4 Creative Ways to Entertain the Kids these Holidays

If you’re not going away these school holidays, finding ways to entertain the children without breaking the bank can be challenging! If you’re looking for cheap and easy ways to get creative with the kids, I’ve come up with four ideas for you to use as inspiration. So pack a bag, put on your beanie and see how creative you can get! 

Take a walk on the wild side 

Take a walk to find some vivid street art in your area. Immerse yourself in the colours and patterns and see what shapes or images you can see. If you’re feeling particularly creative, pack a clipboard, paper and crayons so you can all sit and copy your favourites, or be inspired to create your own designs on paper. If you can’t find anything suitable in your area, head on into the city and you will find plenty to choose from! Hosier Lane, Centre Place or AC/DC Lane are great places to start your adventure. 

Photo by Linda Xu on Unsplash

Try this: 

• Take photos. Print them at home and make a collage. You could even frame it for a funky piece of art for your kid’s bedroom 

• Create your own street art with chalk on the pavement at home 
• Use this graffiti generator to see how your name could look written in graffiti 

Create a quiet moment 

Look for stained glass windows in local churches or historical buildings. Take photos to create into art projects at home (perfect to save for a rainy-day project). Alternatively, take time out just to sit and admire or draw what you can see. 

Try this: 

• If you can’t find any stain glass windows nearby, head into the Great Hall at the National Galleries of Victoria. If you look up, you will see an amazing ceiling! Lie on your back and take in the patterns and colours. 
• Turn your photos and drawings into a stained-glass craft activity. Check out this list of 25 curated stained-glass inspired craft ideas for kids of all ages  

Photo by kevin laminto on Unsplash

Taste adventure 

Head off to your local farmers market for a taste adventure. This is a great way to introduce kids to the origin of food, or to entice fussy eaters with a bit of fun (and some sneaky maths thrown in for good measure).  Many markets have samples to try, or allocate a small budget to purchase a few interesting items. If it’s a nice day, turn it into a picnic in the park! 

Try this: 

• For older kids, you could allocate them a budget and get them to find five foods that they haven’t heard of or tried before.  
• Most farmers markets are only open on the weekend, but for a mid-week trip try Queen Victoria Markets or Prahran Market. 
• You could also choose a dinner recipe, make a list for the kids to find the ingredients and then make the meal together.

Photo by Kate Trysh on Unsplash

Forget the DIY 

If all of this creativity sounds like too much hard work, then tap into the many organisations and activities happening around town that cater for creative kids in the holidays.  

Try this: 

• Art Play has some great workshops, some of which are free. Make sure you book though! An added bonus is a playground out the back to run them ragged afterwards. You can even purchase a sneaky coffee at the café whilst you’re there. 
• Snap up the few remaining tickets for free movies at various libraries around town 
• Still not inspired? Check out this list from Victorian Tourism on what’s happening near you! 

I hope you enjoy the school holidays with the kids. Make sure you tag us @use_ta or #useta so we can see what creative things you’ve been up to!