Are school holidays proving to be expensive? Here are some free and cheap ideas

Beating boredom and entertaining kids during school holidays is hurting the budgets of Australian families. How much do you spend during school holidays?

Source: Wikipedia

Kids love school holidays. For parents, well, its a catch 22.

While they get to spend some quality time to bond with kids and make it memorable, beating boredom and entertaining children during school holidays is hurting the budgets of Australian families, with 40 per cent of parents feeling burdened by entertainment costs.

The 2016 finder.com.au School Holiday Spending Report, which surveyed 1,013 Australians, revealed the expense of holiday activities and entertainment has reached $592 on average per household.

Those from the ACT forked out the most on school holidays with an average spend of $831, followed by NSW ($672) and Victoria ($655).

The top child-friendly expense was eating out, chosen by 39 per cent of respondents, followed by cinema trips, theme parks and zoo visits.

Source: Finder.com.au

HOW KEEP YOUR KIDS ENTERTAINED WITHOUT SPENDING A LOT DURING SCHOOL HOLIDAYS?

Finder.com.au's Head of PR & Money Expert, Bessie Hassan told SBS Hindi, "Parents are putting themselves under financial strain to ensure their kids are having an action-packed holiday. But having a great time doesn't have to come with a hefty price tag." 

To minimise the financial strain, Ms Hassan recommends that parents should manage their children's expectations. "Shift focus from costly activities to catching up with family and friends," she said.

Hassan shares her tips for parents to minimise the cost.

1. Write a list. When heading the shops, don’t leave home without a list of what you need. This will eliminate impulse buys. 
2. Take advantage of freebies. Sign up to your local council newsletter and be the first to hear about free expos, festivals, concerts and workshops that are running in your area. Often libraries have fantastic school holiday programs that are very affordable or even free.
3. Pack a picnic. Our survey found that eating out is the most expensive holiday expense so where possible, pack a picnic when you’re heading to the beach or the park to avoid having to pay for food and drinks.
4. The holidays doesn’t have to be all about expensive activities and entertainment, but rather, catching up with friends and relatives, baking cookies, and playing a game of backyard cricket. Making mention of these things to your children also helps to manage expectations. 

Source: Pexels

ASIC recommends with some planning, a modest budget and a bit of creative thinking, there are plenty of free or cheap activities parents can do at home with kids. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Plant a vegetable garden

Even if you only have a small outdoor area you can create a simple vegetable patch with your kids. If you don't have a yard, you could plant seeds in pots and even decorate the pots. It is a good idea to choose fast growing plants so the kids can see the results quickly.

Camp out

Who says you need to leave the house to go camping? Why not set up a tent in the backyard and if the weather is bad you could set up your tent inside the house instead.

Cooking

Plan a day of cooking or baking with your kids - you could even have a cooking competition with members of the family. This is usually a popular activity because you get to eat the results.

Movie night

Borrow some movies from your local library, pop some popcorn and you'll have an authentic cinema experience in your home.

Source: Flickr CC

Arts and crafts

Try face painting, papier mache, building a collage, painting or making masks or beaded jewellery. Use craft materials from around your home rather than going out to buy special items. It's amazing what you can create from buttons and odds and sods from your kitchen drawers. Options are only limited by your creativity and imagination.

Build a cubby

Who doesn't love a pillow fort? Try building a cubby out of boxes, sheets or other things around the house. Putting sheets or blankets over a washing line or kitchen table can be a quick, fun way to make a hideout for your kids.

Read a book

Get your children to pick a few books you can read together as a family over the course of the school holidays. Don't buy special books when you can borrow books for free from your local library.

Treasure hunt

Hide some things around the house or yard and write some clues or create a treasure map to lead your kids on an exhilarating adventure with a prize at the end.

Dress ups

Let your kids lose in your cupboard and see what costumes they can come up with. It's amazing what they can do with a few scarves, hats and coats.

Playdate

Invite one or two of your child's friends over to play for a low cost day at home. Provide paint and paper, bats and balls or dress up gear and the kids should be able to keep each other entertained.

Libraries

Visit your local library and attend their free story time. Libraries also run other school holiday activities like arts and craft and computer and simple electronics courses for older kids. Keep in mind you might need to reserve a space for some courses.

Museums and galleries

Many local museums and galleries have free entry and offer creative and interesting school holiday programs, sometimes free or for a small fee. These programs are perfect for budding artists, archeologists and scientists.

What do you do during school holidays and how much extra do you spend during these holidays? Leave your comments on our Facebook Page.