Have you noticed how quick school holidays seem to come around? If that thought isn’t scary enough, then there’s the panic of trying to organise some time off to spend some family time together.
Some, of course, will be organised enough to plan ahead. Maybe you’ve arranged a holiday interstate or perhaps to somewhere warm and exotic like Bali. Kudos to you.
For others, the panic is real. What are you going to do with kids to keep them occupied and out of your hair while they’re on holiday?
Fortunately, whether you’re working from home while the kids are off or you’re actually taking holidays, we’ve come up with some things for them to do with and without you inside and out.
The Inside Scoop
July holidays usually mean it’s cold and wet outside, but that’s okay because we’ve some great indoor activity ideas.
Movie marathons: Break out the popcorn and find some great kids movies on Foxtel, Netflix, Disney, Stan, Prime, or whatever streaming service you have. Or, if you’ve still got a great DVD collection, get the kids to choose their favourites.
Get crafty: Fill the kitchen table with all sorts of crafty bits and pieces and have a ‘making day’. Think scraps coloured paper, ice cream sticks, cotton wool, and lots of glue, plus anything else you can think of that the kids can use to let their imaginations run wild.
DIY projects: Get the kids to help with a DIY project you’ve been meaning to get to. An old cupboard, a coffee table, or reupholster that chair that’s been sitting in the shed for ages.
Sleep on it: Sleepovers are a great idea, and with some careful planning, you can leave them to it. Just make sure there are snacks, drinks, movies, games and plenty of blankets and pillows.
What’s cooking? Get the kids to cook you a meal, or it could be as simple as a cake or chocolate brownies. Give them the recipe and if you don’t have all the ingredients, why not plan a trip to the central market and let them buy it themselves?
Theme days: This is a fun one. Choose a theme and make everything about the day central to the theme. It could be ‘Pirate Day’ where everyone’s sentence starts with, “Arrr, Me Hearties”. Pirate clothes, pirate food (whatever that is!), Pirates of the Caribbean movies, or Peter Pan if they’re really little. You could even get them to make their own sword, peg leg, or hook. Or, how about Star Wars?
Game on: Same as the movie marathon but with arcade games like Mario Kart and Minecraft or even some of their favourite board games.
The Great Outdoors
Despite the cold, there are some great things you and the kids can do outdoors during the depths of winter. We’ve got a couple of crackers right here.
Outside the box: Get away from the house and into the outdoors and go camping in the bush or by the coast. If you can’t get away, why not pitch a tent in the backyard and still give the kids the whole camping experience.
Go parking: There are so many great parks around that have been renovated with some innovative, interactive play equipment that teaches as well as being great fun.
Free ride: On those non-rainy days, jump on your bikes and head out for a ride. Make your destination a park for a picnic lunch or stop by the local fish and chip shop. Alternatively, if the kids are into skateboarding there are plenty of cool skate parks around.
Walk on the wild side: Sometimes, the simple things can be the most rewarding. Put on their walking shoes and go for a long walk along the beach or find a linear park. Or head bush and find a walking trail with a waterfall at the end. Think Morialta Falls, Waterfall Gully, or even Belair National Park.
Culture vultures: Jump on the tram and head into North Terrace to visit the always fascinating South Australian Museum, Art Gallery of SA, and State Library of South Australia.
Catch of the day: Holidays are a great time to give the fishing gear a run. Beaches, rivers, reservoirs, lakes are all great places to try your luck. If you have a boat…even better.
Down and dirty: Kids love getting dirty and muddy, You’ve got the perfect opportunity to let them go wild by helping you dig over the garden in preparation for planting you spring veg.
Bee unusual: For something a little unique, check out the Bee Playground in Glengowrie. Bee-themed and educational, it will have youngsters buzzing with excitement!
Foreshore fun: Winter at its best is a great way to describe Winter Wonderland. Get your skates on and head to Moseley Square in Glenelg. While you’re there, check out the Glenelg Foreshore Playspace as well.
Much ado about the Zoo: What’s a holiday without a visit to the Zoo? Adelaide’s incredible Zoo and the Monarto Safari Park are simply world-class. Other places worthy of day out include Cleland Wildlife Park and Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary.
This is just a small selection of activities and events available during July. Check out the City of Holdfast’s Play at the Bay program for some more great local ideas. And for a more comprehensive list, GlamAdelaide and Weekend Notes are great sources of information.
The McGrath Real Estate Group team know all about the school holiday juggle struggle. In fact, we’re sure a few of us will be stealing some of these ideas and running with them as well.
Phone our office on 8350 4200, drop into 42 Brighton Road, Glenelg.