“I’m bored”, two words which echo around Australian homes each school holidays. They are often accompanied by a fear of running out of internet! It’s ok, we’ve been there and there’s no shame in having a holiday where the kids relax, but if you are looking for some other things, then read on…
Planning
Getting the kids involved and having them chose activities is a great way to avoid the grumps when you’ve taken them to the museum and they really wanted to go somewhere else.
Make a list, together, of all the things you’d like to do or see and then grab the calendar and pencil them in around the appointments which can’t be shifted.
Go new places
Most cities have lists of playgrounds or events online, check these out. One of the great things we’ve done is to go on a playground crawl on the other side of town. Pack some water, snacks, and pick up lunch and head out with Google Maps to explore new playgrounds outside of your suburb. If your kids aren’t into playgrounds, try geocaching or download Pokemon Go (watch your data use though) and use them to explore.
Schedule some down time
Make sure you put in some days where you chill out. Take some time to cook, read, build pillow/blanket forts, have a movie marathon. Spend time together catching up.
Catch up with friends
Having a friend over, going to their place, or catching up together is a great way to get the kids out of each other’s hair and giving them someone different to play and chat with. It’s also a great way for us parents to chat and catch up while the kids are occupied.
Book some down time
While the shorter holidays are generally ok, the Summer break can be a bit too long for some. This is where organising sleep overs or booking kids into classes, like our Holiday Sessions, come into their own. These things get kids out and doing something different and away from their regular caregiver, giving us a break and having us looking forward to seeing them again and hearing about the great time they had.
The biggest thing is to go with the flow, relax, and enjoy your time together. These days won’t be forever.
