It is easy to save money in the upcoming holidays. Ever been stuck for ideas on things to do tonight, this weekend or during the upcoming school holidays? Well never be stuck again with this huge list of ideas on things to do in the garden, indoors, outdoors, in your community, region and more! Beat boredom from your door and live a more active life. Click on the little green arrow to access tips.
Save money | Garden Activities
Leaf rubbing pictures
Rub crayon over paper on leaves and create some great pictures.
Blow bubbles
For an old-fashioned and cheap activity, blow bubbles with the kids using dishwashing liquid.
Study bugs
Buy some cheap magnifying glasses and study bugs with the kids.
Read magazines
Catch up on reading your favourite novel or magazines.
Clean up the yard
Clean up the yard together or get help with starting your veggie patch.
Learn about the stars
Get a book on stargazing and spend the night finding constellations.
Camp at home
Go camping in your backyard just for fun. Watch the stars.
Enjoy high tea
Make some gorgeous cupcakes and enjoy High Tea in the garden with the girls.
Picnic at home
Have a picnic at home in your back garden.
Garden party
Hold a garden party for one of those boring nights between Christmas and New Year.
Make movies
If you have a video camera make a family video outside.
Sing
If you play an instrument learn some cool holiday songs to get everyone singing
Beers in the shed
Invite the boys round for some beers in the shed.
Learn to juggle
Learn to juggle. It gives everyone some light entertainment.
Make a time capsule
Make a family time capsule and set a date to have it reopened.
Fly a kite
Make a kite from scratch and then go and fly it with the kids.
Organise a party
Organise your New Years Eve party. Start calling people.
Paint a picture
Paint a big picture onto canvas over summer. Enjoy iced-tea or champagne in the garden. Wear a big oversized hat and an art smock. Play Opera. Free your creative juices. .
Plant some trees
Plant a tree or a few trees. Use all that free labour at your house.
Recycling system
Set up a complete recycling system in your home if you do not have one.
Create traditions
Talk to family about creating some nice annual family traditions.
Read maps
Teach your child how to read a road map.
Write a letter
Write an old fashioned letter to an old friend. Post it.
Dream big
Write out all your goals and dreams for the new year.
Acorns
Collect acorns and make something with them.
Afternoon Tea
Grab a teapot, some weak tea and cakes and enjoy afternoon tea in the garden.
Animals
Feed birds and animals and watch them appear every day.
Ants
Follow an ant trail.
Badminton
Is cheap, easy and low risk fun.
Balancing Beam
Great fun. Put over grass for a soft landing.
Kick a ball
Kick a ball and get active with the kids. It is also great exercise.
Binoculars
Study nature in your garden.
Bird Bath
Create a birdbath and start bird watching.
Birdfeeder
Make a birdfeeder and then wait for the birds to come. Name them for some extra fun.
Birds Nests
Look for birds nests and take photos of them.
Birds
Learn their calls. Study them online first.
Street party
If you have a big yard, invite people from your block with kids around. Have a BBQ, face painting, music, food and other activities. This is a great summer day occasion and a nice way to meet the neighbours. Organise potluck food. Use this site to network and organise one.
Bocce ball
Learn how to play Bocce ball. Get the whole family involved.
Bubbles
Bubbles are cheap fun. Grab a cheap bubble blowing kit. This one is great for a young baby.
Catch bugs
Invest in a cheap bug catcher or use a jar. Let the bugs go after studying them. Make sure you give them breathing holes in the jar.
Study bugs
The garden is full of wild and wonderful bugs to study. Grab a library book and learn about different bugs in the garden.
Build a fort
Build a fort just like in the army and watch the kids enjoy it.
Butterflies
Chase, catch and then release butterflies using a net.
Camping chairs
Sit on camping chairs as the sun goes down. Enjoy a chat together. Precious moments.
Count cars
Sit behind your front gate and watch cars go by. Play I spy.
Play catch
Catch: Play this simple game of catching and throwing a ball.
Draw with chalk
Draw with chalk on paved areas in the yard. Make sure the area you are chalking up is a car free zone!
Cloud shapes
Find shapes in the clouds together. Lie on the grass and enjoy getting in touch with nature.
Garden collage
Collect items from the garden and glue to a collage.
Play cricket
This is an awesome game to play with the whole family on a summer afternoon.
Play croquet
Enjoy a game of croquet in the backyard.
Cubby House
Build a cubby house as a summer project. The kids will love you and it.
Daisy chains
Remember making these when you were a kid? Pass it on.
Detectives
Take magnifying glasses and a notebook around the garden. Write down what you find.
Digging and burying
Bury items in the garden and get the kids to dig for them.
Dig a hole
Grab a shovel and teach kids how to dig a hole. Bury something interesting.
Dinosaurs
Grab some cheap dinosaurs bones in plaster: Kids love digging these out. Make your own too.
Elastics
Elastics: Remember elastics? This is a very cheap way to stay entertained with three or more kids for hours.
Party it up
Hold a party for kids in the holidays for no reason at all. Make parents bring some potluck food.
