As we move into spring and are faced with yet another school break, I can’t help but look back on our exceptionally generous time off around the holidays for inspiration on how to, yet again, stay busy and keep the boredom at bay.

So, I dug around in my brain and came up with the following activities we engaged in way back in December ’13 when our TVs, Netflix, Wii, iPods and plethora of books simply weren’t enough:

· Puzzles. Never underestimate the power of a good 1,000 piece puzzle to keep you busy. We usually get a new one each year from my dad and it is a great way to pass the time, especially when the weather isn’t cooperating and the scene is pleasant and transports you to a different place. Or, you can try a mystery puzzle– the ones that don’t come with any helpful image on the box and you put it together sort of blindly based on the clues the pieces provide.

· Card games. Uno, Trash, Phase 10, you name it–we probably played it. Over and over and over again.

· Spelling. Yes, that’s right. Spelling. We received the word list for the upcoming school spelling bee over break and our girls quizzed each other with the help of our Dictionary app and its built in Siri pronunciation function.

· Play dates. Schedule as many as possible.  Bonus points if you get lucky and don’t end up hosting every last one of them at YOUR house.

· Find a new show. I lucked out when I stumbled across Fox’s “Fringe” streaming on Netflix. And despite it being created by the one of the minds behind “Lost” I really like it so far. Think “The X Files” meets “CSI.” Time will tell, I guess.

Finally, if you can swing it, follow in the footsteps of some of my very wise Cincinnati-based marketing and communication agency coworkers and JUST GO AWAY. Literally. Take a trip. It doesn’t need to be elaborate, expensive or far away.  Just a change is scenery is all it takes sometimes.

Tell us- what are some activities you enjoy during your time off? Or what are some of your favorite destinations when you get out and about? Or…what word did you miss on YOUR spelling bee?