After 40 weeks of hectic mornings, countless practice papers, various tests and exams, after-school sessions and training for co-curricular activities, not to mention extra Chinese classes, the end-of-year break always brings the biggest sigh of relief.

No school! No classes! No early morning! No early nights! Just six weeks of blissfully unstructured freedom (or eight, if you’re the parent of high school kids).

But I confess: as a Type A mum, not having a plan for the school holidays sends my anxiety into high gear.

Every year, during the 12 weeks the kids are out of school, I always feel it’s my responsibility to make the most of every minute. The thought of “wasting” time seems unbearable.

Plus, social media is a constant reminder that I only have 18 years to soak it all in. I cringe every time I come across the popular internet idea that 75% of all the time I’ll ever spend with my kids will be awake by the time they’re 12.

With my oldest turning 12 next year, every holiday break feels more precious than the last.

This makes it the million dollar question for me and many other parents: what do we do with our kids during the school holidays?

AFOCATA HOLIDAYS EXCEEDED BY AFOCATA LIFE

Before my older children entered elementary school, I was determined to keep them actively engaged throughout the holidays.

I planned and packed every day to the brim: park and beach visits, vacation camps, outings to museums, the zoo, the aquarium, the Science Center, water and theme parks, and every other attraction I could find. I would search the internet for the latest activities, trying to get them out as often as I could.