Paint a face
Paint each others’ faces. Heaps of fun. See who can paint the best face. Take a lot of photos.
Fairy lights
String up fairy lights and light them up at night for some excitement after all that hard work.
Collect firewood
Collect firewood for a winter fire. Teach kids about reward after hard work.
Flowers
Learn the names of all the types of flowers in your garden.
Football
Teach a kid how to kick a footy.
Invite friends Featured
Organise play dates regularly so your kids will not get board and you can get some holiday sanity. Aim at one each week for the duration of the holidays.
Games
Play random games you know in the backyard.
Garage sale
Get the kids to help organize it. Price items and teach them how to talk to customers. This is good for a child’s business and money making skills!
Herb garden
Start a herb garden together and then cook meals with the herbs.
Veggie patch
Start a small vegetable patch together and eat the veggies when ready.
Billy Karts
Build a billy-kart. This is a great project for the whole family!
Golf
You never know who might be the next Tiger Woods.
Grass fun
Lie on the grass with the kids. Look up and discuss what you see.
Bare feet
Take your shoes off and walk barefoot in the grass with the kids. Just be silly. Become a kid again for an hour.
Handball
Play with a tennis ball against a wall.
Hoop targets
Throw hoops onto targets in the garden. Offer a lolly for the winners.
Hopscotch
Chalk is cheap. Teach the kids this old favourite.
Horseshoes
Grab some wooden rings from craft shops for cheap target fun.
Hula-hoop
A Hula-hoop is just good to have around! One will always givea a bored kid something to do!
Jewellery
Challenge the kids to make crazy jewellery from stuff in the garden. Add spray paint.
Kickball
Play kickball and have fun with the kids.
Fun with knots
Kids love to tie knots.
Lawn Darts
Use the soft and sticky kind of dart, rather than the dangerous piercing kind of dart! Is that a word?
Collect leaves
Collect leaves and make artistic pieces out of them.
Raking fun
Rake leaves in the garden. The kids will have great fun rustling in the leaves.
Make lemonade
Make a lemonade stand and sell lemons to passers-by at your front gate. Teach the kids about business.
Listening fun
Learn all the sounds in your garden. For example, what a cricket sounds like.
Macrame
Remember macramé? Google how it is done if you can’t remember and introduce this craft to your kids.
Magazines
Make collages out of cool magazine pictures. Frame them for the kids room. For example, make a collage of cars for a boy’s room.
Magnifying glass
Purchase some cheap ones and study the garden, every tiny aspect of it. Use a nature book to learn more about what you find.
Ant farm
Get online and learn how to make an ant farm. Involve the kids in all aspects of the project.
Morning tea
Enjoy morning tea in the garden. How about donuts, coffee for you and some delicious and healthy smoothies for the kids?
Mud pies
Have fun making and throwing mud pies!
Mud bath
Make a mud bath and get dirty together.
Naughts and crosses
Chalk-it-up for outdoor fun that you adults can play too! Enjoy some memories from your own childhood.
Stargazing
Get a book and learn about the stars. Study what you learn.
Moon watching
Spot a full moon and enjoy watching it with the family. Sit outside a while on some camping chairs and simply admire the view. Tell some stories to each other.
Nature notebook
Start a nature notebook with the kids and start recording your finds.
Newcomb ball
Remember playing this in school? This is a great group garden game.
Obstacle Course
Make an outdoor obstacle course with tunnels, jumps and mud pools! Now have a race and enjoy an awesome day of fun together.
Lunch outside
Eat lunch outside and keep it simple. Just enjoy being out in the fresh air.
Painting fun
Sit outside and tell the kids to paint what they see. This is an amazing adventure to see your garden through the eyes of your children.
Parachute
Make a little parachute and drop it from a ladder. Make 10 of them.
Pets
Wash the dog. This is great fun for all the family.
Photography
Take photos in the garden of plants, animals and more.
Pine Cones
Pine Cones: Collect pine cones and spray paint them to hang on the Christmas tree.
Planting fun
Grow some flowers from a few packets you pick up at Bunnings.
Four Square
Learn how to play Four Square.
Duck Duck Goose
Learn how to play Duck Duck Goose.
I Spy
Play this old favourite and a great one for the garden.
Play-Doh
Make your own Play-Doh in cool colours and then make great creations together.
Playhouse
Create a temporary one out of boxes and bits in the garden.
Red Rover
Learn how to play Red Rover.
Simon Says
Play Simon Says.
Pogo Stick
If you have a pogo stick, go crazy riding it around the garden. See who can master it!
Fishpond
If you do not have one, make an outdoor fishpond as a summer project. Add goldfish and enjoy watching them for the rest of summer! Remember to put a little fence around the pond if there are toddlers and babies around.
Pond play
Throw stones into ponds and watch the ripples together.
Walk in the rain
Go for a walk in the rain in your wellies and raincoats.
Rain play
Stand and laugh together in the rain. You can always get changed afterwards.
Recycled paper
Teach your kids how to make recycled paper.
