15 Things to Do Before You Go Back to School

It’s the much anticipated in-between week…that week after Christmas but before you go back to school. We hope that many of you are enjoying your Christmas gifts and some extra time with your families, but if you need some ways to fill your days before you head back to school, we have compiled 15 of our favorites ideas, including some camp-inspired ones!

1. Game tournament: We love a good family competition, so why not make it official this holiday break week?! When we have endless days at home, a game tournament keeps things exciting, and we make it extra competitive with a leader board and official points tally. Some of our favorite games that we play these in our game competitions are ones that are easy to learn and quick to play: SkyJo, Ticket to Ride Europe, Dragonwood, Play 9, and Jaipur.

2. Puzzles: Nothing says lazy days at home like a puzzle. Some of our recent favorites include this colorful animal puzzle, this bug puzzle, and this foil feather puzzle.

3. Read a good winter-themed book: As we’re heading into the cold months, winter-themed reading surely delights. We love a good winter picture book (such as The Snowy Nap, Snowflake Bentley, The Mitten, Snow Globe Wishes, or Snowmen at Night), or check out a cozy winter-themed chapter book this holiday (like The Vanderbeekers books or Winterhouse or Winterfrost).

4. Connect with your camp friends: If you’ve got some time on your hands, write a hand-written note to your camp friends. Jimboy encourages us to be thankful this time of year (and every time of year, actually), but as the year is ending, it’s the perfect time to tell your friends how much you appreciate them and what you admire about them. It will mean a lot to your friends to receive a letter like that!

5. Watch a winter-themed movie: Curl up with some hot chocolate and watch a winter or ice themed movie like Abominable, Ice Age, Frozen, Mighty Ducks, Cool Runnings, Eight Below, or The Chronicles of Narnia.

6. Cook a camp recipe: Pull out that apron and have some fun in the kitchen! Treat your family to dinner by whipping up one of our favorite camp recipes. Why not give Cheesy Chicken or Chicken Enchiladas a try this year?

7. Have a Backwards Meal: As you know, theme meals at camp are so much fun, so why not bring that fun home this week with a Backwards Meal, serving breakfast for dinner, and then dinner for breakfast. Try out a popular camp breakfast recipe like Truck Drivers Special or wow your family with Shepherd’s Pie for breakfast. Yum!

8. Make a blanket fort and sleep in it: We love a good overnight at camp, but it may be too cold to sleep outside this time of year. How about a blanket fort sleepover to remind you of your Greystone days? String up some lights, make some s’mores, and enjoy your night inside your indoor tent. If it’s a clear night, bundle up and try out some stargazing using tips from our Camp Connection cheat sheet.

9. Enjoy a family outing: Do something with your family that you never find time to do. Go to the movies, find a skating rink and enjoy the day, encourage a friendly competition at the bowling lanes, or enjoy a winter hike on a sunny afternoon.

10. Make chili: Nothing says winter like a big bowl of chili! Dr. Margaret’s family is known for their sweet chili, so try making it this week (you can find the Broadbent recipe in this blog post under Jimboy’s faves). Or, try a family favorite chili recipe this time of year. Grab some Fritos, lots of cheddar cheese, and some sour cream, and you can even imagine you’re enjoying a deconstructed Taco in a Bag.

11. Brain teasers: Put your brain to work as you work on some good brain teasers this week. Try out puzzlers like trominoes or the triangle puzzle. There’s a great list of brain teasers for family gatherings on What Do We Do All Day’s site.

12. Try out an Escape Room: Get busy with an Escape Room game. Even if you don’t have an Escape Room location in your town, you can now complete an Escape Room from the comfort of your home!

13. Try a random restaurant: This is something that I used to do with friends in college that has now carried over to our family. We love trying out the restaurants that people have never heard of or that are just random on the side of the road. Whether it be a cafeteria-style place or a hot dog stand, we love to just stop randomly and try it out. What random restaurant can you try this week?

14. Plan your New Year’s resolutions: Have any goals you want to accomplish this new year? Work on those now! You could come up with something in each of the 4-fold categories: Spiritual, Social, Mental, and Physical. Make a plan, and even include a camp friend to hold you accountable.

15. Sing some karaoke: Last but not least, enjoy some family karaoke. Grab a karaoke microphone and a strobe light; you’ll have a party in no time!