Suzanne Plume Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator 7-12

Holiday suggestions: Escape Rooms, museums and libraries …oh my!

Unless you are in Years 11 or 12, or have been booked on a fantastic overseas trip, the holidays often stretch ahead as 17 long days of self-determination, leisure and freedom. After the initial blissful opportunities to ignore the alarm clock and sleep in, we often end up spending most of our time checking our social media status, reading, coding, gaming or binge-watching movies and TV series. The initial novelty of having nothing scheduled gradually gives way to the dawning realisation that the days are slipping away from us and that we won’t really have a satisfying answer to that ubiquitous question, “What did you do in the holidays?”

Research tells us that we enjoy our holidays more when we plan some activities, anticipate them, share them with someone whose company we enjoy and check them off our schedule once completed. Reflecting with a friend or with family after a fun-filled adventure is good for our mental health as well as our relationships.

To this end I suggest that you get together a group of friends or family and plan a visit to one of Sydney’s Escape Rooms.

An Escape Room is a challenging, fun and interactive way to spend fifty minutes. It is a real-life puzzle experience where a small team of 4-6 people is locked in a themed room and must work together to escape. You must find clues and hidden objects, solve riddles and puzzles and try to beat the clock. Some rooms include actors, which intensifies the immersive experience. The briefing usually takes 15 minutes beforehand and extra hints are available to the truly baffled.

How to choose from the plethora of escape rooms across Sydney? There are a number of blogs which review these rooms regularly, the frontrunner being Scott’s Blog a highly readable and up to date series of critiques which sometimes gives codes for reader discounts.

The holidays also provide opportunities to learn more about topics in which we are passionately interested. The Nicholson Museum What’s on at the Nicholson Museum? at Sydney University or The Australian Museum What’s On at the Australian Museum? both offer a number of holiday activities for younger students as well as public lectures. The State Library too, offers a number of interactive and learning opportunities as well as a quiet spot to sit, work or enjoy the free Wi-Fi.

Remember that a ferry ride or any trip undertaken using public transport can also be a good way to discover new places and to consolidate your cognitive map of our city.

Whatever you do, make the most of the break and come back refreshed and eager to learn.