, get the movie projector out, have sleepovers and/or plant a small garden together.

Choose a captivating family read aloud book for the week. It’s a wonderful way to bond & foster a love for literature. I am reading “Dragon of Lonely Island” with my 10 year old boy right now, but I think I will pick an additional for us all to read together.

It’s OK for them to be bored a little -often that’s when creativity kicks in. Fill the craft bin, stock up on the art supplies, leave a family puzzle out on the table and go to the library to fill a basket with new books.  The most important things is not entertainment, it’s connection.

With such a diverse array of activities, your spring break in New Braunfels is sure to be filled with memorable moments & great family fun. Special vacations are wonderful, however, there is plenty of simple, lovely things to do here in town. Have fun

Shelia Louise

Shelia Louise Photography