Spring Break and Staycation Guide in and around Lake Country

Spring Break Staycation Ideas 2023

I don’t know about you but this school year is going fast slow.  In some ways it feels slow, but in other ways it is crazy that spring break is already coming up. What do your spring breaks usually look like? Do you have to scramble to find childcare or camps because you have to work?  (If so, we have ideas for you in this guide!) Do you try to plan fun, local and affordable and memorable activities to do with the family?  (If so, we have ideas for you in this guide.) Do you look for mini-trips or staycations in and around Wisconsin? (If so, we have ideas for you this guide.) Do you go somewhere tropical and warm ? (If so, please take us with you, lol.)

Find ideas for your 2023 Spring Break in our guide.  Lake Country Family Fun does the spring break local planning for you so you can enjoy it.  

When is your spring break? Ours is the last full week of March, but some have break later in April. 

Please thank our Staycation Guide Sponsor:

Discover the Town of Brookfield – one of Wisconsin’s top shopping, dining, and entertainment destinations. Take a step out of everyday life and enjoy this small town just minutes away from the big city. With so many unique venues to explore, and fantastic places to stay, you’ll wish you had visited sooner.

Enter to win the Ultimate Spring Break Staycation giveaway!

Our friends at Discover Brookfield, just love what they do and where they live. They would love to spread the word and the love for Brookfield with this amazing giveaway coming soon:
– 2 Nights at Tru by Hilton
– $100 Gift Card to The Corners of Brookfield
– 4 Tickets to Silverspot Cinema
– $25 Gift Card to Kopps Custard

Enter the form below by 3/20. Winner will be selected 3/21.  Duplicates will be deleted. See our disclosures on the deals page. Tell us your favorite Brookfield Restaurant in the comment on the FB post from 3/1 at 7am.

The giveaway has ended in 2023. Congrats to Jen A.

Our top Spring Break Staycation Ideas by Location

  • The ‘Plant-itary Orbits’ Train show will run until March 26th, 2023.
  • Watch a virtual Glomado Workshop through the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum.
  • If you have an 11-15 year old, you can take an online babysitting course through the American Red Cross.  Sign up HERE. OR take a babysitting course through the YMCA HERE.
  • Visit the Waukesha County Park system, or a park system close to you. Click the link to find links to each of the Waukesha County Parks and our guest contributor Jann’s family’s experiences at each park. Our favorites are Retzer Nature Center, Nashotah Park, and Fox Brook Park. 
  • Take a spring hike at one or all of these hiking trails located in Waukesha County and throughout WI. We love Lapham Peak and the Ice Age Trail, along with Lion’s Den Gorge if you are planning a small day trip to Lake Michigan. 
  • Try the Spring Break Animation Mini Camp through the Menomonee Falls Public Library.
  • Watch a Spring Break Planetarium Show at the Retzer Nature Center.

Waukesha Planetarium Spring Break 2023

  • Head to Snips and Giggles in downtown Oconomowoc to get a fun haircut over break!
  • Looking for a service staycation? Find places to volunteer and help here and here.  
  • If you are doing spring cleaning, find places to donate here
  • Check out this guide to fun Indoor Play locations to break out of the house and burn off some energy!
  • Easter is on April 9 in 2023. Take in an Easter Egg Hunt.
  • Find a great playground at a new park to explore on the nice days!
  • Check out our ever-popular Events Calendar to explore and check out new events and places in our communities.
  • Book a night at the Ingleside in Pewaukee. Check out their Spring Break Package HERE.
  • Try a Ninja Camp or Gymnastics Camp at Midwest Twisters. ALL WEEK or just a few DAYS. You pick HERE!

For Spring Break 2023, we headed just southwest of Madison, to Cave of the Mounds. Highly recommend! It was our first time for myself (Erin, and my two kids (ages 12 and 9)), and we all enjoyed the tour! At just over an hour from Lake Country, this makes a perfect day trip.

3 Ways to Upgrade your Visit to Cave of the Mounds:

1. Definitely rent the black light flashlight. 🔦 They even offer black light tours!
2. Try the Quarry’s Edge Gemstone Mine to pan for your own gems.
3. Bring your camera fully charged to take in the stunning formations.
 
Other things to note:
*The kids also brought some of their own money to take a souvenir home. The gift shop is pretty extensive and has something for everyone, including locally sourced snacks and drinks.
*Dress for comfort in the 50° cave. A light jacket, jeans/leggings, and tennis shoes are perfect. Also, no bags/backpacks/big purses.
*There’s a beer garden, and they offer events throughout the year!
*The tour takes about an hour. There’s so much to do around the area to explore. We paired our trip with a hike to Stephens Falls at Governor Dodge State Park plus, Blue Mounds State Park is minutes away.
See our fun on Instagram HERE.

