- Apr 8, 2020

Holiday at home in Lake Mac this Easter

As the Easter long weekend and school holidays approach, Council is reminding the Lake Macquarie community that travelling for holidays is not considered ‘essential’ travel.

Lake Macquarie Mayor Cr Kay Fraser said while usually at this time of year we welcome holidaymakers to our City with open arms, based on current health advice, we are asking tourists and our residents to stay at home and to limit non-essential travel.

“While it’s understandable for families to want to come together and celebrate during these times, we all must do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19,” Cr Fraser said.

“Many of our facilities such as playgrounds, skate parks, pools and beaches are closed to the public so we are encouraging residents to enjoy a staycation in their own backyard these school holidays.”

While many Council facilities and services are closed to the public, Council’s waste, recyclables and green waste collections will continue as normal over the Easter weekend. For the latest information on how Council is responding to COVID-19 visit lakemac.com.au/COVID-19.

Below are a few ideas to help you keep the boredom at bay these holidays.

Easter fun

There are plenty of fun Easter activities for the whole family to enjoy at home. Try your hand at painting Easter eggs, host your own Easter hat parade or organise a backyard Easter egg hunt. There is plenty of inspiration online to get you started.

Set up camp in your backyard

Easter and camping go hand in hand. While you can’t visit your usual camping spots this year, it doesn’t mean you have to miss out. Pitch your tent in the backyard and enjoy an night of star gazing and scary stories with your loved ones.

Online art classes and story times

Lake Mac Libraries and the Museum of Art and Culture are rolling out a range of programs online. Weekly story-time sessions, talks from local authors and even magic shows will be shared via the Lake Mac Libraries and MAC websites.

Host your own cooking class

Select some of your kids’ favourite recipes or discover some new ones online and cook a delicious feast as a family. From kid-friendly dinners to scrumptious cakes, there are hundreds of free and easy meal ideas available online.

Backyard Olympics

The Tokyo Olympics may have been postponed until 2021 but that shouldn’t stop you from hosting your own backyard version. Hosting a ‘Backyard Olympics’ is a great way to fill in a day. Each family member represents a country and participates in several activities throughout the day, such as running races, hopscotch, egg and spoon races, handstand competitions, obstacle courses and more. Whoever has the fastest time on the day takes home the ‘Gold’ medal. You could even make your own medals beforehand as an extra activity to fill in the time. Here are a few game ideas to inspire you.

Movie night

Cinemas are closed but that doesn’t mean you can’t still have a good old fashion movie night. Heat up some microwave popcorn, pop in a DVD or stream one of your family’s favourites online and enjoy a cheap movie night at home.

Take a walk

Daily exercise is essential for everybody’s health and wellbeing. Take a stroll in your local area along one of the shared pathways and take in some of the sights. While you are walking, you could play a game of I-Spy to make it more exciting.

Discover your green thumb

Start your own veggie garden and introduce your children to the wonderful world of gardening. Join the Lake Mac Grows Facebook page for gardening tips and advice from local gardeners.