Best Spring Break Ideas for Families in New Milford, CT

Family-Friendly Spring Break IDEAS

Near New Milford, CT

Spring break is the perfect time to take a break from routines and enjoy some quality time as a family. Whether you’re looking for outdoor adventures, hands-on activities, or quick day trips, there are plenty of fun things to do near New Milford, CT. Here are some of the best ways to make the most of your spring break!

1. Explore Harrybrooke Park

New Milford, CT
Harrybrooke Park is a local gem with scenic trails, a duck pond, and picnic areas. Kids will love running around, riding bikes and meeting the resident peacocks.

📸 Why You’ll Love It: A peaceful place to enjoy nature without traveling far.

2. Visit The Beardsley Zoo

Bridgeport, CT (About 1 hour away)
Check out one of the special programs or just say hello to all the residents of the zoo.

📸 Why You’ll Love It: A great day out for the whole family.

3. Hike at White Memorial Conservation Center

Litchfield, CT
Spring is a great time to explore the trails at White Memorial Conservation Center. Their boardwalk through the wetlands is perfect for spotting birds, turtles, and other wildlife. Make an ice-cream stop at Aretusa Farm in Bantham.

📸 Why You’ll Love It: Beautiful scenery, fresh air, and lots of photo-worthy moments.

4. Visit Lake Compounce or Quassy

Central CT
If you love theme parks and roller coasters then look no further than Quassy and Lake Compounce for a fun day out.

📸 Why You’ll Love It: Rides, games and lots of fun.

5. Explore the home of Yale University

New Haven, CT
New Haven is a fantastic family destination that offers something for kids of all ages. Whether you’re exploring a museum, hiking East Rock, or devouring world-famous pizza, it’s a day your family won’t forget!

📸 Why You’ll Love It: A little something for everyone!

6. Spend the Day on Bank St

New Milford, CT
Visit some of the shops and cafes on the New Milford green, check out the newly renovated library, get creative at the Village Center for the Arts, and catch a movie at the Bank Street Movie Theater – Tuesday is discount day!

📸 Why You’ll Love It: New Milford was one of the towns that was inspiration for Gilmore Girls.

7. Go Bowling & Arcade Gaming

New Milford or Danbury, CT
Spring weather can be unpredictable, so it’s always good to have indoor options! Head to places like New Milford Lanes Bowling in New Milford or Round 1 in Danbury for bowling, arcade games, and so much more.

📸 Why You’ll Love It: A great rainy-day activity that the whole family can enjoy.

8. Take a Day Trip to Mystic, CT

Mystic, CT (About 2 hours away)
For a fun family road trip, head to Mystic! Visit the Mystic Aquarium, where kids can see beluga whales and sea lions up close. Then, explore the historic Mystic Seaport Museum and grab a slice at the famous Mystic Pizza.

📸 Why You’ll Love It: A perfect mix of education, entertainment, and great food.

9. Take a Day Trip to Harkness Memorial State Park

Waterford, CT
For families who love to be by the water, you will love Harkness! The gardens and views are stunning, it is well worth a drive.

📸 Why You’ll Love It: The gardens, grounds, picnic area, and waterfront are open all year round, 365 days a year.

10. Have a Family Movie or Game Night

Right at Home!
If you’re looking for a cozy and budget-friendly way to spend spring break, plan a themed family movie night or game night at home. Make popcorn, set up a blanket fort, and enjoy classic movies or fun board games together.

📸 Why You’ll Love It: A simple but special way to enjoy family time without leaving the house. If he weather cooperates – make it a picnic in your own backyard.

This spring break, don’t just make plans—make memories. A custom portrait session turns a fun family outing into something unforgettable.

When you treat your portrait session as a family outing, everything shifts. Kids have more fun. Parents feel less pressure. The laughter is real, and the love shines through every image. At Planet Photo, we help you plan every detail—from outfit styling to location scouting—so your portrait session feels like a gift, not a chore. And when the session ends, your family’s already in the perfect mindset to enjoy the rest of the day.

