The Christmas holidays are 6-8 weeks long in NZ, and can leave some parents wondering what to do (and where to escape). Here are just a few ideas of things you can do with children over the holidays with minimal cost.
A
Ambury Farm (it's a working farm and is free to visit and walk around; you can also go bird watching there)
Auckland Art gallery - there is a kids section where kids can do their own artwork.
Alphabet hunt - look for things beginning with each letter of the alphabet.
Angels - make an angel - eg paper angel, a sand angel, pinecone angel
Auckland Airport - go to the lookout and watch the planes come in and take off.
Alice in Wonderland
Alphabet numberplate game - this is a great game for long journeys. You have to look at all the numberplates on the cars around you and try to find the letters from A to Z, before someone else does. Try to get to Z first.
Animal, vegetable or mineral - a question game where one person thinks of an object (either an animal, vegetable, or mineral) and the other person/s have to ask yes or no questions to try and find out what it is. Eg "Does it have four legs?" is a good question. "How many legs does it have?" is not a Yes or No question and is not allowed in the game.
B
Baking - Make a batch of biscuits - yum!
Beach - go to a beach, take a boogie board or fishing net and explore the rockpools. Browns Bay Beach has lots of rockpools to explore.
Buttons & beads & bottle caps- get out a box of buttons, beads, or bottle-caps, and play with them, make flowers and gardens, use your imagination.
Books
Bingo - make your own Bingo game if you haven't got Bingo. You could use stickers to make them, or download a Bingo from the internet - and there so many to choose from... Animal Bingo, Dinosaur Bingo, Alphabet Bingo, Number Bingo... anything goes!
If you are going on a long journey, make your own travelling Bingo cards with things that you may see - eg a caravan, mobile home, bicycle, horse, cow, church, road signs, road works, aeroplane, etc.
Boats - go and look at boats, or make your own paper boat
Ball - play catch or try and throw at a target or into a hoop or box. Keep a tally of how many times you got it in.
Bounce a tennis or small bouncy ball against the fence and try to hit it.
Bike
Balloons - fill balloons up with water and throw at targets drawn on the fence or driveway
Botanical Gardens - free to go to, and beautiful to look around.
C
Cooking; bake cupcakes or a cake
Camping
Chalk - get a bucket of chalk and draw on the fence / driveway; write numbers along the fence line - call out a number for the kids to run to.
Circus / Carnival - get out the tablecloths and sheets and create your very own Big Top in the lounge or bedroom, and the kids dress up and put on their own show.
Catch - play catch, either with a ball or beanbag
Create - get out the scissors, glue, magazines, pencils, stickers, pipecleaners, beads, paper, pens, whatever you have, and get creative.
Christmas cards - make your own christmas cards or birthday cards to send to friends and family.
Christmas decorations - make a christmas decoration or paper chain.
Cardboard boxes - turn into cars, trains, firetrucks, ambulance, aeroplanes, rocket ships, hot air balloons, houses, villages, robots, Santa's workshop or grotto...
Chess
Cornwall Park
Cinderella
D
Dens - get out the sheets and tablecoths, rope, pegs, tables and chairs (or trees if outside) and create a den. You could decorate it with battery operated fairy lights to make it pretty.
Dinosaurs - get out the dinosaurs and create a small world with them using rocks, pinecones, blocks, lego, sticks... whatever you can find.
Hide the dinosaurs around the garden and go on a dinosaur hunt.
You could leave a trail of large footprints (use chalk - chalk even works well on carpet and vacuums off easily) for children to follow.
Go to the beach and make large dinosaur footprints in the sand for other kids to follow.
Dragons - make a dragon cave using chairs or trees and old sheets; draw a large dragon on an old cardboard box for children to colour and paint (you don't have to be good at drawing, children are very forgiving of our artwork!).
Dance - put on some fun music to dance to; learn some new dance moves. Get out the fairy lights and a mirror ball and have a disco!
Dalek - make a dalek out of a cardboard box.
Dominoes
Devonport - get the ferry or drive over, and go to Northcote Point. Take a torch and explore the battery and the tunnels there. It's free and it's so much fun!
Dress up - put on mum or dad's clothes!
Domain - go to Auckland Domain, wander around the winter gardens, have a picnic, look at all the statues.
E
Explore
Elves - make santa's elves out of pipecleaners or wooden pegs (or both). Dress up as an elf.
Experiments - do your own science experiments. There are so many you can do at home. Nanogirl shows you how! http://www.medickinson.com/nanogirl/ check out her 100 Day Project for some awesome and fun experiments to do at home.
