Paterson Public School

Quality Learning in a Caring Environment

Telephone02 4938 5114

Emailpaterson-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

From the department

Keep your family entertained these school holidays

A family laughing and smiling while on a walk.

We know it’s been a challenging Term 1. Just as many communities began recovering from fires, droughts and floods, we moved to learning from home to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The school holidays are coming, which means your family is about to have a lot of free time and nowhere to go.

To support you while looking after children we’ve put together a handy guide of activities to stimulate young minds and keep your family busy and engaged.

Check out our parents and carers toolkit for important self-care tips, free parenting podcasts and apps.

If you need a break, the Service NSW before and after school care finder can help locate vacation care programs near you.

Hints and tips for enjoying the school holidays

  • Have a plan: With children involved, things might not happen the way you hoped but having a plan to begin with can definitely help.
  • Schedule lots of activities: Each activity is only meant to engage your child for 30min - 1 hour. This means you’ll need to create a schedule involving a few different activities to keep your child stimulated throughout the day. You don’t need to plan every minute of every day – allow for flexibility. Sometimes your child will want to do something else or want to keep doing an activity for longer.
  • Be prepared: Some activities might require ingredients or supplies, so you may want to prepare for them ahead of time.
  • Take a break: Create solo activities that ensure your child is engaged but doesn’t require your constant involvement. This will allow you to take a break as well. If you’re stressed your child may become stressed too, so ensure you take the time you need and be kind to yourself.