The school holidays bring time for your child to relax and unwind, and it’s also the perfect opportunity to remind them how to go back to basics and have fun with some exciting activities.
We’ve put together some of our most favourite winter activity ideas that are perfect for the school holidays.
1. Science and Craft Snow Activity
If you’re thinking of heading to the snow this season but haven’t quite got there yet, give this Winter Fake Snow activity a try…all in the comfort of your own home! Here are five different ways to make fake snow.
Baking soda and shaving cream. Mix 1 cup of baking soda with 1 cup of shaving cream. Mix with a fork. Add a few drops of water until the mixture takes on a snow-like appearance.
Baking soda and water. Pour 1 cup of baking soda into a bowl and add one tablespoon of water at a time. Use a fork or a whisk to stir the two ingredients together, adding more water as you go. When it’s light and powdery, it’s ready to play with!
Baking soda and conditioner. For this recipe, be sure to use white conditioner so your fake snow looks just like the real stuff. Start with 1/2 cup of conditioner and use a fork to stir in about 3 cups of baking soda. This snow packs very well and is great for making snowmen!
Shaving cream and corn flour. Mix equal parts shaving cream (foam, not gel) and corn flour for this recipe, which makes a dense, foamy snow.
Cornstarch and lotion. Mix together equal parts of corn flour and lotion for this crumbly snow recipe. If you’re looking for a more powdery snow, add slightly less lotion than corn flour.
Now it’s time to build your snowman! Download the activity guide here.
2. Cooking in the Kitchen
Damper is a favourite in our Outside School Hours Care services and it only takes four ingredients to make.
Serves 12
Ingredients
4 cups self-raising flour ½ teaspoon salt 1 ½ cups reduced fat milk Extra flour Method
Pre-heat oven to 220oC Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and make a well in the middle Pour in the milk and mix Dust a baking tin with extra flour then place dough in the tin Cut a cross in the top surface of the dough Bake in oven for approx. 30 mins
3. Board Game Challenge for the Whole Family
Indoor games are the best wet weather activity. Set up different activity stations in your home with different card and board games. For an added challenge, children can design their own games. Some of our Your OSHC services have created their own Monopoly board game, with street names from around their local area. You can create your own at home too.
4. Design a Sports Round Robin
Pick a country or town to represent, take responsibility for one activity each, and have everyone pick what their prize will be if they’re crowned as winner.
Maybe you’ll want someone else to take charge of dinner, while your children might want their bedtime pushed back for one night only.
Activities don’t have to be complicated. Our favourites include:
- Fastest in sack jumper (use old garden sacks or even dust sheets tied up)
- Best dancer (we like to pick a theme)
- Most jumping jacks in 60 seconds
- Best basketball shooter
4. Rocketeers School Holiday Programs
At Rocketeers, we have loads of experience running school holiday and vacation care programs at locations across Australia.
Not only do we offer a lot of fun, we tailor our program to the interests of the children at each individual site and make sure there’s a wide variety of experiences. Our activities are designed to develop key skills, like social interaction and communication.
You can sign your child up to multiple Rocketeers locations, or just the one that’s closest to your home or workplace. We start early and finish late – we’re here to suit your schedule. You can also use your Child Care Subsidy (CCS), if eligible, to reduce the cost during the school holidays.
Check for your nearest Rocketeers location on the Camp Australia website, call our team on 1300 105 343 or contact us if you’d like to know more.
