School holiday boredom busters

We’ve all heard that boredom can be a good thing for our children – helping to stimulate creativity, improve problem solving and strengthen friendship – but try telling that to an exhausted parent in the middle of school holidays. Try these boredom busters instead!

Visit the library

While some children might think the local library is totally uncool, you’d be surprised by the wide variety of interesting and free activities they have on offer over the school holidays. You might be able to meet the author of your favourite children’s book or join in an organised craft activity, learn how to build and code a robot or enjoy a puppet show. Your local library is no doubt brimming with fun and affordable activities, perfect for you to bond with your children in a chilled-out setting. Visit your local council website for what’s on in your neighbourhood library.

Scavenger hunt

If you’re looking for a way to kill time at home and save money on the entry fees, transport costs and food costs associated with a day out, why not organise a scavenger hunt? For the patient and interested children, you can have them ‘scavenging’ for hours. Simply set a list of things for them to find and the first child to complete the list wins a prize (the ‘prize’ is up to you). As well as searching for things in the house and around the yard, your list could require the children to create/craft something, draw something or (for sneaky parents) even clean something along the way! The fun is only limited to your imagination.

Fishing

An oldie but a goldy, fishing is the fodder for cherished childhood memories. There’s nothing better than an afternoon spent at your local beach or jetty, armed with hand lines, basic tackle and some bait, just fishing the hours away. Is there somewhere close by to you where you can wet a line and teach your children patience and a love of the great outdoors at the same time? Pack a picnic basket and you’re done. Your local bait and tackle shop owner should be a brilliant source of insider info on where to take your beginner fisherpeople.

Sort through the toy cupboard

Toys… how do they multiply so quickly?! Between impulse buys to stop screaming toddlers on shopping trips, gifts from overly generous relatives and those random toys that appear seemingly out of nowhere, the toy box (or drawer… or cupboard… or room) always seems to be overflowing. So, why not clean it out?! Get all of your toys out and decide what to keep and what to give away. The children will find toys they haven’t seen for ages and be occupied for a while, plus, you can teach them the importance of earning their own money and giving to others in the process.

Make play dough

There’s no denying that play dough offers hours of fun, but when you make your own, the fun lasts even longer! The best part is, DIY play dough is so much easier and cheaper than store-bought. All you need is: 2 cups plain flour; 4 tablespoons cream of tartar; 2 tablespoons cooking oil; 1 cup salt; 2 cups hot water; and food colouring.

Just mix it all together! You can add glitter or coloured sand to make it pretty, too. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.