F
Facepaint - get out the make-up or facepaint if you have some, and have a go at painting your own child's face! Look at some examples of facepainting online to get some ideas. Remember you don't have to be good at art or drawing, just be willing to take risks and make mistakes.
Fairies - make a fairy garden, go looking in the garden for fairies, make fairy bread.
Flowers - plants some flowers.
Flying Fox - go to a park where there is a flying fox - fun!
The Faraway Tree - introduce your child to Enid Blyton's wonderful children's book, The Faraway Tree. Or to The Famous Five - one of my favourites as a child!
Ferry - go on the Devonport ferry
Fishing - go to a wharf with a simple fishing line and have a go at fishing.
Fairytales - choose a fairytale to read together.
G
Gardening
Gallery - visit a local art gallery
Grandparents - visit or call the grandparents
Gingerbread men - bake your own
Give - find, make, or buy some toys to donate as Christmas presents for children in need.
Glue - get out scissors, magazines, paper and glue and get sticking and cutting!
Goat Island
H
Hangman - a classic children's game!
Hopscotch - get out the chalk and draw your own on the driveway or somewhere suitable
Hunt - go an an alphabet hunt, a bug hunt, a treasure hunt. Give your child a list of things to find and let them go and search.
Hammer - get out the hammer and nails and some wood, and get busy. Maybe use driftwood collected on the beach and make something with it.
Hansel & Gretel - read a story.
I
Icecream - make your own icecream and iceblocks. There are lots of recipes online, or freeze juice or yoghurt into iceblock moulds.
Indians - make your own feathered headbands (simply glue or staple feathers onto a strip of card to fit around the head) and play at native Indians.
Make a teepee in the garden with an old sheet and bamboo sticks.
Ice - make coloured ice by mixing water with food colouring. Put glitter in, or small plastic dinosaurs or toy bugs, and freeze.
Pour water into balloons or rubber gloves and freeze.
When frozen, put salt on the ice and watch what happens.
Put string into tubs of water before freezing, so that you can hang them up outside and watch them melt.
I Spy with my little eye, something beginning with.... a great game for long car journeys.
J
Journal - get a scrapbook and make it into your own journal of the holidays. Draw pictures of what you did each day or put in photos, and write down something that you did each day (or get an adult or older sibling to write for you).
Jokes - go to the library and get out a joke book, and learn some jokes to tell your friends.
Juggle - practice juggling
Jelly - make some!
Juice - make your own!
Jump - create your own backyard obstacle course, with things to jump over, crawl through, balance on... use logs, tyres, chairs, planks of wood, tables, hoola hoops, whatever you might have on hand.
Use chalk to draw stepping stones on the driveway for you to jump in.
Use an old pair of stockings or get some elastic from the $2 shop to make your own elastics. Loop around two chairs and jump in, out, and over.
Jewellery - get out the beads and ribbon or string and make your own. Make paper beads by rolling strips of paper around a pencil. Use pages from old magazines to create your own paper beads.
Jigsaw puzzles
K
Kim's Game - choose a number of objects, and cover them up. Then try and remember all of the objects on the tray. Write them down if you can. Take away an object and try to figure out which one is missing.
Kite - make your own or get one from the $2 shop, and go fly a kite.
Knit - learn to knit, either with knitting needles or finger knit. Get a book from the library with easy clear to follow instructions. You can often find cheap wool and knitting needles at your local charity shop.
Kings - dress up and play at kings and queens, and knights in shining armour. Make your own throne by decorating a chair; make a crown using card and glitter and pens or crayons. Make a sword and shield using card - old cardboard boxes (especially cardboard boxes that beer comes in, if you drink beer) are great for this.
Kick - kick a ball around the back yard. Make a goal - either use chalk on the fence, or get two chairs and tie a piece of string between them, or up-end an old coffee table.
L
Library - go to the local library and choose some books to read together
Lighthouse - visit Awhitu Lighthouse, on the Awhitu Peninsula. Take a picnic. Stop in at the art gallery there.
Long Bay Beach
Lights - go look at the Christmas Lights when it gets dark
Ludo - this game can last for hours!
Last Card
Listening games - get your child to identify different noises/sounds; Simon Says is a great listening game.
Lego
Lemonade - make your own, it's fun and easy!
Lacing - make your own lacing cards using card and a hole punch, if you don't have any. Or get out beads and buttons and straws and thread string through. Learn to tie your own shoelaces.
Lanterns - make your own
Little Red Riding Hood - tell the story, dress up, act it out.
M
Museum - Auckland museum is always worth a visit.
Maraetai - there are two regional parks at Maraetai which you can visit and walk around.
