It’s that time of the year again and the winter school holidays are almost here! We know what this means.. The hunt for indoor school holiday activities is on! If you’re not going away, there will likely be a few things on your kids-school-holiday-checklist when it comes to activities:

• That the kids find it FUN!
• That it’s weatherproof
• Good opportunity to make to make new friends
• Local/accessible
• Continue to develop interests and learn new skills
• Keeps the kids engaged, entertained and active

Because we’re all about keeping families healthy, happy and active (aaand we get asked for activity recommendations often by parents when school holidays are coming up), we thought we’d put together a list of FIVE school holiday potentials for you to consider for these school holidays or those to come!

Note: We have absolutely ZERO affiliations here. We just thought they sounded fun and would make for a great day/week out!

 

1. Head to a trampoline park!

If you haven’t already been, picture this. A giant warehouse/building FILLED with trampolines and jump/play areas! Jump from one area to another, jump into a foam pit, learn how to flip and do all this safely while being supervised by trained staff! Kids love it, they’ll build their balance, coordination and strength, and they’ll be sleeping well that night. What more could you want!

Location: We know of a few around Melbourne – Bounce Inc is in Essendon Fields, Blackburn North and Glen Iris. There’s also a Rush HQ in Rowville, Xtreme Air in Keysborough, 79 Jump Street in Sunshine West and Airborn in Coolaroo, and Latitude in Heidelberg West.

 

2. Take a circus class!

With this one, we can personally attest to the pure joy, awesomeness and fun that is had here because we took a circus class ourselves when we were in primary school! (and have been able to master a spinning plate ever since). It’s a stack of fun, filled with plenty of cartwheels, handstands and gymnastic activity if that’s what you enjoy, or otherwise some great hand-eye coordination from learning, to juggle spin plates and more! Better yet, you make great friends while you have fun.

Location: Circus Oz in Collingwood (ages 5 – 18 years), The Circus Spot in Pascoe Vale (ages 6+), & the Fly Factory in Blackburn (kids, teens & adults).

 

3. Take a Karate or Martial Arts class

This one we also tried! And absolutely loved it and kept doing it throughout the year! Martial arts are fantastic because you learn so much, both in skills and in patience and mindset! You pay a lot of attention, develop strength and coordination, concentrate on the movements that you’re doing, and then get to belt it out with the moves and use up all that energy! Trying karate can also foster an enjoyment for it that can last for years, if not a lifetime.

Location: Kando Martial Arts is located in Hughesdale, Rowville, Highett & Blackburn South, and Just For Kicks (who also offer Kindy Karate for ages 3-5 years) is in Coburg & Clifton/Collingwood.

 

4. Sports Camp!

A fun way to try new sports, making lots of new friends and get lots of activity in! While some camps focus on one particular sport, others offer many activities for kids to choose from each day. We like this idea because it gives kids the opportunity to try a variety of activities and find out the kinds of things they do and don’t enjoy, and what they’d be interested in pursuing further and joining teams at/outside of school throughout the year. For those with a specific sport in mind, it gives them the opportunity to grow their skills, work on their techniques, meet others who also enjoy the sport and some camps even have you meeting Australian sportsmen and sportswomen!

Location: Australian Sports Camps are available around Melbourne, including Hawthorn, Kew, Hampton, Bulleen, North Balwyn, Parkville, Kensington and, Elwood. Team Holiday is available in Elwood Primary, GESAC, Wesley College St Kilda Rd, Haileybury West Melbourne, and 50 Lonsdale St, Melbourne. Check out Camp Blue too for sports combined with other activities!

 

5. Enrol in a Performing Arts Programme or Camp

This one is a little different to the above super active suggestions, but we have no doubt it’d be just as good for the mind and body! Learning to play an instrument, enhance existing musical skills, or learn a new instrument is always a fun challenge. Luckily for kids – they won’t be alone! Being alongside many others learning about instruments and music – and seeing their role in context through a performance or show – is a fun experience and a very proud parent moment. They also do plenty of warm-ups and cool downs throughout the day to get that physical output too!

Location: MINPAA has both day classes and school holiday camps and is located in Pascoe Vale South.

Undoubtedly, there’ll be plenty more activities and groups to keep your little ones on their feet and having fun all holidays! Don’t forget to equip them with good shoes to get them through their days – especially if they’re doing lots of running and sports! If you have any questions or concerns about your kids feet, bring them in. We LOVE seeing kids and helping them get back on track to great growth and development when it comes to their lower limbs. For any questions or to make an appointment, you can call us on 1300-FX-FEET or book online here.