CT Photographer New Milford

River Portraits

CT Photographer | New Milford, CT

I knew the minute I announced the river portraits date for the Planet Photo Tribe that there would be a rush to sign up! There really is nothing better than ending a hot summer portrait session in the water and I am always thrilled when a client wants to do that. We wanted a soft, floaty pink and green theme for our group and I was thrilled when one after another the girls arrived with these wonderful floaty river outfits, we added a couple of things from the Planet Photo Style closet and we were all set. Right at the last minute we added the flower crowns to a couple of images to tip us over the edge 😉

I hope that my clients can use these Tribe group shoots as inspiration for styling and location tips to help create their own individual portrait shoot or if you want to create a group shoot with a small group of your best friends then we can do that too. I look forward to planning every session and I strive to make each one just a little different from the last! I love to incorporate your ideas, your favorite places and to highlight YOU! We are lucky to live in such a scenic part of the country so it is a treat to incorporate some of Connecticut’s natural beauty in each shoot.

Thanks to Kinsley, Olivia, Taylor, Bella, Isabelle and Sam for bringing your “A-game” to our river shoot!

Planet Photo is a portrait photography studio based in New Milford, CT. Senior and Teen Portraits, Personal Branding and Fine Art Family or Individual Portraits are available in the studio or on location.

Serving New Milford, Brookfield, Newtown, Danbury, Ridgefield, North Salem, Redding, Wilton, Westport, New Canaan, Greenwich, Orange, Milford, New Haven County, Westchester County, Duchess County and available for location shoots around the world – I love to travel!

Litchfield County litchfield ct photographer new New Milford Photographer senior photographer Senior Photographer CT seniors seniors and teens

Photo Shoot Kent Falls CT

Game of Thrones

Planet Photo Tribe

Photo Shoot Kent Falls CT

I have to admit I haven’t watched Game of Thrones!

I am in love with the styling though and absolutely crazy about the costumes and locations – we actually visited Iceland last year and heard over and over how parts of GOT was filmed there, but I felt like I was just too late to the party. Eight seasons to catch up? That is a lot of catching up!!!

My lack of personal watching history did not stop us for recreating a Game of Thrones theme for our Planet Photo Tribe group shoot. We had the perfect location (OK, I admit that I would have liked to fly to Iceland with the team but that was not quite in the budget….but we had the next best thing – Kent Falls State Park in Connecticut).

The falls usually freeze during the winter but you know what a crazy winter we had this year (do you remember our whiteout shoot with no snow?), so it was actually pretty warm on the day of our shoot. Can you even imagine how nervous I was on the drive up there? I was literally holding my breath when we turned into the parking lot. Thankfully, it was snowy, frozen and perfectly Game of Thrones-esque.

We were so excited to have Sue Snow from Deja Vudu Vintage as our stylist for this shoot. She has an eye for detail and a seemingly endless supply of amazing vintage clothes and accessories so she took our shoot to the next level.

It might have been unseasonably warm but it was still a little chilly standing on the ice waterfall so thank you to our models: Zoe, Sam, Cassie, Madi, Olivia and Julia.

I guess I can’t resist the hype any longer. Game of Thrones is the next thing on my binge watch list.

ct beautiful CT Family Photographer CT photographer CT Seniors ct teens Litchfield County new milford new milford ct planet photo tribe senior photographer Senior Photographer CT seniors teens

Fitness Portraits Michelle Phys Ed New Milford

Fitness Portraits

Michelle

Personal Trainer at Phys Ed New Milford

Michelle competed in her first body building competition in 2000 but she recently told me that she feels like she is in better shape now than at any other point in her life, so a perfect time to take some fitness portraits!

I invited Michelle to write a post for the blog so here in her words.

What fitness and good health mean to me.

Our bodies are meant to move…that’s what we’re designed to do. Good health and fitness does not require endless hours of exercise or severe dietary restrictions, but it does require finding some form of movement that you can enjoy enough to do consistently and it does require being fueled with whole, nutritient dense foods. Many individuals get sucked into the lifestyle of instant gratification: We want it now. We enjoy those things that give us that quick moment of pleasure and we avoid those things that bring us a little discomfort.

