While there are always scheduled school vacation events in your local community, sometimes the weather can thwart outdoor events. Or here in the Northeast, the standard winter break activities of ice skating or sledding are a no-go with our mild weather this season. Other considerations like budget, or even sick kids, can prevent you from taking even a local road trip to break up the daily boredom.

So here are four indoor, at-home, ideas to add some fun flair to any school vacation week.

1. Have an Indoor Campout. Lay out the blanket, sleeping bags and/or pitch a tent in the family room. Have hotdogs for dinner, and of course, no camp out is complete without smores. Hershey’s makes a great smores kit. Otherwise, use graham crackers, a chocolate bar (or even a chocolate spread like Nutella) and fluff. Turn out the lights, give everyone flashlights and take turns telling stories.

2. Have a Backwards Day. Let your kids wear their shirts backwards. Serve dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner. See what other backwards things they can come up with and try them out.

3. Create a Kid Oscar Party. Find old dresses in your closet or hit up a goodwill store for other garments and accessories. Set up a red carpet area with a video camera. Interview them and play it back on the TV or computer! Serve “Oscar” Mayer deli sandwiches. Then serve up some popcorn and pop in their favorite movie for a special screening.

4. Play Restaurant. Have them pick out the menu for dinner (or lunch). Go to the grocery store and let them find the ingredients. Back at home, give them crayons and paper to create the menus and receipts. Then have them pretend they are the head chef and cook the meal. Or have them be the waitstaff and serve Mom and Dad. (Remember to tip!)

What ideas do you have?