Let’s be frank, we all dread the phrase “I’m booored”, especially during school holidays! With 2 weeks of the school break, the boredom can quickly seep in if your children are not ‘entertained’.

We have put together 5 boredom-busting educational activities ideas you could get your kids involved with during the school holidays that won’t break the bank!

1. Visit your local Museum or Art Gallery
   Visiting Museums and Art Galleries is always a great family outing and is the perfectly opportunity to spend time together having fun learning, exploring and seeing any new exciting exhibitions on display.
2. Volunteer or teach your kids about giving
   Demonstrate an example of the gift of giving and show them how giving back to the community makes a huge difference. You could visit a nursing home and read books to the older adults. You could donate non-perishable food to the Salvos, or donate clothing to Vinnies!
3. Reading and writing
   You could make reading and writing a whole lot of fun on the holidays. You can sit down with your kids and write your own story books! Using just a few pages of paper, and some colouring pencils, allow their imaginations to go wild as you plan, write and draw together! You could also get the children to photograph items around the house which you could print out and add to the book! Children love when they are a ‘part’ of a story so you could create something personal and something they’ll really enjoy. Once the book is complete, have a reading night with the family where the kids can show off their work!
4. Catch the train or ferry for day trips
   Most children squeal at the idea of a bus, train for ferry ride. You could take the opportunity to take the kids to any destination of your choosing – whether it is the park, museum, art gallery, science centre or even your local shopping centre! Be sure to check out timetables for public transport when planning your trip.
5. Cooking at home together
   Cooking together allows you to spend quality time with the kids while allowing them to learn cooking techniques and methods. Here are our favourite recipes that will surely keep both their hands and brains busy!

Popcorn chicken:

• 3-4 cups vegetable oil
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup white flour
• 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 boneless chicken breasts

Method

• Cut the chicken breasts into small chunks.
• Sift the flour and mix in the salt and cajun seasoning.
• Dip the chicken in the egg then generously coat in the flour mixture.
• Heat the oil in a pan. Drop a few drops of batter into the oil and if it sizzles and fries it is ready.
• Add chicken to the oil in small batches and turn over to make sure both sides are cooked evenly.
• Remove and drain on kitchen paper when golden. Leave to drain a moment or two so the chicken is crunchy. Sprinkle salt after to taste.

Three-Ingredient Nutella Brownies:

• 1 ¼ cup of Nutella
• 2 Large eggs
• ½ Cup of all-purpose flour

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 20cm x 20cm metal baking pan. Add all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix until the batter is smooth. Pour into the baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
• Bake for about 15 minutes until toothpick inserted comes our clean.
• Be careful not to make it for too long, as the brownies will dry out.
• Let the brownies cool and set before cutting and serving.

Give foster children the gift of reading and writing these school holidays. Donate or become a Pyjama Angel today at www.thepyjamafoundation.com