Watching other families head to European ski hills and sandy beaches over March break can sometimes evoke some FOMO — a fear of missing out — among parents. And it could lead to some overspending if that FOMO pushes parents to book a vacation outside their budget.
March break — which typically lasts one week in some provinces and two weeks in others — is a popular time for families to take a vacation because most kids are off school.
But a social-media worthy international trip with dinners out each night isn't the only option for keeping kids busy, especially if parents are determined to keep their spending in check.
Overall, Canadians plan to spend less in 2026, according to a new TD survey. Sixty-seven per cent of Canadians surveyed plan to cut their spending this year, an increase from 51% in 2025.
It's OK for parents to hit pause and examine what they can realistically spend on family holidays and activities for their kids, said Alyson Schafer, a parenting expert and family counsellor based in Kingston, Ont.
"I hope parents would appreciate the fact that there has been ... inflation in every domain," she said.
"Holidays are where this gets a bit more emphasized."
Keeping kids occupied over March break
What parents ultimately spend on March break travel, activities, or childcare will be influenced by whether they work or stay home with their kids. If they aren't planning to take PTO from work while the kids are out of school, their energetic rascals will need somewhere to go. If you're a parent who's home that week, you'll need things to do.
"If you want to have a winning March break, I do think you need to bring the kids into the conversation and you need to do some pre-planning, so they have a sense of what is going to happen that week," Shafer said.
She suggests giving kids a budget, having them list out the activities they're interested in doing, and sorting out which activities your budget will cover. Together you can come up with a clear plan for the week, and the kids can discover that going to a movie and going bowling while staying on budget might mean no snacks at the concession at either activity, Schafer said.
"That's good financial literacy right there," she said. "Kids love to research. They love to be decision-makers."
Here are some other March break ideas for a variety of family budgets:
#1 Do a childcare swap with another family
Fire up the neighbourhood group chat and start making plans, which don't have to be complicated or expensive. It could be as simple as planning a playdate at one home, then alternating at the other. This way, both families get two days of planned activities for the kids — and a break for the parents.
#2 Sign your kids up for a day camp
Businesses, municipalities, and community centres offer a variety of March break camp options, including gymnastics, cooking, science, parkour, and soccer. Costs will vary, but there are sometimes sibling discounts or half-day options.
#3 Take that family vacation
If you've got the money set aside, vacations at ski hills and all-inclusive resorts have something in common: they often offer programs specifically for kids. If you’re at a ski hill, you could sign the kids up for lessons in the morning and then hit the slopes as a family in the afternoon. If you’re at a beach resort, you could send your children to the kids' club in between dips in the pool, beach time, and plates of nachos.
#4 Use your credit card reward points for a hotel stay
Some credit cards offer reward points you can redeem for hotel bookings, car rentals, and cruises. Check your balance and see if you can take the kids on a quick road trip and stay at a hotel with a pool — and maybe a waterslide — by redeeming your points.
#5 Hire a teenager who's also off school for the week
Teenagers in high school might be looking to make some extra money over March break or get some experience looking after kids.
#6 Attend free community events
The number of community and local events seemingly increases considerably every March break, and parents have options depending on their kids’ interests. Check out local cultural and community centres, libraries, and official city or municipal websites to see if they have any free or low-cost family-friendly activities like story-times and festivals.
#7 Play tourist in your own city
Maybe it's been years since you went up to the top of the CN Tower in Toronto or biked along the seawall in Vancouver. Load the kids up in the car and pretend you're tourists in your own city. Wander around new-to-you neighbourhoods, check out parks and playgrounds, and try out new cafes.
#8 Turn on a movie, refill the snacks, and hope for the best
Screentime might be part of your kids' March break, and that's OK. Send your kids outside periodically, if you can, so they get some fresh air and a break from terrorizing one another.
#9 Embrace games and assignments
Ordinary activities can engage kids longer if you encourage them to turn them into a game or competition, Schafer said. If they like to play cards or board games, for example, it could mean turning a one-off game into a multi-day tournament.
"Or maybe it's a bake-off or a cookie-of-the-day [challenge]," she said.
Working parents can get more time to focus by giving their kids assignments, Schafer said.
"I [was able to] buy myself a lot of time if I told my kids to put on a play. I'd say: go rehearse," she said. "They might need props, so they'll have to go through the whole house to find them."
#10 Give your kids jobs cleaning the house or making a business plan
Everyone needs to learn how to clean a bathroom, and lemonade stands aren't just a summer thing. Put them to work and see what they come up with. If they collect cans and bottles from around the house, and maybe from the neighbours, let them keep any money they get when they return them to the bottle depot.
#11 Start working on next year's March break budget
OK — this is more of a parent activity than a kid activity. But if March break costs caught you by surprise this year, now could be the time to start planning for next year's adventures. If you stayed home but would have rather hopped on a plane, set a savings goal and start working toward it.
TD clients with a TD deposit account and/or a TD credit card can create goals in the TD MySpend app and track their progress over time.
If their credit card offers points or travel rewards, parents can also check their reward points balance to see what they might cover and factor that into the budget.
Make kids part of the conversation, Schafer said, so they understand what it costs to travel and the effort that goes into reaching short or long-term financial goals.
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