Happy School Holidays!!

Alternative title: Welcome to Hell, I'll be your hostess for the next 8 weeks...

In Australia, school holidays over the Christmas period last for six weeks. Unless you live in Queensland, in which case you can enjoy your little darlings for EIGHT weeks.

Please don't get me wrong, I do indeed love my children, very much actually. But eight weeks of whinge/boredom/sibling aggression is very hard to take, especially after my wallet is sucked dry around week 2.

My plan is to schedule each week so that there are lots of activities to look forward to/use as bribery for good behaviour/actually enjoy. My wallet already looks a bit thin (and it's not even christmas yet) so I have put on my thinking cap to make a list of things that are fun & hopefully inexpensive.

Here are 50 of my best.

1. Swim at the local pool - early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
2. Swim at a local beach, we are lucky to have a few to choose from.
3. Print some cool stuff off the Internet to colour in.
4. Give them $2 each & go to the op shop. It doesn't really matter what they buy.
5. Tape some newspaper to the side of the house & paint pictures. Use washable paint.
6. Make play dough & create Dinosaur Island on the kitchen table (thanks Filthwizardry)
7. Visit the local library & enjoy the air con while choosing some books or DVDs.
8. Walk on the beach after dinner & collect shells.
9. Make a shell mobile or shell creatures from your shells.
10. Visit the Botanical Gardens, most cities have more than one.
11. Go to the movies.
12. Read stories together.
13. Make a collage out of junk mail or old magazines.
14. Cook something together - cupcakes, jelly, pasta salad, sorbet.
15. Fly kites. These don't have to cost much money, try the $2 shop.
16. Go to a Museum - there are lots actually, not just the big one.
17. Go to an Art gallery. I need to keep this visit short or we get thrown out. Monkeys!
18. Rent some new DVDs, or download off the net. Have a DVD exchange with some friends.
19. Buy a VCR & watch some old videos. This would mean I could finally watch my Twin Peaks series again! Hello Log Lady!
20. Make a movie of your own - use your mobile. Or just Skype with the cousins.
21. Go to an outdoor cinema.
22. Go to the zoo, does your city have more than one?
23. Play dress ups - make your own outfits by modifying what you have.
24. Go horse riding. Mr BC's family is quite horsey so I'm keen to see if the boys got that gene. I know teenage daughter did.
25. Go & pick strawberries at the strawberry farm.
26. Buy a carton of mangos & have a mango festival (we do this every summer)
27. Send Mr BC & the children camping. I will enjoy not camping.
28. Go fishing.
29. Go to a farmers market that we haven't been to before.
30. Go to night markets - I miss the Noodle Markets in Sydney.
31. Do a swap with a friend - they take your kids one day & you take theirs another day. Bliss!
32. Visit the local marina to look at some boats.
33. Go on a City Cat ride on the Brisbane River, which is sort of the equivalent of the Manly Ferry.
34. Visit the Planetarium. Are you a South Park fan? Can you say Planetarium without saying Plane-arium in your head?
35. Visit the Pet Protection Society & choose a kitten (shh don't tell Mr BC that. I've buried this in the middle so he will never see it.)
36. See what holiday activities your council has planned, sometimes there are fun age appropriate activities organised.
37. Ditto for your local shopping mall. Westfield always has a kids program going.
38. Ditto for your local community centre or your local PCYC.
39. Go outside & play with water pistols. Jon in if you like! Or not..
40. Ice skating, roller skating, 10 pin bowling. Maybe they'd like barefoot lawn bowls? I do.
41. Go snorkeling. Wear a rash vest. Monkey boy is a Ranga. Nuff said.
42. Visit a local wildlife preserve - both boys are fascinated by mangroves & luckily we have a lot around.
43. Go buy a few seedlings then come home & plant them. If Dad is the gardener maybe he might like to do this? If you go to Bunnings the kids can have a play in the playground while you have a coffee.
44. Try a new sport - trampolining, break dancing, circus sports..
45. Before Christmas - drive around looking at Christmas lights.
46. After Christmas - Actually play with the toys that Santa bought.
47. Go to a local park. Take a ball to kick around in case the play equipment sucks.
48. Take the scooters to the local skate park, but pick the times when the thugs aren't around, probably early morning.
49. Visit the local shipwreck. Yes! We have one, it's called The Gayundah.
50. Send the children outside to play, pour a glass of wine, & log onto Pinterest..

What are your plans for the holidays to keep the children from being revolting? Please share. Eight weeks is a long time...

xx