Discover 5 Fun Activities for School Holidays at Home

As families across Melbourne’s North are experiencing a different kind of Term One school holidays, at Olivine we believe it’s the perfect chance to get creative and discover that school holidays in the home can be taken to another level!

Read more to discover five ideas you can try in your own home these school holidays.

 

1. Discover Herbert Peabody with our Free Download

Herbert Peabody is the farmer who’s helping children grow, cook and love food. As the main character in the “Herbert Peabody” children’s book series, Herbie and his friends face adventure, mystery and triumph in the veggie patch.

Mirvac is offering a FREE download of Herbie's e-book for the first 100 customers. Simply visit Herbert Peabody's website to claim your gift.*

2. Bring the Zoo to You!

While spending time among the native river red gums might be on hold, young explorers can still discover nature thanks to Zoos Victoria. 
Enjoy live streaming of the assortment of spectacular wildlife from both Melbourne Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo.
Spot the illusive snow leopard cubs, chill out with the zebras, or see how many giraffes you can spot. Well worth an eVisit for the whole family!

Visit https://www.zoo.org.au/animal-house/

3. Get Creative with NGV Online

At Olivine, we’re proud to deliver quality, affordable education from day one, to nurture young dreams and ambitions. Although the kids are not at school, there are plenty of online resources where they’ll have so much fun, they won’t realise they are learning a thing or two.

The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) has a dedicated Kids at Home Activities page. Inspire hours of creativity and fun, with their easily downloadable activity sheets and e-books.

They state that research shows that drawing and making is a great way to help children relax and reduce feelings of anxiety.
Visit https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/kids/ to explore the range of boredom-busters for children of all ages.

For yourself or older kids, they also have an online “Channel”, allowing you to virtually tour its latest installations, from the comfort of your couch.
Visit https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/channel/

  

4. Bring Out their Inner Artist with Playdough

Entertaining your kids these school holidays doesn’t require an unnecessary trip to the shops to buy new toys, good old-fashioned playdough can provide hours of fun!
We have tested quite a few recipes and have found that this is the best playdough recipe out there, using common ingredients you might already have in your pantry, or can pick up on your next grocery shop.

Enjoy some quiet time while the kids use their imagination and get creative, or you might even find yourself joining in for some nostalgic of childhood fun.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups plain flour
1 cup of salt
3 tbs cream of tartar
2 tbs oil
2 cups boiling water
Colouring (from natural ingredients such as cocoa powder, raspberries, rose petals, beetroot, blueberries, tumeric)
METHOD
1. Place dry ingredients into a bowl.
2. Add wet ingredients.
3. Mix until combined.
4. Knead well.
5. If consistency is too wet, add a little plain flour.

5. Host your own Scavenger Hunt

A little work will go a long way for this one! With so many reality shows about clues or survival (cue Amazing Race and Survivor), re-create this in your own home. Using standard, ordinary objects, create a DIY scavenger hunt and backyard bingo. Not only will it keep the kids entertained, but if you have more than one child it might encourage a little teamwork among the siblings too!

We have created a customised a Scavenger Hunt and Backyard Bingo, so all you need to do is print it out, hide the clues and your set! 

Download the Scavenger Hunt
Download the Backyard Bingo

 

At Mirvac, we are passionate about reimagining urban life, and hope we have inspired you for how you can keep your children entertained these school holidays. We would love to see your school holiday activities, take a photo and post your favourite on our Olivine Facebook Page wall.

 

 

*Terms and Conditions apply. To redeem this special offer please follow these steps:

1. Visit Herbert Peabody's website.
2. Add the ebook version of “Herbert Peabody And His Extraordinary Vegetable Patch” to your cart
3. At the check out, apply the coupon code “Mirvac.”