Staying sane in the winter holidays

The holidays have arrived....now what!

The winter school holidays are here and faced with two to three weeks with your kids in what can be sketchy weather is often a scary thought.

The great thing about living in Melbourne and Sydney is there are always loads of things to do in the school holidays. In fact winter holidays have become my favourite time of the year here in Melbourne.

Here are a few of my top things to do in Melbourne over the winter holidays. 

Skating

One of my favourite things is the outdoor skating rink that gets set up in Federation Square.  It’s an outdoor rink and even people who have never been on skates can have a go.  They have these great penguin stabilisers you can skate with to keep you upright. It’s great fun for young and old and a great way to be outdoors as skating can help you work up a sweat!

Find out more here

http://fedsquare.com/events/river-rink-in-fed-square

Ice slide

Yup that’s right – Melbourne is getting an ice slide this year!  It’s going to be 40 metres long and 4 meters high!  The kids will love it and personally I think this sounds like a do not miss event too. There will be a food truck on site serving up yummy food so you can grab a bite after you slide! 

Find out more here

https://www.eurekaskydeck.com.au/events/the-variety-ice-slide/

Want to stay indoors

I love the National Gallery of Victoria.  Even when there isn’t a special event on, just wandering around the free areas is a lot of fun (and your kids may learn something too!).  There is the glass floor to walk across which scares me but my daughter loves it.  It’s warm and welcoming and offers so much to see and do it’s a great place to burn off a few hours!

Want to head out of town

Sovereign Hill in Ballarat does a Christmas in July spectacular.  The town is painted Christmas and there are loads of things to see and do.  At night they light up the buildings and you can enjoy the music and what really is a spectacular light show.  Bonus is they make it snow – it’s not real snow but the kids love it.  Ballarat also has a pop up skating rink so if you enjoy skating hit this one too. 

Find out more here

http://christmasinjuly.sovereignhill.com.au/

Wild nights at Werribee Zoo

Another favourite of mine is Wild Nights at Werribee Zoo.  You get to roam around the zoo after dark.  It’s great seeing the animals who often come to life when the lights go down.  You can do an evening safari (pack warm clothes and a blanket as it’s cold on the bus) and you get to walk around with torches hoping to catch some glowing eyes!  They also have fire pits around the zoo, some of which have marshmallow roasting going on.  The evening ends with a fun show.  It’s a great night and the only chance you get to be there at night every year. 

Find out more here

http://www.zoo.org.au/werribee/whats-on/wild-nights

As well as this there are movies, play centres, and loads of other entertainment.  Pretty Little Things also runs workshops and can come to your house if you want to entertain a group of kids for a couple hours.  You can find out more on our website www.prettylittlethingsparties.com or by calling Susie on 0433 397 463.

Happy holidays!  Stay warm. x