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5 Boredom Busters for School Holidays

January 9, 2014 By A Spoonful of Sugar - Leave a Comment

The summer holiday period is our favourite time of year. We can relax and enjoy the beautiful summer weather (although it is forecast to reach 44 degrees C on Saturday!), sleep in, enjoy a slower pace of life and find time for relaxing family activities. If your children are feeling bored and you are looking for some fun activities you can do at home, here are our top five boredom buster ideas.

1. Play Board Games

Board games are so much fun and may involve a mix of  luck, strategy, and friendly competition. Our current favourites are Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, and Monopoly (Perth edition). We have been spending many evenings playing our new games and some old favourites. There are such a wide range of games available for all ages, abilities and interests. Perfect family fun!

2. Get Creative

Gather together some craft supplies and encourage your children to get creative. Making something for yourself or for a gift is a fun past time, and a great way to learn new skills. Some of our popular kids craft ideas are Making a card using hama/perler beads, How to Make a Bookmark, and Easy Valentines.
If your kids like more incentive to be creative, how about they try their hand at Building their Own Ship? The Spirit of Tasmania is running a great competition for building a model ship using cardboard, wood, plastic or even construction materials such as Lego. There are terrific prizes in each age category. To enter you simply send in a photo of your masterpiece with your details. Fantastic competition and a great project to work on during the summer holidays! Open to Australian residents only. Competition runs until 27 January 2014.

3. Visit the Library

Summer is the perfect time to catch up on some reading. Public libraries have a great selection of books for readers of all ages and interests. My teens have been reading the Divergent series, Hunger Games series, and Legend series. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green; The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes, and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak are also popular young adult titles in our home. Reading is always a great way to relax and unwind.

4. Make Some Cool Treats

As summer temperatures heat up, cool treats are in demand. Kids love making their own popsicles and ice-cream. Buy some popsicle moulds and fill them with a selection of fresh juices; fruit and yoghurt; pudding; or ice-cream, to make some delicious frozen treats. If you have an ice cream maker, experiment with a range of different flavours. Cool treats are a tasty way to cool down.

Check out our recipes for Pavlova Ice-cream, Honey Almond Praline Ice-cream,  Maple Ice-cream, and Toasted Marshmallow Ice-cream. 

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5. Movie Night

Turn your family room into a movie theatre with comfortable chairs, pillows, sleeping bags, beanbags. Add some popcorn or other treats, and select your favourite family movies. The kids can get involved preparing the food, setting up the room, and making tickets. You could choose a theme and select movies and snacks to suit. You could package up some lollies/chocolates in gifts bags. Give the kids some colouring pages and easy crafts to do around the movie theme.

Movie nights are heaps of fun. We have been enjoying watching some foreign films recently with the teens.

What are your favourite boredom busters for school holiday fun?