Make a robot
Make a robot out of cardboard boxes.
Rock collecting
Collect rocks and start a rock garden on a spot on the lawn.
Science experiments
Experiments are total fun using items from around the house. Pick up a science book from the library.
Scooter
Get the kids out on their scooters. Give them a laugh by letting them watch you on a scooter.
Sculpture
Plan and create a big sculpture together. This is a great way to spend hours of fun over summer.
Skateboarding
Get outside and ride a skateboard.
Slip-n-slide
Make a water or mudslide using on old tarp.
Snow
Make a snowman, play in a sled, go skiing
Spider webs
Go spider web spotting. Take some pictures of what you find. Make a spider slideshow.
Sprinkler fun
Play under a sprinkler if water restrictions allow.
Swing set
Hunt down a cheap swing set and get swinging.
Make a swing
If you can
T-Ball
T-Ball is an easy and fun game to play as a family.
Play tag
Have a good old fashioned game of tag.
Blindfold tag
Collect items. Blindfold each other. Guess what each item is.
Toy lawn mower
There are lots of toy lawn mowers lying around second hand shops. Pick one up for some garden fun.
Trampoline
Get out on the trampoline if you have one. This is great fun for all including parents.
Treasure hunt
Hold one in the backyard at Easter and Christmas or on special occasions.
Treasure map
Tell the kids you found a treasure map and set up a hunt.
Trees
Supervise the kids while they get busy climbing trees.
Outdoor lights
Decorate a tree with hanging candles. Light them when it gets dark.
Tree book
Get online and learn about all the trees in your garden.
Garden discovery
Touch flowers, leaves and the bark on trees in the garden. Discuss what they feel like.
Volleyball
Volleyball is a timeworn holiday favourite that everyone can enjoy. Take up the sport with friends and family on the beach.
Go-Kart
Spend the summer working on a Go-Kart project together. Who knows? You might end up entering a competition with your wonderful creation.
Water pistols
These are great fun in summer. Add detergent for some great bubbles.
Shell pools
Fill a container with water or a shell pool and enjoy water play.
Water slide
Create a cheap flat waterslide using a tarp in your backyard.
Water table
Enjoy water play within a table at standing level for kids.
Water tag
Play water tag by chasing each other around the garden with a spray bottle.
Weeding
Get the kids out to help you weed the garden. Buy them some garden gear for Christmas.
Wind chime
Make a wind chime for your front door. This can be a very creative exercise.
Reading
Read a book in the garden this Summer. Read a long one like The Hobbit.
Save money |Indoor activities
Jigsaw puzzle
Work on a puzzle or jigsaw together.
Movies
Watch family movies if you have them and reminisce about old times.
Learn about nature
Watch a nature show on TV together and discuss it.
Decorate the tree
Start a family tradition to come together to decorate the tree, wrap gifts and bake treats.
Skype family
Set up your whole family with Skype so you can video call each other all year. Go out and buy PC Cameras if required. Write instructions for non-techy family members on how to set this up. Explain how much fun video calling is and how you can all save money.
Play scrabble
Scrabble is a great group game. Chess is fabulous in the garden with a bevvy on hand.
Rent DVDs
Rent DVDs or tape movies in December leading up to Christmas and watch them over the Christmas period with family or friends.
Make an advent calendar
Recycle window envelopes into an advent calendar. Place lollies inside and write the date on the envelope. Seal and place in a funky wrapped box. Kids can pick out the applicable date each day. .
Make sculptures
Recycle old newspaper and make some paper Mache sculptures.
Make a scrapbook
Put together a family scrapbook or album with the kids.
Play online games
Play some free online games.
Play charades
Play charades.
Play cards
Play cards.
Play board games
Play board games. Buy them at thrift shops or borrow them.
Make a jigsaw puzzle
Make your own personalised jigsaw puzzle for the event.
Make lemonade
Make old fashioned lemonade on an ultra hot day.
Make iced-tea
Make iced-tea in a nice big jug.
Make ice-blocks
Make homemade ice blocks to eat in the hot weather.
Make cards
Make homemade cards for next Christmas using all the leftover cards and wrapping.
Make fresh juices
Make fresh juices for the whole family every morning. This is a nice tradition.
Cook dinner with the kids
Let the kids pick some recipes and make dinner with your supervision of course.
Learn cultural stuff
Learn about a different culture. Pick up some books to browse at the library.
Conduct interviews
Interview family members about family history.
Have a trivia night
Have a trivia night or play Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Go to answerblip.com for questions.
Play Spicks-and-Specks
Have a Spicks-and-Specks night.
Play music
Have a music night and go through all your favourite tunes. Compile a favourites list you can play in your car in the New Year.
Camp indoors
Have a family camping night in the lounge and have some camp style treats.
Give a room a makeover
Give a room in your house a complete makeover.
Look through albums
Get out all your old photos and have a laugh together.
Kids lucky dip
For kids give a lucky dip in a box. Get the child to pick out one card. On the card will be an adventure to a cheap local attraction. Give the gift of your time.
