The Great Outdoors

Are you feeling guilty for the amount of babysitting your TV is doing for you? We all know the benefits of turning the TV off and getting the kids into the outdoors. (But to spell it out: studies have shown that kids who play outdoors are more physically active, less aggressive, more creative in the way they play, and have better concentration.)  The problem is often a lack of alternatives on offer. So here are some outdoor school holiday ideas.

1. Backyard fun

Set up a few activities in your backyard that are accessible as soon as the telly is switched off. A home-made cubby house, a basketball ring, a gardening patch, a trampoline, a dart board.

You can encourage smaller children to build a miniature garden out of stones, twigs and petals for the fairies to come and play in. Tradition has it that the fairies wait until all the humans are out of sight before they come to visit. Then they leave behind a small treat for those who built the garden!

2. Get sporty

Ideally as a parent you lead by example. You organise a family bike ride, or head to your nearest park for some footy or a game of poison ball.

But if you want to leave the physical exertion to someone else, help is at hand. There are plenty of holiday sports programs around, such as the Active Tribes program run by University of Queensland. Your child can enjoy a day or half-day of varied sporting activity – with everything from fencing to soccer to ultimate disc frisbee. According to operations coordinator Sarah Cox, this is a great alternative to traditional vacation care, because it gives your child’s fitness and energy levels a kick start before they head back to school.

3. Get close to wildlife

Being around animals is a wonderful way to get children outside. You can always offer to walk a friend’s dog. And even in metropolitan areas, you can encourage wildlife to your own backyard with a home-made birdfeeder (instructions for making these can be found on the internet).

Going to a wildlife reserve is a wonderful way to get close to animals. There are quite a few wildlife parks tucked away in major cities and regional towns. We’re not talking about major zoos – usually they are small parks with a niche, such as a koala sanctuary or a reptile park. And their entry fees tend to be very reasonable.

For example, Yvonne Sitko operates the Birds of Prey Centre in WA. She has been involved in the rescue and rehabilitation of birds of prey since 2000. Some of the birds which can’t be released back into the wild form part of her birds of prey show.

Whether you’re meeting exotic wildlife, collecting shells at the beach, or just playing at your local playground, getting out in the fresh air does kids a world of difference.

Browse through the various categories on www.schoolholidaydirectory.com.au to find your outdoor fun!