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Christmas is a wonderful time of the year, but there is such a thing as the “Christmas Aftermath”. The cleaning, the recovering, the losing weight and keeping the children entertained during Australian summer holidays. From a parent’s point of view, they stretch on forever, but from our children’s point of view, they are all too short.

For this poor man who was attacked by his cat while opening his Christmas presents. His Christmas aftermath took months to heal, with 3.2 million views of his video. The simple message is — beware of your cat!

From the point of view of losing weight inch by inch, it is a cinch. The first thing is, try not to eat too much and if you do, eat less the next day.

The other good news for my wife and me is that we are now members of a 24-hour gym, so we will fight the extra kilos on a day-by-day basis. It is much harder to shed weight, rather than avoid it in the first place.

But what about the challenge of cleaning up after the holiday hit? Bruce and Jeanne Lubin from the Quick & Dirty Tips cleaning website give five tips on Christmas Aftermath cleaning and three tips on storing Christmas decorations.

Let’s face it, the big challenge is still the big challenge. That is, keeping your children entertained during the holidays. This very practical article from Rebel Wylie, “10 School Holiday Activities for Summer that Won’t Break the Bank”, really hits the mark.

Despite the fact it feels like we were just on holidays, the weeks have flown and the school break is… upon us again. Which means it’s time to find things to do to keep the kids entertained and the ‘I’m boreds’ at a minimum for parents across Australia.

If you’re looking for ways to stay cool and have fun in the summer holidays, there’s plenty of inspiration to be found, and you don’t really need to spend a cent.

If you’re worried about entertaining the kids on a budget during summer, don’t worry — keep calm and put your wallet away. There are plenty of cheap things that can help keep your kids entertained and cool. We’ve shared our favourites in the gallery below.

1. Water play: While hitting a backyard with the hose or a sprinkler is great fun, even a small waterplay table set up on a balcony will keep kids entertained and cool in the summer holidays. Buckets, tubs, cups, colanders, water balloons, ice and sponges make great props. Remember to always supervise kids around water.

2. Explore your local waterway: Creek, beach, pond or river, whatever your local waterway is, you’re sure to find adventure ripe for exploring. Remember to always supervise kids around water.

3. Backyard camping: You don’t need to travel far to have an adventure. Setting up camp and spending the night in your own backyard will introduce you to a whole new world, just outside the back door! Brave the summer bugs and get camping!

4. Cooking in the kitchen: Get ready to make a little mess! Set up some batch baking activities and cook the day away making snacks and treats to get you through the rest of the holidays.

5. Plant a veggie garden: From researching the right plants for your garden, to sourcing and digging it out, planting a veggie garden in your yard is not only good, cheap fun, it’s a pretty delicious too. Bring on the summer salads.

6. Film a reality show: Got a budding dance star, or inventor, or a mini-MasterChef? Why not use a phone or tablet to create your own reality television show? From scripting, to set design, filming and editing, this is a super fun activity you can keep adding to over the whole holiday break.

7. Visit your local library: Exploring your local library is a perfect all-weather activity, and best of all it’s free AND air conditioned. Load up on books to read together and you’ve covered off more than one day’s worth of entertainment in one hit!

8. Have a playdate: Inviting a friend over to spend some time with and make long-lasting memories is a sweet way to entertain the days in the school holidays. Mix things up by inviting someone who hasn’t been for a playdate at your house before.

9. Get crafty: Try making your own slime, playdough or face paint at home with everyday ingredients you’re likely to find in the kitchen cupboards.

10. Dress-ups: You don’t need to spend a lot on fancy dress. Letting the kids go wild in mum and dad’s wardrobes is often enough to set off a whole raft of adventurous, imaginative play. Set up a stage under the clothesline and put on a summer show for the neighbours.

Lovework

The clean-up won’t get done on its own. Get the family helping you. Yes, if the children helped make the mess, they can help clean up! Moreover, tuck these ten ideas away for a rainy day — or if you are stuck right now, put them into practice today and have a happy holiday season.

Much love & all the best for the New Year,
Warwick Marsh

PS: For those who would like to kick the New Year off with Prayer at sunrise (watch Video here) check out the New Year’s Day Sunrise Prayer Relay for more information.