Keeping kids entertained all school holiday long is a full-time job. Whether you’ve scored some solid time off to spend with the family or are in a desperate search of ways to keep the kids entertained as the unending busyness of life goes on, Spencil has got you covered.
Enjoy our amazing Easter holidays bucket list, packed to the brim with 15 awesome activities. We’ve thought long and hard about these unique and fun ideas that are guaranteed to create some long-lasting and one day, nostalgic, childhood memories of holiday fun.
Challenge your kids to have every activity checked off by the end of the holidays to give this time a fun sense of purpose. We’re all dreaming of motivated, self-directed play and they’ll love the sense of accomplishment that’ll come from having completed this nifty little list.
Easter Bucket List
- Build a cubby house
Grab out some old sheets and give the kids a couple of pegs from the washing line. Let the kids get creative in the design process, using just about any furniture they can find to string up their sheets into a little home of their own. Donate a daggy blanket and some cushions for the cubby floor and watch them spend all day filling it and playing with the things they love most inside.
- Have a picnic
Spend 10 minutes preparing some easy, healthy snacks (yes it’s possible, check out our awesome Bento hacks and snacks article for some tips). Set out a picnic blanket in the backyard and watch the world go by in the afternoon sun.
- Make pancakes
We all know kids love getting in the kitchen and that it’s great for their development but it can sometimes feel like a bit of a chore. Don’t even get us started on the MESS. We’ve chosen to put a really quick and easy pancake recipe on the bucket list. Minimum effort and maximum reward – check out the recipe here.
- Have a water fight
While it’s starting to cool down now in the land of Aus, we’re still enjoying some warm days. Lather the kids in some SPF and enjoy this silly way to cool off. If you don’t already have a water gun or two hiding in the closet at home – pick a few up from the local dollar shop. Buckets and squirty water bottles make excellent fighting devices too if you don’t mind the kids ending up completely soaked.
- See a shooting star
Stargazing is the perfect activity for the whole family and the perfect way to wind down, even if it is after a long day at work. Set a blanket down in the backyard and chat while you admire the beautiful night’s sky. If the kids are particularly interested, you can identify the constellations and planets with this amazing app.
- Chalk drawing
A mess-free, self-directed creative activity? We think yes! Pick up a tub of outdoor chalk from K-mart and let the kids decorate the driveway. Here’s a list of drawing prompts, in case they’re not too sure what to draw. Make sure to take a photo of their gorgeous works before the rain washes them away.
- Read a book
Book worm or not, all kids no matter how big or small can achieve this one. Whether it’s a picture book read with mum and dad, or a novel, any book counts as an achievement. An awesome new book might be just the motivation they need – check out this list of the best Australian children’s books.
- Crafternoon
If you didn’t already know, our cardboard mailers are 100% recyclable and compostable. On the theme of reducing, reusing and recycling, we came up with some craft activities your little ones can make out of their mailers and other stuff you might already have lying around the house. If you don’t have a mailer handy, any old cardboard will do!
- Climb a tree
Perhaps this activity is now a blast from the past but there’s a reason it’s kept kids entertained for millennia. Enjoy your backyard from a new perspective – tucked up in the seat of a tree! Get them outside and immersed in nature, using problem-solving skills, strength and agility to tackle this gnarly task.
- Play 44 home
Bickering, bored kids – nothing a bit (or a lot) of running around the backyard can’t fix. With an element of strategy and great, fun fitness, let the kids show their competitive side in this game that’ll have them enthralled for hours and absolutely pooped come the end of the day. This game had us on lock well into our teens. They’re going to love it. Here are the rules, plus a few other old-school games they might like.
- Have a fashion show
Fashionista or not, kids love getting creative and expressing themselves. Set a theme for the show – it could be a colour, a pattern, or you could even challenge the kids to create some costumes (favourite characters, animals, etc). Let them plan their outfits, choose a location in the house and even the music they’d like on while they strut the runway. An added bonus is the adorable photo opportunities.
- Have a dance party
Push back the couch and coffee table, chuck on some tunes and have a good old fashion boogie. Musical statues or Bob Bob Freeze can be good to keep them engaged if dancing isn’t really their strong suit. Teach them some new (or very old) dance moves and make sure to film them doing the sprinkler for their 21st.
- Have a pillow fight
A healthy way to let off steam and settle an ongoing quarrel, or at the very least a bit of fun – a pillow fight. Grab your cheapest, preferably not duck down pillows (to avoid mess) and let the fun begin. We hate to say it but a couple of ground rules, a set time frame and some supervision may be needed for this activity to avoid a total disaster.
- Play in the rain
While our fingers are crossed, we almost always get some rain over easter. Don’t waste the day cooped up inside… chuck on your raincoats and gumboots and get out there! Jump in puddles, race leaf boats down gutters and play in the mud. You’re only young once after all.
- Make a time capsule
Throughout all this holiday fun, encourage the kids to keep mementos of their experiences. Whether it’s an object, a photo, a story, or pictures – take all their treasures and place them inside a sturdy plastic jar. Store the jar in your cupboard until they’re older enough to appreciate the special memories you’ve saved for them.
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Wishing peaceful, happy holidays to you and a choccy, fun-filled holiday for the kids (Thanks Easter bunny!). As tiring as they can be, school holidays are so special.
They won’t be little forever so let’s cherish it.