Spring break is fast approaching. Where did the annual tradition come from?
As the days get longer and warmer, it's also a reminder for parents to get ready: Their kids are about to be home for a week straight.
Mondays aren't such a drag when you trade a classroom for ramped-up recess. The Mall of America was busy with families trying to find a fun way for their kids to burn off some energy, many of them heading to Nickelodeon Universe.
"It's tough if you have no plans just to stay home and be cooped up in the house," parent Anthony Kelly said.
Both students and parents WCCO talked with highlighted the much-needed brain break that comes with the extended time off.
The origin of spring break differs across the world, but many countries initially aligned a short school break with the Easter holiday, landing somewhere in March and April.
College students partying at a beach down in the southern United States is a tradition going back nearly a century.
In 1929, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, opened the state's first Olympic-sized pool outdoors. It attracted college swim teams in the 1930s that were looking for a place to train over spring break.
Soon, word got out about the hotspot, and it wasn't just young swimmers eager to enjoy the Florida sun and fun. Ft. Lauderdale became a destination for young revelers, even idolized in the 1960 film "Where the Boys Are."
Nowadays, airports are packed with families looking to shake off the winter blues, which sometimes overstays its welcome in Minnesota.
"You've just been through January, February so, you really are craving some warm weather," one parent said.
Minnesota's largest district, Anoka Hennepin Schools, is currently on spring break. Minneapolis and St. Paul students have to wait until end of the month.
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