Cheap kids school holiday activities to keep the kids entertained on a budget

Do you need some family-friendly school holiday ideas that don’t stretch the household budget? You’re not alone! Holiday periods can be expensive, but there are plenty of fun and affordable options. Let’s explore some cheap school holiday activities that won’t break the bank.

Discover fun and affordable school holiday activities in the city.

We’ve compiled a list of budget-friendly school holiday activities to ensure fun adventures without breaking the bank. Explore a wide range of fun school holiday ideas, discover how much the school holidays are really costing you with our complete guide, and take control of your spending.

It’s no holiday for your wallet

School holidays come around four times a year, and between out-of-school care, holiday programs, day camps, excursions, shopping trips, and eating at home, it’s easy to blow your budget. However, with some creativity, you can keep costs down.

5 kids’ school holiday activities on a budget

1. Build a fort

Do you have a linen cupboard filled with blankets, pillows, and sheets? Perfect! Gather them all up and add some cardboard boxes for extra support. Let the kids design and build a fort—an immersive experience for curious minds! This fun and warm activity allows you to relive the magic of childhood while creating an indoor playground. You can even add a TV for a cosy movie night with all their favourite kids’ movies. Building a fort is one of the most magical rainy day budget-friendly activities you can have during the school holidays. It will entertain the kids all day, providing them with endless fun and adventure.

2. Cook in the kitchen

Each child is an expensive mouth to feed, so why not make the cooking process a fun school holidays activity that you can enjoy together? Let them be hands-on by making sandwiches, baking cupcakes, and (if you’re lucky enough) helping with the dishes. This can teach them how to navigate the kitchen while spending quality time together. Plus, cooking together can be a fun adventure, turning meal prep into a delightful family activity. You can even take this a step further by giving your kids a budget and taking them to the supermarket to purchase the groceries, then working out how much the food costs to bake as opposed to buying from the shop. This becomes both a lesson and an activity.

3. Play dates

As much as the inner child in us wants to be an unlimited amount of fun for the kids, let’s face it, we don’t have the same amount of reserved energy as they do. Plus, trying to look for ways to keep them entertained can be expensive. Guaranteed, another parent is feeling the same way. Organising a playdate for a friend to come over (or, better yet, for your child to go over to a friend’s house) is a great rainy day activity to keep them entertained for a day or two. It also gives you time out from having to find ways to constantly entertain them, as the kids can entertain themselves. Playdates are fantastic school holiday activities that allow kids to socialize and have fun while giving parents a much-needed break. Whether it’s at your place or theirs, playdates are a budget-friendly way to ensure the kids have an enjoyable time without spending money. Playdates are ideal for fostering friendships and keeping children engaged in interactive play, making them a great option for school holiday fun.

Whether it’s at your place or theirs, playdates are a budget-friendly way to ensure the kids have an enjoyable time without spending money. Playdates are ideal for fostering friendships and keeping children engaged in fun and interactive activities, making them a great option for school holiday fun.

4. Bring out the games

Every household has a board game or arcade game drawer. How long has it been since you’ve had a Monopoly night? Remember Mouse Trap? Getting the whole family around the dining room table and having a game to play is a great way to put the devices away and engage in some harmless fun. This is a fantastic way to create fun times and lasting memories without spending a dime.

For an extra twist, encourage your kids to make their own board game for a creative and engaging activity. Or, better still, they can use the lounge room to set up an obstacle course for a real-life game of snakes and ladders. These activities provide endless fun and adventure while keeping the kids entertained and fostering their creativity.

5. Movie night

Sometimes, nothing’s more family-friendly than rugging up on the couch and putting on a movie. This is the perfect time to relax and enjoy some fun times together during the school holidays. Any streaming service is bound to have something for the whole family, and it is our favorite among these budget-friendly school holiday activity ideas. Not sure what to watch? A quick flick through Disney+ will put an end to that; there are plenty of hidden treasures in the vault for any rainy day activity. Just don’t forget the popcorn!

Budgeting for school holiday activities

School holiday costs can sneak up on you. Tammy Barton, MyBudget’s founder and director, is also a mum to three kids and understands the challenges of managing holiday expenses. She emphasises the importance of budgeting to control costs and ensure you can enjoy all the fun times and adventures without financial stress.

“The key to controlling school holiday spending is to create a budget. I like to get the kids involved. I remind my kids that the reason we budget is to make sure that we get to do all the fun school holiday activities. Sometimes that means having to say no to other things, but it ensures we can have great adventures without breaking the bank.”

Get your free budget template

Not sure where to start with budgeting for school holidays? MyBudget’s personal budget template is free and easy to use. Enter your details, and the calculations are done for you. Save or print it when you’ve finished. This tool is perfect for planning budget-friendly school holiday activities and keeping track of all expenses.

