Date : November 13, 2022
Summer holidays – that blissful escape from school that your kids yearn for the entire school year – are almost upon us! To skip the screen time stress all parents increasingly feel at this time of year, here are a few fantastic alternatives you can offer your kids that are sure to limit their screen time. Plus, they might just find themselves a fun new hobby to throw themselves into!
Getting your kids’ heads out of the screen and into real life
Beach it up
There is no Australian summer that could be complete without a trip (or three!) to the beach! Getting your kids out of the house and on to the beach is the ultimate summer solution to screen stress. It’s fun, it can be a social activity, it gets them outdoors, and yes, it gets them exercising. Build some sandcastles, collect some shells, jump over waves, and let them swim their hearts out. You could even take a picnic and make a full day out of it.
Create a veggie garden
All that free time means your kids will have the opportunity to develop a passion about growing their own food. A trip to Bunnings for seedlings and other materials necessary to build a new veggie garden is always exciting – and you can always bribe them with a sausage sizzle! The end result will be your kids actually wanting to eat their veggies for once – and everyone knows that veggies you’ve grown yourself always taste better.
Cook up a storm
Whether they’re baking some delicious cupcakes as a treat or helping you prepare dinner, cooking is a great way of engaging your child in a screen free activity. Cooking is such an important life skill. By getting them involved early on, you’ll be teaching them skills and habits they will cultivate for a lifetime.
Make something
All kids love putting their minds to something creative and fun, so why not take advantage of this and encourage them to get crafty? You know what interests your kids best – do they love bugs or animals? Why not make a little bee house, or even a bird feeder, to encourage them into your garden? Or are your children more interested in dinosaurs? Create a sandpit where they can dig for fossils. You could even do something simpler like making Christmas cards and decorations, or using leaves or things found in the garden to draw a picture or make a mask. Anything that will keep your child entertained for a few hours.
Visit your local library
Okay, before your kids jump on this idea as boring, do a quick google search of your local library system. Libraries have fantastic school holiday activities that will get them engaged and often have them moving their bodies or interacting in creative ways. Their programs are often tied back to literary sources, including popular kids book series, so they learn while they’re having fun. Plus, the added bonus of being around all those beautiful books might just rub off on them and they may come away with a huge pile of new favourites to read.
For other excellent school holiday activity suggestions, May Gibbs has you covered!
Librarian Bec
Right now, Librarian Bec’s hard at work at your local library, sharing a passion for reading with little people and big. Bec writes about inspiring little readers and embracing lovely literature.
