If you’re stuck for school holiday activity ideas, why not make your very own adventure in one of the beautiful local parks and playgrounds of Werribee? Here are some creative ideas for those long summer afternoons with the kids, guaranteed to keep them occupied for hours.
Make a kite – then fly it!
This is a great activity for Mum or Dad to get involved, and it can suit almost any age. Start with a traditional kite, made using two sticks, a garbage bag and some string. If you’re feeling ambitious, there are hundreds of templates available to download online. You might like to try a jellyfish, an eagle, or even a pig if you’re celebrating Chinese New Year! The style and complexity can be customised for the age and skill-level of your little project engineers. Once the kites are ready, wait for that perfect windy day to see who can fly their kite the highest, or the furthest, or do the most tricks.
Wildlife expedition
Think there isn’t much wildlife in Werribee beyond the gates of the zoo? Think again! The natural world is full of interesting creatures to discover, who all play an important role in our ecosystems. For this adventure, all you’ll need is a camera, a magnifying glass or binoculars, a notepad and pen, and your best David Attenborough voice. Perhaps you’ll spot a kookaburra, fluffy pink galah, crawly lizard or spotty ladybug.
To turn it into a game, you can play “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with K…he has wings, and a good sense of humour…” (Kookaburra!). Whoever spots the most creatures, wins! Bonus points if you get a photo.
Local sights art sessions
This activity is a great way to get to know your neighbourhood and see familiar sights from a new perspective. To start, go for a walk around your local park and look for interesting shapes, colours or textures that catch your eye. It could be a big old tree, a park bench or an interesting shadow. Set up in a nice shady spot and get painting! If your kids are quite young, or not so interested in art (yet!), then you can start with a simple watercolour kit and art pad. For older or more serious artists, you might like to use artist-grade watercolours or acrylic paints, an easel and even a canvas. It really can be as simple or elaborate as you choose. You’ll have a lot of fun funding the extraordinary in the ordinary. You might even discover a hidden talent that you never knew you had!
Teddy bears Picnic in the Park
If you go down to the woods today…Sometimes after school, all you want to do is, not much at all! For one of those days, a nifty way to make the afternoon fly is to prepare your afternoon tea in a picnic hamper and make an adventure of it. Pack a blanket (or a large towel), a hat and of course, your favourite teddy bear. To make your Teddy Bear’s Picnic in the Park extra special, you can cut sandwiches into fun shapes, infuse water with sliced lemon, and make tropical fruit skewers for the occasion. You’ll never want to have a regular afternoon tea again!
