Once again the school holidays have crept up on us! The much-needed break is a perfect opportunity for parents to enjoy some quality time with the kids. Children fully benefit from the time off from the usual pre-school or school routine, but sometimes school holidays can end up being a juggling act for their parents. Balancing caring for children with work is a hard and sometimes expensive task. Unless you have plans holidaying away from home, then you will face the looming predicament of entertaining your kids, managing to get work around the house done while at the same time making sure that siblings don’t get on each other’s nerves. However, get it right and this holiday, and every other holiday will be a lovely time for you and the kids. Here are some tips on how to survive and enjoy school holidays!
- Plan ahead
It pays to plan ahead especially when it comes to school holidays. If you are going away for a family vacation make life easy by giving yourself enough time beforehand and after the holiday for packing, unpacking, and washing. It’s a good idea to space out the planned trips and holiday activities. You don’t want to do the exciting stuff all at once and end up with tired and bored little ones for the remaining period. Spacing out fun activities will also be easy on your pocket especially if you have a limited budget.
- Stock up on craft equipment and activities.
Planned indoor activities will be a great way to keep children entertained throughout the school holidays especially if you have to work or for the rainy days. Keep the kids focused and busy with puzzles, board games, and craft boxes. Be on the lookout for craft kits sales. Get more easy DIY craft activities ideas from the internet or the local library. Kids are also resourceful – encourage their creativity by encouraging them to use their imagination to come up with their own games.
- Involve your friends and family
Family and friends are always a huge support. A trip to the grandparents, cousins or relatives place for a few days can be nice for the children. Your friends will also be looking to entertain their kids during the school holidays and it could be mutually beneficial. Plan activities together for ready entertainment for the kids and much-needed adult conversation for you. The children will be more than happy to play together while you enjoy a nice chat. You can also consider child share for a few days with your family members and reciprocate by also taking care of their kids.
- Make use of community resources
Make great use of free community resources in your locale. Keep an eye out on kid-friendly events advertised on local community centres, churches or library websites, and noticeboards. Take kids with you to the local library.
- Bring in the professionals
There are various groups and clubs in Newcastle providing a wide range of interests to keep kids busy and stimulated during the holidays. Whether you choose to sign up your kids for a few hours or a couple of days, they are sure to benefit by being inspired to try new interests and skills. Hive Creative Studios provides a relaxed and creative environment for your child to socialize, bond, learn, grow and have fun.
Now that you have tips to cruise through the upcoming school holidays. Why don’t you check out our school holiday workshops and give your children the opportunity to discover and develop new talents and build happy holiday memories.