Spring break family fun: recipes and activities

This year, take the guesswork out of planning a fun spring break for the kids! Get inspired by our calendar, including a full menu and activities the whole family will love. Useful and essential, this guide is sure to shorten your to-do list, so you can spend more quality time with your loved ones.

Check out our ideas to make mealtime easier, such as our C’est prêt ! family meal boxes, easy slow-cooker recipes, and quick and economical recipes available in the TADA! section of the IGA app.

Monday: Winter walk

Big parks and wooded trails can provide hours of family fun. For a boost of energy before your hike, opt for a vitamin-packed breakfast, like our chocolate-blueberry smoothie. It’s easy and quick, and the kids will love to help make it. And to have some on hand, all week, make more and store in the freezer in an ice cube tray. Convenient!

For lunch, plan a waste-free winter picnic with a comforting chili. This practical dish can be made ahead of time. Simply place it in thermoses before hitting the road. Round it off with corn chips, to be used in lieu of utensils. Your junior hikers will sure love having a warm, hearty meal in the great outdoors!

When you get back, keep it simple for dinner with our C’est prêt ! meal boxes, available in family format. You can’t go wrong with three-cheese lasagna with spinach.

Tuesday: Snow much fun!

Spring break is the perfect time to introduce the kids to the joys of cooking. For breakfast, give them age-appropriate tasks, such as washing and cutting fruit (think bananas) or preparing basic pancake or waffle batter.

Once their little tummies are nice and full, get everyone outside to build a snow fort or snowman. You can even plan a contest with your neighbours—with social distancing measures in place, of course! Once your masterpiece is complete, make the fun last longer by sipping a hot chocolate outdoors.

For a quick and tasty lunch, turn yesterday’s leftover chili into chili dogs! The kids will love this new take on hotdogs topped with cheese and yogurt.

In the evening, add Trois fois par jour prepared meals to your table for a most refined dinner. The Swedish meatballs are sure to be a hit! Add some comfort to the dish with mashed potatoes and sunflower-pesto green beans.

Wednesday: Slippity slide!

Before jumping onto the ski slopes or skating rink, kick off the day with a hearty breakfast. Eggs offer many nutritional qualities and have their place on your morning dish. For a unique filling breakfast, try bacon and egg bread cups.

For a well-deserved lunch break, give your little athletes some crudités and prepared sandwiches (available in family format). Round off your lunch with no-bake protein snack bars and the brand new Laiterie Chagnon drinkable yogurts. A perfect combo to keep their energy up all day long!

After long hours spent outdoors, a warm, comforting meal is much appreciated. So how about a cheese fondue? Ready in no time, SOS Fondue products have all the necessary ingredients to enjoy the authentic taste of Swiss fondue. Keep the warmth going for dessert too, with a chocolate fondue! The kids will love dipping their favourite fruits . . . and so will you!

Thursday: Arts and craft

Let your kids unleash their creativity with a fun-filled day of arts and crafts. Before taking out the scissors, glue, and crayons, take the time to prepare a colourful breakfast—a work of art in and of itself—with a bowl of acai with fruits. Once the smoothie base is ready, let your little ones decorate their bowl with a selection of coconut shavings, kiwi or banana slices, raspberries, and sunflower seeds.

During arts and crafts, use the opportunity to teach your kids about recycling: use egg cartons, milk cartons, glass jars, and cans in your creations. These packages can easily be turned into crocodiles, pencil holders, bird feeders, and moneyboxes.

Also include the recycling theme in your lunch, using your leftover C’est prêt ! chicken in a delicious chicken noodle soup. Ready in just 15 minutes, this economical soup meal is good anytime, and it’s oh so comforting!

Lacking inspiration for dinner? Check out TADA! in the IGA app and choose one of our exclusive recipes! Some take only 15 minutes to make. You can’t go wrong with this option! And for a special spring break treat, try Ricardo’s new cake trays, available in three mouth-watering flavours: red velvet, carrot, and brownies.

Friday: Fri-yay!

The weekend is almost here. Celebrate with recipes and fun activities. Kick things off with a family-favourite breakfast: French toast. Add a little extra zing with our sunny French toast recipe, which includes orange zest and juice.

Next, recreate the festival or attraction park atmosphere at home with some yummy beaver tails. The entire family will love making this pastry almost as much as they’ll love eating it, in the flavour of their choice: maple butter, sugar-lemon, or chocolate spread topped with bananas.

A homemade version of a much-loved classic

Keep the party going at lunch time, with an empty-the-fridge submarine bar, where everyone is free to make their own favourite sandwich. Place a variety of different ingredients on your table—think julienned carrots, sliced pickles, pickled eggplants and hot peppers, cold cuts, hummus, pesto mayo, lettuce, cheese, and tomatoes—and put the kids to work making their own sandwiches.

End the festivities on a high note with a fabulous C’est prêt ! dinner for 4. For a truly extraordinary feast, try the yellow box, which comes with a generous helping of ribs and mac and cheese with bacon.