1. Embark on Nature Scavenger Hunts at Local Parks

Transform any Boroondara park into an adventure playground with a simple scavenger hunt. This timeless activity costs nothing yet delivers hours of engagement, learning, and laughter.

Create your hunt list:

• Five different types of leaves
• A feather from a native bird
• Three different coloured flowers
• Something smooth and something rough
• Evidence of wildlife (tracks, nests, or droppings)

Top Boroondara parks for scavenger hunts:

Beckett Park, Balwyn: Offers diverse terrain with creek areas, open grasslands, and established trees—perfect for finding varied natural treasures.

Fritsch Holzer Park, Kew East: Features bushland areas where native plants and wildlife create rich hunting grounds for curious explorers.

Hislop Park, Hawthorn: Combines manicured gardens with wilder sections, providing contrast and variety for your nature quest.

The beauty of scavenger hunts lies in their adaptability. Younger children enjoy simple “find and collect” missions, while older kids appreciate photography challenges or nature journaling tasks.

Budget impact: Completely free

2. Discover Free Library Programs and Activities

Boroondara’s library network transforms into a wonderland during school holidays, offering programs that educate, entertain, and inspire—all without cost.

School holiday highlights typically include:

• LEGO building challenges with thousands of bricks
• Craft workshops using recycled materials
• Coding and robotics introductions
• Author visits and storytelling sessions
• Movie screenings in air-conditioned comfort

Beyond scheduled programs, libraries provide natural gathering spaces where grandchildren can browse books, play board games, or explore digital resources on library computers.

Pro tip: Register for programs early-popular sessions fill quickly. Check the Boroondara library website at the start of each term break for the complete holiday program schedule.

The library also offers free WiFi, comfortable seating, and often café facilities nearby-making it an ideal base for a full morning or afternoon adventure.

Budget impact: Free (library membership also free for residents)

3. Create Backyard Camping Adventures

Why travel far when your backyard (or even living room) can become a camping expedition? This affordable activity combines imagination, storytelling, and the thrill of sleeping somewhere “different.”

Set the scene:

• Pitch a tent or create a blanket fort
• String fairy lights for magical ambiance
• Prepare simple camping food (toast over a portable BBQ, make s’mores)
• Tell stories by torchlight
• Stargaze and identify constellations

Daytime camping activities:

• Nature crafts using collected materials
• Outdoor painting or drawing
• “Bush tucker” exploration (research native edible plants)
• Backyard Olympics with homemade games

Even without a tent, spreading sleeping bags on the floor and pretending you’re in the wilderness sparks imagination and creates bonding moments that expensive holidays can’t replicate.

Budget impact: $0-$30 (if purchasing basic camping supplies you don’t already own)

4. Explore Free Community Events and Festivals

Boroondara’s community calendar brims with free events designed to bring residents together, especially during school holidays.

Where to find free events:

• Boroondara Council website (events calendar)
• Local community centre noticeboards
• Neighbourhood Facebook groups
• Library event listings

Typical free offerings include:

• Outdoor movie nights in parks
• Community festivals with entertainment
• Art exhibitions at local galleries
• Council-run holiday programs
• Farmers markets with free entertainment

These events provide more than entertainment—they foster community connection and help grandchildren develop a sense of belonging to their local area.

Insider tip: Arrive early to free events to secure good spots, and bring your own picnic to avoid food vendor costs.

Budget impact: Free (bring your own snacks and drinks)

5. Master the Art of Budget-Friendly Baking

Transform your kitchen into a learning laboratory where mathematics, chemistry, and creativity combine deliciously. Baking with grandchildren creates tangible results they can share with family, building pride and competence.

Affordable baking projects:

Homemade pizza: Let children knead dough, choose toppings, and create personal pizzas. Cost per pizza: approximately $2-3.

Biscuit decorating: Bake simple sugar biscuits, then unleash creativity with icing and decorations. Cost per batch: $3-5.

