[Tia Maria]

OK, so we've done beach, park, friends houses, swimming lessons & Hammer Hardware (for some reason they love it in there!).

What have you been doing with your kids this school holidays?

Any ideas would be great, as they seem to be lasting forever!

Cheers

Tia

PS And after the last couple of rainy days, indoor suggestions are also welcomed.

[Junnifer USA]

We used to get plastic plumbing joints and glue theminto sculptures,
Collect sand in bottles for sand art,
glue shells on paper for collage,
photo safari on the bike,
pressed wild flowers/weeds!
pitch the tent in the back yard...the littlies only spend about an hour out and then run into the house for the night...
Picking berries and fruit,
make dough clay
wash and polish the bikes and then decorate with crape paper

[Smiler]

How about a pick your own fruit afternoon? Do you have anywhere like that near you, Tia?

Keeps them quiet and full up. ;)

You could go the whole hog and make jam afterwards if they are not too young. If not, freeze the fruit etc.

[gil]

OMG, I think I'm a bit of a rubbish mum :eek:; we very rarely "DO" anything by way of organised activity or taking them out, tend to let the kids create their own activities inside /outside. They are old enough to go to the park and the beach on their own though, (not in the sea though, and the beach is about 100m from the house), with permission, obviously.

They have a constant supply of paper and pens (their favourite) and (whether this is counter-intuitive or not, I don't know) don't spend hours on the play station/computer. We can now go for bike rides (since last Friday) which they like, and we do have friends to play.

We have promised a trip to Rainbows End next week http://www.rainbowsend.co.nz/ and Franca will be doing a one week ice skating course the following week http://www.paradice.co.nz/Home.html

Local schools and recreation centres have activities that you can book to join for one day or more days e.g. http://www.manukau.govt.nz/default.aspx?id=290 They're usually about $25-30 a day, I think and ours tend not to want to do them!

We have just got a new dog, so she will be going for walks, something else for them to join in. Not suggesting everyone does same though!

Er, that's it, so not really very helpful Tia, sorry!

GIl

[Carol]

The zoo is always good for a day...

[shagen]

Not sure if it will work for your kids. What happens in our neighbourhood is every afternoon/evening one kid will go knocking on the other kids door and invite them out to play :yes. After a while, you will see a whole lot of kids either cycling, on scooters, drawing with chalks on the pavement or just playing tag on the lawns, of course ... away from the roads :nice1 . On rainy days, some of them venture into things like boardgames, computer games or PS2.

[jess]

I don't know where you are in NZ, but a bit along the lines of Carol's zoo suggestion, there's Staglands (http://www.staglands.co.nz/guide_new.htm) in Upper Hutt if you're in the Welly region. We had a great time there.

[jubjub]

Depends if you need cheap or not, but you could try MOTAT , or the Zoo, or even Kelly Tarltons (just dont go on a wet day unless you are there at 9-10am, the queues get pretty long).

Free stuff ... you seem to have done most of that already, but do you have a nice big Whitcoulls up there? Our local one (botany) has an upstairs dedicated to kids books & toys with lego tables, and a play area, and a coffee shop for mums. We have done park/beach/other folks houses too... and kind of got stuck after that.

Cant remember how old your lot are, but if you have a toy hire place near you, that could be a good thing for indoors, they get to try out new toys, and you only pay a fraction of the cost of buying them http://www.toyhire.co.nz/toy_results.asp?type=rent&filter=0.

[Marie P]

I went to MOTAT yesterday ,$36 for a family ticket .

You get the day at MOTAT 1 and another ticket for MOTAT 2 which is on a different site .You also get a ride on a tram .

There is a great toy exhibition on at the moment ,toys through the ages and lots of interactive stuff too.

You can go on a rainy as most things are inside.

Marie x

PS Sal my kids love Whitcouls too .

[Tia Maria]

Wow thanks for all the ideas! I think MOTAT would probably suit my boys the best and I quite like the tent idea if I can keep the neighbourhood cats out of it!

I wouldn't mind a bit of fruit picking either, not sure if there is anywhere in the Auckland area.

It does seem like everything comes at once - Christmas, summer, school holidays - Do Kiwi's spend the rest of the year waiting for these 3 months?

Cheers

Tia

[Caroline and Dave]

It does seem like everything comes at once - Christmas, summer, school holidays - Do Kiwi's spend the rest of the year waiting for these 3 months?