Adults lucky dip
For adults use the lucky dip box also for gifts of your time. E.g. A massage. Holidays are a great time to get to know everyone again after a long and hectic year.
Do pasta art
Do pasta art. Paste pasta to card and have your kids paint it.
Make board games
Design and make your own board game and then play it. This is great, creative fun.
Have a themed dinner
Choose and cook a themed dinner for an interesting cultural night at home. Indian? French? The world is yours to travel.
Bake a cake
Bake a delicious cake or pudding together.
Parent activity co-op
The idea of a co-op involves parents leading an activity based on their particular skill. For example, plan a music day if you happen to know how to sing and play guitar.
Act like animals
Take turns acting like different animals. Play and laugh.
Photo collage
Create a big collage of photos ready to frame.
Frame artwork
From school Frame the best pieces from the year.
Balls in buckets
Roll soft balls into buckets down the hallway.
Beach bathtub
Create a beach in your bathtub on a rainy day. Add beach balls.
Revamp a room
Take the opportunity and totally restyle, revamp your kids rooms.
Bake biscuits
Bake biscuit shapes and ice them. Yum. Deliver some to your neighbours.
Create a board game
Create your own board games.
Buy second-hand board games
There are hundreds of second-hand board games out there. Many can be found in thrift shops unopened! These are great family fun and some of the second-hand ones are fabulous old-fashioned fun!
Make boats
Make tiny boats out of lids, a straw (mast), paper and blue-tack. Sail in the bath.
Tracing fun
Get butchers paper and draw around your body on the floor or wall.
Cultural education
Learn about the world. Designate a topic a week For example, you could learn about the Indian culture this week, cook meals from India and learn about the traditions of the Indian culture. If you have an Indian friend you could invite them over to participate! Understanding different cultures is a vital and vibrant part of any child’s upbringing, and this knowledge creates cultural awareness in adulthood.
Hallway bowling
Set up some recycled plastic bottles in the hallway and play bowling.
Camping inside
Set up a tent inside if you have the room.
Car fun
Make a car out of cardboard boxes. Paint it up.
Card games
Enjoy card games and offer simple prizes for fun.
Make cards
Spend time making great cards with glitter, stickers and glue. Write a few out and send them to someone in a retirement village, hospital or send one to a soldier.
Willpower game
See who has the best willpower. Who can stand on a chair the longest. Time each other.
Play charades
Play animal charades.
Make a Xmas wreath
Make one for this coming Christmas.
Build a city
Build a city on a platform and paint it using matchboxes and small boxes.
Start a collection
Start an interesting collection. E.g. shells or small boxes.
Colour experiments
Do some with flowers and dyes.
Colouring in
Buy some cheap books and enjoy an afternoon colouring in.
Computer games
Find great ones (educational if possible) and participate with the kids.
Computer time
Give the kids time but limit it.
Make movies
Create movies on your computer from your videos.
Make YouTUBE video
Film your kid doing a cooking show and put it on YouTUBE. Get your kid to film you doing a cooking show.
Bake biscuits
Baking biscuits if creating fun. Bake biscuits to take on outings you might have during the week.
Fruity fun
Cut up fruit together and make fruit kebabs. This is a fun way to trick kids into eating fruit.
Make jelly
Kids love jelly. Make it together in the day and eat with ice-cream as dessert at night.
Cooking lessons
Have formal cooking lessons with the kids. They will laugh at you as you give the instructions. Act like Julia Child.
Learn to measure
Teach kids recipes and include educational tips like how to measure ingredients.
Cool competition
Challenge everyone to a Who Can Dress the Coolest competition. Everyone must then go to a café dressed the way they are!
Costume photos
Dress up and take cool photos of yourselves.
Zorro mask
Make a cheap Zorro mask.
Make fairy wings
Use a coat hanger and pretty mesh to make some fairy wings together.
Weird hats
Wear weird hats for the day.
Play dress ups
Dig into your costume box and have a dress ups day.
Cubby house
Make one indoors with chairs or a table.
Cupcakes
Make delicious cupcakes. Make some for the kids and also some for grandma or grandpa from the kids! You will make their day!
Start a diary
The reason I became a writer! Buy a lockable diary for a child to record their daily experiences. My mum did this for me when I was five and I wanted to be a writer after I started making daily entries about my life.
Drama fun
Create a short play and act it out.
Dream book
Create a dream book of places to visit, things to do and the like.
Fake tennis
Fake Tennis: Play pretend tennis in the house.
Fashion show
Hold a real fashion show, down your hallway, to music and commentary. This is wonderful for building a child’s confidence.
Flower experiments
Put white flowers in water with food colouring. Watch the flowers change to the colour of the food colouring over time.
Frame a dream
Get kids to frame their dreams, paint their frames and put them on their walls.
Fridge magnets
Make some cool fridge magnets.
Draw the garden
Sit the kids at a window and get them to draw or paint what they see in the garden.
Techy treasure
Visit www.geocaching.com for a techy treasure hunt.