Bread making: Teach the ancient art of bread-making with just flour, water, yeast, and salt. Cost per loaf: under $1.

Muffins or cupcakes: Versatile, forgiving recipes perfect for little hands. Cost per dozen: $4-6.

Beyond the edible results, baking teaches measurement, following instructions, patience, and the satisfaction of creating something from scratch—lessons that extend far beyond the kitchen.

Budget impact: $1-6 per activity (using pantry staples)

6. Organize Neighbourhood Treasure Hunts

Expand your scavenger hunt concept to the neighbourhood level, creating adventures that combine exercise, problem-solving, and community exploration.

How to create a neighbourhood treasure hunt:

• Design a map with clues leading to local landmarks
• Hide small treasures (or just create photo challenges)
• Include historical facts about neighbourhood features
• Make it educational by incorporating local history

Safety considerations:

• Stay on familiar streets
• Establish clear boundaries
• Ensure children understand road safety
• Consider pairing older and younger grandchildren

This activity costs nothing but transforms familiar streets into exciting territory. Children develop navigation skills, local knowledge, and confidence in their community.

Variation: Create a “kindness treasure hunt” where children perform small acts of kindness at each location (wave to neighbours, pick up litter, leave cheerful chalk messages).

Budget impact: Free

7. Host Creative Arts and Crafts Sessions

Unleash creativity with arts and crafts using materials you already have or can source inexpensively. The process matters more than perfection—it’s about exploration, expression, and time together.

Low-cost craft ideas:

Nature art: Create collages, mandalas, or sculptures using collected leaves, sticks, and flowers. Cost: free.

Recycled materials projects: Transform cardboard boxes into castles, robots, or dollhouses. Egg cartons become caterpillars or flowers. Cost: free.

Homemade playdough: Mix flour, salt, water, and food colouring for hours of sculpting fun. Cost: under $2.

Rock painting: Collect smooth rocks and paint them with acrylic paints or permanent markers. Hide them around the neighbourhood for others to find. Cost: $5-10 for paints.

Paper crafts: Origami, paper chains, or homemade cards require only paper and imagination. Cost: minimal.

Set up a dedicated craft station with supplies in containers, protecting surfaces with newspaper or old sheets. The investment in basic supplies (glue, scissors, paper, paints) serves countless creative sessions.

Budget impact: $0-15 (depending on existing supplies)

Making Every Dollar Count

Smart grandparents know that stretching your budget doesn’t mean compromising on quality time. Here are additional money-saving strategies:

Plan ahead: Knowing your activity schedule prevents expensive last-minute entertainment decisions.

Combine activities: Visit the library, then have a picnic in an adjacent park—two activities, zero additional cost.

Swap with other grandparents: Exchange activity hosting with friends, doubling the fun while halving the planning burden.

Use what you have: Before purchasing anything new, audit your home for forgotten games, craft supplies, or outdoor equipment.

Embrace repetition: Children love repeating favourite activities. That scavenger hunt can happen weekly with different lists.

Creating Wealth Beyond Money

The true currency of grandparenting isn’t measured in dollars—it’s counted in shared laughter, patient teaching moments, and the security children feel in your presence.

These seven affordable activities prove that Boroondara’s school holidays can overflow with adventure, learning, and connection without straining your budget. From nature exploration to creative expression, from community engagement to backyard magic, each experience weaves threads of memory that strengthen family bonds.

Your grandchildren won’t remember how much you spent. They’ll remember how you made them feel—valued, entertained, and loved. They’ll recall the treasure hunt where you pretended to be pirates, the biscuits you decorated together, and the stories you told under the stars in your backyard tent.

This school holiday season, embrace the possibilities that exist right in your community and home. Let creativity replace consumption and watch as ordinary moments transform into the extraordinary memories your grandchildren will treasure forever.

After all, the most valuable things in life- time, attention, and love—have always been free. And in Boroondara’s welcoming community, the opportunities to share these gifts are limitless.