Looking for school holiday ideas for students? These five practical strategies will help you make the most of your break, with the right balance of downtime and genuine renewal.
School holidays are just around the corner. For most students, this means six to eight weeks away from school.
If you are anything like I used to be, you will start the holidays with grand plans of making memories, getting fit, relaxing or decluttering. But often the holidays have a way of vanishing.
All of a sudden, you are back at school feeling the same as you did before. Lethargic, disengaged and alone. Nothing has changed and no new experiences or thought patterns have been explored.
Do not get me wrong. You need a break and time to rest and recharge. However, with some forward planning, you can do that and so much more.
My wish is for you to return to school rejuvenated, with a clearer mindset and more hope. Below are my top school holiday ideas for students who want to energise and renew their soul.
1. Avoid the Screen Binge
It is the holidays. I get it. You want to binge on the most incredible content ever created by humans on Netflix, TikTok reels or YouTube shorts.
Honestly, I have no issue with it. My recommendation is that you aim to reserve a binge for once a week during the break. Lying on your bed day after day on your laptop watching videos, while the sun is shining and memories are waiting to be made, is just not living your best life.
To put it into perspective, consider this choice. You could spend 79 hours watching every episode and series of Big Bang Theory. Or you could spend 40 hours getting your pilot’s licence. In addition, you could invest 20 hours in an online course on songwriting, entrepreneurship, 3D animation or whatever you love doing.
The choice is yours. However, think carefully about what you will look back on with pride. The greatest memories are not made on a screen. They are made in the world, with people you care about and through challenges you chose to take on.
A simple rule that works
Give yourself screen-free windows each day. Morning hours are gold. Use them to move, create, connect or simply think. In my experience, students who protect the first hour of their day from screens tend to feel sharper, calmer and more motivated for the rest of the day.
2. Create a 7-Day Ritual
Among the best school holiday ideas for students is building a brand new seven-day habit. Aim to keep the ritual going for seven days, at which point you can either drop the habit, continue it or replace it with another.
You cannot get results in any area unless you are willing to repeat an action. Some people are so excited about novelty or this next new shiny thing that they never advance. Indeed, most people are not as successful as they could be because they are not willing to be as bored as they must be. Success demands repetition and this can often feel frustrating.
Aim to do something you have always wanted to do but never have the time to attempt during the school term. Below are a few ideas:
- Go for a bush walk with a parent, sibling, or a friend
- Read a book in a day
- Try yoga or Pilates
- Perfect a single recipe
- Set a fitness goal and start working towards it
Why seven days?
Seven days is long enough to feel the benefit of a new behaviour, but short enough to stay motivated. Think of it as a personal experiment. You are not committing to a new identity. You are simply testing what you are capable of. Moreover, most students are surprised by how much they can achieve when they remove the distraction of a packed school schedule.
3. Work on a Spiritual Practice
Human beings have three parts. We are physical, mental and spiritual. I am not talking about religion here. I am talking about transcendence.
Our spiritual side often gets ignored. It takes patience to develop, which is exactly why the school holidays are a perfect time to begin a new practice. Research from Psychology Today consistently shows that mindfulness and reflective practices reduce anxiety and improve focus in young people.
The benefit of developing a spiritual practice is that it keeps you centred. It helps you understand that you are part of something bigger than yourself and keeps your focus outwards rather than inwards. In fact, in a world that constantly pulls your attention towards comparison and competition, having something that grounds you is genuinely powerful.
The break is a perfect time to slow down and restore your soul. Below are a few ideas for developing a spiritual practice.
- Write in your journal for a few minutes each night
- Practise gratitude
- Learn to meditate
- Volunteer in your local community
Starting small is the key
You do not need to commit to an hour of meditation every morning. Start with five minutes of stillness before you reach for your phone. Over time, even small practices compound into genuine clarity, calm and resilience. Furthermore, the students I work with who develop a spiritual or reflective practice consistently report feeling less anxious and more purposeful.
4. Open Your Mind
Our need to be right can be more important than our need to find out what is true. We like to believe our own opinions without stress testing them.
Ray Dalio
Being open-minded helps you develop a positive mindset and keeps you moving forward towards growth. Nothing grows when it is constricted or obstructed. So open yourself up to new ideas, thoughts and possibilities.
Our brains are constantly creating shortcuts, schemas and biases which cause us to close our minds. People who are open tend to be kind and generous. They ask better questions. Above all, they listen more and judge less. They are also, in my experience, far more interesting people to be around.
The two best methods to become more open-minded are:
- Striving to be a better listener
- Seeking out not just the grey areas but every colour available, which means looking at things from as many angles and perspectives as possible
How to practise open-mindedness
During your break, seek out perspectives that are different from your own. Read a book by an author from a different culture. Watch a documentary about something that has nothing to do with your usual interests. Have a genuine conversation with someone from a different generation. After all, the holidays give you the time and space to stretch your thinking. Use it.
5. Spend Time Creating
We live in an age where we have so much to consume that we stop creating. The future, however, belongs to people who are creators, not consumers.
Whether you realise it or not, you are creative. Your creative muscle might be weak right now, but it can always be strengthened and developed. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Of course, your own inner critic will try to argue the point. Do not let it win.
Consider that every painting from the Mona Lisa to Van Gogh’s Starry Night, and every living creature from the clownfish to the rainbow lorikeet, have all stemmed from a modest three primary colours. In other words, creativity is not about having a special gift. It is about being willing to begin.
Whatever level of creativity you start from, you can grow and develop it, higher and deeper.
School holiday ideas for students who love to create
Pick up a guitar. Write a short story. Start a podcast with a friend. Learn to draw. Build something. Cook something new from scratch every day for a week. The act of creating, no matter how imperfect the result, builds confidence, focus and a deep sense of satisfaction that consuming content simply cannot replicate.
Wellbeing is realised by small steps, but it is no small thing.
Zeno
Do not let what you already know stop you from learning what you do not yet know. Therefore, never say that nothing you do matters. The truth is that everything you do matters. Every choice you make, every habit you build, every mind you open and every moment you create adds up to the person you are becoming.
The break in front of you is not empty time. These school holiday ideas for students are an invitation to grow. Use it well.
Want to bring this message to your school? I deliver powerful, values-driven presentations to students across Australia. Book a school presentation or visit The HopeFULL Institute to learn more.