Are you staying in town and looking for Michigan Spring Break Ideas? We have ideas to make this week a great Ann Arbor staycation – whether you have the whole week to explore, a day, or
Ann Arbor Museums
There are several great children’s museums in Ann Arbor – or at least museums that appeal to children. With wet weather most of spring break week, museums are a great choice. They are all walking distance from each other (Hands-on Museum is a little further).
- Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum (Open all week during spring break)
- UM Museum of Natural History (Open all week during spring break)
- Kelsey Museum of Archaeology (Closed Monday)
- UM Museum of Art (Closed Monday)
- UM Medical History Exhibit (Open Weekends)
Video Game Enthusiast
Is your child an avid gamer? Take a day to explore video games at some of these unique locations).
- The Computer & Video Game Archive (open noon-8p Monday-Thursday, and noon-5p Friday during AAPS spring break). They have decreased their hours since the pandemic, so school breaks when UM is in session is the best time to visit.
- Best in Games (BIG) has laser tag, an arcade, bumper cars, and virtual reality. They also have a Go Kart Track, Axe Throwing, and an Adventure Course.
- Pinball Pete’s is in soft-open. Their hours may vary and some games are still being repaired.
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Playground Tour
Don’t just visit one playground, many playgrounds are in walking distance of other playgrounds. A few playgrounds you can combine:
- Water Hill – Hunt, Belize, Mixtwood-Pomona, Ann Arbor Open playgrounds
- Argo Area – Longshore, Beckley, Plymouth Parkway, Riverside
- Island Park – Island Park, Fuller Park, Riverside
Explore the map on our Playground Profiles to find other walkable playgrounds. One of our readers suggested touring several elementary school playgrounds and comparing them at the end of the day.
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World War II History Day
I love combining a visit to the Michigan Flight Museum with a meal at the Bomber Restaurant.
Explore a Downtown Area
Pick a section of Ann Arbor or one of the smaller towns near Ann Arbor. Explore the shops, try a new restaurant, visit a park. I’ve picked a couple of areas and just named a few activities, shops, restaurants, and nearby parks. There are definitely more options in each area.
- Ann Arbor Kerrytown
- Activity – Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, Ann Arbor Farmers Market
- Shops – Catching Fireflies, Mudpuddles
- Restaurants – Zingerman’s Deli, Miss Kim, Little Kim, Detroit St Filling Station, and more
- Parks – North Main, Wheeler Park
- Ann Arbor Main St
- Activities – Look for Fairy Doors & public art
- Shops – Vault of Midnight, Rock Paper Scissors, Cherry Republic
- Restaurants – Pretzel Bell, Frita Batidos, Shalimar, Blank Slate Creamery, Taq
- Ypsilanti
- Activities – Michigan Firehouse Museum, Aurora Society at Decode
- Shops – The Rocket, World of Rocks
- Restaurants – Aubrees, Maiz, Ma Lous’s, Bellflower
- Parks – Riverside Park
- Dexter
- Activity – Dexter District Library
- Food – Dexter Bakery, Dexter Creamery, A&W Drive In, Aubrees
- Park – Mill Creek, Lions Park
- Milan
- Activities – The Play Station (indoor playground)
- Food – Life is Sweet Bakery,
- Parks – Wilson Park
Attend a UM Sporting Event
Home sporting events during Ann Arbor spring break:
- Saturday, March 28
- 2p – Softball vs Purdue
- 2p – Men’s Lacrosse vs Maryland
- Sunday, March 29
- noon – Men’s Tennis vs USC
- 1p – Softball vs Purdue
- 1p- Women’s Lacrosse vs Oregon
- Tuesday, March 31
- 4p – Softball vs Oakland
- Wednesday, April 1
- 4p – Women’s Tennis vs Ohio State
- Thursday, April 2
- 7p – Women’s Lacrosse vs Ohio State
- Friday, April 3
- 4p – Baseball vs Oregon
- Saturday, April 4
- TBD (as of March 5) – Women’s Water Polo vs Indiana
- 2p – Baseball vs Oregon
- Sunday, April 5
- noon – Baseball vs Oregon
- noon – Men’s Lacrosse vs Rutgers
Visit Animals
Spend time visiting with animals – take a day trip to the Detroit Zoo, the Toledo Zoo, or check out one of these more local options.
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Escape to the Tropics…at Least Temporarily
While spring break is relatively warm this year, the initial forecast looks like we are in for several days of rain. Spend the morning at the Conservatory at Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Make sure to dress in layers so you don’t overheat in the Conservatory but can head outside to the Children’s Garden. Note they are closed on Mondays and open at 10a other days. They stay open until 4:30p ever day except Wednesday when they close at 8p.
Head to an indoor pool and the warm humid air will make you think you’re in the tropics – at least until you go back outside.
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Another option is to book a night or two at a local hotel with a pool. Or head to a waterpark hotel in Frankenmuth for the night (Splash Village or Bavarian Inn) – or book a day pass.
Where Kids Can Play While Parents Work
I have been running this site since my daughter was 3. Over the years I have worked in all kinds of places while my daughter played. I remember sitting on the floor at an inflatable bounce place on my laptop. I’ve also worked in the library common areas while my daughter attended events. Of course since she’s 20, many of the places we used to go are no longer options.
Our indoor play article is a great place to start. Dinoland, Hide & Seek Play Boutique, and Recess all have nice tables for parents to sit at while they work. We Rock the Spectrum is now offering work and play passes.
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Libraries are always a great option. Whether your child is at an event, looking for books, or playing with toys or on devices, you can get some work done. If they’re younger you’ll need to sit with them, but as they get older you can give them a bit more space.
