Surviving The School Holidays on a Budget
It’s that time again; school holidays are upon us. Your kids are on the edge of their seat as the excitement begins to kick in. Now is your last chance to harness that energy by planning school holiday activities! Unplanned holidays can lead to expensive activities and restless children. Here are some ideas to help you survive the school holidays on a budget.
During the school holidays your kids may hassle you and complain of boredom. So ask your kids to plan the holidays themselves. Let them hand pick their favourite activities so you have a starting point to plan and budget your schedule.Relax
Not every day of the holidays needs to be action packed. The holidays are your child’s opportunity to relax and take a break from their hard work during the school term. There are some days when your kids prefer to muck around at home and enjoy some time to themselves.Do not overload yourself with school holiday activities, even parents need a break. Take the opportunity to allocate some time out for yourself. Book a sleepover or play date for your kids; you could have a whole day and night to yourself! Or maybe it’s time for your kids to spend some quality time with grandma and granddad?
Get stuff done
Get your kids to help you with jobs around the house- choose small jobs that do not seem too daunting. They could help you with some redecorating, gardening or cooking. You could even ask them to sort all their old toys to throw out. Your kids will get stuck into fun chores and maybe learn a thing or two!
Winter holidays
This season creates a challenge by limiting outdoor activities. Planning in advance can also be challenging due to unpredictable weather. The easiest option is of course, movies. To prevent your child from being glued to a screen all holidays, swap movies for books! Let your kids pick a few books to last the holiday period. A good book could keep your kids silently entertained and visiting the library is a day trip in itself!
Crafts are another great rainy day activity. If art isn’t your strong point there are some great websites for art and craft resources. Simply print these for your kids to enjoy. Visit www.kidspot.co.nz for resources.
Get your kids busy in the kitchen! Find an easy recipe such as cookies or scones and help them follow it to create their own master piece. They will love baking as they get to eat their creations when they’re done!