The NCCA’s March Madness Tournament has been a part of every spring as far back as I can remember. I went to a small private high school, and our principal would call off classes and let us gather in the chemistry lab to watch Creighton’s first round tournament game if it landed on a school day. I can remember helping my dad track brackets for the office pool he used to run.
There’s just something so satisfying about taking a red pen to someone else’s work!
March Madness has held a special place in my heart especially since 2014. I gave birth to and lost our son, Bennett, the week of the tournament that year. It was such a blessing to have nearly unlimited access to basketball to serve as a distraction during the hardest days of my life.
March Madness is quickly becoming one of my boys’ favorite times of year, too!
Last year, Turner hosted his first ever basketball party complete with snacks and commercial entertainment. Even if your kiddos aren’t into sports, you can still incorporate some madness and fun into your March.
Busted Brackets
The first step to embracing all that is mad about March is to have everyone fill out a bracket. You can easily find brackets online to print off. Make sure that when you’re filling in your brackets, you have vital information readily available to help your kiddos make their selections. Things such as school colors and mascot names can make or break bracket selections!
I always add up the points after each round and the “winner” gets bragging rights and their choice of dinner one night during the week that the tournament wraps up!
Family Time
The opening rounds of the tournament are a magical four day period where there is nonstop basketball from about 11:00am-10:00pm. For our homeschool, that first Friday will be a holiday and we’ll gather around the TV to keep tabs on the various games going on. It’s important to have snacks handy! Last year, when Turner hosted his party for his grandparents, aunts, and uncles; he selected a wide array of veggies, pizza rolls, Oreos, and other finger foods so those will be our traditional snacks going forward!
I know that sports aren’t for everyone, but I feel like March Madness is the one time of year where anyone can pick up a bracket and get caught up in the fun of the tournament. The opening rounds are usually full of buzzer beaters and upsets and it’s really an example of sports at it’s finest!
March madness is fun for even semi basketball fans. It makes March fly by!