SCHOOL HOLIDAYS SORTED

Days after days of school holiday camps and programmes, and with Netflix’s kids watchlist on its last tether, means that it’s about time to look at other school holiday alternatives.

Hey, there! This is where we come in! Luckily, we’ve got a bunch of ideas for things to do with the kids these school holidays. See our top picks below.

Stimulating the mind is seriously unfun when it’s school holiday time! So put away those brain twisters and puzzlers for a rainy term evening and dive into a fantastic kids’ fiction book for discovery and adventure. These are a handful of our favourites from Whitcoulls, suitable for the little guys and girls aged 5 – 12.

The Midnight Gang by David Williams | Middle School Treasure Hunter by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein | Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle | Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs | The Bumper Book of Silly Jokes – all from Whitcoulls

Nothing beats a good classic movie than, well, a great classic movie – and sometimes, the older, the better! BUT the best thing about JB Hi-Fi is they also have the newest releases, as well as all of your old family favourites. These are our favourite family films to inspire joy and inspiration these school holidays. We’re also loving the cinema options these school holidays! Our picks for taking the kids out for a theatre experience are Early Man, Peter Rabbit, Ready Player One, and Sherlock Gnomes. 

Ferdinand | Paddington 2 | Coco | Family Classics Vol.1 | The Jungle Bunch – all from JB Hi-Fi

Nothing beats a fun game or outdoor sport – especially when we can play with friends, siblings, parents, cousins – in real life or online! EB Games has a bunch of wicked games for you to play, so buckle down some screen time and exercise at the same time! We think Just Dance is one the whole family will enjoy, and we’re also loving the kids’ range at Stirling Sports for outdoor play time.

Nike skipping rope from Stirling Sports | Adidias colour ball from Stirling Sports | Just Dance for PS4 from EB Games

One rare treat for you as a parent is to have an awesome weekday lunch with your little ones, making school holidays the perfect time to share a treat or two. In-centre, you’ll find all of their favourites, and we reckon they’ll love these treats the most, handpicked by us as your school holiday must-haves!

Happy Meal from McDonalds | Clown Cone and Dinky Duck ice cream from Wendy’s Supa Sundaes | Chicken sushi from Matsu Sushi

If it’s a rainy day and staying home is all the rage, make a mess, let loose in the kitchen, and bake a delicious cake! These are a couple of our favourite – and easy! – ready-to-make box sets items that make creating cakes and cupcakes fun and simple.

Coconut Raspberry cake box set | Cupcake crockery | Icing bags | Joseph Joseph bakng set – all from Stevens

The best part of school holidays has got to be the extra playtime! This year, kids are digging little wee toys that are easy to take anywhere, are good budget buys, and are exciting to touch! Indulge in some new toys to enjoy as a family; have a look at our picks below.

Hatchimals board game from Farmers | So-Squishy slime pottle from Whitcoulls | Fingerlings from Toyworld 

Visit us! We’ve got an amazing West Auckland inspired mural designed by Rogan James in-centre from 16 – 29 April, and we’d love you to be a part of it! Join us and help us colour in the mural – you’ll also be able to enter to win a LynnMall gift card! See more info on lynnmall.co.nz.