Snotty Noses Happy Parents Raising Healthy Kids by Dr Orlena Kerek, Paediatrician

Who loves the school holidays? Long days, weeks, months of absolutely nothing to do. Sounds bliss doesn’t it? The only problem is that within about a day, the kids are asking to turn on the TV and play games on whatever i-device they can get their hands on.

I’m all for a little screen time. In moderation.

I use 2 hours of screen time as a rule of thumb. I don’t want my kids to turn into zombies. I don’t want them to miss out on all the exciting things childhood brings. I don’t want them to look back in years to come and remember fighting over the remote control as their strongest childhood memory.

Plus, I want to install the healthy habit of getting up and active which is very unlikely when mesmerised by the flickering lights of the “Japanese babysitter” (or whichever country your TV was made in.)

Make a Boredom Jar

Instead of turning to the TV when your kids are bored, how about you make a “boredom jar”. Just write out all the things that you like doing on a piece of cardboard, pop them in the jar and when the “I’m bored” squeals start, pick out a card.

Here are a few ideas to get you started!

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Colouring

Sticking

Painting

Drawing

Creating

Make a Den

Football

Go to the Park

Mud Pies

Water the Garden

.

Reading

Letter writing

Activity Books

Kitchen Science

Play with Cars

Go for a Walk

Ride a bike

Imaginative Play

Cooking

House Work

Go to the Beach

Play with play doh

Paper mache

Play with Trains

Hamma or Perler Beads

Jigsaw Puzzles

Board Games

Chess

Family Games

Lego

.

Rin Tin Tin

Hide and Seek

Sardines

Play in their Room

Shaving Foam Fun

Water Fun

Collecting Sticks and Stones

Make a Nest

Cardboard Box Castle

Flying Fun

.

Make Water Colours

Walk in the Woods

Make Sock Puppets

Play Outdoors

Exercise with Mom

Toddler Craft

Taste Safe Paint (or slime)

Puppet Show

Play with Sand

Play with a Train Set

.

Make Musical Instruments

Dress Up

Scavenger Hunt

Look for Bugs

Obstacle Course

Cricket

Make Popsicles

Play with Ice

Cutting

Hula Hoop

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Skipping

Listen to Audio Books

Roller skating

Skate boarding

Swimming

Climbing Trees

Races

Being Creative

Listen to Music

French Skipping

.

Elastic Band Bracelets

Have a Quiz

Domino Ralley

Go Fishing

Go to the Library

Play in a Play Tent

Play with Bubbles

Sing Songs

Fly a Kite

Play with a Bouncy Ball

Those long days don’t seem so long now do they? The holidays will fly by and before you know it, you’ll be getting ready to go back to school.

Here’s my last activity. Take lots of photos, print them out and make a photo album of your holidays so that you can a beautiful memory of your screen free holiday.