It can be stressful coming into the school holidays when you know you are going to have to entertain the kids so much more than usual and there is nothing worse than having kids running around the house going stir crazy and complaining every 5 minutes that they are bored!!
So to help with that, we have put together this blog post which lists 8 super fun activities that we know will keep the kids entertained for hours while also providing amazing time for you to get to spend intentional time with them or just relax for a few minutes.
If you have any other ideas of fun activities we haven’t thought of, then send us a direct message on our social media pages so that we can update this list for other parents.
So let’s dive into our list of super fun activities for the school holidays that are free and best of all UNIQUE!
- Create an indoor/outdoor obstacle course. Grab all the pillows and quilts, move the couches, create paths using toilet rolls as cones to run around, use chalk on the driveway and build an obstacle course they can run around in. Then it’s your choice as to if you get in with the competitive spirit and try to beat them through it, or if you sit back with a stopwatch and a coffee while they go crazy running through it.
- Invite some of the kid’s friends over for a board game day! Get them to bring their favourite board games too so that you have heaps of options to choose from. The kids can break up into small groups and play the board games while the adults relax in the kitchen with a platter or do a few day swaps with some of the other local families where you take turns having the kids so the other parents get a break.
- Have a bubble picnic at the local park! Pack up some sandwiches and the picnic rug and take some bubbles with you for the kids to have fun running around making bubbles while you get to spend time playing with them and also relaxing in the sun.
- Now that Winter is over and the weather is warming up, it is a great time to dust off the old sports equipment you have laying around the house for some backyard cricket, use some old boxes as goals for soccer, or get out the frisbee. You can lets the kids make up their own games to let their imagination run wild with the equipment you have.
- Hold a treasure hunt! Yes this activity does require more work from you initially to come up with the treasure hunt and to hide the items, but once you have done that, you can sit back and relax with a hot or cold drink in the middle of your house or backyard while the kids run around excitedly trying to find all the items from the hunt.
- Let’s go bowling!! Well not at the ally, but right here in your hallway. Collect 12 empty plastic bottles from around the house (or even ask the grandparents or neighbours if they have any to spare) and write numbers on each bottle to make the pins. Then get a ball and your kids will have endless fun bowling the bottles over, resetting them back up and going again!
- If you’ve got some old boxes from your recent online shopping laying around, then you can make some box cars! Kids will have endless fun drawing on their boxes and making their cars. Use paper plates as the wheels and pipe cleaners to make the speedo on the dash.
- Family Project. This one is great for getting the whole family together and teaching your kids about the importance of taking care of their spaces but also in a super fun way. Choose an area of the yard to clean up or do a room make over or even the playroom. You could go to an op shop to choose new items for the space or even just pulling everything out of the room, wiping down the walls, giving it a good clean will make you feel better about the space and it will make the kids re-excited about spending time in that space again.
- Check out the school holiday events that your local library is putting on. It can be a great way to get out of the house, especially when you have exhausted all the local parks, and is a cosy way to spend an afternoon with the kids.
As you can see, there are so many fun and unique things you can do with the kids this school holidays.
A great idea we have is to create a calendar of the school holidays on a piece of paper that the kids help you decorate and plan out the days for the holidays. Plan days of relaxing at home after the busy term but also fun activities for them to look forward to. Hang this calendar someone where the kids can all see it as it will help them to get excited and enjoy their school holidays more.
Don’t forget to send us your other activity ideas for the school holidays so we can keep adding to this list for other families.
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