Cheers

Tia

Hi Tia,
We have wondered this. At least in the UK you have a decent split between summer holidays and xmas. Its a bit like peoples birthdays that are at xmas ( Carolines)

Kind regards

Dave and Caroline

[marcia]

The boys have spent the whole afternoon in the garden in the paddling pool and on a waterslide they got for christmas. You needn't go out and buy one, just get a nig sheet of plastic, a bit of shower gel and the hose pipe or a few buckets of water and they have life. Kev had his boots off and feet in the paddling pool as soon as he got in. Then a BBQ for tea -

THIS IS THE LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :clap

[kiwidebs]

Tia, have you been to the museum yet (in the Domain). They have a great hands on type exhibit for kids. I second the vote for MOTAT - Cam loved it (especially the tram ride).


Debs

[tigerlily]

Ok, what is MOTAT?

[jubjub]

Here you go Tigerlily (and anyone else!)

http://www.motat.org.nz/

[gil]

We went to Kelly Tarlton's this afternoon, good wet day place for a couple of hours. Our kids enjoyed it!

Gil

[Debbie]

We've done a lot of the tourist things this holiday as we didn't have a summer hol in the UK before comming over and my SIL has been visiting.
MOTAT was great and if you can't get the whole thing done in day you can keep your ticket and do the other half any time in the next yr.
My kids love Kelly Tartons, it fills a half day. When the weather is good my kids like exploring different play parks, the one just up from Kelly's is particularly good add in a picnic and the beach across the road and it's a great day.
We took the ferry over to Rangitoto and did the summit walk. My 3 yr old managed it, (all be it with the odd bribe) but on a clear day great views and good walk about an hr each way, (allow 1hr 15 if you have 3 yr old legs).
Much more expensive but stunning was sky tower, the kids could sit and watch people jumping off for ages. We did it as part of a meal up the tower as it was a special leaving treat from SIL but you don't them pay to go up the tower.
We haven't been to the museum yet, I saving up my courage because I understand they have live bugs there.
We've tried to off set these treats with more 'kiwi' (free/ cheap) days exploring different beaches with picnics or fish and chips when the weather has allowed. Our neighbours have also recommended going to Goat Island and apparently if you waid out you can feed the fish with a bag of frozen peas! Has to be worth a go.
For trips out we picked up an A-Z free visitors guide from the tourist info office and it has loads of $ off vouchers in it.
If the weather improves there are loads of free music in park events on over the end Jan and the Auckland Harbour festival. At home our kids are still making camps out of the cardboard packing boxes.
Debbie

[Debbie]

P.S We took the kids to Auckland fish market, we went for the deli and sushi but they loved it, thought all those huge ugly fish were fasinating!.
Debbie

[Tia Maria]

Debbie wrote:

If the weather improves.......

I think your kids might need to start making boats out of those boxes (mine got chalks and turned them into a robot/a shop/a 'no adults allowed' den). Thanks for the tip about keeping the MOTAT ticket - we've been to that park up from Kelly Tartons, its really good isn't it? Made me want to be a kid again.

Yes Kiwidebs, we've been to the museum, they loved the dinosaur show. And Debbie they do have bugs there, which I didn't manage to spot until I sat down next to a display of giant cockroaches. They also have rats

Marcia - haven't managed to unpack the water slide yet, although there seems to be one forming on my verandah as I speak. Good tip about the shower gel.

I sent the kids on an indoor scavenger hunt yesterday, made smoothies and stuck them in the shower with goggles, cups, straws and shower gel. Now if I can just work the housework into some kind of game I'm on to a winner!

Thanks for all the ideas, keep them coming!

Cheers

Tia

[Debbie]

I was wondering if anyone would be interested in a mid week kids and carers meet up in the Auckland area either this coming week or next. I thought it might be nice to have a meet during the week at a location suitable to mixed age kids, (and adults).
I'm open to suggestions on location but my first thought was that Long Bay might be a good location as it has beach, cafe, and younger kids play park area. I don't know what we would do if the weather failed but....
Debbie

[Tia Maria]

Debbie,

I have PM'd you.

