70 days without school: How to keep children safe and engaged during the holidays

As schools close for the long holiday, lasting at least 70 days for some learners, parents face a big headache – how to keep the children safe, engaged and mentally stimulated without turning the break into an expensive extension of school.

The 10-week break comes as families grapple with childcare costs and working parents try to balance jobs with supervision at home. Long, unstructured days can also expose children to negative peer influence, unsafe activities, inappropriate online content and drug or alcohol use.