The school holidays. They arrive like clockwork throughout the year, but despite this, you may not always feel ready for them. While the school holidays can be a fun and enjoyable time for the whole family, now and then we parents forget to plan ahead. Suddenly, the school holidays are upon us and our children have empty schedules and blank calendars. If you haven’t got a family trip planned, what do you do?

When you have teenagers, preparing for the school holidays becomes especially important. Unlike younger children, they don’t necessarily require adult supervision. Your teens may be pursuing independent activities or spending time with friends, but left to their own devices, they may be likely to spend those few weeks off lounging on the sofa and playing video games. How can you help make sure they’re using the holiday period to their best advantage?

We’ve come up with a list of bright ideas: suggestions for how you can ensure your teenagers are engaged during the school holidays in ways that will actually help them learn and grow as people.

Why Does it Matter?

Now, you might be thinking, my teen deserves a holiday. They should be allowed to be a bit lazy.

Definitely! There’s certainly a place for rest and relaxation during the school holidays! But this time away from school also represents an opportunity for your teens to do something that is both fun AND personally beneficial. The holidays provide a chance for a student to gain skills or discover interests, perhaps dedicating time to a beloved pursuit or participating in other activities than they might typically have time for. Truly, it’s an occasion for your kids to become more well-rounded and confident, which directly translates to greater personal and career success. Some Awesome Ideas for Well-Rounded Kids:

Holiday Music Programs

Does your teen play an instrument? A holiday music program could be the ideal way for them to hone their skills. Chorus, orchestra, band. Popular music, Broadway show tunes, classical. From advanced programs focusing on a single instrument to general programs designed for beginners, making music is an outstanding way to spend the school holidays.

Days filled with tunes can be great for your teen.

Music has tremendous benefits for young people, too.

Learning to play an instrument has been shown to strengthen neural processing. In layman’s terms, that means more efficient brain power! This can also mean a sharper mind later in life.

A study by the U.S. Department of Education of 25,000 secondary school students found that students who had consistently high levels of involvement in instrumental music during their schooling displayed "significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency.”

Music improves reading comprehension, too. One study of 7,500 university students revealed that those whose area of study was music scored highest on reading test scores. They outperformed English, Biology, and Chemistry students.

2004 Research from the Board of Studies, NSW, showed that a child’s participation in a music program improved the parent/child relationship for 99.2% of parents. Additionally, positive effects occur with behaviour, communication skills, and social skills.

There are thousands and thousands of more statistics on how substantially music can impact your child’s life. These alone are a great reason to enrol your teen in a school holiday music program. And not only are they incredibly beneficial to their mental and social capacities, they are also enormous fun!

A Family Camping Holiday

For your next school holiday trip, why not forget about the typical ‘fancy’ holiday? Opt out of the hotel stay. Avoid the most popular tourist hotspots. Instead, try something different. You’ll be amazed at how memorable and enjoyable your next family holiday is.

The idea? Camping!

Australia is full to bursting with incredible camping opportunities, particularly in regional Australia. Our scenery is beautiful and there’s abundant wildlife, diverse landscapes, and plenty to do. Whether you want to go on a more rugged trip deep in the wilderness or you’d prefer a tamer national park campground, the adventure is on! Don’t forget to pack the tents and sleeping bags; you’ll be travelling without your caravan on this holiday.

Camping as a family is an unforgettable time. Your teen might initially complain about the lack of a Wi-Fi signal, but they’ll soon jump in and enjoy the journey. The key is to plan for a variety of activities that both you and your kids will enjoy, because camping is about much more than your temporary accommodations. Camping is about walking, swimming, cooking, fishing, wildlife sighting, kayaking, and whatever else the region might supply. It’s about games and campfires and bonding as a family. Camping just might be the perfect way to spend this next school holidays.

Some of the benefits of camping with your teens include:

Increased self-confidence and self-trust

Give your teen some tasks to do and let them take responsibility for some elements of the trip. They might be faced with something new and unfamiliar, which is a great opportunity to dig deep and find strength in their own knowledge. Your teen can learn how powerful they are as their own resource.

Actual survival skills

Some teens really get excited by the idea of exploring the wild reaches of a place, and the chance to learn survival-type skills could be a very appealing aspect of your holiday. Why not take some time and focus on skills like finding food, building a fire, navigating without a compass (or a Smartphone!), or constructing a shelter. These are some real-world abilities that could come in very handy. Plus, your teens can definitely impress their friends with them.

Get off the beaten track for a fresh summer holidays adventure.

