The holiday season brings joy, excitement, and plenty of family time but it can also bring a sudden change in routine for young children. Without the familiar rhythm of childcare or preschool, children can feel unsettled or overstimulated. Maintaining a sense of structure during the school break helps children feel secure, confident, and ready to return to their early learning environment with ease.
Here’s how your family can keep a healthy balance of fun and structure over the holiday season.
Keep a Gentle Daily Routine
While the holidays are a time to relax, maintaining familiar routines such as regular wake-up, meal, and bedtime schedules helps children feel grounded. Try to keep core parts of their day (like storytime or outdoor play) at similar times to their usual childcare routine.
Tip: A predictable structure supports emotional regulation and smooth transitions when it’s time to return to childcare in the new year.
Prioritise Healthy Habits
Amid festive treats and busy schedules, balanced nutrition and good sleep remain key. Encourage healthy eating with colourful fruits, whole grains, and lots of water especially in the Australian summer heat. Consistent rest and nutritious meals help children stay energised and focused, even during long days of play.
Create Play-Based Learning Opportunities
Even outside the childcare environment, learning can continue naturally through play. Encourage activities that build creativity and problem-solving, such as puzzles, water play, or building with blocks. These hands-on experiences promote early literacy and numeracy skills while keeping young minds active over the break.
Include Quiet and Mindful Moments
The holiday season can be stimulating, with family gatherings and travel. Create small moments of calm each day like reading a story, doing some children’s yoga, or simply listening to nature sounds. This helps children self-regulate and recharge, reducing holiday overwhelm.
Involve Children in Family Routines
Including children in household activities like cooking, setting the table, or packing for a trip, builds independence, confidence, and a sense of belonging. These moments also reinforce the real-world learning we value in early education.
Stay Connected with the Learning Journey
If your child attends an early learning centre like Young Academics Baulkham Hills, talk to their educators before the holidays. They can suggest at-home activities aligned with your child’s current learning goals, helping maintain momentum during the break.
At Young Academics
Our approach to childcare is built around consistency, care, and connection. During the holiday season, structure doesn’t mean rigidity, it means creating predictable rhythms that help children feel safe and confident to explore, play, and grow.
Sources:
- Turner, E. A. (2024, December 16). Maintaining routines and discipline during the holiday break. Psychology Today Australia. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/the-race-to-good-health/202412/maintaining-routines-and-discipline-during-the-holiday-break Psychology Today
- Taylor-Douglas, C. (2019, November 21). Surviving school holidays with kids who need routine. Person Centred Psychology. Retrieved from https://pcpsychology.com.au/blog/surviving-school-holidays-with-kids-who-need-routine Person Centred Psychology
- Arky, B. (n.d.). Strategies for a successful summer break. Child Mind Institute. Retrieved from https://childmind.org/article/strategies-for-a-successful-summer-break