Monkey bars - go to a park and get on the monkey bars
Monopoly
Mousetrap (the game, I mean)
Memory game - use cards or objects. The card game can be played by one person, so if you have an only child, once they learn how to play, they can play by themselves which leaves you free to do what you need / want.
Magic tricks - get a book out the library and learn some magic tricks to show your friends when you go back to school
Music - learn to play a musical instrument, or put on some fun music to dance to. Listen to a variety of different music - classical, country, jazz, folk, pop, Celtic, drums...
Movie - put on a movie and make popcorn.
Mermaids - get a tub of water and create a small world for mermaids. Use shells and pebbles.
Make a shell necklace for yourself or a friend.
Draw or colour in a mermaid.
Tell the story of The Little Mermaid.
Fill up the paddling pool and pretend to be a mermaid.
Mobile - create a mobile to hang in the bedroom or outside. Use shells with holes in, beads, buttons, sequins, bottle caps, create butterflies or whatever you fancy, cut shapes out of felt to hang up, Attach to a stick or piece of driftwood.
Make masks - use paper, card, or papier mache.
N
Northhead Point, Devonport - take a torch
Neverland - create your own Neverland. Use rocks, pebbles, a mat, sticks, whatever you have to hand. Make it big outside or make it small in the corner of the room.
Nurses - dress up, and play at nurses and doctors. Get out the bandages and plasters, use empty boxes and toilet rolls as bottles of medicine; set up a hospital corner, or a waiting room complete with books or magazines; make a nurses headband using white paper and draw a red cross on the front of it. Get the teddy's and dolls to be patients.
Native birds - go to the library and get out a book on native birds; go for a walk in the bush; make a list of native birds that you might see, and cross them off as you see them. (eg Kereru, fantail, tui),
http://myfamily.kiwi/activities and http://regionalparks.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/parks details many walks around NZ and Auckland.
Numbers - play games that strengthen your child's number knowledge.
Look at numbers on letterboxes, on car numberplates.
Count how many presents under the tree, how many Christmas cards.
Make a number snake using chalk on the driveway for children to jump on, over, run to, count forwards, count backwards. Skip count as kids jump on every second or third number along the number line.
O
Origami - get a book out of the local library to help you.
Op-shops - spend some time wandering around your local charity shops. They are great places to buy children's books, puzzles, and games, at a fraction of the cost of brand new.
Old Maid (card game)
Otuataua Stonefields
Onehunga waterfront - the reclamation of land is finished and is now a really lovely place to walk, swim, kayak, and take a picnic.
P
Parks and playgrounds
Parnell Rose Gardens
Port Waikato
Picnic
Pinecones - collect pinecones to use in crafts
Paper planes
Postcards - write some postcards and send them off to friends and family
Pirates - dress up, make an eye patch, make a sword out of card (old cardboard boxes are ideal);
make a boat - use blocks or lego or upside down table or the bed;
go on a treasure hunt;
walk the plank.
Poi - make some poi. Stuff two plastic bags with stuffing or paper towels; make two plaits and tie around the plastic balls; cover with a large square of fabric and use a bit of wool or string to tie around the neck of the balls; cut off excess plastic bag and fabric. Put in a couple of stitches to secure the fabric.
Paint - get out the paint and paper. Use your hands, fingers, sticks, feathers, bubblewrap, balloons, plastic forks, combs, leaves or string to paint with.
Playdough - it's easy to make your own. Mix together 3 cups of flour, 1 1/2 cup salt, 3 teaspoons citric acid, 1-2 tablespoons oil and 3 cups of boiling water. It will look like a hot sticky mess. When it becomes impossible to stir, dump out onto the kitchen bench and start kneading, pushing and smacking the dough on the bench. It will be hot, so watch your hands. The more you knead, the more you release the gluten in the flour and it starts to become stretchy and elastic. Keep kneading until the dough is nice and soft. Divide into parts and add food colouring. I keep my playdough in an icecream container, but some people keep theirs in the fridge. I find this dries out the playdough somewhat, but just add a bit more water as it starts to dry out, and knead through again.
Pom-poms - add googly eyes to make fun creatures. Use green wool to make a frog; yellow wool to make a chick; brown wool to make an owl. Wrap wool around two cardboard circles with a hole in the middle cut out (just like two cardboard donuts). Keep wrapping around the circle until you are satisfied with the fullness. Snip around the middle of the donut with scissors; tie a piece of thread tightly around the middle of the donut and slip the cardboard pieces off. Fluff up to make a nice round pom-pom.
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie.
