How to prepare for the 4-week school holidays

Published on 25th February, 2025 at 11:28 am

The idea of four weeks of school holidays might incite panic in any parent’s heart. But it doesn’t have to – a bit of preparation can go a long way to ease the stress. These plan-ahead tips can help you entertain the kids, reduce your load and ease you from work into holiday.

In this article you’ll learn:

• What to prepare 4 months, 4 weeks and 1 week ahead of the holidays.
• Activity ideas to make holidays less stressful as a parent.
• How to balance fun activities with downtime for while you work.

The idea of a four-week holiday might be an exciting prospect for the kids, but a daunting one for parents – especially if you need to work. With a bit of preparation, you can avoid the chaos of the holiday season and not only make those four weeks manageable – but maybe even fun.

Four months ahead: Big-picture planning

Planning well ahead will take a mental load off and make sure you have all the holiday support you need:

• Apply to take leave. If you plan to take leave from work, now’s the time to apply – if you haven’t already. You’re going to be competing with other parents.
• Book your travel plans. If your family is travelling over the holidays, make sure you’ve researched and secured your flights, accommodation and car rentals. You’re likely to get a lower rate if you book ahead.
• Enrol in a holiday camp. For older, more outgoing kids, look out for holiday camps like Sugar Bay Holiday Resort (KZN), Happy Acres (Gauteng) and Green Kids (Western Cape), that organise up to seven-day camps, or day activities.
• Arrange a nanny, au pair or holiday care. If you know work is going to be busy and you won’t be able to stay home with the kids, make sure you book reliable childcare.

Four weeks ahead: Book your events

Holiday season can be busy, so avoid disappointed little holidaymakers with FOMO by booking special event tickets early:

• Research what’s going on in your area. Visit Webtickets, Computicket, Quicket, Nu Metro online to see what kid-friendly events, shows and movies are coming up.
• Schedule playdates. Buddy up with a fellow parent and give each other a break by organising playdates at each other’s houses.
• Stock up on rainy-day activities. Prepare for indoor days with puzzles, art kits and games.

One week ahead: Fine-tune the details

Having a schedule for the holiday means you won’t be scrounging for ideas and last-minute plans when the kids get bored:

• Create a loose weekly plan. Use your booked events as a guide and collaborate with the kids to give each week a theme, then plan fun family activities around those themes.
• Prep snack packs and activity stations. Avoid the constant “I’m bored” or “I’m hungry” interruptions – especially if you’re working from home – by packing easy-to-reach snack packets and toy bins with independent activities.
• Download audio books and podcasts. Search for child-friendly, story-driven podcasts and audio books to download to your device of choice for some quiet time if you need a moment to yourself, or to work.