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8 ways to survive, and even thrive, these holidays
- Involve other people – it takes a village to raise a child! Play-dates can be a win-win for everyone. It doesn’t have to be a play-date either – just making time to have a cuppa with another adult can be a great sanity saver.
- School holiday programmes – there are heaps of great programmes out there, covering sports, drama, technology and just plain old fun. Letting your child pick their fav can be a great way to get them excited about giving it a go.
- Explore libraries - libraries are spaces where people of all ages can discover, grow and learn. We have some pretty flash ones now – Lyttelton’s newly refurbished one just opened and Te Hāpua Halswell Centre is amazing.
- Get creative at the Imagination Station – thousands of lego bricks just waiting to for little hands to create some magic. A free activity that seems too good to be true! And Margaret Mahy Playground is just around the corner…
- Take in some culture - April is your last chance to visit the amazing Air New Zealand 75 Years exhibition at the museum. Another way to soak in some culture could be a trip to the art gallery - let the children lead and start to see art from their perspective. They may not care about the artist and the painting’s value, but that bird in the background or any gore will be AMAZING!
- Get on your bike! Christchurch has so many flat, whānau-friendly options. Westburn Bike Park is awesome. You can also head to Bottle Lake and McLeans Island for a bit of off road fun. If you’re into some urban exploration there’s also Spark Bikes – the first 30 minutes are free! And if biking’s not your thing, maybe visit a park you haven’t been to before - Heathcote Valley, the Elephant Park, or South Brighton Park. The Under 5s Collective has come up with an awesome list of local parks worth checking out.
- Christchurch rocks – there’s hours of fun to be had painting rocks and hiding them around our city for others to discover. Your kids might like it too.
- Have a tiny adventure – Our Pack of Tiny Adventures was developed to help parents to enjoy quick, fun and affordable activities with their children. Just download the app to get started.
What are your top tips for surviving the school holidays? Tell us on Facebook and be into will win your choice of:
- A family pass on the Christchurch Gondola and Tram
- A family pass to the International Antarctic Centre
- A family pass to Orana Park or Willowbank
- A family pass to the Airforce Museum (as this is a free museum we will throw in some extras!).
The competition closes 5pm Thursday 6 April 2017.
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It can help to make a plan...
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Child psychologist Lyn Fry has some great advice for getting through the holidays.
She suggests that at the start of the holidays, parents sit down with their kids and collectively write down a list of everything their children might enjoy doing during their break. These can be basic activities, such as playing cards, reading a book, or going for a bicycle ride. They could also be more elaborate ideas such as cooking a fancy dinner, putting on a play, or practicing photography.
Then, if your child comes to you throughout the summer complaining of boredom, tell them to go and look at the list. “It puts the onus on them to say, ‘This is what I’d like to do’,” says
Worth a shot?
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And remember… boredom can be great!
While it’s great to have a plan for the school holidays, it’s equally important to give children time to be bored.
Being bored can help unleash creativity, and gives a chance for children to contemplate life, rather than rushing through it.
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