Filed Under: Family Fun Tagged With: children, teens

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A lot can change in 10 years ❤️ It’s been fun look A lot can change in 10 years ❤️ It’s been fun looking back at where I was in 2016 and how far life has come since then. Swipe for a little trip down memory lane.Back in 2016, my priorities were firmly centred around family. I was working full‑time, sewing in the guest room, sharing tutorials on my blog, and slowly dipping my toes into selling a handful of patterns on Etsy. It was a busy, full season — and creativity was something I fitted in around everything else.  Fast forward to 2026… I’m now retired and living the creative life I once dreamed of. My kids have grown up and are living in their own homes nearby. My husband and I are free to travel, explore, and enjoy this stage of life. And I get to spend my days designing, sewing, and connecting with this beautiful community.Life looks different now — in the best possible way.Were you following me back then, or what has changed for you over the past 10 years? I’d love to hear your story too.Tagging the lovely makers of my quilt: @arabesquescissors @ministryoffabric @belloquacity @alittlepatchwork @sameliasmum coleandtaffy @quiltymamaof4 @shequiltsalot @downgrapevinelane @lizzierosesews @lovethatfabric @sew_mimi.k #2026isthenew2016 #10yeartransformation #sewingjourney #sewingcommunity #aspoonfulofsugardesigns
Fall in love with sewing all over again ❤️I’ve Fall in love with sewing all over again ❤️I’ve rounded up 10 heart‑themed makes — from quick gifts to charming quilt blocks — perfect for weekend stitching or using up your favourite scraps. Whether you’re sewing for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, or just because, there’s something sweet for every maker.Comment HEART and I’ll send you a link to my Heart Pattern Collection.#sewingproject #heartsewing #quiltblock #scrapsewing #easytosew
Raw edge appliqué doesn’t have to feel fiddly or i Raw edge appliqué doesn’t have to feel fiddly or intimidating. With a few simple techniques, you can create neat, crisp shapes — even tiny details like penguin beaks and hearts.I’ve put together My Top 5 Secrets for Raw Edge Appliqué to help you feel confident, whether you’re brand new to appliqué or looking to refine your finish. Save this for your next sewing session.If you’d love a quick, beginner‑friendly project to practise these tips, my Penguin Love Mugrug is the sweetest Valentine’s make — scrap‑friendly, gift‑ready, and such fun to sew.Comment PENGUIN and I’ll send you the link to the pattern. Available now in our Pattern Store and Etsy shop.  #rawedgeapplique #appliquetips #sewingtipsandtricks #mugrugpattern #penguinlove
If you’ve ever wanted to add eyelets or grommets t If you’ve ever wanted to add eyelets or grommets to your sewing projects, here’s a quick look at how I install them using my DK93 snap press. It’s the same tool I use for snaps — and it makes installing eyelets beautifully quick and consistent.For this Ribbon Pouch, I used the Liberty Gifts from the Garden collection (printed on Lasenby cotton and released in January 2026). The colours and motifs pair so well with the little ribbon tie detail.Here’s how to install the eyelets:Punch out the four holes using a hole‑cutting die.Place the eyelet into the hole.Press it into place using the snap press.That’s it — easy peasy, and it gives the pouch such an elevated, professional finish. I love how clean and sturdy the result is.Fabric is Gifts from the Garden by Liberty - kindly provided by @regent_street_fabrics — thank you!If you’d like the Ribbon Pouch pattern (it comes in 3 sizes), comment RIBBON and I’ll send the link straight to you.Ribbon Pouch Sewing Pattern: available in our Pattern Store and Etsy shop ( links in profile).#SewingInspiration #SewingProjects #Eyelets #Grommets #SnapPress
The Twirling Treasures Hot Pad & Placemat Set show The Twirling Treasures Hot Pad & Placemat Set showcases one of my favourite FPP designs — a stunning kaleidoscope‑style block that always turns out beautifully. Kaleidoscope blocks are some of my most popular FPP patterns, and this set is such a fun way to use them.  This set includes six sizes, making it incredibly versatile: use them as hot pads, trivets, placemats, or simply as a way to add a pop of colour to your kitchen.For these samples, I went with a monochromatic scrap‑busting approach, pairing fabrics from the same colour family with a low‑volume background. The black‑and‑white striped binding adds such a crisp, modern finish. It’s a wonderful project for building your FPP confidence — and a fantastic way to use up those treasured scraps.The Twirling Treasures Hot Pad set is our Pattern of the Week. It is currently 25% off this week in our Pattern Store and Etsy Shop.If you’d like to sew your own set, comment TWIRL and I’ll send the pattern link straight to you.Happy sewing! Lisa 🌸#FoundationPaperPiecing #Quilting #HotPads #ScrapBuster #KitchenSewing
The Ribbon Pouch is one of those little makes that The Ribbon Pouch is one of those little makes that feels special from the very first stitch. I made this sweet trio in the Liberty Gifts from the Garden collection, and the colours couldn’t be more perfect for gifting, organising, or adding a little beauty to your everyday.Each pouch features: 🌼 A simple ribbon tie closure 🎀 Optional sew‑in tags or DIY felt/fabric labels 🧵 Three practical sizes — perfect for notions, treats, or small gifts ✨ A quick, beginner‑friendly sewIf you’d like to make your own, comment RIBBON and I’ll send the pattern link straight to your inbox. Save this for your next weekend project — it’s such a satisfying little sew. Pattern is available in our Pattern Store.Thanks to @regent_street_fabric for the Gifts from the Garden fabric collection. (released Jan 2026)#SewingInspiration #SewingProjects #LibertyFabric #SewingPatterns #BeginnerSewing
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