School holidays can be a wonderful chance for the family to spend more time together. However, it can also present a continuous challenge to feed, entertain, and keep your children active.
Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to fill the two-week or six-week breaks without necessarily planning an expensive outing every day. In fact, all it really takes is a bit of lateral thinking, creativity and good organisation.
Here’s how you can survive the school holidays without you or the kids completely losing your minds.
Why Can the School Holidays Feel So Overwhelming?
During the school term, much of the family week follows a familiar pattern. More often than not, this is centred on school- and after-school-related activities, your work, family commitments, and household maintenance. However, that tends to get thrown into disarray when the holidays arrive.
When schools are not in session, parents may face greater demands to manage their employment and caregiving responsibilities. All while keeping their children from saying “I’m bored!” every hour or so.
This can often manifest as extra meals needing to be made, as well as transportation, entertainment or activity costs to consider. Even a simple trip can involve packing snacks, finding parking and a constant battle to get the kids ready to leave.
Then, of course, some families want to organise time away together, for instance, to places like Jarvis Bay, Byron Bay, or the Gold Coast. It can be a lot to organise, especially when the school holidays are the high season. That is why some parents may research these types of fast cash loan options with easy process for sign-ups to make them less of a financial hit.
How Can You Plan the Holidays Without Scheduling Every Minute?
Quite rightly, you might not want your kids to spend the entire holidays on their devices or watching TV. That’s why it’s worth formulating a rough plan for what you would like them to do.
A good place to start is with a loose weekly outline that assigns each day a broad purpose, such as an outing day, downtime at home, a friend day or a time to do practical jobs.
Your kids are more likely to get on board with this if you ask them to choose one or two activities they would genuinely like to do. You could even turn it into a bit of a game by writing 10 ideas down on separate pieces of paper, putting them in a bowl, and then asking them to pick two or three of them out at random. If you put them on a chart on the fridge, it will be easy for them to see and remain excited about.
That said, you don’t want to fill every day up completely. It is always worth leaving one or two empty spaces in the schedule for spontaneous offers or ideas that might be forthcoming.
What Are the Free and Low-Cost Activities in Sydney?
The great thing about living in Sydney is that it has many places where families can spend a few hours without paying a large entry fee.
One of the most popular is Sydney Park, where you can take them for a bike ride, have a picnic, enjoy a walk, or let them run around to their heart’s content in the playground. Elsewhere, the Bay Run is another excellent option for families who want to walk, scoot or cycle. (Although those with younger children may prefer completing only a short section.) Bicentennial Park at Glebe offers another terrific alternative, with ample open space and splendid views of Rozelle Bay.
Sydney is also home to plenty of local libraries that often run school holiday sessions, craft activities or reading programs. They tend to be very popular, though, so it is vital to book early where appropriate, as places can fill up quickly. Check your relevant council’s website to see what is available.
Another thing you can do is set your children a low-cost challenge, such as a neighbourhood photo hunt. Give them a list of things to find, such as a mural, a red front door, a native bird and an unusual letterbox, which they can capture on their phones. A visit to the local indoor pool, beach, museum or shopping centre can also provide good entertainment.
What Can You Do at Home When Everyone Is Bored?
Even if you do go out every day, you’ll still end up spending a decent chunk of time at home. Often, this is when the boredom cries really kick in.
One clever way to counter them is to challenge your kids’ inner MasterChef. Set up a cooking challenge for them using ingredients already in the cupboard. For instance, children could decorate biscuits, assemble wraps or make their own mini pizzas. Outside of the kitchen, encourage them to build a cubby from sheets, create a comic, plant herbs or make an obstacle course.
Board games, puzzles and card games are always fun to play. So, it’s worth having something like Scrabble, Monopoly, or The Game of Life on hand. Kids also love art, which is why letting them loose with paints, glue, and other supplies can keep them engaged for hours.
What Does a Successful School Holiday Actually Look Like?
Something to be mindful of is that a successful school holiday break is not measured by the number of outings you go on, craft projects your kids do or how many family photos you post on your socials. Instead, children often remember the ordinary moments most fondly, such as eating lunch at the park, staying in their pyjamas late or laughing about something funny.
Generally speaking, it is better to choose a few activities that suit your children, your budget, and your capacity to do each one. Rather than trying to fill each minute and put your children on the back foot by leaving them tired and over-stimulated before they go back to school.