Make gifts
Start making gifts for Christmas, wrapping and homemade cards.
Gingerbread
Bake gingerbread and then scoff them down with a nice hot chocolate.
Google Earth
Visit Google Earth and do some armchair travelling. Teach the kids about different parts of the world and different cultures.
Hairstyles
Spend time giving each other hilarious hairstyles.
Hide-and-seek
Play hide-and-seek. Even babies of the house can get in on the act! You will love hearing all that laughter coming from the room.
New hobby
Suss out some cheap hobbies and take one up with the kids.
Housework roster
Create a roster together. Create a rewards system with stickers and stars. Let your school-age children act as the ‘housework’ police for the week. This will help them to become conscious of how a house gets dirty and then clean again!
Housework training
Teach kids how to do different housework jobs really well.
Indoor catchy
Play catch with a soft ball or even a cushion.
Make jewellery
Buy beading and supplies and go sick making jewellery for birthdays and special events.
Jigsaw
Buy a massive jigsaw and spend the winter or Summer holidays on it.
Juice
Make juice and freeze it into ice blocks.
Knucklebones
Remember these? Reinvent them for your kids and show them how fun they are.
Language
Learn how to say hello in a bunch of foreign languages.
Laundry
Tell the kids laundry is heaps of fun. Then get them to help you with it.
Marbles
Marbles is another simple game that creates hours of fun for kids. Just make sure this game is played away from young babies and toddlers. Always put marbles away, up high and in a secure, sealable container.
Masks
Use paper plates to create crazy masks.
Mazes
Draw up mazes in a little exercise book and then navigate them.
Measure yourselves
Create a wall for measuring how much you
Monopoly
Teach kids about money and real estate with this great game.
Mop a floor
Get the kids to mop a floor. They love it. You get a clean floor.
Write a script
Write the plot, cast the actors, dress up and make a movie.
Movie afternoon
Have a movie afternoon with popcorn and get all rugged up under blankets.
Make muffins
Make muffins for your outings.
Explore music
Play your kids different types of music and explain the genre.
Dancing
Put on loud music and dance around the room.
Write songs
Write songs, including the lyrics and the melody. Record the song on your computer.
Musical chairs
Play musical chairs and have a laugh.
Make instruments
Make interesting instruments and then play them. Tissue box guitar anyone?
Obstacle course
Use cushions, boxes and soft props to make an obstacle course.
Colouring online
There are lots of colouring-in pages online. Print some off for some instant fun.
Watch YouTUBE
Watch YouTUBE videos for educational purposes or just for fun. My son loves watching trains on YouTUBE.
Origami
Get a book out and make origami together.
Pancakes
Cook pancakes for afternoon tea and then devour them with jam and cream.
Paper Clip chains
Make chains out of paper clips.
Paper dolls
Teach your kids how to make paper dolls. Scissors and paper is all you need for this one.
Paper Mache
This is a great way to get rid of newspaper and have fun.
Pet show
Hold an indoor pet show with real pets or just fake stuffed animals.
Call people
Call grandma on the home phone or Skype her.
Photo book
Take photos the whole holidays with the intent of making a photo-book and story about That Summer.
Make pizza
Make a delicious pizza together for lunch.
Pyjamas Day
Have a totally relaxing stay-in-your-pyjamas-all-day day.
Plaster models
Create and paint plaster models of all kinds of things to your hearts content.
Indoor garden
Create a garden inside. Let your imagination run wild.
Play horsey
Pretend to be a horse and take your kid for a ride.
Press flowers
Press a few pretty flowers between the pages of some heavy books.
Puddles
Put on gumboots and play in puddles together.
Puppet show
Get older kids to make puppet shoes for younger kids.
Make puppets
Make puppets out of old socks.
Create puzzles
Create your own puzzles.
Book series
Read a book series, such as the Roald Dahl series of books for kids.
Rearrange a room
Kids love helping to rearrange furniture. Let them decide on interesting configurations. Teach them about thinking outside the square.
Record
Record all the noises and laughter over the holidays. Add as sound effects to your movies or keep to create an audio for a child’s 21st!
Recycling
Look up all the ways you can recycle everyday items and get your kids involved.
Repair Session
Grab broken items including toys from around the house and repair them.
Restaurant
Create a menu and let the kids be patrons and waiters.
Rock, paper, scissors
Rock, paper, scissors game: Best out of 20 games wins a small prize.
Rubiks Cube
A Rubiks cube is a simple and cheap way to pass time and is an alternative to tablets and iPods!
Sailboats
Make little sailboats together and sail them in the bath.
Sand Play
Create a big sandpit in the backyard for the summer and spend time every day playing!
Sand Play
Fill a large plastic container with sand and create a little world inside using water, rocks, figurines, matchboxes.
Scrabble
Teach kids new words with this educational game.
Scrapbook
Get kids to keep a scrapbook of whatever they want. Let them stick in clippings, leaves and objects they might find on the beach and on walks with you.
Scrapbooking
Try your hand at scrapbooking if you are so inclined. Get the kids involved with sticking items in.
