THERE are still weeks to go until the kids go back to school. If your child is already saying "I'm bored", here are a few cheap and fun activities you can do with them. CRAFTY ARTISTS
Blowing bubbles - Mix ½ cup of good quality detergent with 2 cups water and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Dip bubble wands (or an old wire coat hanger bent into shape) and blow bubbles!
Flutter by - Kids can splash different coloured and glitter paints on one half of a newspaper sheet, fold it, press it down and unfold it to reveal a beautiful butterfly.
Picture perfect - Discover the neighbourhood through the lens of a camera. Use an old film camera (buy a couple rolls of film) or a cheap disposable camera from the supermarket. It's fun waiting for the film to be developed to see just what was captured.
Flying high - Make a kite and go down to the local park to fly it. There are some great instructions available at kids.national geographic.com.au
Wall art - Buy a roll of craft paper and cut a large piece to clip or stick to the wall. With some pencils, paint and craft materials your creative genius can whip up a masterpiece at home.
Screen print tees - With endless design possibilities, this is a really fun project for kids of all ages (mum and dad too!) Pick up a screen printing kits from an art and craft store and get creative.
Hot air - Take a few days to make a paper mache mini hot air balloon. All that is needed is a balloon, newspaper, white glue or paper mache paste (from craft stores) and a paint brush. Instructions are available from firstpalette.com
It's a Picasso - Art galleries are wonderful places for creating art, all your child needs is a drawing pad and pencils and an eraser. Pack them a lunch and send them off to interpret the masterpieces.
Finger painting - There are tonnes of art projects to do with just gallons of paint and your hands and feet - from the classic kindergarten free-for-all to using fingerprints, hands and feet to create cool, unique artworks.
Gallery walk - Check the local art gallery to see if they have a dedicated kids section. There are often specially curated exhibitions for young art lovers with art projects they can do.
WATER BABIESSplash out - From water polo to the all-time favourite Marco Polo, there are heaps of games kids can play in the backyard pool.
Slip'n'slide - Grab an old tarpaulin or buy some cheap black plastic and hose it down for the perfect slip'n'slide.
Pool party - Local pools are havens for kids and their friends during summer. Entry is generally less than $5 and you can pack them a lunch or give them some extra pocket money for a few treats at the pool.
Little lifesavers - Surf Life Saving Queensland runs the community-based Little Lifesavers program at several locations in Queensland where kids aged 5-11 learn surf lifesaving skills. As well as five-week programs they have intensive five-day school holiday programs. Check out availability at lifesaving.com.au
Hulla-canoe - Canoeing clubs across Queensland run activities, school holiday programs and come and try days. Kids have to be 10 years and over for many of these programs. For more information check out qld.canoe.org.au
Rock 'n' roll - Beach rock pools are great places to explore and give glimpses into tiny ecosystems and life under the sea.
Sprinkler spirits - This one's an oldie but a goodie. For those hot, lethargic summer days when everything just seems harder than usual, tell the kids to put on their togs and then crank up the sprinkler and cut up some watermelon for lunch.
Water fight - Grab some water balloons and pick up some cheap water pistols for an old-fashioned water fight. Watch from somewhere high and dry or get in on the squeals and splashes.
Blast off - Use ropes to create a circle in your backyard and place balls of different sizes and weights inside. Challenge your child to blast the balls out of the circle using the water from the hose in less than a minute.
Snorkelling - Popular snorkelling destinations are found all along Queensland's beautiful coastline including the shipwrecks at Moreton Island and Norman Reef, Townsville's coast and Lady Elliot Island. Look online for guided tours in your part of the state.
Beached as - It wouldn't be a summer holiday without a trip to the beach. Pack up the towels, the sunscreen and the floaties and head to a lifeguard patrolled beach for salty, sandy and safe fun.
SPORTY STARSLeap frog - Make a little frog pond in your lounge or backyard. Use cushions or mats as lily pads for the kids to leap between. At each round move the lily pads further apart. Don't fall in the pond!
Skip and a jump - Pull out the skipping ropes or buy some from the discount store. Introduce your kids to old favourites like double-dutch, cross-jump and speed skipping.
Backyard Olympics - Set up an Olympic obstacle course in your backyard for a full day of fun. Use lengths of rope to separate lanes for a running track, have a tug of war, play tunnel ball, use a broom handle and see how low you can limbo - the options are endless.
Tee time - Set up a mini golf circuit in the backyard or a local park. Use plastic cups with a hole in the side of them, wooden sticks with coloured paper attached for flags (slide these into the hole of the plastic cup) and cardboard tubes for the ball to go through. Cheap plastic golf sets can be found in supermarkets and discount shops.
