The spring school holidays are finally here! If you’re running out of ideas to keep the little ones occupied over the coming days, we have you covered. Our Play Specialist Lisa has put together some of the best activities and events to make these school holidays fun and unforgettable. And best yet, these ideas are cost-effective and easy to to do.
Sensory Bottles
Are you being overrun with plastic bottles? Next time you have some Pediasure, Nutrini or soft drink bottles lying around, wash and dry them out to make them into shakers.
If you have paper, pencils or paint, then you can get creative with decorating them. Where possible, let your child decide what to put inside. Some ideas include dried pasta, rice or lentils – each makes a different sound so try as many as you like! Or you could go on a nature walk and pick up different sized gumnuts. Another option is to use clear bottles and fill them with food colouring and water.
Help your child be as independent as possible when filling up the bottles, whether they fill the bottle themselves or choose what ingredients to use. The pasta pieces can be put in one by one, or use a funnel and a cup to help them pour rice and lentils in slowly.
Once your bottles are filled, use them to sing rhymes, dance, or play skittles (a bowling like game where you arrange your filled bottles in a triangular formation and use another filled bottle as a ball to roll into them).
If any of these ideas seem too overwhelming, bookmark this post and put it aside for when Hannah’s House staff are there to help.
Get Outside and Enjoy Spring!
Now that the weather is warming up, there are so many activities you and your child can do outdoors to make the most of Spring. Make flower “perfume” with petals and water, dry out petals to make potpourri, paint using flowers as a paintbrush, or play with shredded paper to make nests.
For those who are unable to venture outside, bring Spring inside instead! Why not pick some flowers to admire, spray some blossom scents, or gather around for a story, try reading books on baby animals, or one of our favourites The Hungry Caterpillar is always a crowd-pleaser.
Playdough
There are so many things you can do with playdough other than just the standard rolling and cutting into shapes. Some children may not like touching the dough or may only like the process of making it, that’s absolutely fine. It’s all play and it’s all about them! Why not create some textured sticks to make patterns, add feathers and wobbly eyes to balls of playdough to make birds, or stick in a few pipe cleaners to create some crazy bugs!
Playdough can also be made with glitter to make it sparkly or spices to add a scent. You can make scoops of ‘icecream’, make ‘cupcakes’ with different toppings, make marks in it with their toy cars or animals, create funny faces, or make up a story with what they have created.
Here is Lisa’s trusted Play Dough recipe so you can make it at home!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup flour
- ¼ cup salt
- 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
- 2 tablespoons of oil
Method:
- Add a couple of drops of food colouring, glitter, or spice
- Mix with cold water using a spoon until food colouring is mixed in
- Get both your hands in, and mix or squeeze together to make the dough.
You can keep your play dough for up to two weeks in a sealed container.
What’s On Guides
To find out what’s happening these school holidays, Lisa recommends taking a look at Kids in Perth, Buggy Buddy’s, Rocky Bay, or your local library. Here’s are Lisa’s top picks for these school holidays!
Elizabeth Quay Fun Fair
Price: $10 per person. Under 2 years old FREE
Times: One hour sessions start from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm daily
Location: Elizabeth Quay, Perth
Buy Tickets: schoolsoutfest.com.au
Dino-Land at Yagan Square
Price: $10 per person. Under 2 yrs of age FREE.
Times: One hour sessions start from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm daily
Location: Yagan Square, Perth CBD
Buy Tickets: www.schoolsoutfest.com.au
Yagan Square Sideshow Alley
Price: $6 per game. Showbags Various Prices
Location: Yagan Square, Perth CBD
Buy Tickets: www.schoolsoutfest.com.au
Will you be trying out any of Lisa’s fabulous school holidays ideas? We would love to see how you go, share your experience and photos with us on our Facebook page!
