Spring into school holidays

With school holidays around the corner, it is an exciting time for children to get their break from classrooms with the spring weather arriving just in time to greet them.

For parents, school holidays can feel stressful, with a few weeks of activities and entertainment needed to keep the children occupied. It’s good to have a few fun activities and outings planned, but for the days in-between it takes a little creativity. Metropol has a few ideas of how to get some quality family time and make it through without too many meltdowns from children or parents alike.

Visit a library
These days, libraries aren’t just quiet places to sit and read. Some of the new locations in and around Christchurch have a whole world of fun activities and programmes, most of them without a cost. If you haven’t already visited Turanga, the central library, it should be a must these holidays.
The new library in Rolleston is also worth a visit, especially because of the new award-winning playground, perfect for burning off some energy.

Get outdoors
The garden city is full of nature nooks that make for a perfect family day out with. Get the bikes out of the garage and head to one of the many trails in Christchurch for an afternoon of exploring. For something more relaxed, pack up a picnic and head to a park for a picnic lunch, followed by playground fun or games on the grass.

Stay home
When staying home, it’s good to have some crafty activities to keep little ones off the screens and occupied. Set up a painting area with canvases and take turns being the model, or look for some craft templates online to print out and have a crack at together. Baking is always a fun although potentially messy activity, but at least there is a sweet reward at the end.