23 ways to keep the kids busy during the school holidays

The school holidays have just kicked off, and if you’re already hearing the dreaded “I’m bored” catch cry from your kids, you’re going to want a solution to keep them occupied.
Instead of leaving them with the TV and the tablets, why not give them something new to try? Think outdoor games, gadgets and creative activities that will keep kids of all ages busy and interested. 
We’ve rounded up some out-of-the-box ideas that will keep you sane and your kids entertained.
NOTE: Prices are accurate at time of publishing.
As far as backyard games go, totem tennis has been around for decades. The two-player game is more straightforward than rallying over a net, with the totem pole keeping the ball firmly in place as it swings wildly from racket to racket. Buy this set from Orbit now for $52.27 and banish the kids to the backyard.
A great game for small groups, players take turns throwing a wooden cylinder at a group of numbered wooden pegs. The numbers they knock over help them accumulate a score until one person reaches the agreed-upon winning sum. 
A mix between volleyball and foursquare, Spikeball is a perfect group game for any outdoor setting. With rules that are easy to learn, it’ll keep the kids both active and entertained.
This Sweet Shop Play Tent is ideal for kids who like to play make-believe. Allow them to make an imaginary world where they can serve you or their friends. They can also use the tent as a little place of their own to enjoy. Grab it here to create an easy school holiday activity.
Learning a new skill is a perfect way to pass the time. These rollerblades (also known as inline skates) are perfect for early learners. Buy them now for $120 on The Iconic, but make sure to grab some matching safety gear, too.
Your typical paper plane has had a huge upgrade. Now you can fly and control your plane via Bluetooth with a built-in launcher and stabiliser in the POWERUP 4.0 Paper Airplane Kit. The paper plane will have a flying range of 230 feet all controlled at your child’s fingertips. 
The plane can fly for 10 minutes on a single 30-minute charge and has different settings depending on how they want to fly it, like autopilot and acro mode to do tricks like barrel rolls and loops. It doesn’t even have to be made from paper to work. You can experiment with different materials, including balsa wood – the launcher and stabiliser will make adjustments and calibrate the data to make it fly.  
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If your little one is missing their sport, this is a great way to fill the hole. This hockey set comes with two hockey sticks, goals and three different balls to choose from: a hover ball, a floating air ball and an inflatable soccer ball.
With a firing velocity of 27 metres per second, this Nerf Rival Kronos XVIII-500 Blaster isn’t messing around. The blaster comes with five foam rounds and has a trigger lock to prevent any accidental firing. 
This kite pack comes with three to be coloured and decorated before you take them for a spin.
Not much can beat a water fight, even if the weather has cooled down. These balloons are a great option as they are designed to fill 100 balloons in just 60 seconds. Best of all, there are 350 in a pack.
These walkie-talkies are high-tech enough for great two-way communication but are safe for your children to use and play with. There is a key lock function so the radio connectivity cannot be easily modified to interact with others outside the two walkie-talkie users. There is also a built-in flashlight and has a range of 3km, so they can play with neighbours or nearby friends all holiday long.
Designed for children aged three and up, this kit comes with all the essentials to help them feel like a real explorer or environmental scientist. A torch, binoculars, magnifying glass, capturing net and clip, tweezers, record book, microscope and bug boxes and containers are all included. This will be a great option to take with you if you’re having a day at the park or going on a bushwalk.
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This fun family board game will take your kids on a scavenger hunt across the house. Flip over five cards and find what is on the cards the quickest. They will earn points by finding the items the quickest and putting them back.
If you’ve got a long road trip ahead, this is the game for you. Entertain the kids with this set of 50 cards, with each one containing an activity or game that will kill some time as you wind your way towards your destination. 
Most people can sew a button onto a jacket, but not much else – it’s a dying craft that needs a revamp. Luckily, this kids’ sewing kit is here to teach kids the basics. Designed for children aged over five, they can make six beginner sewing arts like bags, pillows and key rings. It is entirely safe for children to use as it comes with plastic tools and won’t make any unnecessary mess as all the fabric is pre-cut and with pre-punched holes – all the kids need to do is put it all together.
This starter kit comes with a recipe book as well as a notebook for them to add their own recipes in. It also has kid-safe and kid-sized cooking utensils, including measuring spoons, measuring cups, a spatula, and a wooden spoon.
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Made with foam and velcro, this sticky dart board game is fun for kids of all ages and won’t cause any breakages indoors. Included in the set are two ball launchers, 12 sticky dart balls, and a large, colourful dart board. 
School holidays aren’t typically the time for learning, but if it’s this fun to do, then why not? With this National Geographic Earth Science Kit, they will be able to test over 15 scientific experiments including how to make a volcano, take part in a geological dig, make a mini water tornado and grow their own crystals.
Designed for children aged eight years and over, your child will be able to learn about the uses and capabilities of solar energy while developing their interest in science and engineering skills. This kit allows them to build 12 different shaped robots depending on their abilities ranging from entry-level to advanced. You can buy their new robotic friend on Amazon for $39.99.
While you might not want to get your hands dirty or your kitchen messy, this kitchen experiments kit is a great way to help kids learn science experiments from the safety and familiarity of their home. The pack includes two test tubes, a test tube rack, science goggles, string, cotton buds, magnifying glass and a 40-page lab notebook to write down the results.
When you think of fun games, geography isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind, but this board game is both geographically educational and fun for the whole family. For two to five players, each must race around the world answering geography-based questions, and the first one around the world wins. This will help the kids learn about flags, capital cities and locations on the map alongside 1,500 geographical questions and fun facts. 
READ MORE: The fun family board games you haven’t heard of but need to play
Kids can make all the fun, weird and wacky 3D designs that pop into their heads with their own 3D pens. Simply turn on the pen, wait until there is a green light, insert some of the plastic and get creating. It is completely child-friendly and the pen will not get hot while in use. If unsure what to make first, the set comes with some templates to kick off their doodling.
This handheld device is a great memory tester for kids and grown-ups alike. The BrainBolt will make a light sequence and you’ll have to remember the sequence and identify the order without breaking the pattern. 
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