By Miss Barossa
The school holidays are almost over and for those of you clutching at straws to find other ways to keep the kids occupied, here’s a few Barossa inspired ideas. It’s also a great way to be a tourist in your own backyard, often we take things that are right on our doorstep for granted. So head outdoors, limit the screen time and get the kids active during the final week of school holidays!
1. Go for a bike ride
Why not embrace the growing trend of cycling and get the kids involved. It’s free, it’s great exercise, it gets them out of the house and it’s a great way to see the take in the natural beauty of the Barossa. Luckily we are spoilt in the Barossa with a number of cycling trails, but I would recommend keeping it simple with the kids, so try the ride from Sandy Creek to Gawler track or Nuriootpa to Angaston track. Or if your kids and ready to take on some steeper hills, the Jack Bobridge track runs from Tanunda all the way to Gawler. If you don’t have a bike, the Cycle Hub in Tanunda offers a range of bikes for hire too! Why not grab a coffee at a local café to break you the trip and replace some of the lost energy. There’s great cafes in Lyndoch, Tanunda, Nuriootpa and Angaston.
2. Go for a bushwalk and pack a picnic
We’re pretty spoilt in the Barossa, not only do we have great food and wine, we have an array of great bushwalking trails too! Pack a picnic lunch and hit up one of the many walking trails such as the Hale Conservation Park outside of Williamstown, Barossa Goldfields Walking Trail (for those history buffs), Kaiser Stuhl Conservation Park or the Mount Crawford Forest. The options are endless!! Or if it’s an amazing view you’re after why not head up to the Steingarten Lookout just outside of Lyndoch – you will be surrounded with views to either side of the Barossa Ranges and rolling vineyards! The kids will think they are on top of the world!
Image credit: @barossacoffee
3. Visit the local pool
Most of us would have childhood memories from summer holidays spent at the local pool. It was the coolest place to be and the ultimate social gathering during the summer school holidays. It’s definitely a cheap afternoon out and who doesn’t love doing somersaults off the edge of the pool, having handstand competitions and then visiting the canteen for lollies and icecream before laying on your towel in the sun! Oh the memories. Give your kids a chance to experience how you lived out your summer holidays, long before ipads and video games by visiting the pools in Nuriootpa or Williamstown.
4. Spend the morning at the local playground
It’s free and guaranteed to wear the kids out! Plus they get to make new friends and develop new relationships with other like-minded kids. For the ultimate playground experience in the Barossa, the train park (Coulthard Reserve) at Nuriootpa is the place to be. A great playground for all ages and an old steam train that is perfect for the kids to climb on and do a bit of role playing (who doesn’t want to feel the power of driving a train?). The playground is surrounded by lawn and is also adjacent to the skate park if you child is a thrill seeker.
5. Mini Golf with the dinosaurs
Dinosaurs might be extinct, but they are larger than life at Barossa Bowland, which also features an 18 hole mini golf course. A great day out and perfect to satisfy the little bit of family rivalry that exists within all of us. Great deals for both bowling and mini-golf. My boys love heading here, and my youngest, Mr B even had is birthday party here last year!
And if all else fails, grab a large cardboard box, cut it open and get the kids to create and paint a large race track or adventure land! It kept my boys occupied for all of half and hour. Good luck to all those parents out there for the last week of the school holidays and congratulations for surviving the seven weeks (well almost)!
Miss Barossa x
PS Once they are back at school, it’s game on for retail therapy again – check out these Barossa Retail therapy Hot-Spots!