What we should really be aiming for is an entire lifetime of feeling good. We need to find balance between what we want in the moment and what will help us live a fuller, healthier long life.

In order to be well rounded, we also need to include finding some way to improve our mental health. This could be as simple as taking 5 minutes a day to just sit and breathe deeply and think about what we’re grateful for that day. Taking a few minutes to “just be” can have a huge impact on our day.

I work with many older individuals and the ones who are feeling well and healthy as they age are the ones who have learned to balance out movement, nutrition and mental well-being. In the long run, we need to learn to take care of ourselves so we have more to give to others.

I love my job…helping others find nutrition and exercise that work for them so they can truly live their best healthy life!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts Michelle. You are an inspiration to so many of your friends and clients.

CT photographer fitness inspiration Litchfield County new milford ct

Photography CT Hamden Hall Skilyn

Photography Hamden Hall CT

Skylin – Class of 2019

The Undiscovered Model Competition Finalist!

The minute I met Sky I knew we were going to have an incredible shoot! She was the sweetest, outgoing girl you could possibly meet with a cute little sister and a really fun mom. When I asked her about her high school experience and interests I was excited to figure out how we could incorporate her love of dance. She wanted a mix of urban and natural beauty so we actually met in Derby, CT. Now Derby doesn’t necessarily spring to mind when you think of a backdrop for a photoshoot…. but it actually was perfect for what we were looking for! Grace and beauty in an urban setting.

All Planet Photo Feature Seniors are invited to submit to The Undiscovered Model Competition and we are thrilled that Sky has made it to the Finalist stage! We find out on Friday if she will be one of the few winners chosen to go to Austin Texas in January for the ultimate destination model experience. You can see all the finalists on The Undiscovered In Print so you can see she is in good company, you might even see another Planet Photo Model – Maddie! Of course I am so proud of them both. All good vibes and luck accepted for both of them!!!

If you are class of 2020 or 2021 then you need to be part of Planet Photo’s model experience! Senior and Teen photography that shows just how unique you are. Drop me a line with Future Planet Photo Model Tribe Member in the subject line and I will make sure you are invited to the informational meetings in the spring.

Now booking Class of 2019 senior sessions!

ct beautiful CT Seniors ct teens family photography Litchfield County new milford ct senior photographer Senior Photographer CT seniors teens

Connecticut Photographer 2018 Summer Intern Nathalie

Connecticut Photographer

Meet Nathalie

Planet Photo Summer Intern

I was setting up the studio for the marathon Planet Photo Tribe intro shoot when Nathalie stopped by the studio for the first time. She had a resume in hand and told me a bit about herself…. she grew up near by, she had always been into photography, she was at college studying graphic design and photography. Would I be open to having a summer intern?

To be perfectly honest I was so distracted by the intro shoot that I put the resume on the desk and kind of forgot about it. But guess what? She followed up! A couple of days later she reached out again! So here is the “Lesson of the Day” for all those people out there looking for a job, trying to find more clients or generally just trying to get stuff done. When you follow up you are not bugging the person you are gently reminding them. Life happens. People forget or get distracted. I did and I am so glad Nathalie followed up!

She has been a huge help on shoots and behind the scenes and she also started the new @PlanetPhotoStyle instagram account. If you are not following it then you need to be! Most photographers will tell you that they prefer to be behind the camera but it is really helpful to experience both so we arranged a shoot for Nathalie. Our goal was to head to the fields and do a wildflower shoot but while I was waiting for Nathalie and Taylor to arrive I got distracted by some amazing graffiti shots and we decided we needed to add a bit of that too. She did great! So here she is… meet Nathalie!

