Moms Talk: What Do To If You're Staying Local for School Vacation

Welcome to Moms Talk, a weekly feature at Medford Patch where local parents discuss a hot-button issue. Let's jump right into this week's question:

What are some options for families that stay at home for school vacation? Do you have a go-to local activity? Or maybe something the family can do without leaving the house?

Stacey Hilliard: This April vacation, we're taking spring cleaning to a new level. We've already begun sorting through our closets, toy chests, and book shelves... the basement storage shelves are next.

The kids are planning to help me with an April yard / garage sale at the end of April vacation week, and they're very excited to be sharing in the profits. Hopefully they'll learn a little about hard work, the value of a dollar, and how to make change in the process! (Sale details are still coming together -- will post it on the medford.patch.com events calendar soon!)

Stacey is a mother of two boys, ages 9 and 7, and a Medford resident since 1998

Nancy Quinn: I think the library is a great resource for planning a school vacation week. The Medford Public Library (http://www.medfordlibrary.org/) has a story hour for younger kids on Mondays and Wednesdays, music for toddlers and babies on most Fridays.

If you think ahead, you can reserve museum passes (for free!) for some great places - like the MFA, Museum of Science, Harvard Museum of Natural History. Also you can check-out some books and DVDs for that rainy day that will probably pop up during your week off.

Nancy has been a Medford resident for 7 years. She has two kids - 4 years and two years old.

Judi McLaughlin: I found myself in this very predicament last year when our family vacation to Ireland was cancelled due to volcanic ash in Iceland. 

The key to survival is to embrace the opportunity to find things that give the kids an outlet, and the adults some socializing opportunities. 

Two things we did that stick out: We spent one morning at Greenwood Park, across from The Stone Zoo.  We squeeze both destinations into the same day's activities, and topped it off with ice cream at Friendly's. We also did a "half-sleepover" with some friends which was a big hit. Everybody gathered in their pajamas for pizza and cake and a short movie, and parents can enjoy a glass of wine and some down-time with their pizza.  Once the movie was done, everyone went home to their respective beds.   

Judi has lived in Medford for 11 years, and is the mother of two daughters, ages 7 and 6.

Adrienne Szafranski: Don't go into Spring Break or the summer without 1) a map of the Middlesex Fells and 2) a membership to Stone Zoo.

The map of the Fells will give you all kinds of hiking options.  It's a very family friendly place to hike, since kids can manage it and adults with kids strapped to them or carrying the family backpack will be able to manage it too.  Just make sure you can identify poison ivy before you set out!   

A membership to Zoo New England gets you into the Stone Zoo and Franklin Park Zoo.  Stone Zoo is great because it is small and not intimidating.  You can spend 45 minutes or two hours.

If you want an adventure, take the Orange Line to Green Street and walk to Franklin Park Zoo.  The train will take about 40 minutes, and trains are always a good way to get boys anywhere!

For fun without leaving the house, have the kids make cards.  You can buy blank notecards at Stop and Shop in the stationery department.  Take them home, decorate them with glitter, stamps, stickers, or our family favorite:  googly eyes.  Then the kids can write and send them, or you can hold onto them until your next greeting card moment.

Adrienne is mom of two boys; 4ish and 6ish.  A Medford resident since 2000.