Sewing
Teach older kids some simple sewing techniques.
Shopkeeper
Play pretend-shops. Teach kids about business and money.
Shoulders
Walk around a room with your kids on your shoulders. Watch for lampshades & doorways.
Skipping Games
Grab a long rope and play those old fashioned skipping games.
Skype
Skype grandma on the computer and brighten her day!
Slapping Hands Game
Remember that old hand slapping game you used to play as a kid? Each opponent put their hands together and tries to slap this other person’s hand, before that person has the chance to move their hand away.
Sleepover
Host a sleepover for your child’s best friends.
Soccer
Kick some goals between two marks in the backyard.
Staring Game
Play the staring game. See who can stare the longest without breaking down in fits of laughter.
Story Writing
Use some cheap exercise books to create an illustrated story each.
Streamers
Stick streamers onto the ends of sticks and chase each other around the garden.
String and Nail Art
Remember this? Nail nails onto a wooden board and then make patterns using string or wool.
Talent Show
Create a stage and plan a talent show for the holidays. Perform your show to relatives and friends. Give away prizes to the best performance or give everyone a prize – just theme each prize differently. For example, you could make a Judges Choice Award and a Best New Talent award for a younger child.
Theme Day Boys
Create theme days such as a pirate day or a colour themed day. Dress up for the day and enjoy getting in character. Take photos and post them to your networks for a bit of fun.
Theme Day Girls
Create a theme day such as butterflies, fairies or a colour. Dress up for the day and enjoy getting in character.
Theme Days
For a colour themed day, everyone could wear red, you could eat only red food, make red art, and sing songs with the word ‘red’ in them.
Time capsule
Start collecting items for a time capsule. For example, collect a watch, an old mobile phone or even the first iPad!
Paint nails
Paint your daughter’s nails and toes and let your daughter paint yours. This is a nice way for mums and daughters to bond and spend some quite time together.
Touch game
Blindfold each other and touch items that are given at a table. Each child must guess what is in front of him or her. You can use touch, smell, taste and all the senses except sight.
Toy Swap
Set up toy swapping with your friends with kids. This will keep kids entertained, as they won’t get bored of their toys and you won’t have to buy more to keep them occupied!
Put toys away game
Play Who Can Put Toys Away the Fastest game. This game is sneaky but effective.
Travel pack
Create a cool drawing travel pack for the car.
Magic tricks
Learn some magic tricks online and practise them.
Indoor tunnel
Create an indoor tunnel and play in it.
Twister
Twister is great fun and easy to organise.
Tye-dye dye stuff
Tye-dye some old t-shirts for some creative fun. (Laundry or patio.) Visit stores like Spotlight or Lincraft to find the dye.
Vacuuming
Get the kids to fire up the vacuum cleaner and have your house cleaned for free! This will also tire them out if you need a restful afternoon!
Build an indoor village
Build a village with blocks, roads and toy cars.
Indoor volleyball
Use a soft beach ball and your couch as the net.
Water play
Baths are a great place for kids to play. Make sure they are supervised at all time.
Wizards
Dress up as wizards and pretend to cast spells on each other.
Write a letter
Write a letter to Grandma. Walk down the Post Office and post it! She will enjoy the effort you put into it and you will make her day!
Save money | Out in the World
Check out events
Check out events on local visitor information websites and book them into your calendar.
Browse a mall
Check out what is happening at your local mall.
Take up bowling
Go bowling at your local bowling alley.
Go camping
Go camping in your region.
Go fishing
Go fishing off a pier alone or take the kids.
Go hiking
Go hiking in the mountains.
Catch a train
Go on a train trip with the family.
Drive around
Go on the all-scenic drives in your area or a neighbouring region.
Go on a photo shoot
Go out on a photo shoot with the family and take great snaps at quirky scenic locations.
Carols by candlelight
Go to free Carols by Candlelight nights in your region.
Try mini golf
Go to miniature golf if you have one nearby.
Take free lessons
Go to some free lessons at a hardware or craft store.
Watch fish
Go to the aquarium and watch the cute penguins.
Laugh at the circus
Go to the circus if there is one in your region.
Visit local markets
Go to the local markets and sample food and wine.
Get theatrical
Go to the local theatre and watch a play.
Go on a group bike ride
If you have bikes go on a fun bike ride together. Drive to a location with great tracks.
Go regional
If you live in the city, visit the country
Go city
If you live in the country, visit the city.
Get out on the water
If you live near the lake, hire a canoe or kayak and get out on the water.
Local attractions
Research the opening hours of local attractions and visit them with family.
BBQ in the park
Take a day trip and have a BBQ at your location of choice.
Unplanned adventure
Take an unplanned adventure by driving in one direction for three hours. Stay there for the night if your budget allows.
Watch more movies
Take in a few great movies over the holidays.
Amuse yourself
Visit an amusement park if you live near one.
Go on a day trip
Visit friends and relatives who live a day trip away. Stay the night.
Go wine tasting
Visit local wineries and go wine tasting.
