School holidays have arrived and for many, it’s earlier than planned. Although our little ones are a bundle of joy, we know just how stressful they can be if things aren’t going their way. Whether you have 10 minutes or a few hours, there are plenty of exciting and even educational activities for the kids.
We’ve put together a short list of super fun activities the whole family can enjoy! My favourite? I’ve left to the very end – be sure to check it out below.
Get Creative
We all know how creative children can be, whether they’re squiggling some lines on a piece of paper, or on the walls with crayons. Why not embrace a little fun and creativity with some colouring in? If you have a few little ones running around, you can even have a little competition with these kid-friendly animal templates.
Don’t worry we haven’t forgotten about the parents or adults out there that enjoy a little mindfulness as well. Why not join in the fun and print yourself one of these mandala’s and see how colourful you can be!
Fun In Any Yard
If you’re lacking in backyard space, there’s always places to enjoy the outdoors without having to go far at all, and all you need is some chalk for these fun games:
- Outdoor Pictionary – Make a DIY chalkboard on the side of your house, fence or pavement and play Pictionary as a family.
- Hopscotch – A tried and true classic – the rules are simple and kids can either draw their own course with the chalk or have a parent help. Use your imagination and draw the boxes to be jumped in in various colours and shapes.
- Chalk Bullseye – Use various colours of chalk and draw big circle rings with a bullseye in the middle. Within each circle, write point values, so if the kids want to brush up on their math skills or see who can throw an item closest to the bullseye and get the most points.
- Four Square – 4 Square is extremely popular in many schoolyards at recess. Draw your own 4 Square court with chalk, mark a number from 1 to 4 in each square, and use a bouncy ball to play this fun game.
Master Chef Apprentice
Children have proved time and time again that their creativity is great in the kitchen, with the kids from Master Chef pulling off recipes I could only dream of. If there’s one thing I know, kids love making a mess and having a good time. Plan out a lunch, and put your apprentice to work! Whether its scrambled eggs, or a nice leafy salad – gather some ingredients, provide a recipe and watch the magic happen.
If you’ve got a few children running around, you can put them all to work – switching up who is in charge of each meal. That way you can rotate the roles so that the cleaning is always taken care of.
Family Workout
Being cooped up all day isn’t great for your daily step count, and you’re likely feeling uninspired to stay active. That’s why this 25 minute family workout is the perfect way to enjoy some time together, and use that youthful energy to help you stay active while inside. Gamify your workouts, and have some sort of leaderboard to keep it interesting.
You don’t need any Fitbits or other techy devices to make the most of these workouts – simply turn your lounge room into a miniature gymnasium / obstacle course or go for a family bike ride!
Make a Backyard Volcano
This still has to be one of my favourite experiments when I was young, why? Because it is super fun to make something, and even more fun to see the ‘explosion’ and mess. It’s a really simple experiment, and you’re likely to have everything you need at home already. You can get the kids to watch this video, and you can follow this set of instructions to make your very own backyard Vesuvius. Just make sure to let them off outside, otherwise you might have some trouble cleaning up the walls and ceilings following the eruption.
These are just a few fun ideas that you can explore with the family. We’d love to hear and see what your family get up to, especially if there are some big volcano eruptions involved! If you have any other fun activities or family-favourite board games, we’d love to hear from you.