School holidays are fast approaching, and parents and grandparents around the country are looking forward to these with both relief and trepidation. With many parents now working from home or grandparents helping out by looking after the kids, the question is how do you spend your holidays at home?
On the one hand, there’s a welcome break from the regular schedule of making lunches and getting the kids to school. But, on the other hand, there’s the question of how to keep the kids entertained while you’re trying to work or take care of life.
Here are some top tips on what to do during the holidays at home while maintaining your sanity.
During the holiday period, many local councils and libraries will have free events on offer that will help to keep the kids entertained. Check on your council’s website or the notice board of your local library and mark the dates of these events on your calendar.
The days when neighbourhood kids all played together at the end of the street are long gone. But, if you know some of the parents of your children’s school friends, consider organising a few play dates.
These could be at home or at the local park. While the kids are busy playing, you can sit back and enjoy a cuppa and a friendly chat with the other parents. Or, you can drop the kids off and have a precious few hours to yourself. Remember to return the favour, though.
Kids are never too young to learn how to cook and help out in the kitchen. With your supervision, of course. You can bake some delicious treats together or encourage older kids to prepare the evening meal for the family.
As parents and grandparents, we dread hearing “I’m bored”. But, being bored can actually be good for your kids. It can spark some creativity and teach your kids how to entertain themselves.
Consider the fact that if they’re not learning how to entertain themselves from a young age, how will they survive adulthood? So, don’t feel guilty about telling your kids to go and play while you get on with whatever you’re doing. You might have to teach them a few games or creative skills, to begin with, but after you do, leave them to it.
Learning something new is great for young and older brains alike. Work out what types of craft activities your kids enjoy and then plan a project that can be completed over several days or weeks. Plan ahead and gather all the necessary materials so that everything is on hand when it’s time to work on the project.
Take some time out of your regular schedule to spend some time outdoors with the kids. Have a picnic at the park or take them to the beach or the river for a swim. For older kids, organise a bushwalk or a bike ride along some country tracks.
Not only does this give the kids something to do, but it also helps them to blow off some steam and exercise at the same time.
Often, during the school holidays, stores like Bunnings will have free craft sessions for kids. This allows you to sit back and have a cuppa at the cafe and even pick up some new plants for the garden.
When you look at all the options, there are plenty of things to do over the holidays that will keep the kids happy and make this time memorable and enjoyable for everyone involved.