Winter school holidays; making happy family memories
I have such happy memories of “winter school holidays”, both as a child and again with our four kids. Many memories have been refreshed in recent times while seeking out photos for our kid 21st birthdays. Seeing all the photos of the different things we did together to embrace winter does make me feel nostalgic and want to share some with you.
I have decided to put together an article on the simple activities that were winners in my childhood and again for our own kids. They are all family focused and suited within reason across all ages. Best of all they are all free of entry fees!
Let's start then with the mornings...
Sleep-ins, PJ's all morning, hot drinks and cooked brekky, even if it is as simple as cinnamon toast. Staying cosy just about sums it up: books read aloud, with voices in character (my mum was great at this), playing board games, going through family photo albums and watching home videos.
Afternoons at home...
Kind of blends with the morning; with more card games, lego, crafts, colouring, barbie houses, and indoor cubby houses.
The indoor cubby, clubhouses or forts could take over any room in the house. We often used the dining table, sofas, heaps of cushions, pillows, sheets, and blankets. Listening to audio books while playing helped to keep the atmosphere a little quieter and relaxing (often still in PJ's – ahh the happiness of PJ days).
Late afternoons...
These often lent themselves to some yummy home baking, movies and the kids practising for evening performances and sing along sessions.
There were regularly lots of friends over with fires in the backyard, combined with sausages in bread or potatoes in foil and toasted marshmallows of course. All of this now forms a collage of beautiful memories for our family.
If clothes are on and there is some excess energy building in little bodies it is time for some adventure! If it is raining all the better! “There is no such thing as bad weather; just poor choice of clothing“ (A Norwegian clothing company business tagline).
On those wet days, bundle up into warm clothes with coats and hats and take a walk to the local park. Or get one and all into the car and go to the nearest bush, reserve or creeks and watch the water running into the creek, stomp in the puddles and mud and build bark boats to race them down the water streams. Even going for a walk along a walking track and enjoy the water crossing the paths and the drips coming off the leaves. Simply driving around some country areas and watching the water going into dams and running off the back of the cows, looking at what the farm animals are up to are great ways to entertain the kids.
We are fortunate enough to live near the coast, so trips to the beach were also a fun activity to do in winter. To see the big waves and even doing the really big drive to the 12 Apostles and to see the blow holes at their wildest. Always be prepared for adventures like these, bring towels and garbage bags for muddy boots, along with blankets for everyone to cuddle into on the way home (with three boys we had our fair share of free-spirited nudes, expressive mud play, and impromptu stumbles into creeks).
Then heading back home for big bubble baths, PJs, crusty bread, and soup. Where the stories of the afternoon’s adventures grew more daring, bigger and riskier by the time dad came home. The kids would all regale dad with stories of what they had seen and done on their dangerous and epic adventure.
Evening time...
These cold evenings could include a good family pampering of foot rubs or back massages in front of the wood fire. These were quite a hit and unknowingly to the recipients intended to and aided in calming the energy in the house. If dad fell asleep though, he was fair game for some lipstick application!
For a more hyper evening, family concerts with friends participating were entertaining. This is something that if your kids are creative and musical, you are bound to have this on steroids. Our kids were pretty low key on these. Jokes were a feature plus miming and a dance or two. It was always great if granddad was around because he would play his guitar and sing.
Was it always this good?
Interestingly enough as I reflect upon the whole winter school holiday activities with great memories, I also know that they were laced with some fights, grumps, uncooperative moments. Despite this, it isn’t the resistance or the problem moments I recall in detail. It is clearly the fun that we had together and watching the kids at their imaginative best or most adventurous that stands out.
The effort that was put into inspiring and creating moments definitely outweighs leaving the kids just to play computer games, or watch TV. It has paid off in the memory stakes big time for all of us.
I know it wasn’t relaxing for myself, but I had a great mum who did the same for me and my siblings. I knew it was my turn to create and orchestrate moments for my kids to turn those fun frameworks and experiences into whatever was right and creative for them.
It is nice to note that our kids all tell me they have great memories and some things have even developed into the family "all-time favourites" which have now become traditions (foot rubs and going out somewhere in the rain).
Inspiring and guiding creative play, both indoors and out has helped our kids to know there was more to do in a day than just computer and TV. We have kids to enjoy them, and school holidays are the best for this.
Happy wondrous winter holidays to you and your family.
Julie
Pics - Our four kids approx taken 15 years apart. Still enjoying the outdoors together whenever they can.