CT family CT Family Photographer CT photographer CT Seniors ct teens family photography Litchfield County natural senior photographer Senior Photographer CT seniors teens

Teen Photography 2018 Sherman CT

Teen Photography 2018

Taylor

Litchfield County CT

I have been longing to do a Free People inspired shoot for a while and when I came across this Free People dress I knew the time was right! A huge thank you to Taylor for going along with the vision and modeling for Nathalie and I on a humid sticky night in Sherman CT. You see I wanted to put Nathalie on the other side of the camera for a few shots, so we came up with the idea of having Taylor come with us so that Nathalie could shoot a bit too. Confused? Don’t worry the images kind of speak for themselves….

We set out with an overly optimistic plan of driving to Danbury to shoot some downtown graffiti shots first but we very quickly realized we were not going to have time to get back up to Sherman for sunset meadow shots. A quick compromise found us trekking under the bridge at Lover’s Leap for some local graffiti. Nathalie took these amazing ones of Taylor and I got a few of Nathalie but you’ll have to wait for the next blog post to see those!

We used a beauty dish to create some drama and shadows. We knew we were going all soft and dreamy for our next stop so it was great to have a little contrast here! On to full-on Free People dreamy natural light. The sun was setting fast so conditions were different for almost every shot!

CT Family Photographer CT photographer ct teens Litchfield County new milford new milford ct planet photo tribe senior photographer Senior Photographer CT teens

Pool Party Photography 2K19 Tribe Friends

Pool Party Photography

2K19 Planet Photo Tribe

When Friends first hit the TV screen it was revolutionary. A show about a group of 20 something friends, hanging out, dating, working and living in a cool apartment in New York City. We all wondered how they could afford such an amazing apartment? Where did they buy their clothes? Should you get a Rachel or Monica haircut? Should Monica date Ross? Everyone kind of wanted to live the Friends lifestyle and be one of their friends.

The 90’s TV line up soon filled up with similar shows; Melrose Place, Beverley Hills 90210, Dawson’s Creek, Baywatch, Saved by the Bell. They all centered on the interaction of friends and they all featured a boat load of DRAMA! We used the 90’s TV show as a springboard for our latest Planet Photo Tribe shoot and planned a pool party (minus the DRAMA!)

Special thanks to Maddy M, Madi L, Madi S, Zoe and Julia for hanging out at our Planet Photo Tribe Pool Party!

CT photographer CT Seniors ct teens friends Litchfield County new milford new milford ct planet photo tribe Senior Photographer CT seniors

Photography CT Teen photo shoot Washington Depot

Photography CT Teen photo shoot

Maggie

Washington Depot

Maggie arrived at the studio with a backpack of clothes and a couple of things on hangers that she wasn’t sure she even wanted to wear. She had an idea of a couple of things I had in the studio closet to round out her outfits though so she was soon ready to rock her individual Teen Portrait session. She wanted a combination of natural locations so we headed out towards Washington Depot in Litchfield County. I had heard about a graffiti wall that I thought we might be able to use as a backdrop for some of our images. A little off camera flash, an outfit change and a dose of attitude and we got the images I was hoping for 🙂 I am always searching for fun and new locations to shoot, so if you can recommend a location then I want to hear from you!

Maggie was part of the 2K18 Planet Photo Tribe and it was fabulous working with her over the last year. She is going to be busy on the lacrosse field this year so I will still get to see her at games. Thanks for being part of the team Maggie!

CT family CT Family Photographer CT Seniors ct teens Litchfield County new milford new milford ct teens

Girl Power Tribe Group Shoot New Milford CT

Ocean’s 8 inspired Girl Power

Tribe Group Shoot

New Milford CT

The latest Ocean’s 8 movie builds on the premise that girls can do it themselves. The film follows a group of women, led by Debbie Ocean, the sister of Danny Ocean, who plan a highly sophisticated heist of the annual Met Gala in New York City. Each character brings their individual sense of style, talents and skills needed to pull off the heist. Powerful women who can conquer the world? Now that’s a theme worth exploring!

This was the first group shoot for the 2k19 Planet Photo Tribe. A huge shout out goes to Rebecca Christine’s Consignment Boutique in Marbledale, CT for help with styling our shoot. They have an amazing selection of new and gently worn clothes for exceptional prices and they were so fun to work with!