Bowled over - Buy a plastic bowling set from a discount shop and set up a bowling alley in the loungeroom.
Shootin' Hoops - Grab the basketball or netball and head to the local courts for a game. Don't forget the water and half-time oranges!
Roller Derby - Hunt down a pair of old rollerskates on eBay or at an op-shop for some '80s fun (or roller blades). There are plenty of bike tracks around to skate on, and a growing number of rinks in Queensland. Try www.skateqld.org.au for a location near you.
Hopscotch - Use a piece of chalk or non-slip mats to create a hopscotch grid for the kids to jump and play on.
Balloon bops -Blow up some balloons then see how long and how many of them the kids can keep afloat.
Up stumps - The wheelie bin is the stumps, the fence is a four and the roof is a six. Pull out the cricket set or buy one from a toy or discount shop and play a game of backyard cricket that will make the Ashes look like child's play.
INTREPID ADVENTURERSDetective trail - Leave fun clues around the house for your kids to find, leading them to the next one with easy hints (eg where is the milk kept?)
Down by the water - Head down to the local river or creek and catch guppies in a bucket, build a dam, or look for yabbies.
Bike rides - Two wheels can provide hours of fun during the school holidays. Discover the neighbourhood, check out local bike tracks, or head to the local bike and skate park.
Treasure hunt - Buy some lollies and fun knick-knacks and scatter them around the backyard for your kids to find.
Backyard camping - Kids love camping., especially when the comforts of home are still at their fingertips! Set up the tent in the backyard, leave a few torches and sleeping bags and leave the rest to them.
Environmental crusaders - It's never too early to start looking after the environment. There are many local groups that always need volunteers to help them plant trees, revegetate wetlands and bushlands, or care for orphaned animals.
Park it - There are some amazing parks in Queensland designed specifically for kids of all ages, with equipment to climb on and under, swing on and slide down! Take a picnic and let the kids do their thing.
Gone fishin' - Load up the kids with fishing rods, tackle and bait (don't forget to slip, slop, slap) and let them fish to their hearts content at one of Queensland's many fishing spots.
Camping trip - Take camping from the backyard to the bush or beach. There are still lots of places not overrun with tourists during the holidays, just jump on to nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks for details.
Pillow fort - Strip the beds, grab sheets, mattresses, pillows and cushions and let the kids create an indoor fortress. Who's king of the castle and who's the dirty rascal?
BOOKWORMS & PUZZLE LOVERSSummer reads - Kids can jump online at SummerReadingClub.org.au for writing competitions, blogs, games, activities and prizes and a free e-book.
Paperback writer - Encourage kids to tell their own stories out loud, typed up or written in an exercise book. Get them started by making up some story beginnings or use some from famous tomes.
Library visit - Keep an eye out for author appearances, creative writing and storytelling workshops and exhibitions for all ages at the local library. Bring a large and heavy-duty book bag to borrow enough books to keep your voracious reader occupied throughout the holidays.
Paper run - Budding journalists and editors can create a daily or weekly newspaper, filled with stories and photos of their holiday activities, tall tales of the relatives and friends who have visited - whatever they want to tell the world about! There are some easy templates online or kids can create their own paper version.
Shape search - Create a bingo grid with different shapes or objects for children to look for in the house and garden (or playground). Can they see the circle in the clock or the rectangle in the bed?
Go fish -The aim of this classic card game is to get as many pairs as possible by asking other players for the cards you need. 'Go fish' from the deck if the player doesn't have the card you asked for.
Board games - Pull out your old board games, dominoes, Connect 4 and cards and have some old-school fun. Perfect for rainy summer days.
Paper puzzler - Go through some old magazines with your kids and let them choose their favourite pictures. Then paste it onto some cardboard and cut it into pieces for a personalised DIY puzzle.
Find-a-word - There are tonnes of word searches and crosswords online especially made for kids, or you can create your own and include hidden messages or inside jokes. Visit puzzle-club.com
Round the twist - Twister has been a favourite game for decades and is guaranteed to keep your kids entertained and laughing over the holidays. If you don't own Twister, ask your neighbour or a friend to lend you theirs.
STAGE STOPPERSTheatre sports - Budding thespians can develop their own stage show and impress friends and family with a live performance in the lounge room at home. If you don't have any old clothes they can dress up in, op-shops can provide lots of cheap and fun options.
Game, set, match - A great set design will really make the kid's stage show come alive. Start by brainstorming and sketching ideas on large pieces of paper or an art pad, and then create a collage to show what the finished set will look like. Build a paper/cardboard/shoebox model and then try creating the set using sturdy cardboard, paper, paint, markers and furniture from around the house.
