Stevie Levenston – Director of Primary Operations

I’m bored! What can we do?

I think you’ll agree that during the break, most of us spent much needed time recharging and recuperating from a hectic yet humbling term. I for one spent time up north with my family and forged wonderful memories surrounded by surf, sand and smiles. 

Despite the change of scenery I was bombarded with the dreaded, “But Mum, I’m bored!”. So in case you encountered the same rhetoric, I have done the heavy lifting for you and put together a list of activities you can organise to do with your family to keep them entertained, no matter the time of year.

Forts

Who doesn’t love blanket forts? Rip off the covers, grab some chairs and build a secret hideaway with the kids. Add in some books and toys and you will be surprised how long your children play inside this magical place.

Start a community library

Jumpstart a community library for the kids in your neighbourhood. This family project lets you build a small library that can include everything from picture books to books for young readers. Spread the word to your neighbours so that you’ll have readers visiting and sharing their favourite books too.

Make musical instruments

Use everyday items to make musical instruments. Have a jam session and introduce your children to some of your favourite tunes. Who knows? You may be hitting the road together soon for your own family concert.

Cook

Put on those aprons and get into the kitchen with your kids. Cooking with them is actually a learning experience disguised as fun. They can use those reading skills to follow recipes and use maths to measure out ingredients.

Quiet nature activities

Mother Nature is calling and she wants your family to come outside to play. Try some quiet nature activities that will turn your kids into nature lovers. From bird watching to treasure hunting, there are so many things you can do to break outside of your four walls and enjoy some time under the big blue sky.

Home weather station

Rain. Sun. Humidity. It doesn’t matter. Creating a home weather station entertains your kids regardless of the weather. Your home weather station can start with a simple rain gauge and you can add as you go. Before long, your kids will have their own hygrometer and be keeping a weather journal every day.

Picture stories

Pull out your old magazines or old photo albums and let your kids pick a picture that inspires them. Now let them write their own story based on the photo. For kids who aren’t ready to write their own story, they can dictate the story to you or simply let them draw their version of the picture.

Under the stars

There is something about playing in the dark that kids absolutely love. Camp out, go on a night walk, or play flashlight games with some simple nighttime activities that are perfect for those evenings when the weather is great outside.

Do good together

Charity work is an excellent lesson for your kids while also giving you quality family time together. There are plenty of charity organisations for children and their parents that are age-appropriate and allow all of you to help others who are less fortunate.

Science experiments

You’ve got some mad scientists living in your house and your kitchen is the ideal science lab. Erupt a volcano, create a rocket balloon or grow sugar crystals. There are plenty of science experiments for kids that you can do together without turning your home into a disaster area.

Movie night

Unwind and have a family movie night. Kick it up a notch by turning your family room into a movie theatre, complete with a concession stand, ushers, and even movie reviews after the show is over.

Outdoor painting

Take your little artists outside for some creative outdoor painting. You only need some butcher’s paper, non-toxic paints and kids who love to get messy. When  they’re done, hose the kids off for minimal cleanup!

Thank you

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Emanuel Music Department for putting on the most wonderful musical items at the Yom Ha’atzmaut Concert and Carnival organised by the Zionist Council of NSW on Sunday 30 April 2023. Emanuel had two ensembles perform for an audience of over 3000 people! Congratulations to the Junior Chamber Choir, the Emanuel Klezmer Band, Ms Springford, Ms Girle and Mr Owen.

On Monday 1 May 2023, the Years 3-12 Cross Country Carnival was a massive success! Thank you very much to Mr Morley, Mr Taylor, Mr Rabenda and all the classroom, support and additional sport staff who made the day as wonderful as it was.