Appreciation for nature

It might sound cliche, but nature is one of the primary reasons you should take your kids camping. Teens appreciate the majesty of nature as much as the rest of us, and you’re definitely doing them a favour by exposing them to the wonder of the planet. This could be a chance not only for discovery but for developing a deeper understanding of concepts such as conservation or environmental sustainability.

A break from technology

As much as they might initially complain, by the end of the camping trip, it’s almost certain that your teens will have developed a new approach to technology. They may be glad to be able to use their devices again, but it is undeniable that they will experience a small bit of the freedom that comes from removing technology. Why not chat together as a family about how being away from screens and out in nature made you feel? Chances are, the whole clan felt happier and more clear-headed during the brief digital detox.

Getting Out About Town with Friends

You may not be able to get away for the upcoming school holidays, which means your teen may end up spending more time at home.

No worries. They can make plans with their mates. After all, socialising is an important---even essential---part of a developing young adulthood.

Your teens will love spending hours with their mates during school holidays. Suggest that they take advantage of a number of local activities and attractions. Encourage them with a few clever ideas for fun with friends, and you’ll help point them in the direction of a unique and memorable time. You might organise an outing for them to go bowling. You can provide the transport (thanks Mum!) and drop them off for an afternoon of strikes, spares, and laughs.

They also might like to have a movie marathon. Your teen and their friends can gather at your home and watch an entire series or set of films from start to finish. They’ll love if you supply the delicious snacks!

Kids will always find a way to have fun with their friends, but they’ll make the most of the time spent if they choose more dynamic ideas.

Go Bushwalking

An absolutely perfect school holidays activity is bushwalking. You can do this with your teens, and it’s a great substitute if you are unable to go away on a holiday. Regional Australians are especially lucky in this regard. Some of the country’s most incredible places are found in regional Australia. There are epic landscapes and challenging trails right in your own backyard.

Bushwalking is a choice activity because it’s something that the entire family can usually participate in. There are hundreds and thousands of bushwalking tracks throughout Australia, which results in various levels of difficulty. Together, you can find a moderate track that will accommodate parents, teens, and perhaps even younger children.

Bushwalking doesn’t have to be a chatty affair; there’s something to be said for walking and enjoying nature in a companionable silence. For those who don’t have the most talkative teens, a hike could be a lovely way to spend time as a family.

There’s also the benefit of physical exercise. Bushwalking provides aerobic benefits and can also help improve balance and stability---some of those trails need sure-footing.

Hikes can be done close to home, too, which means you’ll have the chance to explore an area that is not too far away, but feels remote and new. Both you and your kids will develop a greater appreciation for your part of Australia, and perhaps you’ll have found a favourite new walking trail.

For the ultimate in school holidays fun, combine a bushwalking excursion with an overnight camping adventure.

Do Some Creative Things Together at Home

There may be some portion of the school holidays when you and your teens are home with no plans for the day. Perhaps the weather is poor or you have another reason for staying home. Well, just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you can’t have a total adventure.

The key is to get creative.

Creativity is a lifelong skill that all people should endeavour to develop. If you can incite creativity in your kids and teenagers, all the better. Numerous studies show that creativity and imagination are key components of intelligence and success.

What project will you tackle this school holidays?

So what should your at-home creativity entail? Let the Internet be your guide!

A wonderful idea is to try out a new recipe or a DIY craft project. Head to Pinterest and you’ll find millions of suggestions. Your teens will love that you’re incorporating the Internet into their activity, and they might even get to show you how to do something new online! But you’re sure to have a ball working on one of these strange, yet charming projects.

Just a sampling of the fascinating possibilities via Pinterest:

Even if you’re not into baking or crafting, you can get lost in an afternoon exploring the wonderful world of Pinterest with your teen. Stumped on which DIY project to choose? Find the craziest idea possible and do that one!

Your kids can also spend time learning their own new skills. YouTube isn’t just for funny cat videos, it also holds a wealth of informative tutorials. With YouTube, you can learn how to do almost anything. Challenge your teen to pick up a tough new skill in just an afternoon. Or, make it a friendly competition. You and your child could each separately use YouTube to learn how to do something, then show off your new-found prowess. There’s bound to be a few laughs and perhaps a few video bloopers to save for posterity.

The benefits of this school holidays activity are clear: bonding time with family, expansion of skill set and a burst of creativity. And it’s all heaps of fun.

The Bottom Line

No matter how your kids spend their school holidays, the most important thing is that they get to spend a bit of time time with you. Even if that time is brief, use it to make some meaningful memories. That’s the greatest gift you can possibly give your teen.

Fun & Positive Ideas for Your Teen For the School Holidays

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