Kids like action on their spring break vacations. That is what I learned from Mandy Reutzel's fourth grade class at Bailey Elementary School.

I recently spoke to the class about journalism and I broke down the process of writing a story into steps that are like puzzle pieces. Complete the steps one at a time and the pieces come together to form a whole picture and complete the story. I asked the 23 students to help write my next article for Dublin Life, following the steps of the writing process.

Step one is the story line, step two is to find an angle, and steps three and four are the research and interviews. The story line was spring break and the angle was to get the children’s viewpoint. So I asked the kids if I could interview them about their favorite spring break experiences and their 2010 vacation plans.

Nick Turner said his favorite trip was to the islands of Turks and Caicos, where he saw whales migrating while he was snorkeling. He said he wasn’t afraid of the whales, stingrays or barracudas he saw.

“Basically, I’m not afraid of anything, and I want to try scuba diving next,” Turner said.

Collin McCaffrey said he and his family usually go to Pittsburgh on spring break to visit other family members. I asked him if riding the trolley car was his favorite part of visiting the city.

“No,” he said. “Winning an eat-off with my cousins is the best. Last time I ate six Stromboli!”

Apparently, a perfectly planned trip does not always equal a perfect vacation. My daughter, Catie D’Angelo, said, “We usually go skiing at Holiday Valley, but last time I skied into a pole and got stuck in a ditch.”

Halle Goodson, Erin Cotter and Erin Sundheimer loved their trips to Hilton Head and enjoyed boogie boarding and biking, but recall other experiences in detail. “I remember when my sister got stung by a jellyfish and spent the rest of the trip out of the water, looking for seashells in the sand,” Cotter said.

“I remember when a bird pooped on my sister’s head and she spent the rest of her vacation taking 100 showers and going shopping,” Sundheimer added.
Matt Marxen described his family fishing trips and Aidan Bellman shared stories of North Carolina and floating in his life jacket down a long river with rapids. Marxen also loved floating on his back down a river in Montana, which he dubbed “back-surfing.”

So, what did the Bailey fourth graders say they’re doing this year during spring break?

Lilly Edwards said her family is renting a house in Arizona and riding horses down the Grand Canyon. Sydney Mathias’ family is going to Fort Myers, Fla., where the guys will go fishing and the girls will go to a spa. Alexandra Orzo said she is also going to Fort Myers to swim with the dolphins. Erin Cotter is moving to Switzerland, and everyone in her family will pick a European city to visit during their two-year stay. Barcelona is the first city they will visit over break.

Some of the class didn’t know if they would be traveling, but had fun ideas if they have to stay close to home. Movie night and game night were popular choices. Blake Goodson suggested playing Scene It, while Sam Hackett said he rules at Wii Tennis. Sophie Magan likes the quick version of Monopoly.“We just shuffle the property cards and hand them out,” she says.

Delaney Abbruzzese likes to play Apples to Apples. “I always lose to my dad, though,” she admits.

Whether you travel far or stay close to home, the funny things that happen when spending time together is what your kids will remember forever. You can help the memories stick by taking plenty of photos or video, or by recording their comments in a journal.

One entry that might make such a list came from Sam Hackett. Hackett’s favorite spring break trip was to the islands of Turks and Caicos. There was a pool outside of their condominium and a kid’s bar that sold milkshakes. His favorite activity was banana boating, riding on a raft pulled by a speedboat.

This year, Hackett says his family won’t go anywhere fun. But wouldn’t it still be fun for him to sit around in his sweats and watch cartoons?

“No, it will be pooey,” he answered, then added, “and you can quote me!”

Colleen D’Angelo is a contributing writer for Dublin Life.