Karaoke - Who doesn't love to belt out a tune? This can be as cheap or expensive as you like. There are plenty of music videos to be found online as well as some free karaoke games, or splash out on the karaoke albums or games for the Wii, PlayStation or Xbox.
Spielberg for a day - This can be a fun project which can last one day or one week. Kids will need to develop a script, find locations, rehearse, and shoot the movie (with phone, camera or dusty old video camera in storage). Once the film is finished, host a movie night at home complete with popcorn.
Stage sharing - Community theatre groups across the state host a variety of workshops for kids of all ages throughout the school holidays.
Mini masterchefs - Take the TV concept and create it at home. Kids can create easy meals, snacks or sweets for parents or friends to judge. A good excuse to get creative in the kitchen.
DVD days - Sometimes the weather calls for a day inside watching favourite movies together. Make it fun and pull out the beanbags, serve some healthy snacks throughout the day and enjoy a day in away from the crowds. Kids can even introduce their DVD pick Bill Collins-style.
Clowning around - Create the atmosphere of the big top at home. A little face paint and some plastic noses will transform kids into clowns, or give them an old top hat to become a ring master or lion tamer (with the family pooch now a fearless lion). Give them some hula hoops, balls, skipping ropes and they can clown around for hours.
Magic Happens - Kids of all ages love magic tricks. Give them a book with step-by-step instructions (available from most book stores) and ask them to devise their own magic show. Set up chairs in the lounge room when they are ready and let the magic begin.
Love a charade - Charades is perfect for the holidays, particularly when there are lots of relatives staying at your place. Keep the rules simple for kids, titles from children's movies are usually easy picks.
Best of the regions: A snapshot of the best activities in the regionsCAIRNS - cairns.qld.gov.au
Cairns Skyrail Cableway
Spanning 7.5km over pristine rainforest, the Cairns Skyrail is a spectacular experience that allows you to explore the wonders of an ancient tropical rainforest. Choose from a range of combined rainforest experiences. Prices start at $47 for adults and $23.50 for children. Family packages are available. Visit skyrail.com.au. Address: Cnr of Captain Cook Highway and Cairns Western Arterial Road Smithfield.
Cairns Recreation Centre School Holiday Program
There are heaps of activities for kids to tackle at the Cairns Recreation Centre during the holidays, from fun arts and crafts to rock climbing, indoor hockey and skating. All activities are supervised and there are full-day and half-day options available. Full day costs $28 and half day is $18. Not open New Year's Day. For session times visit cairnsrecreationcentre.com.au Address: 44 Behan Street, Manunda
TOWNSVILLE - townsville.qld.gov.au
LEGO Free Create Wall
As part of Brick by Brick, Townsville's largest ever exhibition of LEGO, the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery invites kids to let their imaginations run free to make their own LEGO creation. Free admission. Runs from January 6 to February 23, Mon-Fri. 10am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-2pm. Address: cnr Denham and Flinders Streets, Townsville City centre.
Dino-Rassic Park
Visit the Museum of Tropical Queensland's dinoriffic adult christmas cards wildlife park and learn about the prehistoric creatures that once roamed the earth. Open 9am-5pm daily. Free with entry to the museum. Museum admission is $15 for adults ($7.50 Townsville & Burdekin residents), $8.80 for children aged 3-16 ($4.40 Townsville & Burdekin residents) and $38 for families ($19.00 Townsville and Burdekin residents). Visit mtq.qm.qld.gov.au for more information.
MACKAY - mackay.qld.gov.au
Ice City
Back by popular demand, Ice City is sure to beat the Christmas heat. Test out your ice skating skills while gliding in airconditioned comfort to great music. The Harvey World Travel Ice Disco Nights on Friday are sure to get the legs pumping. Ice skating sessions run for one and a half hours and include use of the new and improved giant ice slide. From December 26 to January 26. Cost (including skate hire and entry) is $20 adults, $17 for children 6-14 and $14 children under 5. Visit mackaytix.com.au. Address: Mackay Entertainment & Convention Centre, Alfred St, Mackay.
Bluewater Trail
The Bluewater trail is a shared pedestrian and bicycle pathway around Mackay that offers plenty of activities for the family including the Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens, Sandfly Creek Environmental Walk, Catherine Freeman Walk, the free three-tiered Bluewater Lagoon swimming facility, Bluewater Quay and Iluka Park All Abilities Playground. For more information visit mackay.qld.gov.au.
