Summer School Holidays Sorted!
Is it school holidays for your family?
Here’s how to plan a holiday you’ll all enjoy and remember!
This week I’ve been thinking about the upcoming school holidays (in Australia, we get about 6 weeks of summer holidays). That’s a lot of potential for some memory-making fun!
If we plan ahead, we can fit in some big trips, some smaller day activities, and even have a plan for those times when you are SO OVER the holidays and need a break. The thing is, in a family full of kids and working adults, we’re all going to want and need different things at different times! Time to get thinking:
1. plan your Big Trips
If you have some time off work, think about slipping in a getaway or a trip somewhere fun. This could be a camping trip or even just a stay at a hotel somewhere by the beach. Maybe you could fit in an overnight in the bush, near a waterfall hike. We love to go stay at the caravan park about half an hour from our place, just because it’s a break from being home and they have waterslides! Usually you need to book for these sorts of trips, so plan it now!
If the places you want to go are booked out, try thinking outside of the box. Could you go inland instead of to the coast? Or do you have friends in another town/city you could visit?
Big trips can be anything from a weekend up to a few months away from home. Decide what will work for your family, and plan these into the calendar first!
2. Day trips close to home
Start with a map and have a look what sort of places are within driving distance of your house. Any national parks you could visit? Good picnic areas? Any fun places to explore? Need a day at the beach? Or just want to visit another town with a decent playground?
Read here for some ideas of mini-adventures to do at home (scroll down towards the end of the article).
Plan ahead so you have the energy and can be ready to get up early and go. We find packing the evening before makes a HUGE difference to the day.
Again, try to plan these into the calendar, especially if you need to fit day trips around working schedules. Space them out so you have something to look forward to.
Remember to include your kids in the planning, especially older kids and teens. They might want to bring a friend along or go somewhere their friends have told them about.
3. When you need a break of the kids these school holidays
We all get to that point where the days start to drag on and everyone is “sooooo bored”. We’re going to plan some activities specifically for these moments. Don’t use up these low-energy activities when you’re feeling exciting for the holidays. Save them for you’re counting down the days till school returns!
Plan to see some friends, especially towards the end of the holidays when the kids are getting bored of being home.
Go places the kids can play with other kids and give you a break! We save places like indoor play centres for these days, when I don’t want to be involved.
Have some sort of outdoor play fun saved for these days – usually for us this means water guns, or slime, or painting, or that sort of thing. Stuff that is irresistible to the kids so you can sit back and stay out of it.
Another great idea, if it’s available, is to book in special holiday ‘programs’. These can be a great adventure for kids, and it’s good to remember you don’t have to do it all. Look for age-appropriate book-in programs, like day camps, sports camps, excursions, and special days at local art galleries, libraries and museums. Take advantage of what’s on offer, and try to book them in when you know you’ll need a break.
Book in something with your friends for an evening or weekend when you can get someone to watch the kids. Do a kid swap with your friends if you don’t have family or a babysitter to look after you kids. Sometimes a little break can give us more energy, enthusiasm and excitement the next time we see our family again.
Plan a holiday fun list…(see below)
4. school Holiday Fun List
Another strategy is to sit down and make a big list of fun things to do in the holidays. This can be done with the kids, so everyone gets to offer their ideas. That includes us parents, too! We do this early in the holidays, sometimes in the car on a road trip or even just over dinner. Get everyone to think of three things they’d LOVE to do over the break. Here are some of ours:
Go fishing
Have ice cream
Have a BBQ dinner with some friends by the creek
Have a water fight
Go to the movies
Games night
Learn to surf
High ropes course
Have a dinner picnic
Have a backyard firepit and sparklers
Have a sleepover
Go to the botanic gardens
Go on a family hike to a waterfall
Go snorkelling
Pizza night
Visit the aquarium
Go to the library
Complete a puzzle together
Go rollerskating
When you need to think of something to do you can just pick something from the list. It’s also good to plan some of these activities into the holiday so you make sure you do them. Book in things with the kids’ friends if you know they’ll be busy over the break.
5. Not Planning anything
Of course, we all know one of the best things about the school holidays is not having to do anything at all. Letting the kids muck around at home, pull out those board games and puzzles, and play in the backyard for hours is one of the best things about endless holidays. We usually do one or two big housework style jobs, and the kids love being involved. I even look back in fondness on some aspects of the covid lockdowns and the creative ways we filled in the time together at home.
This is just a reminder and permission (if you need it) that it’s okay not to plan big trips or expensive outings. Think about what you loved doing as a kid. What are some of your favourite outdoor memories? Chances are it’s something cheap and social – with other kids, on a bike, near a creek, in the street, or just climbing trees. Maybe it’s being in the garden with your dad, or going for a hike with your cousins. Maybe it’s playing those video games before ‘screen time’ was a thing to worry about. Of course we remember those special outings, but the fact is we can help our kids to have amazing childhoods by simply letting them have time to be kids. Overplanning and overscheduling can tire everyone out, when sometimes we really just need to simply hang out together with nothing on. Don’t overthink it, and don’t let anyone else’s social media feeds make you feel guilty.
No matter what you like to do in the holidays, I hope you have an amazing time and make a few special memories with your family and friends.
Your Turn
Tell me one of your big, little or home activities you’d love to do with your kids these holidays!
