Ultimate Guide To Vacation Care Activities

Creative and educational vacation care activities are essential for your holiday program. They allow kids to embark on exciting adventures, unleash their creativity, and learn in ways that spark joy and curiosity.

 

We’ve compiled comprehensive vacation care activity and theme ideas to help elevate your vacation and out-of-school hours care (OHSC) program.

What Is Vacation Care?

Vacation or out-of-school hours care (OHSC) refers to care services for kids during school holidays when parents work. It includes fun and educational activities like arts and crafts, sports, woodwork and outings to keep children busy and happy. 

 

Learning, vacation, and daycare centres usually provide these programs and services to parents who need childcare when school is out.

Benefits of Vacation Care Activities for Kids

Vacation care activities offer more than just fun and adventure for kids on school holidays. They provide a platform for learning, discovery, and exciting engagement with others. Here are some more advantages of vacation care activities.

 

• Learning: Children can learn new skills and discover talents and career interests with various educational and exciting activities.

• Socialisation: Vacation activities allow children to make new friends, interact, and collaborate with others their age.

• Physical activity: Outdoor holiday activities like sports and nature exploration keep children active during the break. Playing and learning outdoors also gives them a break from technology. 

• Creativity: When boredom strikes, kids can become restless. Vacation care activities help them use their imagination and stay stimulated. 

• Independence: Participating in school holiday programmes allows kids to try new tasks and challenges, helping them grow and become more confident. 

10 Indoor and Outdoor Vacation Activities

Here are some fun indoor and outdoor holiday tasks for kids.

1. Build-It-Yourself

Letting kids build and create their toys can inspire imagination and learning. You can purchase DIY kits for various toys and objects, such as mini robots, model aeroplanes, and wooden projects and toys. 

 

2. Crafting With Recycled Materials

Combining environmental conservation and creativity can provide fun and stimulating tasks. Get recycled material kits for making fun crafts and objects. Or use disposable home materials like paper, plastic cartons and cardboard for paper mache animals, flower beds and planters. 

3. Mini Architecture

Children enjoy building objects with whatever they can find, whether books, toys, or plastic appliances. Get them blocks, architectural models, or construction sets to enhance their building skills. Mini architecture kits offer safe tools and objects and creative freedom. 

4. Indoor Obstacle Course

Indoor obstacle courses can be an excellent way to keep kids active indoors on cold or rainy days. Use hula hoops, chairs, jump ropes and baskets to create exciting and challenging obstacle courses. You can also purchase obstacle course kits with balance beams, play tunnels, and other tools to help you overcome safe and creative obstacles. 

5. Outdoor Construction

Another great way to keep children active and inspire creativity is to have them build outdoor structures. Let them use nature to create castles, buildings, animals, and whatever else they can think of. You can also get kid-friendly outdoor building blocks to enhance their construction and learning.  

6. Nature Exploration

The outdoors offers various stimulating and educational activities. Kid-friendly gardening kits teach children about growing plants, fruits, and vegetables. You can also use bug catcher kits for exciting scavenger hunts or insect expeditions. 

7. Science Experiment Lab

Science experiments are great for promoting curiosity and exploration. Conduct hands-on science experiments with kid-friendly science and chemistry kits. These activities test kids’ problem-solving skills and keep them engaged for hours. 

8. Water Play

Water play activities are perfect for warm days, allowing kids to enjoy the outdoors fully. Fun water play sets, including items like water balloons, tables, and other exciting equipment, can enhance their experience.

9. Art and Craft Creations

Drawing, painting or crafting tools can encourage imagination and creativity. Set up an outdoor painting or drawing studio and let kids interpret nature through their artwork. Other tasks include creating personalised items like jewellery, keychains, or room decor with comprehensive arts and crafts kits. 

 

10. DIY Wooden Toy Workshop

DIY woodworking kits encourage resourcefulness, problem-solving, and hands-on learning. Kid-friendly woodworking can unleash kids’ creativity and help them learn new skills. It can also teach patience, focus, and attention to detail. 

Creative OSHC Themes for Vacation Day Care Centres

Now that you have fun vacation activities, you can organise them into themed weekly programs. Here are some weekly OSCH and vacation care ideas to help you get started. 

 

• Adventure builders: Plan build-it-yourself indoor and outdoor activities like construction challenges, building block tasks, and nature creations. 

• Jungle expedition: Consider woodworking workshops teaching kids to build tree houses. You can also include fun arts and crafts like creating animal masks and wildlife or rainforest trekking adventures. 

• Science and technology: Organise STEM activities like kid-friendly engineering, chemistry and robotics projects. 

• Career exploration: Consider career dress-ups, role plays, woodworking, and STEM tasks to help kids learn about different professions and career paths.

• Fantasy: Create daily fantasy-themed tasks like creating dragons and mythical creatures with art and craft kits. 

• Time travellers: Consider creative ways to learn about history, like building pyramids and creating time capsules. 

• Space exploration: Use science and chemistry kits to create exciting tasks. You can set up arts and crafts tools for galaxy-themed art and rocketships. 

Shop Our Vacation Care Activity Kits and Products From Built By Kidz

You’ve come to the right place if you want a fun, educational, safe, and sustainable daycare vacation or OSHC activities.

Built By Kidz offers engaging products that nurture motor skills and problem-solving abilities and unleash creativity in children. Tested and loved by our daughters, our vacation care items are designed to make learning fun and memorable.

 

With a focus on sustainability, our Australian-made kits ensure quality and longevity. Whether for home use or in vacation care programs, our diverse range caters to every child’s interests. 

 

We offer online ordering and on-site purchasing to meet your needs and preferences. Browse our wide range of vacation care products.