Six school holiday activities for the whole family

The approaching school holidays are a welcome break for lots of families.

Holidays can't come soon enough?  Here are six fun activities you can do with the whole family.

In this article we look at six ideas to help you keep kids busy.

Six school holiday activity ideas for Victorian families

1. Check out your local council

Local councils run lots of fun, free and low-cost school holiday activities for families such as library sessions, cooking classes and sports and rec programs.

Visit their events page to see what your kids might be interested in.

2. Burn energy and get outside

If the weather allows it, take the opportunity during the school holidays to get the family outside and active.

You might like to go on a bushwalk, in which case we have some great tips and locations for people who are just looking to get started. You might even just want to check out a playground or park in your local area. 

3. Get back on the bike (literally)

As the saying goes, it may be true you never forget how to ride a bike. The school holidays are the perfect time to dust off your bike, skateboard, scooter or rollerblades and take the family for a ride. 

If it’s been a while between rides or you're just getting started, our This Girl Can Victoria ambassador Tina has some great cycling tips.

4. Work on wellbeing

While getting out and about is fun sometimes some quiet time is needed. Mindfulness activities are a great way to help your kids develop resilience, and Andrea from Kids Thrive shared links to some great options for kids to try at home:

• 21 days of mindfulness boot camp
• Your secret treehouse meditation

5. Get cooking

Did you know that kids are more likely to try fruits and veggies if they help cook with them? The school holidays are a perfect time to get kids excited about cooking easy healthy recipes. If they like them, you can even use them for school lunches when school returns!

Here are some recipes your kids will love – all given the tick of approval by the dietitians in our healthy eating team:

• Easy lunchbox quesadillas
• Easy veggie fritters

6. Make learning fun with a day out

Museums, galleries and zoos are the perfect opportunity to take kids on a fun day out where they can learn as well.

Museums Victoria’s facilities (Melbourne Museum, Scienceworks and Immigration Museum) are fantastic for teaching kids all about natural history, science and our state’s multiculturalism, while the NGV is perfect for kids with creative flare. Zoos Victoria is always a family favourite and has a vast array of animals to visit across three locations, with a strong message around protecting animals and our environment.

There are plenty of ways to keep kids entertained these school holidays. Whether it’s getting outside and enjoying nature, fuelling imagination at home, going for a bike ride or cooking, there is something for everyone.

For more VicHealth articles on how to look after your health and wellbeing, check out:

• When is the right time for kids to walk to school?
• Easy leftover school lunchbox ideas