Keeping the kids entertained during the school holidays is no mean feat for any parent. Here are some ideas that will ward off the sighs of ‘I’m bored’ – and they won’t cost you a cent.
1. Befriend butterflies
If you take your kids to your nearest Westfield Centre, you’ll find that for the October School Holidays Westfield is running kids activities themed around ‘Conservation Through Gardening’.
There will be two activities on during the two-week holiday break:
Kids can decorate their own sticker to put on a plant pot – and then pot up a swan plant to take home for their garden. (They’ll also receive a ‘garden notes’ booklet so they can record the progress of their swan plant and butterflies.)
Your kids can create and decorate their own butterfly feeder.
The monarch butterfly is almost on the endangered species list in New Zealand due to its food source, the swan plant, no longer being a staple of the kiwi garden. The activities at Westfield teach kids about the life cycle of the monarch butterfly as well as gardening, so they can become ‘gardeners of the future’ and help protect this species.
Westfield offers lots of kids’ activities throughout the year. If your children are aged 10 or under, they can join the WKids Club and be the first to know what’s going on. Plus, they’ll get a gift on registration, a card and present from Monty on their birthday, a letter from Santa at Christmas and the chance to win heaps of cool prizes.
2. Go offroad
New Zealand has lots of great walking tracks in and around its towns and cities and many of them are short enough (an hour or less) for little legs to cope with. Google ‘walking tracks in [insert your town here]’ to find out what’s in your region. You could also check your local council website or call Citizens Advice Bureau.
3. Have a wheels morning at the local park
Throw the bikes and scooters in the boot and head to your local park. Invite the neighbours’ kids and make a morning of it with a picnic morning tea. Or hit a cycle track near you – again, your local council will have information about what’s in your area.
4. Hit the library
And stock up on books for a rainy day. Libraries also run programmes for kids during the school holidays so find out what’s happening at yours.
5. Get creative in the kitchen
Kids love measuring, pouring and mixing, and baking allows them to do this in spades – the added bonus being that you have a yummy afternoon tea at the end. Find a simple cake or biscuit recipe – turn a blind eye to the mess – and get creative in the kitchen with your kids. You can then serve high tea in the garden. You could also involve them in helping to cook dinner and then pretending your place is a restaurant with your kids as the chefs and waiters – meals like tacos or spaghetti bolognese are usually winners with kids.
