6 simple things we do during the school holidays

“Eww, what’s that on my finger?”

It’s never about the end-product but the process, isn’t it? They have an interesting story behind every creation.

For Kate, I got her an old styrofoam box to paint on.

2. Bake yummy cookies

These cookies are the best! Made by #2 of course, with her assistants. Slightly crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. Recipe to follow soon, when I get the time to do it up. Promise.

Homemade cookies are still the best

Then spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying a slow leisurely tea with freshly baked cookies.

“Small ones all for me?”

3. Play boardgames or card games

There’s never a lack of players in our house. We get a lot of our games from the local online website My First Games. They have a mind-boggling selection of very good games which doesn’t rely on luck to win.

Looks simple, but a test on speed

Things to do once the sun goes down:

4. Go to the playground

There’s so much to do at the playground. Play hide and seek around the play structures and trees, play ball, badminton, soccer, frisbee. I brought my sidewalk art set which I bought from the U.S. and all the other kids at the playground joined in as well. Lovely.

Sidewalk chalk and paint

5. Swim and pack a picnic

In this heat, the kids love mucking around the pool. There are so many fun swimming complexes all over our island and we’re taking Kate to them one by one.

Easiest to pack dinner along so we don’t have to rush back when the kids are hungry. Also gives the mummies more time to relax and chat!

Too lazy to pack? Just order

6. Fun walk after dinner

I made up this little game with the kids a couple of years back. When I first started asking them to go for a walk, they said “Huh. So tiring”. I told them we would walk to the nearest petrol station and back. I brought along some money in my pocket and asked them to guess the amount. Each child had 1 guess. If they got it right, they would be rewarded with the full amount to be shared amongst them. If they got it wrong, they would each be entitled to buy just 1 item with a cap of $2. The kids still remember the walks we had years ago and the fun they had trying to collaborate and out-guess mummy.

Sane tip: I used to be very ambitious and spent a lot of effort to plan and prepare activities to keep them occupied during the holidays. It really drained me and I became high-strung as I had more expectations. I have learnt that simple activities work just as well, and because I didn’t spend a lot of time and energy on the preparations, I am able to relax, go with the flow, and enjoy doing the activities along with them. And even if it doesn’t turn out the way it’s supposed to, it doesn’t bother me anymore.

Save tip: You can get chalk from Ikea which works well too. To make sidewalk paint, just pound up the chalk, put it in a plastic container, add water and stir.