China Gives Kids a Break to Nudge Parents Into Spending More (1)

Until this year, only a handful of cities in China allowed schools to go on a break each fall. But in recent months, at least 27 others have joined the list, with more possibly on the way.

From the eastern Zhejiang province to Sichuan in the southwest, officials are carving out days off in the hope that families use the chance to splurge on travel — or at least dispatch their children on school-organized trips.

By freeing up time away from classes, authorities are pulling on a new lever in their quest to get households to spend more, and ...