Keeping the Kids Entertained in the School Holidays

Do some Baking

Make some cookies, muffins or cupcakes. Then and have fun decorating them in a creative way. Choose a theme such as primary colours, red, yellow and blue or have the kids write with coloured icing on their creations. This is a fun, and educational activity that can help kids develop their cooking skills.

Get creative

Encourage kids to use their imagination. Provide them with a large cardboard box which can be  transformed into a shop, fort, boat, puppet lay stage, car or cubby house with some paint and paper. Cover the cardboard with paint and paper to create your prop. Allow your creation to dry and then there is all the fun of role playing with your creation too.

 

Try printmaking!

There are lots of fabulous thing in the kitchen that can be used for printmaking. The cut off ends of vegetables make some amazing prints, such as celery, lettuce or bok choy. Cut off the part you eat and you are left with the joined base. Make sure there is a flat edge on the base and press it into some acrylic paint. Print onto white or coloured paper to make some fun prints. Corks, forks and plastic lids also make great shapes for printing!

Have fun with origami, the Japanese art of paper folding. There are lots of free online tutorials for beginners or get a book from your local library.  Use square paper to make animals and birds. Use the origami in an artwork by drawing or painting the background.

Printing roses with bok choy

Drawing

Grab some pencils, oil pastels or markers and start drawing. On a piece of paper, trace around the hand of everyone in the family. Have the hands overlap and cover the page. Choose a colour scheme such as warm or cool colours and fill in the different sections with a variety of colours.

Draw your dream house or a character from your favourite story. Draw some plants or trees from your garden or nearby park. You could even try drawing your pets, bird, cat or dog.

Hand Drawing from ‘All About Me’ – K-2 unit

Have a Scavenger Hunt

Get the kids to create a list of things to find inside or outside the house. You can draw images for kids too young to read and they can find the items on the list in your house or garden. This can be a fun and exciting way for your kids to explore and learn about their surroundings.

Play some Games

Board games, card games and jigsaws are a great way to pass the time. Games can help kids develop their problem-solving and social skills.

Do some exercise

Encourage kids to get moving and do some exercise. You could go for a walk, a swim or a bike ride, do some yoga, or even just have a dance party in the living room to their favourite tunes!