ISPWICH - discoveripswich.com.au
Ipswich Art Gallery
Construction Site is a great hands-on experience for kids of all ages. Using giant foam blocks, budding architects and engineers can build whatever they want, from the ultimate cubby house to their block city. There is a special play zone created just for children under 3. Construction site runs until January 27 and the museum is open every day from 10am-5pm. Admission is $3 per person or $10 for a family pass. Visit ipswichartgallery.qld.gov.au for more details. Address: Darcy Doyle Pl, Ipswich.
Day Out With Thomas
Everyone's favourite steam train, Thomas the Tank Engine, will be paying a very special visit to the Workshops Rail Museum these summer holidays. Children can enjoy hands-on activities, the indoor adventure playground and make their own craft creation and, of course, meet Thomas and The Fat Controller in person. From December 26 to February 2. Entry is $20 for adults, $11.50 for children (under 3s are free) or purchase a family pass for $59 (2 adults and up to four children). Visit theworkshops.qm.qld.gov.au. Address: The Workshops Rail Museum, North Street, North Ipswich.
GOLD COAST - visitgoldcoast.com
Springbrook World Heritage Listed national park
Located one and a half hours south of Brisbane, Springbrook National Park offers stunning lookouts and views, breathtaking waterfalls, dense rainforest and lots of wildlife. Enjoy lunch at one of the picnic spots, take a walk on one of the many tracks available and enjoy the natural beauty of this Gondwana National Park area. Address: Exit the Pacific Motorway at Mudgeeraba (exit 79 from the north, exit 80 from the south) and follow the Gold Coast-Springbrook Rd.
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
Get up close and personal with Australia's wildlife at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, nestled within 27 hectares of lush eucalypt and rainforest. Cuddle a koala, get up close to a crocodile, feed kangaroos or head to one of the amazing wildlife shows and displays to check out reptiles, birds and marsupials. Open 8-5pm, tickets are $49 for adults or $33 for children. Visit cws.org.au. Address: 28 Tomewin Street, Currumbin.
SUNSHINE COAST - visitsunshinecoast.com.au
Maleny Dairies
Take a tour of Maleny Dairies for an opportunity to get up close with some adorable baby calves and learn about the dairy industry. The tour includes a brief history of the farm, a lesson on hand-milking as well as a chance to sample some of the farm's delicious dairy products. Tours run from Monday to Saturday at 10.30am and 2.30pm and take about 1.5 hours. Tickets cost $9 per person. Visit: malenydairies.com for more information. Address: 70 McCarthy's Road, Maleny
Bribie Island
Connected to the mainland by a bridge, Bribie Island is just 45 minutes north of Brisbane and offers plenty of water activities for the whole family. Watch the dolphins, dugongs and turtles swimming through the calm waters of Pumicestone Passage or head to the surf beaches a short drive away on the other side of the island. There are heaps of fishing hot spots around Bribie so pack the rods, tackle and bait, or buy some fish and chips and watch the sun go down.
BRISBANE - brisbane.qld.gov.au
Story Lab (For ages 9-16)
Learn animation, cartooning, comic and manga skills and techniques from the experts. Workshops designed to suit different age groups and levels, $30-$40. State Library of Queensland, Stanley Place, South Bank. Bookings slq.eventbrite.com or 3842 9786.
Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium
Reach for the stars at the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, which is offering two new exciting shows these holidays in the Cosmic Skydome. Join a family of friendly aliens as they travel through our solar system in Perfect Little Planet or follow Tycho the adventurous puppy on his visit to the moon. Bookings are strongly recommended. Tickets are $14.80 for adults or $9.00 for children. Family tickets are available. Visit Brisbane.qld.gov.au/planetarium. Address: Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong
TOOWOOMBA - southernqueenslandcountry.com.au
Rapt in Reptiles
Get Rapt in Reptiles at the Cobb+Co Museum these school holidays. See and touch live reptiles and watch a live show featuring lizards, turtles and non-venomous snakes. Running weekdays 10am-3pm from January 6-24. National Parks and Wildlife Ranger Rod Hobson will make special guest appearances on Monday 13 to Friday 17 January 2014 from 12pm-3pm. Suits children aged 3-12 years and costs $10 per child (including one live show and an activity pack). Visit: cobbandco.qm.qld.gov.au. Address: 27 Lindsay Street, Toowoomba
Picnic Point
A Toowoomba icon, Picnic Point is the best place to appreciate its high location on the top edge of the Great Dividing Range. Featuring a beautifully landscaped parkland with playgrounds, waterfalls and rotundas, barbecue and picnic facilities and magnificent lookouts over the city and the Lockyer Valley. There is also an on-site cafe and restaurant and plenty of walking tracks to suit all ages and energy levels. Address: Tourist Drive, Toowoomba
