Our school year in New Zealand is broken up into four terms and the July school holidays start next week.
When I lived in Canada, my youngest was still at school. To be honest, I found the school terms really hard. It felt like all the schooling was squashed into nine months of the year with a huge break that did parents no favours.
Not saying that I didn’t love spending time with my son but three months straight causes lots of childcare issues for working parents.
Here in NZ, we have three two week holidays generally in April or May, July and October. Then at Christmas (our summer) the children generally have about six weeks off school. With the statutory days (2 days for Christmas and 2 days for New Year) allowed for, and holidays saved up, most parents get to spend a good portion of this holiday period with their children.
Anyway, I digress. So with next week being a midwinter holiday, I thought I’d share some fun projects that you can do with your kids. Some of these are for older kids but I’ve included a few that younger ones can do too.
Well, it was a given that I was going to share some jewellery projects. Over the past year I’ve made some good projects that older kids could absolutely make.
This spring bracelet is quite quick and easy to make. It’s elastic so also easy to wear.
There’s also this fun Butterfly in the Garden stretchy bracelet. This one is also very easy to make. It uses glass beads but you could substitute those with anything really. Take this technique and make it your own.
Also, these spring cage earrings would be fun to make but be warned, they only take a few minutes so they are not going to occupy your child for long.
Over the years I’ve made several cushions here. This gnome cushion was great.
Obviously, I made him for Christmas but he doesn’t have to be. This one is more for an older child but with a little help, you'll be surprised at how quickly children can learn to sew. There'll be no stopping them if they enjoy it.
The hands are a little fiddly but you easily change those to be felt circles instead of the spirals.
Here’s another one – this pom pom cushion takes a while so will keep your kids busy for hours.
You could also use this technique to make pom poms for other purposes. (Sewing onto hats, maybe.)
My Mum taught us all to knit at a very young age. We knitted scarves and hats and, later on, jumpers. Here's a cool little hat you could make with your children.
This homemade coffee scrub is super simple to make and would make a great gift for someone.
I was introduced to homemade bath bombs by my son – he made them for a project at school. Once I made the first ones I was hooked. I’ve never actually shared my recipe on the blog but here’s a great recipe that you could use.
The cool thing here is that you don’t need to use the round moulds, you can just use silicone moulds like these ones I found on Amazon.
Or these ones I found at Kmart which would work equally as well.
Baking is one of the best things to do with your kids. It teaches them how to be self-sufficient so that they can look after themselves when they grow up. It also feeds those hungry mouths during the holidays. This recipe is my favourite all time cake recipe. My Mum’s Never Fail Chocolate Cake is almost foolproof.
If you need a gluten free version here’s the recipe.
This recipe can also be divided up into muffin pans to make cupcakes. Just cook it for a little less time.
So you’ve got two weeks to fill and I know that it can be hard to keep kids busy, especially when it’s eternally raining outside. You can go out and do fun things but there are times when you just need time at home.Here’s a link to a blog post that contains 100 school holiday projects. If you can’t find something here – well – just have fun.
Whatever you decide to do these school holidays, remember that the most important thing you can do is spend time with your children. They grow up so fast (empty nest syndrome talking) and they will be gone before you know it.
If your patience is being tried, take a breath, try and take a break or take your kids for a walk, and try to appreciate every moment.
If you really are at the end of your tether, try and find a friend who you can share the load with. A couple of play dates during the school holidays can make all the difference to you enjoying the time with your children and you losing your mind.
Remember that mess is just mess and it can be cleaned up. Get your children involved in that too. Children actually quite enjoy cleaning and tidying, especially when you give them the responsibility of keeping things tidy or tidying up at a certain time of the day.
Make a fun game out of tidying up – Jennifer L Scott says it’s time to stage the living room when she wants her children to pick up the toys and put the cushions in their rightful place on the sofa.
Above all – have fun.
Thanks so much for reading! Leave me a comment to let me know what you think. Did you make this recipe or do you want to?
If you like my blog be sure to click on the RECOMMENDED button and SHARE it with your friends! It’s the best way for my blog to grow. I would love for you to be part of my family so sign up to receive my emails. Every time I post a blog, I will send you an update email. Also, follow me on Facebook HERE, Instagram HERE and Pinterest HERE.
Come by and say Hey!
Tags:
July 1, 2021
Hi, my name is Carol Karl. I live in little old New Zealand. My family and I strive to live the most ‘real’ life we can – by that I mean that we eat real food, we live real lives and just generally be our most authentic selves.
