Emergency school holiday supplies

As a kid, the school holidays were probably your favourite time of year. Endless sunny days, just playing. Ah, those were the days!

But as a parent, the holidays are a whole different ballgame. Nothing sends a cold shiver down a parent's spine like the thought of having to keep a bunch of kids hyper on ice lollies occupied for six whole weeks.

Make sure you always have these supplies on hand for those emergency situations when things look like getting out of control.

A long stand and a few sky-hooks

If you want to keep your kids busy for a few hours, send them out to the shed to get 'a long stand and a few sky-hooks.' To kids, they sound like important tools for your next DIY project, but you know that they don't actually exist, so it will take the young'uns a long, long time to find them.

It's cheeky, but hey, anything to keep them busy!

a ZONE BOWLING gift card

Savvy parents always keep an emergency ZONE gift card in their pocket. That way, when you're stuck for a last minute idea for the kids, you can just swing by your nearest bowling centre without needing to worry about having any money on you. Always be one step ahead of the game.

Sunscreen

Let's be serious for a moment. Summer is hot, really hot. It's no joke, you could fry an egg on your driveway it gets so toasty.

So don't be a mug. Pay attention to Baz Lurhman's famous words - 'wear sunscreen.' It's sticky, annoying to apply and leaves your face whiter than than that time you thought you saw your granny's ghost but it turned out to be your shower curtain falling down. Yes, it's a pain, but no-one wants to be ferrying around a car full of scalded lobsters all summer.

Then again, if you were smart enough to book an indoor bowling party at ZONE this summer, then you wouldn't have needed sunscreen, would you?