Can you believe that it is school holiday time already? A well-planned school holiday can be refreshing and energising but do too much and you will feel like you need a holiday by the end of the two-weeks. Here are eight ideas to help you enjoy the holidays without breaking the bank or your stress levels.

1. Plan ahead. With the calendar on the table, invite the whole family to come up with ideas.  Ensure that any big days out are balanced with less energetic activities on the preceding days. Plan the budget in a similar way by offsetting paid activities with free ones.
2. Don’t plan to do too much. Doing just one activity like visiting a favourite playground and then going home for lunch will be a more positive experience than trying to fit more things into one day. Ensure the calendar is not crammed with activities and have some planned home time for things like making cookies or planting herbs.
3. Stay flexible and be ready with Plan B. Children don’t handle disappointment easily so talk at the planning stage about swapping days and making alternate plans if something goes wrong. If the kids wake up to teeming rain on a planned beach day they won’t be so disappointed when it is swapped with a visit to the library.
4. The more the merrier (within reason). It’s amazing how well children play together when they have friends over. They invent games you would never think of and entertain themselves for hours. It may seem like more work having other children over but a couple of friends at a time won’t raise the noise levels too much and you may even be able to finish a cup of coffee in peace while they play. This plan works even better when you can convince the other parents to take a turn and you will end up with a nice breather mid holiday.
5. Use community resources. There are so many free activities geared for families and children that the main problem is deciding which ones to do first. Kids on the Coast is just one online source of activities. There are also the old favourites like Southbank for a big day out but don’t overlook what your local library offers. It is a lovely space for a low-key outing to enjoy a scavenger hunt or craft activity.
6. Bookworm bliss. If the kids have saved their pocket money why not take them to the Lifeline Bookfest at Lake Kawana Community Centre. It’s fantastic how far a couple of dollars will go at one of these events. Children will be more motivated to read books they buy themselves. The Bookfest runs from Thursday 4 October to Sunday 7 October from 8:30am to 4:00pm.
7. Treat yourself. This is your holiday also and even though time with children is precious try and plan something special for yourself. Even if it is catching up with a friend over coffee while the children are supervised in the Ikea playground for an hour. Adult company can be a balm halfway through the holidays.
8.   Visit the Glasshouse Christian College Pinterest page for lots of inspiring holiday ideas. We have a special board called Holiday ideas, games and crafts that we put together with you in mind. Sit down with the family and show them some of the ideas to see which ones excite them. There is a whole range of games and crafts for all ages and many can be done with what you already have at home.

Two groups of people that won’t need any input on how to fill their holidays are the Fiji Mission Team and the Europe Study group. Please keep the students and staff in your prayers as they embark on these exciting, and sometimes life-changing, journeys.

Whatever you get up to these holidays I hope you have a safe, enjoyable and relaxing time with your family.

Mike Curtis, Principal