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The ParentPal blog

Ideas, local guides and practical tips for planning school holidays with your kids and their friends on the Northern Beaches.

Group of children playing tug-of-war on a grassy field
Friendships
2 min read

Building friendships outside the classroom

School holidays are a great chance for kids to deepen friendships and make new ones. Here's how parents can quietly help.

Two young children playing on an Australian beach near the ocean
Local guides
2 min read

Free things to do with kids on the Northern Beaches

Rock pools, lagoons, bush tracks and calm beaches: our favourite no-cost school holiday outings on Sydney's Northern Beaches.

Instructor helping a boy catch a wave on a boogie board
Confidence
2 min read

Helping a nervous child try something new

First-day nerves are normal. These gentle strategies help anxious kids feel ready to give a new holiday activity a go.

Boy and girl playing together on a fallen tree log
Planning
2 min read

Holiday activities for siblings of different ages

How to plan school holidays that work for a five-year-old and a ten-year-old at the same time, without driving all over town.

Three children sitting together on outdoor steps, laughing and hugging
Planning
3 min read

How to plan the school holidays with your kids' friends

A simple way to line up holiday activities with other families, so your kids spend the holidays with their mates instead of strangers.

Kids at a cooking class filling a muffin tin
Activity ideas
2 min read

Rainy day rescue: indoor holiday ideas that actually work

When the weather turns, these indoor activities keep kids busy, happy and off screens, at home and out and about.

Child gluing colourful paper scraps onto a rainbow drawing
Screen time
2 min read

Screen-free school holidays (without the battle)

Practical ways to cut back holiday screen time that don't involve a daily standoff, plus what to fill the time with instead.

Parent working on a laptop at home while family relaxes in the background
Planning
2 min read

The working parent's guide to surviving school holidays

Twelve weeks of school holidays, four weeks of annual leave. Here's how working families piece together care, activities and sanity.

Children playing with a colourful parachute on the grass at a holiday camp
Planning
2 min read

When should you book school holiday activities?

Book too late and the best camps are gone; book too early and plans change. Here's the timing that works for most families.

Two young girls colouring together at a table with markers and crayons
Friendships
2 min read

Why holiday activities are better with a friend

Kids try more, worry less and have more fun when a friend comes along. Here's why booking together makes such a difference.

Boy climbing a tree outdoors
Outdoor play
3 min read

Why outdoor play matters more than you think

From stronger bodies to better eyesight and braver kids, here's what time outside actually does for children, and how to get more of it.