Relax at the beach
Visit the beach for the day if you live near one.
Smell the roses
Visit the local rose gardens if your region has them. Take a flask of tea and biscuits.
Watch animals
Visit the zoo. Buy an annual zoo pass. You can revisit all year round.
Get inspired
Visit your local art gallery or museum.
Clean the car
It feels great to get into a perfectly clean car. A trip to the carwash is also great fun for the kids. Get them involved.
Walk the dog
It is so nice to see a dog enjoying his or her daily walk. It is good for you too, even if this means just ‘popping up the shops’ for 15 minutes. This gets the kids out of the house and you will get a little fresh air!
Go for a run
Running rocks. Enjoy the wind in your hair while listening to some fast, fantastic tunes. This pleasure is euphoric and can’t be beaten if you want to feel fantastic, everyday for the rest of your life! Take it slow at first and then build up to a run that really makes you sweat! Join a social network like Map My Run for motivation and find other runners in your area. A little friendly competition is good for the waistline!
Volunteer
Volunteer over the holiday period if you are alone.
Community garden
Visit your community garden, meet the locals and check out the quirky gardens.
Dream car
Take your dream car for a test drive.
Play cafe
Take younger kids to a play cafe.
Sunsets
Take a trip to watch the sunset and enjoy fish and chips together.
Surprise a friend
Surprise old friends with a drop-in visit.
Enjoy singing
Sing! Seek out music. Watch choirs sing their carols or bands play their hard rock music. Seek out free music festivals and events in your area, as well as locals playing in venues in your town, such as in cafes.
Play basketball
Shoot some hoops down at the local school.
Teach a child
Set up a little lemonade stand with a young child. Sit out on the curb and sell lemonade to the neighbours. Teach a child about business and money. Enjoy chatting.
Rescue a pet
Rescue a pet from the RSPCA and invite in your new family member.
Play in the park
Play with a Frisbee at the park.
Play soccer
Play soccer at the park.
Meet the neighbours
Meet the neighbours. Take them over some yummy home baking.
Have a picnic
Have a picnic together at a local park.
Dream home
Go to display villages and look inside your dream home.
Feed the ducks
Go to a park with a lake and feed the ducks.
Whizzy dizzy
Go the park and play on the Whizzy Dizzy with the kids.
Go swimming
Go swimming at your local recreation centre.
Catch bargains
Go shopping and get organised for next Christmas. Catch bargains.
Go out for a meal
Go out for takeaway food or to a cheap local restaurant.
Eat free
Go out for dinner on a kids-eat-for-free night.
Family outing
Go out for breakfast, brunch, lunch, coffee or dinner as a family.
Long walks
Go for long walks to through local parks and down your main street.
Christmas lights
Go for a drive in your town and nearby town to see the Christmas lights.
Sports match
Go and watch the locals playing sport down at the oval.
Sunrises
Get up early and watch the sunrise. Take a flask of tea and picnic breakfast.
Walk alone
Get some space. Go for a long walk everyday alone to stay refreshed and happy.
Christmas books
Get out Christmas books and DVDs from the library.
Enjoy a night out
Get a babysitter and enjoy a night out on the town with friends.
Donate presents
Donate some tins of food or presents to a good cause.
Free entertainment
Churches hold free Christmas entertainment over the Christmas period. Free.
Give blood
It is nice to remember at Christmas that others need help. Your blood is precious, especially to someone in need. Give generously. Call your local Red Cross for information.
Be a tourist
Visit an interesting town nearby and be tourists.
Visit a town
Visit one you have never visited before and break out of your comfort zone.
ABC store
Visit an ABC store for some wonderful educational items or even just for a browse. These stores are full of interesting finds.
Aquarium
Visit an aquarium and show your baby or toddler the fish.
Aquatic Park
Visit an aquatic park a fun day out. If you have an only child, take your child’s best friend so they can play together.
Arcade
Visit boutique shops in arcades.
Art supply store
Visit and buy a canvas and paints. Start painting your masterpieces!
Baby market
Baby markets are great for picking up cheap gear and a day out with bubs.
Baby shops
Visit baby shops and see what new products are around.
Coffee and cake
Go out for coffee and vanilla slice.
Walk to a bakery
Walk to a bakery and buy some fresh bread.
Bank
Head to the bank and open a savings account.
Beach and bubbles
Blow bubbles at the beach.
Fish and chips
Have fish and chips at the beach for lunch.
Beach visit
Pack up bubs, a beach tent and head to a beach. This will give the family unlimited fun, all day! Why stay home with bored kids? The beach is a great place for parents to enjoy a break and some sunshine! Just remember to slip-slop-slap yourself and the kids.
Bike ride
Go riding with bubs in a bike-trailer.
Bike with handle
Invest in a bike with a handle and go on walking adventures together.
Inspiration
Browse the inspiration section of a bookstore.
Browse kids books
Browse the kid’s section of a bookstore.
Botanical Gardens
Enjoy a visit and a walk to your nearest Botanical Gardens.
