7 Ways to get the family out of the house this weekend

Posted by Jade Anderson on August 23rd, 2019

Temperatures are rising and spring is just around the corner. Now is a great time to get out and about with the family, and enjoy some good old Australian fresh air. With so many things to see and do in Australia, there are outside activities to suit all ages and tastes. Consider these seven ways to get the family out of the house this weekend.

Visit your nearest city

Visiting your nearest (or favourite) city out of the main tourist season, means smaller queues for the kids to get grumpy in. Entry costs to many attractions are often discounted or family entrance tickets offered, and if you choose to stay overnight, hotel rooms are generally cheaper than in the main holiday season. There is so much on offer from all of Australia’s major cities, you certainly won’t be stuck for things to keep the kids amused.

Enjoy a road trip

If you’re a city dwelling family, pile the kids and the dog in the car and head out to the wide-open spaces. If you live in Victoria, consider a trip down the Great Ocean Road, to take in the Twelve Apostles. In the Northern Territory, you have a number of National Parks, with their variety of flora and fauna, while Western Australia offers everything from trips around its many vineyards, to stunning beaches and breath-taking coastline.

Pack up a picnic

If you don’t fancy a couple of hours driving with a car full of bored ankle-biters, pack up a picnic and stay closer to home. Ask the neighbours if they want to join you for a communal picnic, with each family preparing a part of the lunch. Don’t forget the baseball or cricket bats, a couple of footballs and, most importantly, a few tinnies.

Break out the Barbie

Is the only thing you’re interested in after a hard week in the office or on the shop floor to chill at home. You can still get the kids off their games consoles, and out in the fresh air. Get the Barbie out of the shed, invite the children’s friends round, and get cooking al fresco. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Most kids are happy with sausages and burgers in rolls or baguettes. Knock up a chopped tossed salad for the grown-ups, add a couple of bottles of squash, a few cans of the amber nectar, and enjoy a few hours putting the world to rights with your significant other.

Consider adding an aviary

All the birds available to be kept in aviaries in Australia have been captive bred. None are taken from the wild. An aviary is a great way to teach children about nature, and Australia’s native flora and fauna. Native and foreign finches can be housed happily together safe from the risks of predation they have to live with in the wild. Companies like EasyShed manufacture flat pack aviaries available in a range of sizes. Easily erected, they can be planted with shrubs and plants to mimic your birds natural habitat.

Give the kids a bit of the garden

Pique the kids interest in nature, by boxing off a small bit of garden for them to grow their own salad stuff. Produce like lettuce, carrots, radishes, tomatoes and cherry tomatoes are all easy to grow from seed or seedlings. The children can be taught why looking after their environment is so important. As a bonus, they are far more likely to eat what is good for them, if they have grown it themselves.

Finally, if all else fails

Try a little bribery. If all your gardening tools and the kids outside toys have been packed into the garden shed through the winter, now’s a good time to sort them out. Get the kids to help, with the promise of a trip to the local pizza palace or burger joint after the work is completed. Yes, I can imagine all the child psychologists jumping up and down with this one but hey, it works for me.