More ways to make your school holiday budget go further

• Think free: Check local guides for free and cheap school holiday activities. Libraries, museums, galleries, and parks are good places to start.
• Get physical: Bike rides, skateboarding, beach days, and park playground playdates cost little or nothing, especially if you bring a packed lunch. Don’t forget to budget for ice cream, drinks, or other treats. These activities require no bookings or forward planning and offer a full day of fun and adventures for the kids. Enjoy these budget-friendly options to keep your school holidays exciting and active! 
• Staycation: Home can offer loads of adventures, from backyard cricket to board games and classic games, from cooking to crafting, from movies to making. All of these make for fun school holiday kids activities and priceless memories.
• Recycle and reuse: Instead of shopping for new school supplies every year, school holiday time is a great time to do an audit of your existing supplies to see what you can reuse.
• Garage sale: The school holidays are a good time for the kids to go through their old toys and books. Show them how to list their unwanted items online or hold a garage sale.

Budgeting is important for every aspect of life. Knowing what you can and can’t afford ensures you’re still on track to achieve your family’s goals. 

5 kids’ school holiday activities during the summer holidays

1. Museums

Museums are one of our favourite kids’ winter school holiday activities because they’re both fun and educational. Add museums to your list of school holiday day trip ideas and let the children explore history, science, and more during the school holidays! No bookings are required, and what’s more, it’s free. If your kids are art-lovers, you can even combine the outing with a visit to the Art Gallery.

2. Public parks

On a nice day, having a picnic at a public park is a wonderful way to spend the day. It’s perfect for playground day-out ideas and makes for fun outdoor activities. Make a list of all the parks in your area and choose a different one each time for variety. Between meals, let the kids have fun on the playground or giant swings while you take a seat on a bench and catch your breath. It’s much more budget-friendly than a wallet-siphoning theme park or water park visit.

3. Get out in the garden

Nothing beats going back to nature and getting your hands dirty. As long as you have plenty of space in the backyard, starting a veggie patch is a great school holiday activity to keep the kids busy. It provides an adventure while educating them on how to garden and saving money on future grocery bills. When it comes to activities for kids, no matter how many angles we look at this, there really is no downside to getting the kids in the garden. It’s one of the best school holiday activities that combines fun, learning, and practical skills.

4. The beach

Anyone up for beach cricket? Grab some towels, slip-slop-slap, and enjoy a fun day at the beach. This adventure is always a go-to activity for any school holiday period. It’s a perfect way to ensure the kids have an enjoyable and adventurous school holiday. If it’s too windy, consider playing mini golf in a park as an alternative activity.

5. The zoo

Who doesn’t love the zoo? Having a day trip that you can enjoy at your leisure with the entire family and seeing a wide variety of animals is both good old-fashioned holiday fun and educational. Stop and read the descriptions, stay with each exotic animal for 10 minutes, and just enjoy everything the zoo has to offer. Zoos can be expensive, so look for coupons and check prices ahead of time. Bringing your own lunch can make it an enjoyable and budget-friendly adventure. This way, you can control costs while still providing a memorable experience for the kids.

5 arts and crafts activities for the school holidays

Here are five arts and crafts activities that are perfect for kids aged four and up who are art lovers. These activities are not only budget-friendly but also easy to do, making them ideal for busy parents looking to keep their little ones occupied and happy during the break. 

1. Finger painting

If your kids like getting their hands dirty, this activity is perfect for them! Suitable for younger children, or you can challenge older kids to recreate a famous masterpiece like da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’ or Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’. The fun part is that they can only use their hands or materials from around the house. This school holiday activity combines creativity and fun, making it an excellent adventure for kids who love hands-on activities.

 2. Gardening

One budget-friendly activity to keep your kids entertained during the school holidays is gardening. It’s a simple yet rewarding activity that can be done on a small scale, like starting with a pot plant. Take it outside and let your kids experience the joy of watching their plants grow with their care and hard work. It’s a great way to teach them about responsibility and patience while also enjoying the beauty of nature. Plus, it’s a cost-effective way to keep them occupied during their break from school.

3. Clay play

Try playing with air-dry modeling clay! It’s a simple and affordable way to get creative with your kids. All you need is some clay in different colors, and you can start making household items like vases, votive candle holders, cups, or even decorative pieces. It’s a great way to keep the little ones engaged and entertained without breaking the bank!

4. Toilet roll crafts

The possibilities are endless when it comes to crafting with toilet rolls—you can create rockets, Christmas crackers, mushroom gardens, bugs, ninjas, and so much more. Let your kids get creative and have a blast turning simple toilet rolls into works of art!

5. Glass painting

Kmart often sells glass decorative paint sets, which are perfect for school holiday activities for kids, especially for art lovers. You can then decide what you want to paint and how. Drinking glasses, jars, picture frames, bowls, ceramics, vases, sun catchers, plates, mirrors, and anything glass can be customized into art pieces and personalised gifts. Once everyone is done, you can even display them in your own homemade 3D art gallery. This is a fantastic school holiday activity that combines creativity, fun, and adventure.

Budgeting to control the costs of all your kids’ holiday ideas

Tammy Barton knows the variety of challenges that school holidays and coming up with fun activities for kids can present. As well as being MyBudget’s founder and director, she’s a mum to three kids, so she understands the importance of budgeting to manage costs while ensuring the kids have an enjoyable time. Proper budgeting helps control expenses and allows for more planned and spontaneous adventures during the school holidays without financial stress. To get started, give us a call on 1300 300 922 or enquire online.