16 April 2013

School holiday sanity program

With just 9 (!) days of sunshine predicted for April, it would be easy for you and the little angels to feel a teensy bit cabin fevered these school holidays. Here are 5 rainy day activities to help keep your sanity:

5 fun rain, rain, stay and play ideas

1. Indoor picnic. Roll out the picnic blanket (or even a sheet) on the lounge room floor, and if you have one, grab a picnic basket and use it to serve lunch on. Tell the kids to invite their favourite toys along too!

2. Playdough. Simple, easy and something older kids can help you with. Just combine 2 cups of plain flour,  4 tablespoons of cream of tartar, 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, 1 cup of salt, 2 cups of boiling water and a splash of food colouring in a large bowl and mix to combine. Keep mixing until the texture is just right.

3. Stomping in puddles. Rug the kiddies up in raincoats, gumboots and umbrellas and head out. Plan on getting wet – you can always strip everyone down when you get home and jump in a warm shower or bath.

4. Baking. There are so many tasty recipes to choose from, but banana bread is quick, easy and always a winner, and perfect for morning or afternoon tea. Here’s my mum’s super yummy recipe (light on the sugar too!):

Sal’s Banana Bread

125g butter

100g raw sugar

2 eggs

2/4 ripe bananas - mashed

½ teaspoon bicarb soda

125ml warm milk

250g wholemeal SR flour

Few drops vanilla essence

Set the oven to 190C, grease 2 sandwich tins or one large tin. Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add eggs and mashed banana. Add bicarb dissolved in milk, add flour and mix thoroughly. Bake at 190C for around 45 minutes. Hello delicious!

5. Indoor treasure hunt. Choose from lollies (destined to be a winner), toys, craft items or other household treasures. Get the kids to count while you hide the goodies around the house.

Older kids will love boardgames, hide and seek, charades or just turn on some great music and have a dance party!

5 books your kids will love

Reading with your kids has to be one of the nicest things you can do together. According to those who know, reading helps promote vocabulary, ignites imagination and improves communication. We asked the Mums (and kids!) we know which books they love. These titles came up again and again, especially for the under 5s:

1. Possum Magic, Mem Fox. A classic Aussie tale about Hush the Possum and his grandmother that includes everything from lamingtons to Bondi Beach.

2. Guess How Much I Love You, Sam McBratney. Also an animation on ABC4Kids, this is a beautiful little tale about Little Nutbrown Hare, who tries to show his dad just how much he loves him.

3. Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak. Let the wild rumpus start! Kids will love following Max on his adventure.

4. That’s Not My… award-winning series from Usborne Children’s Books. So many to choose from! That’s not my angel/dinosaur/bear/car/monkey/mermaid/monster just to name a few. Find the entire catalogue here.

5. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle. A very hungry caterpillar eats his way through the week to become a beautiful butterfly.

Library Love

Libraries are a great place to spend time during the holidays. Check out your local council website for more details about some fun (and often free!) activities on in your area.

Oh and by the way, if your children’s library bags are in need of a little refresher, check out our gorgeous range here. Our Eco bags are made from 100% P.E.T. fabric and come with a 7-year warranty. Super!

Share!

How do you keep the kids entertained during the school holidays? What books are you reading with your kids right now? Let us know in our comments section below because we’d love to hear your thoughts… and you never know - you might just get a little suprise!

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