Finding hobbies that first need to be created and then utilised can be a great way to keep children engaged. A task that is hands on and in which kids get a chance to create what they will be playing with adds an element of achievement.
Depending on the time of year and potential weather constraints, different projects can be suggested or offered to children. These could be broken up into tasks that can be carried out whilst inside when it’s cold and wet outside the house, or outside projects that can encourage kids to be active whilst getting some fresh air.
Outdoor Activities to Complete over the Term Holidays
Providing tasks that are hands on and allow children to get outside can be a great idea. Something as simple as helping out with a veggie or community garden can be a great place to start. Whilst outside, the art of cloud watching may also be considered.
Planting seedlings that will later bear fruit can keep children engaged over the longer term, whilst the joy of seeing a seed turn into a plant can be exciting too. Fast growing seeds such as the snow pea or sunflower are some easy to grow seeds that should produce results toward the end of a two week term holiday. Searching local markets or supermarkets for seedlings that are on sale at that time can help to cut down on trying to decide what to grow.
Indoor Activities for School Holiday Fun
Being active outdoors isn’t always a possibility, so when the weather has other ideas, something that can be carried out in the warmth and protection of the indoors can be desirable. Why not consider the likes of children creating and utilising:
- Play dough
- Pompoms
- Board games
Play dough can keep kids entertained as long as their imagination will allow. Being able to make the dough that they’re to play with can add further incentive as children are able to choose their own colours and help with the creating process. A simple play dough recipe, fifteen minutes and half a dozen ingredients is all that is needed.
Pompoms are fairly easy to make. They can be a myriad of colours and as big or as small as the creator desires. Creating pompoms can be a great task to carry out whilst sitting in front of the heater. Pompoms can even be joined together to create a door stop in those cold winter months.
Board games are a lot of fun and can be picked up quite cheap at some opportunity shops. For those wanting to be more creative, it is possible to make a board game with relevant rules, cards and miscellaneous items to make up the ‘players’ of the game.
There are many options when it comes to tasks that will keep children busy and happy over the holidays. Planning in advance will help to ensure that kids aren’t left bored or inactive.
Chris Thomas - C. Thomas has studied and worked with horses since 2001. She teaches horse studies part time and is undertaking an Equine Science ...
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