Spring break was highly anticipated in my house before we transitioned. Back then, my teen was in public school, I was working in public school, and life moved to the rhythm of the Bronx; early mornings, crowded sidewalks, grabbing something quick from the Bodega before heading to work. Sound familiar? When recess or holidays came around, it felt like a celebrated pause button. The change is weather from the cold, new blooms and foods coming, a break from the constant rush.
Homeschooling brought the same joy with some twists. Being together almost every day all day changed our relationship. We focused more. We talked more. We got on each others nerves haha! We showed up differently. Spring is the make or break time of year. March-May is mid terms, science projects, applying for scholarships or colleges and graduation preparations for June. Instead of squeezing everything into weekends or short school breaks, we had more space to plan. As a single mom, that balance mattered even more. Thankfully, co-parenting brought a reasonable middle ground of opportunities for my teen to spend real time with his dad, without everything feeling rushed.
People love to say homeschool kids are isolated. But for us, it wasn’t that different from when my teen was in public school. In community school, kids are placed together based on assigned enrollments and rosters. Homeschooling just makes that truth more visible. When you’re homeschooling, there’s no universal pause. My teen had friends he kept in contact with from before transitioning so we had be flexible taking into account their school schedules, family plans & traveling. In other words, some things didn’t drastically change just because we homeschooled. Social and personal time balance was still real.
We tapped into what already existed in the Bronx and NYC in general. If you’re looking for ways to keep your teen engaged during spring break whether you homeschool or not these are a few things that worked for us:
Volunteer locally (and make it count)
Look into mutual aid events or community gardens in your neighborhood. It’s a great way for teens to give back, stay active, and connect with others. We’ve helped with things like planting for the spring and summer, and supporting local spaces that pour into the community. Bonus: many of these experiences can count toward community service hours for high school.
Check if spaces welcome homeschoolers
Some organizations are open to homeschool groups volunteering or participating during off-peak hours. It’s always worth asking those opportunities can turn into ongoing connections.
Start looking into summer early
Spring break is actually the perfect time to explore summer camps, community centers, or youth programs. Not just for something to do but as a way to get a head start on potential summer youth employment, internships, or skill-building spaces.
Spaces That Worked for Us
Here are a few hyper linked Bronx-based spaces we’ve personally connected with during our homeschool journey both during breaks and throughout the school year:
- Hunts Point CDC – The Point CDC
- Bronx River Art Center
- Rivers Run Community Garden
- New York Botanical Garden
- Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture- NYPL
- New York Hall of Science
- Wave Hill
- Bronx Library Center – NYPL
This is just to name a few, each one offered something different for homeschoolers and youth alike; creativity, community, hands-on learning, safe space socialization, seasonal events – really fun stuff ( and for FREE or with admission or enrollment ) this helped us stay connected beyond just academics.
More Resources for Bronx Families
Here are a few hyper linked go-to online resources that helped us find even more things to do:
- Mommy Poppins – family-friendly events and activities across NYC
- NYC for Free – free and low-cost things to do
- Culture Pass – free access to museums with a library card
- NYC Public Libraries – programs, workshops, and safe spaces for kids and teens
Instagram , yes the gram has some great Bronx-based pages sharing real-time events and activities. These were my fav go to accounts all year round but the founds great posts during the break seasons
and my new new favs:
Whether your child is in public school or homeschooled, one thing stays the same there is no perfect way to “do” spring break. Some days will feel full, some slow, some will feel like you’re just trying to get through and just need some space to reset. And that’s okay. Because at the end of the day, what our kids remember most isn’t how perfectly we planned it but how present and authentic we were in the middle of it. And that’s the most important AND more than enough. Blessings.
Amarie – @bronxurbanvillageproject
” It Truly Takes a Village”
Bronx Moms Collective 
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