We’re heading into the Christmas holidays as the final term of school comes to a close. It’s time to start planning what type of fun and family-orientated activities will be marked on the calendars or in the daily routines to keep your children out of mischief.
Here are the SheKnows top five affordable family-time ideas to go wild with during the upcoming school holidays and Christmas break.
Backyard camping
With the summer season upon us and daylight savings in full swing, why not go on a little adventure by camping out as a family in your backyard. As long as you have a tent, you can pop that up out the back and with either sleeping bags or blankets you have ready-made beds. Why not go the whole nine yards and make it an authentic camping experience with a barbecue meal and a picnic outside and, if possible, start a little campfire. With a bag of marshmallows and kebab skewers you and your family can have smores for dessert. Backyard camping is a fun and safe activity that all ages can participate in and it can easily be an activity that the whole family can enjoy.
Board games night
Wanting a peaceful night inside? Looking to stir a bit of healthy competition between family members? Why not pull out a couple of your favourite family board games and go wild and host a board games evening. Inform the children that today will be a family day and that no TV or electronics are to be used and that you are all going to sit and play board games. Pull out and play family classics like Monopoly, The Game of Life and, if you’re children are older (e.g. 13+), Cranium is a fun and interactive game to get everybody’s minds working.
Charades and Pictionary
Everybody loves charades and, depending on the size of your family, you can split into teams or have everyone participating at the same time. Have one person doing the charade and they can pick a movie, song title or book to act out and then the rest of the family can take turns trying to guess. The family member who guesses correctly then has a turn. A similar game to charades is Pictionary, where participants have to draw something and the family has to guess what it is.
Go for a walk
A fun and free no-stress activity is to go for a walk around the local park or zoo and check out all the animals. If you have little children, take a bag of bread and feed the ducks at the local park and if you are headed to the zoo — for a reasonable price more often than not — you can purchase food at the reception to feed to the zoo animals which children love to do.
Treasure hunts
A treasure hunt is a fun and affordable activity that can be done around the house. Compile a list of clues and send your children on a treasure hunt around the house and the final destination can be a pile of chocolate coins or a treat. If they are a lot older, then you can draw a map.
More fun ideas
Craft projects from recycled materials
3 Fun summer recipes kids can make
5 Easy Christmas gifts kids can make
Leave a Comment