Hothouse
Visit a hot house and check out the flowers and plants.
Bowling
Organise to go bowling with other mums.
Bridge walk
Walk to a big bridge near you and take a scenic walk with the pram.
Bunnings
Go to Bunnings and enjoy a coffee while the kids play. Grab a few items for holiday projects.
Bus ride
Take a bus ride to another town.
Bush walk
Go for a short bush walk together on a good bush track.
Hot chocolate
Go out for hot chocolate
Morning tea
Go out for morning tea to a kid friendly café.
Breakfast out
Head out to a kid friendly café.
Live music
Investigate cafes near you that have regular live music. There is nothing better to live the spirits and introduce baby to music.
Go for a drive
Go for a drive with your favourite CD. Baby loves to bop. (Not so loud you can
Carwash
Drive to a car wash and wash the car. Babies love suds!
Castle
Is there a castle near you? Visit it!
Cathedral
Enjoy the peace in a beautiful cathedral.
Cemetery
Place flowers on a grave and appreciate your own mortality. This will help you feel more in the moment and more grateful for everything you have in life.
Children’s farm
Visit a children’s farm for a great day out.
Church
Go to a church event or fair.
Circus
Go to the circus and meet a clown.
City street walk
Take a walk through some interesting and well known city streets.
Classes for baby
Enrol baby in a class. E.g. Swimming.
Yoga class
Enrol in a mum-and-bubs Yoga class.
Health clinic
Book an appointment relating to a health issue.
Community House
Attend a free class and make friends.
Concert
Go to a concert especially for kids.
Matinee
Go to a matinee family-friendly concert.
Conservatory
Visit a conservatory and take in a free concert.
Costume Shop
Costumes shops are free to visit and great fun.
Cottage
Is there an historic cottage near you? Visit it.
Council
Visit the council and grab information about your town.
Country
Go for a drive to the country. Enjoy some cheap op shopping.
Delicatessen
Visit a deli and sample their gourmet cheese.
Discount store
Buy a new lip gloss for two dollars.
Display Homes
Walk through your dream home and start writing your wish list.
Dog
If you have a dog take the dog for a walk around the block.
Drive
Drive somewhere nice to get hot chocolate and a Babycino.
DVD Shop
Rent some educational or entertaining DVDs geared to the age of your baby.
Elderly
Visit an elderly person and brighten their day.
Events
Check out what is happening in your town and the neighbouring town.
Expos
Visit expos to learn new stuff and meet interesting new people.
Family Fun Days
Check out when they are coming up.
Farm
Visit a farm. These are great learning experiences for children.
Ferry
Enjoy a day trip on a ferry and back.
Festival
Look up festivals near you and go! Enjoy a great day out, where there are usually lots of free activities and giveaways!
Fireworks Displays
If you know of a festival coming up let baby or your children watch the fireworks from a secure vantage point.
Forest
Drive to a forest and enjoy a walk along a path or bike ride in nature. Never trek alone. Always take a friend or friends with you and make it a group activity.
Visit a friend
Visit a friend who lives nearby. Walk there to get some exercise.
Invite a friend
Invite a friend over to your house for a cup of tea and cake.
Mothers group
Join a mothers group or start one!
Photographic exhibition
Go to a photographic exhibition. If you have a baby, he or she will love looking at the faces of all the people.
Art gallery
Gallery: Visit one near you and get inspired. Have a coffee.
Gift store
Browse a discount gift store with your little one a buy them a cheap toy.
Gift Store
Visit one and buy a thoughtful gift for a friend.
Grandparents
Visit grandparents with an unexpected gift from baby and brighten their day.
Gym
Join a gym that has a cr
Historic Building
Visit an historic building for some great photos.
Historic Towns
Make great day trips.
Home Furniture Stores
Kids love them. They love to try out all the beds and couches.
Home Town
Be a tourist in your own town. Visit your local information centre and discover what is near you. Share with friends nearby using the Savings Room social network.
Hotel
Hotel lobbies are always so relaxing and big. Sit in a hotel lobby for a coffee. Let baby crawl in the big foyer. Also you will get the door opened for you.
House swap
Organise a house swap with relatives in another town for a FREE family holiday.
Ice-cream Shop
Everybody loves ice cream, especially babies. Go out for ice-cream.
Lake
Pack a picnic and visit a lake. Sit near it with bubs and enjoy feeding the ducks together.
Libraries
Visit different libraries for the drive, not just your local library.
Holiday programs
Book into library holiday programs.
Inspiration
Visit a library and borrow a self help book for inspiration.
Audio books
Visit a library and borrow an audio book to listen to while you do housework.
Discover the classics
Visit a library and borrow an Opera or classical music CD for bubs to listen to.
Baby books
Visit a library and borrow some books for bubs.
Famous books
Visit a library and borrow some great books to read in your downtime.
Story-telling workshop
Visit a library and go to a story-telling workshop.
Library DVDs
Head to the library and borrow a DVD for bubs.
Community
Sit and read the paper in the kids section at the library. It will give you a feeling of community while you let bu