Q
Quiz - make your own quiz or find one on the internet. Base your questions on something your child is interested in, eg dinosaurs, animals, vehicles, birds, trivia.
Queen - make a crown, decorate a chair to be a throne, have a high tea with club sandwiches and tiny biscuits, dress up, be a fairy queen, make a wand using a stick and paper stars.
Quilling
Quick - have races - sack race, hopping race, running race, wheelbarrow race; make an obstacle course or hurdles and get mum to time you. Then do it again and try to better your time.
20 Questions - give clues every 5th question. Questions have to be answered Yes or No.
R
Read a book together
Ride a bike
Run - run around the garden, run along the beach, run to numbers / letters of the alphabet written on the fence (get an adult to call them out).
Rugby
Recycle and re-use - don't throw away plastic bottles or caps - collect them and try to think of ways to re-use and recycle. Make plastic bottles into planters or bird feeders. Thread a pile of bottlecaps with string (use a hammer and nail to put a hole through the middle) and make a bottle cap snake. Plant seeds in egg cartons. What else can you make?
S
Scavenger hunt
Storytelling, Snow White
Sing songs
Sewing
Snakes & Ladders
Snap!
Stamps, stickers, scissors - get them out and get creating!
Sorting - sort out buttons into size or colour; sort shells or stones; sort out toys and put in the right place.
Swings - go to the park and play on the swings
Skype a family member
Star Wars - dress up, make costumes, convert the lounge or hallway to the Death Star, make paper stars and planets to hang up and create a galaxy; make light sabres, play the Star Wars theme music, make masks.
T
Trees - climb a tree
Trivia games
Threading - get out string and buttons, beads, macaroni or pasta, shells with holes
Throwing - throw balloons filled with water at targets; throw beanbags; balls, etc.
Tent - put up a tent in the back yard. If you're brave enough, sleep in it!
Trains - there is a miniature train ride at Centre Park, Robertson Road, Mangere. http://manukaulivesteamers.co.nz/home-new/
Totara Park - http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/en/parksfacilities/premierparks/pages/totarapark.aspx
Tracking / Trails - make your own trails and tracks for the children to follow. Leave arrows and clues to work out where to go next.
Thank you letters - write thank you notes to friends and family for your Christmas presents.
U
Up, Under, over - make an obstacle course in the back yard.
Unicorns - tell stories about unicorns, pretend to be a unicorn, make a small world play area (use blocks, lego, whatever) for little toy unicorns.
Upside down day - have dinner in the morning, breakfast at night, wear pyjamas in the day and clothes at night!
V
Video - make your own.
Volcano - visit a volcano, climb up the top, learn about how volcanoes were made (get a book out the library), look for volcanic rock.
W
Waitakere Ranges
Walk
Water play - fill up a plastic bag with water, tie up to a tree and put holes in it so that it spurts out.
Get a tub of water and some jugs, funnels and empty bottles.
Make a water wheel using plastic plates, plastic cups and tape.
Put the sprinklers on and jump over them.
Get out the water pistols.
Wash the car and have a water fight with wet sponges.
Tie string around large car-washing sponges, dunk in water and hang from above so that it drips down - fun to ride bikes through or run through!
Wheels - get out the bikes, skates, or skateboard.
Weird & Wacky - have a weird and wacky day, dress up, put on crazy face paint or makeup, and be silly!
Wind in the Willows - introduce your child to the beautiful stories of Rat and Mole, Badger and Toad.
The Wishing Chair adventure books by Enid Blyton - magical and fun stories to share with your child.
X
haven't got X sorted yet - let me know if you have any ideas!
Y
Yoga
Yahtzee - if you don't have yahtzee, just make up your own dice game. Throw two or three dice (two dice for children who are still learning to add) and add them up together. The first person to get to 20 (or whatever number you decide upon) wins.
Yogurt - make your own
The Yes or No Game! The question game where you are not allowed to answer with a yes or no! The other person (or people) try to ask questions that make you say Yes or No and you have to answer without saying it. If you do, your turn is over and it is then someone else's turn.
Z
Zoo animals - go to the zoo; or make your own using blocks / lego and plastic animals; make animal masks; eat fruit and vegetables; paint the lines of a cage using a brush and water on the fence.
Zen sand trays - get a tray of sand (or glitter, or mix sand with glitter; if you mix cornflour with sand it creates a fine, silky texture), a little rake or fork, scoops, (the scoops from baby formula cans are fabulous) pebbles, little shells, and anything else you may have, eg little sticks, small pine cones, acorns, flower petals, leaves. A large plastic tray/serving dish works well, as does old cake tins - you can find suitable containers very cheaply in your local charity shop.