We do not yet really know how the summer holidays and vacations will be in 2021. But all indications are that it may not be as usual this year either. Here are 16 great tips on things to do without having to travel that far.
1. Plan together
Have the home as a base and make day trips that are a drive away. Create a document where the family can fill in with ideas – if the children are involved, they probably think it’s more fun once you go.
2. Visit a castle park
Castle parks are usually good excursion destinations with large areas and historical vibes that slightly older children may find exciting.
3.Picnic!
For many, there will probably be a lot of picnics this summer, so invest in good picnic stuff! Lunch boxes with several compartments, thermoses, water bottles, blankets…
4. Pimp the garden
Do you have a garden? Update with some new outdoor items such as basketball hoop, skipping rope, block, sandpit, swing set, soccer goal, sprinkler or pool.
5. Pick berries
Go pick berries and let the children pick the evening’s dessert. Self-picking of strawberries and other delicacies can be found throughout the country.
6. Sleep outdoors
Do you have a balcony or balcony? If the summer is hot, it is super cozy to try sleeping there one night! Pull out a mattress, make a cozy bed and read books until the eyelids start to flutter.
7. Visit a farmhouse
Check if there is a farm nearby where you can rent. Guaranteed lots of activities for the whole family!
8. Experience with all senses
Unwind together! Amusement parks, zoos and adventure pools are not always the best experiences. Try to perform a little mindfulness in nature together: Lie down on the ground and stare straight up at the sky. Be completely silent so that you only hear nature’s own sounds. After a while, everyone can tell what they have heard, seen and felt, for example: “I see the treetops, I hear the birds and I feel the moss I am lying on”.
9. Visit Bunya mountains
The Bunya Mountains is a spectacular wilderness range forming an isolated section of the Great Dividing Range situated about 150km from the coast and lying almost centrally between Kingaroy and Dalby.
10. Travel like a snail!
Try a caravan or motorhome holiday and discover Australia. Make sure that your caravan battery is in perfect condition.
11. A walk is underestimated
Take long walks in new places at the children’s pace – but be sure to bring small rewards in your backpack!
12. Cycling
Invest in a bicycle cart and discover the local area on two wheels.
13. Tent
Buy a tent and camp in the garden (if you have one). Exciting enough for smaller children, and close to both the soft bed and the toilet if there is an emergency. If the camping day at home is a success, you may dare to go out a little longer next time. Once in nature, there is so much to do and children are often good at having fun among rocks, ants and climbing trees.
14. Go by boat!
Rent a sailboat or motorboat and spend a week on water with new cobs as your goal.
15. Search for fossils
Go to the beach (if you have one close by) and look for fossils. Perfect for children who have snowed in on dinosaurs!
16. Use your imagination!
Let the imagination flow! Put away phones and screens for an entire day and let the kids control. Listen to what they really want and not what you think they want. There does not have to be a lot of activities at once.
