Imaginations run wild

You don’t have to spend a fortune – in fact, it may cost you nothing – to finda creative outlet for the kids over the coming holidays, writes Deana Puglisi

Before you know it, school will be out for the long, hot summer. Parents will have quality time to spend with their children, but how long will it be before cries of “I’m bored” and “there’s nothing to do” set in?

Some mums and dads have already taken it upon themselves to get creative at home, promoting eco-friendly art activities and organic gardening to nurture the development of ideas.

Mother of three and business owner Janet Leach, of West End, says her family breezes through the holidays by making Christmas cards, gift tags and presents whenever they can, while listening to music.

“The pace slows right down, which is needed for children to have time to formulate imaginary play and hone certain skills,” says Janet, director of online homewares and department store arterystore.com.
“This year we are making bonbons for the whole family out of toilet rolls, recycled origami paper and fair-trade jute from Bangladesh,” she says.

Perhaps it was her own childhood that shaped the way the 37-year-old is raising her own children, Gabriel, 8, Kitty, 3, and Harvey, 2. “My mother involved us in activities that were culturally inspired. We would enter colouring-in competitions and spend weeks making collage decorations out of cut up magazines,” says Janet. “Some of my favourite memories are of the quiet times, drawing, painting or practising calligraphy.”

Art can help to embed a sense of environmental consciousness in children and even become part of the household routine. “We have a separate recycling bin that is for collecting craft items, like ribbons, discarded wrapping paper and cardboard. We also shred our waste paper and use it for art,” she says.
Don’t be concerned if you are not creative, just find an activity that is achievable, not too messy and doesn’t involve buying extra things. “Be organised and have fun with it,” Janet says. “Read through a children’s craft book and select a few things with your children that they wish to make. The instructions in these books are usually easy to follow and very inspirational.”

Hailey Bartholomew, 30, is another mum who advocates the benefit of doing research. The photographer and filmmaker, of the family-run business You Can’t Be Serious, prefers the accessibility and diversity of the internet for investigating activities for her daughters, Poppy, 5, and Zali, 8. “The girls asked me what chalk was made of, so I found a recipe online for making your own using plaster of Paris and powdered paint,” says Hailey. “I follow what their interests are and I try to be eco-friendly wherever possible,” she says.

The Bartholomew girls, of Mt Gravatt, also are green thumbs, growing beetroot, carrots, mint and basil.
“Gardening is brilliant for kids because they can see where vegetables come from, watch them grow and feed them nutrients, which correlates to how we look after our own bodies,”

Hailey says.
“We also love making our own felt purses, screen printing on t-shirts and sculpting clay animations.”
A lack of recreational learning opportunities for children was what prompted Karen Gilfillan to start her own studio. “I was searching for activities that my seven-year-old son could do that weren’t competitive, but instead nurtured his imagination,” says Karen. “Sport has its place in a child’s life, but there is also a place for innovative learning.”

Flying Fox Studios at Everton Park encourages the development of ideas all year round through music and art programs. “Putting kids in a creative environment is essential for the development of their imagination and can foster their ability to think laterally, concentrate and interact on a social level,” says Karen.

Terry Fitzsimmons, of Living History Australia in Bowen Hills, agrees that interactive, team-building exercises help boost self-confidence and leadership qualities. He runs a Knight School program in which children and parents try medieval archery and sword fighting.

“Not only are there physical benefits, but they are learning information they would not ordinarily be taught in the classroom, like knightly or citizenship virtues,” says Terry, who has been practising combat since 1999. “People come out of the program having gained strategic and tactical skills, as well as having learnt more about themselves.”

More crafty ideas

Flying Fox Studios in Everton Park is holding TreeHouse Holiday Workshops during the school holidays from December 16 to 19, and January 19 to 22. The 90-minute workshops are $20 per child and include Wands, Wings and Glittery Things, Down by the Swamp, and Drawing Revolution. Ph: 3855 1528; www.flyingfoxstudios.com.au

Reverse Garbage in West End has art workshops for kids aged 6 to 12, between December 8 and January 22, at $20 per class. Children will learn how to make Christmas decorations, jewellery, cars and robots, from salvaged, recycled rubbish. Ph: 3844 9744; www.reversegarbage.com.au

Learn to live organically at Northey Street City Farm in Windsor. The urban farm has orchards, vegetable gardens, medicinal plants, a large chicken coop, and a bush tucker area. Ph: 3857 8775; www.northeystreetcityfarm.org.au

Explore outdoor trails on horseback at The Wattle Creek Riding School in The Gap. Three-day workshops for $280 per child are held on various dates in December and January. Each day covers topics such as horse management, feeding and bedding, and a half-hour private riding lesson. Ph: 3300 6422; www.wattlecreekridingschool.com.au

Fishing school 2 Bent Rods is holding three-hour introductory classes at locations between Brighton and the Gold Coast on most weekends in January. The Kids’ Bending Rods program teaches kids the basics of shore fishing, including bait gathering and casting and is $45 per child. Private classes are available for groups of 10 to 15 children.
Ph: 0403 713 820; www.2bentrods.com.au

Books won’t be the only thing on show during the holidays at The State Library in South Bank. The library is joining the Circa troupe to stage 31 Circus Acts in 30 Minutes, a mind-boggling acrobatics display, twice daily. Free activities including circus skills workshops and costume making are also part of the holiday entertainment. Ph: 3840 7666; www.slq.qld.gov.au

The two-day course at the Knight School in Bowen Hills is running on various dates in December and January, and is $90 per child. At the end of the course, each participant is “knighted” in a ceremony followed by a medieval feast. Ph: 1300 852 231; www.knightschool.com.au