Beating boredom these school holidays is hurting the budgets of Australian families, with 40 per cent of parents feeling burdened by entertainment costs.
On average, parents are spending $592 on summer activities like beach trips, eating out and going to the movies, a survey by finder.com.au shows.
Those from the ACT forked out the most on school holidays with an average spend of $831, followed by NSW ($672) and Victoria ($655).
Finder.com.au consumer advocate Bessie Hassan said some parents were forced to work overtime or get a second job to pay for the extra activities.
"We've already splurged on Christmas gifts by about $8.9 billion, so these additional expenses during the school holidays are an unwelcome sting for many families," she said.
The top child-friendly expense was eating out, chosen by 39 per cent of respondents, followed by cinema trips, theme parks and zoo visits.
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.
"Remember, kids can have as much fun playing backyard cricket with the family or baking cookies as they would at a theme park."
