Picture it. Last day of term, the school bag gets dumped at the door, and somewhere between the car and the fridge it hits you. Six-ish weeks. No school. No routine. And a kid who has just discovered the word "holidays" means "Mum is now the entertainment".
We love the summer break. We also know it's long. So here's our honest, slightly cheeky guide to getting through the December school holidays with your sanity (and your coffee) intact.
Why the summer break feels so much longer
Summer stretches differently than other seasons, it’s not just the extra sunlight, it’s the way our minds, routines and expectations expand (or dissolve). Here’s why those warm weeks often seem to last forever:
Time perception and novelty: When days are filled with new experiences, your brain encodes more distinct memories. Vacations, outings and varied activities create richer memory “markers,” making the period feel longer in hindsight compared with repetitive routines.
Fewer deadlines and structure: School and work calendars impose rhythms that segment time. Without regular checkpoints, days can blur together. The lack of structure makes time feel more fluid and extended.
Changes in routine and social tempo: Social schedules loosen in summer — later nights, spontaneous plans and relaxed mornings. That altered tempo stretches subjective time.
Biological cues: Longer daylight hours shift circadian rhythms. More sunlight can increase alertness and activity windows, which makes days feel fuller.
Anticipation and contrast: If summer follows a busy, stressful period, the contrast increases the sense of relief and spaciousness, amplifying the feeling that summer lasts longer.
Temperature and sensory immersion: Warm weather encourages leisurely outdoor activities and slower movement. When we move slower and notice more sensory detail, time subjectively expands.
Childhood memory effect: For children, summers genuinely feel longer because each year is a larger proportion of their lived experience. Adults who reconnect with childlike routines (camp, play, unstructured days) can recreate that elongated feeling.
Mindfulness and presence: Being present and savoring moments — common goals of summer relaxation — increases perceived duration. The more you notice, the more time seems to stretch.
So, while the clock doesn’t change, the way we live through summer does. More novelty, fewer constraints and richer sensory days give the season its famously lingering feel.
It's not just you. The December holidays are a different beast to the shorter ones.
There's Christmas prep, end-of-year everything, visitors, work that doesn't stop just because school did, and heat that makes the park a no-go by 10am. The usual tricks run out fast, and the screens start creeping in earlier every day.
Kids need a bit of rhythm, even on holidays. Not a timetable stuck to the fridge, just a few things to look forward to that break up the week. And you need a few hours where nobody is asking you for a snack.
Your December holiday game plan
You don't need a jam-packed schedule. You need anchors. A few simple ones:
One "out of the house" thing a week. Something booked, so it actually happens.
One slow day. Pyjamas, cubby house, no plans. Everyone needs one.
One thing that's just for them. Something they choose, where they get to be good at something without a sibling in the way.
Book the busy weeks first. Christmas week and the days you're still working fill up fastest, for you and for everyone else in Perth.
The trick is deciding now, while term is still running, instead of in a panic on day three.
Why creative days make the holidays easier
Here's the thing we see every single holidays. A morning spent making something does more than fill a few hours.
Kids come out calmer. They've used their hands, their brains and their imagination, and nobody told them they did it wrong. There's no score, no winning team, no "you're not doing it properly". Just materials, a bit of mess, and the freedom to have a go.
That's especially good for the kid who says "I'm not creative" or the one who struggles in big, loud groups. Small, friendly sessions give them space to try something without the pressure. And honestly? It's just nice for them to have somewhere that isn't a screen and isn't another sport.
Meanwhile you get a proper breather. Grab a coffee, do the Christmas shopping without a running commentary, or just sit in the car and enjoy the silence. We won't tell.
What our December holiday program looks like
Our school holiday art workshops run at our North Perth studio, and they're built to make your life easy.
Ages 2.5 to teens, grouped by age so everyone's with kids their own size
1, 2 or 3 hour sessions, so you can pick what suits your day
Every material supplied, plus aprons, so all they need is clothes that can handle a bit of paint
Friendly, experienced facilitators who've been running creative holidays for 10 years
Pricing is simple: $45 for 1 hour, $85 for 2 hours and $105 for 3 hours. The 3 hour session is the best value if you've got a keen maker.
Need a longer day? Book a morning and an afternoon session back to back. Got more than one kid? Pop in the code SIBLING at checkout. And if you're a member, you save 20% on every holiday workshop.
The bit where we're honest about booking
Holiday spots go quickly, and they go fastest once term finishes and everyone remembers the holidays are actually happening. If you've got particular days in mind, especially the week before Christmas, book those first.
Booking takes about a minute. Pick your workshop from the timetable, add your child's profile, and we'll match them to the right group. On the day, arrive five minutes early, pick up on time, and get ready for the show-and-tell in the car on the way home.
Not quite ready to book? Grab our free Holiday Program Guide and you'll hear about new sessions first.
And if they love it (spoiler: they usually do)? Lots of our weekly families started with one holiday workshop. If your kid comes out buzzing, our Creative & Confident in 28 Days program is the easiest next step. It's four weeks to find out if they really love it, before you commit to anything more, and it's a lovely way to roll into the new school year.
Ready to sort your summer?
Book your December holiday workshops now, before the end-of-term rush, and give yourself a few guaranteed breathers in the busiest month of the year. Your future self, standing in a quiet kitchen with a hot coffee, will thank you.
See you in the studio,
Fay and the Faire & Co team
