Over here, in Australia, we have our long Summer holidays over December/January. The school year has finished, school bags emptied (luckily I checked today because the marvelous-science-experiment-uneaten-sandwich would have been alive and walking if I’d waited any longer!) and all extra curricular activities paused for a breather. Ahhh…. relief!

But I know, sometime over the next few weeks, I’m likely to receive a lethargic plea from one of my children draped across the lounge: ‘Muuuum, I don’t know what to do. I’m bored.’ So this year I’m thinking ahead and doing the brainstorming early so when it does come I’ll be able to spill plenty of good ideas in response to that particular complaint. I hope you can help me out too, and leave an idea or link to your favourite ‘Holiday Idea‘ in your comments below.

But for now, here’s my Top 10 Holiday Ideas Countdown:

10 – Get wet!
Head outside, fill the buckets, rope in the neighbours children if possible and have a water fight! Or paint water paintings on the driveway, throw water balloons at targets, water the garden for Dad, fill the paddling pool etc (My apologies to the northern Hemisphere readers if this idea sounds absolutely ludicrous at this time of year – save it for your summer?)

9 – Bake something, Mmmmmm.
Feel like something savoury? Mix up a dip to accompany carrot sticks and crackers. Feel like something sweet? Why not try Mum’s easiest no bake truffles?

8 – Wash the dog.
Or take it for a walk, teach a new trick. Design a new cat toy, or a mouse adventure play land, or a bird feeder to attract the native birds in your area.

7 – Read a new book!
Yep – try something different, something recommended by a friend or parent. Read it aloud and together to begin with until you pick up the story and then go for it!

6 – Colour in.
Pop on your favourite music, or audio book – perhaps it’s time to listen to Narnia again? (It’s always time to listen to Narnia again at our place.) and do some lovely colouring in. Look online for some colouring pages that interest you. Here are some from my books.  

5 – Be Generous.
Plan a surprise gift for someone. Choose it, make it (or buy it, draw it, practice it) then send it on it’s way. It could be for an upcoming family birthday, or just a gift for no reason other than friendship.

4 – Odd Jobs
Be helpful – mow a lawn, (scoop snow?), paint a door, scrub a bathtub, pull the weeds, make a cup-of-tea for mum, read to your younger brother, read to your older sister, clean your room, write a letter to Nanna, wash the car (Hey, what a brilliant idea!), etc, etc…

3 – Learn something new.
Like knitting, or crochet, or woodwork, or making toffee, or a skateboard ollie, or…

2 – Party Time!
Plan a party – why not? It could be a combined ‘Un-Birthday Party’, or a ‘New Year’s Eve Party’, or a ‘No More HomeWork’ party or…

1 – Write a List
Yep, that’s correct. Write your own list of all the wonderful things you’d like to do this holidays! Then sit down with Mum and Dad and see how we can pull as many of them off as possible. How about that museum trip? Or the skate-park outing?

What about you? What are your Holiday Ideas this Christmas break?
Leave your ideas in the comments section and then bookmark this post for the inevitable ‘Muuuum….’ days headed your way!