Cheers

Tia

[Marie P]

I could make it with my 3 three kids.[ages 14,10 and 8]

Marie x

[Angelonthemove]

My daughter is nineteen but when she was little and her cousins used to come for the holidays I used to get them to either make up a play or be a pop group. They would dress up and practice the words to the song or play and then I would use the camcorder to video it. Or they could just put on a show for you later if you do not have one. I have a great video of them with saucepans and mops doing 'grease is the word'. Good one to show at their 18th birthday party later ha ha :laugh

I used to make them do chores around the house for money ($1) and when they had completed it I would pay them and they could choose where we went for the afternoon. And it worked!!!

Hiding the string. You cut up coloured wool or string and hide it around the house and then they have 30 mins to find all of them. Remember to count them so you are not finding string a year later.

They can then play this between themselves with hide an object around the house doing warmer hotter colder signals.

They could also make a treasure hunt for you and your partner to find the treasure. Takes loads of time up.

Glueing pictures from magazines to make modern art.

I have just had my daughter (19) and boyfriend (23) here for 2 weeks same problem with them finding things to do each day without spending too much.

[Debbie]

Maria and Tia,
I have cut and pasted this in the meeting board to see if there are any other takers and will contact you early next week.
Debbie

[Singel]

How about these places? :raebanana

Steam Train at Glenbrook http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=4569&highlight=steam+train

Auckland Botanical Gardens http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=4194&highlight=botanical+gardens
:cheers

[wilson182]

I am a working mum, and have enrolled my daughter onto the local holiday program. Most of them run for the last two weeks of the holidays (:confused: ), and this one runs from Monday 22nd Jan to 2nd Feb 2007. It costs me $120 per week. Just as a point of interest I thought I would post what they get upto in those two weeks.


Week 1
Monday Group Games
Lunch
Argo rides: 8 wheels of fun, up and down hills and creeks
Waterfall Walk
Tuesday Bike Day: onsite skills and drills followed by and easy
offsite trail ride on your own bike
Lunch
Spencer Park
Wednesday Video
Lunch
Rangiora's Vertical Edge Rock Wall
Thursday Lost World Mini Golf
Lunch
Jellie Park pools and hydroslides
Friday Canoeing on the Avon River
BBQ lunch at Corsair Bay

Week 2
Monday Creative Craft
BBQ lunch at Waipara River, swim Ambush game
Tuesday Quail Island: boat cruise,swim, walk to shipwrecks
Wednesday Video
Lunch at Groynes
Groynes paddle boats, canoes, trikes
Thursday Vertical Edge Rock Wall at NCYS
Lunch
Beach swim and treasure hunt
Friday Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
Lunch
Water War at base

The school also has a swimming pool and various other activities for time spent at the base.

[Smiler]

Wow! Do they take ermmm, older children? ;)















:D

[jubjub]

Well last day of school hols today, good luck to all new pupils and teachers starting tomorrow...

Well we went to Butterfly Creek today, it was fab, AJ loved it, he chased the butterflies, did not quite catch one :exit :eek: and he got to pet a rabbit, guinea pig and a goat! (I enjoyed the rabbits more than him I think, sooo cuddly!), would not bother with the train ride again if we go back though....

http://www.butterflycreek.co.nz/

[willsken]

Well last day of school hols today, good luck to all new pupils and teachers starting tomorrow...


http://www.butterflycreek.co.nz/

That'll be me then!! :D

[K&CS]

Good luck Nicola! Look forward to hearing how it went!

It felt very strange today taking the kids back after being off for 7 weeks! My youngest daughter in particular was so excited so could hardly sleep last night. For the last two weeks, she's been saying 'I can't wait to go back to school'! I guess we'll all get back in the swing of things pretty quickly.

Hope all the kiddies had a lovely day today!

Kate x

[Tia Maria]

We had the normal mad rush out the door, then running back again to get sunscreen, hats, lunch!

He gets to use the school pool for the first time tomorrow - I'm very jealous!

Hopefully we'll be more organised tomorrow.

Cheers

Tia

[Tia Maria]

Bump, for all those looking for ideas or wishing to share some!

Cheers

Tia

[mgbridges]

For anyone who wants to book a course of swimming lessons I've booked through these guys http://www.hiltonbrownswimming.co.nz/default.aspx

Its $65 for five x 1/2 hr lessons - one each day, group of no more than 6 'pupils' for the beginners classes. They also offer one-on-one training if you want it. Will let you know how we go after tomorrow.

Anneliese