Lake Country Family Fun reader Heather S. suggests heading to Madison for your spring break. Here are her tips for a successful day trip:

  • Start your day at the Henry Vilas Zoo. Admission is free, and it’s open year round! Make sure to visit the Arctic Passage and Badger exhibits. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy Vilas Park, or eat at Zuzu Cafe just across the street.
  • Next, head downtown to view the Capitol building.
      • If there are fewer than 10 people in your tour group, no reservation is necessary. On weekends and on holidays they are only able to accommodate up to 130 people per hour. For questions or comments regarding on-line Capitol tour reservations, please contact us by email at Capitol Tours or by telephone at (608)266-0382. Enjoy your tour!

  • The Madison Children’s Museum is a great place to visit. We love heading out to the rooftop and looking out over the city. 

Madison Children's Museum 

  • Head down State Street for delicious BABCOCK HALL ICE CREAM (curbside service only).
  • Another quick stop is the GEOLOGY MUSEUM on the UW-Madison campus. Admission is also free, and there are dinosaur skeletons and rocks/geodes in a special room with a secret light.
  • For the nature lovers, check out OLBRICH GARDENS. The outdoor garden admission is FREE!
    • Olbrich’s outdoor gardens feature 16 acres of stunning landscapes and Midwest-hardy plants – Free & open daily.

    • Visit the tropical Bolz Conservatory, filled with exotic plants, orchids, birds, and a waterfall – $6 admission; free for Members. Free to all on Wed. & Sat. from 10 a.m. – noon.

  • Other Madison attractions
  • Head south of Madison to Lake Geneva and stay at the Ridge Hotel

Weekend Guide Free Zoo Day Milwaukee County Zoo Lake Country Family Fun

  • Visit the MITCHELL PARK DOMES and be transported to a tropical environment, or the desert in one location. They are definitely a tropical escape right here in Wisconsin!
    • The show dome always has something spectacular going on. The ‘Plant-itary Orbits’ Train show will run until March 26th, 2023.
    • Whether checking out the koi in the Tropical Dome or the deserts of the American Southwest in the Desert Dome, the Domes are like a mini escape while being relatively close to home. 
    • Lake Country Family Fun reader Heather S. points out that the desert and tropical domes both have scavenger hunts for kids. You can pick up a worksheet as you walk in, and don’t miss the I-spy game in the desert dome as well.”
  • Head a bit south of the city to Oak Creek and wander around IKEA – don’t forget to eat some yummy Swedish meatballs!
  • Check out these other fun options for exploring Milwaukee With Kids!
  • While I did attend and graduate college at UW-Green Bay, I have not ventured that direction much since having kids until summer 2021 when my kiddos and I spent 2 nights in Appleton. Read about our visit here.

Downtown Appleton

  • The Building for Kids Children’s Museum, featured above is offering Spring Break Camps!
    • Scribble Bots  –  Monday, April 3:  10am & 2pm

      • Create your own scribble bots during our Family STEM workshop, facilitated by one of our educators! We’ll build these drawing robots out of a pool noodle, markers, and an electric toothbrush.

      • Members – $3; Non-Members – $6 plus admission

    • Wiggle Bots  –  Tuesday, April 4: 10am & 2pm

      • Build your own Wiggle Bot during our next Family STEM Workshop, facilitated by one of our educators! We’ll use an electric motor to make our robot move, dance, race, color, or whatever else you imagine.
      • Members – $3; Non-Members – $6 plus admission
    • LED Creations  –  Wednesday, April 5: 10am

      • What can you create with a battery, copper tape, and an LED bulb? Come make flashlights, wands, fireflies, and more with us during our next Family STEM workshop, facilitated by one of our educators!
      • Members – $3; Non-Members – $6 plus admission
    • Coding with Ozobots  –  Thursday, April 6: 2pm

      • Explore ozobots, our tiny coding robots that read color as code, with one of our BFK educators during our next Family STEM Workshop!
      • Members – $3; Non-Members – $6 plus admission
  • Lake Country Family Fun reader Heather S. is here to share her tips:
  • For more local fun in the Appleton area, check out Go Valley Kids (it’s the Lake Country Family Fun version of the Fox Valley).
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How and Where are you Spending your Spring Break 2023?

Staycation not your thing for Spring Break?

Looking to jet out of Wisconsin and visit another area of the country while the kids are off of school? Our friends over at Jersey Family Fun have lots of ideas if you are headed to either the Jersey Shore or ready to explore the rest of the state. Find the best New Jersey family spring break destinations

If you are looking to stay more in the Midwest, try Kansas City, Kansas. Find free things to do and other spring break activities from our friends at iFamilyKC.com. Speaking of Midwest vacations and road trips, our friends at GRKids out of Grand Rapids, Michigan have the best tips and tricks for city breaks, nature escapes, and fun things to do throughout the Midwest.

Heading south? Try one of these spring break ideas from Plano Texas.

If so, be sure to get these Spring Break Ideas for Families in New Jersey, Spring Break Ideas Lake Country in Southwestern Wisconsin, Kansas City activities, and the Midwest Travel Destinations

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