Cheap Vacation Activities
Fun and Inexpensive School Holiday Ideas for the Whole Family
School holidays are a great time for families to just enjoy some time together. Why not include some of these inexpensive activities and outings in your holiday plans?
School holidays can be a great opportunity to spend times together as a family. It is not necessary to take expensive trips to build wonderful family memories. There are lots of fun and inexpensive activities for children that can be enjoyed at home or in the local area to keep kids busy and active without breaking the budget.
For budget family activities in the local area, check newspapers at the beginning of the holidays for details of events.
Outdoor Activities for Children
Visit a local park. Take along morning tea or a picnic lunch. This can be as simple as some sandwiches or a packet of chips or biscuits. Take drink bottles of water or cordial and don’t forget hats and sunscreen. Include kids’ bikes, a football, soccer ball, or cricket set or a kite (if the weather and area are suitable). Find a park that has a swing set and play area to keep young children entertained. Call some friends and arrange to meet there. The children will keep each other entertained and the adults can catch up as well, taking turns to watch the kids.
Visit the beach or a local swimming pool. Take plenty of sunscreen and water to drink as well as snacks (kiosks tend to be expensive).
Go for a walk or bike ride around the neighbourhood or at a local bike track.
Work in the garden. Except in the coldest months, there is often work to be done in the yard. Children love to get involved, so plan to plant an herb garden or tidy up the flower beds during the holidays when they can help. In autumn collect leaves to make a collage. If getting children to help with maintenance work like weeding, make sure that they are very clear about what plants/weeds need to be removed.
Seek out places of interest in your area. Local farms and growers often have tours and tastings of their produce. Children love seeing where their food comes from. Take a drive along a tourist trail or a do a day tour of your city.
Indoor Activities for Children
Play a board game. There are an astounding number of board games available, including some in most children's rooms that haven’t been used for some time. Old favourites like Monopoly, Scrabble and Chinese Checkers are great with older children while Snakes & Ladders, Trouble, or even Snap will keep young children amused. Chess is experiencing a revival, so why not get the chessboard out and pass on this great strategy game to the next generation. Many games such as Monopoly, Cluedo, Scrabble and Guess Who have Junior versions available for young children.
Build a fort. Cover the dining room table with blankets and create a cubby house or fort. Serve morning and afternoon tea there. Children love to create their own environments and have lots of fun planning and organising everything that they need to make their own ‘house’.
Do a jigsaw. Set aside an area on the dining room table and work on a large puzzle together.
Bake a cake or some cookies. Use a packet mix cake if that makes things less stressful. During holidays the family routine is a little bit more relaxed, so it is also a great time to let children help to prepare dinner for the family.
School holidays are a wonderful time to create great family memories and simply spend some time together. Get everyone involved in making suggestions for what the family can do and enjoy the opportunity to take a temporary break from the school routine.
