Spring school holidays have a way of sneaking up before you've planned a single thing, and suddenly you've got restless kids at home, day trips to fuel, and a snack drawer that needs restocking about twice as often as usual. The easiest way to keep everyone fed and happy without reaching for the same packet of chips every day is to have a few genuinely good options on hand before the holidays start.
Why Snack Quality Matters More Over the Holidays
During term time, snacking is fairly contained to recess and lunch. Over the holidays, with more unstructured time at home or out and about, kids often graze more throughout the day. That makes what's actually in those snacks matter even more, since a few extra serves a day of anything highly processed adds up quickly.
Freeze-Dried Fruit: A Genuine Lolly Swap
If your kids love something sweet and chewy, freeze-dried fruit is one of the easiest wins in the pantry. DJ&A's Freeze Dried Strawberries and Freeze Dried Raspberries come in convenient single-serve packs, making them an easy grab-and-go option for day trips, without the added sugar and dye that comes with a bag of lollies.
Homemade Options Worth the Effort
If you've got a spare hour over the holidays, a homemade batch of snacks goes a long way. Our lunchbox muesli bar recipe is nut-free and freezer-friendly, perfect for batch-making at the start of the holidays. If you're after something a bit more indulgent for a rainy day inside, our baked banana peanut butter oat bars are a genuine kid favourite and a great one to get them helping in the kitchen with.
Cutting Back on Sugar Without a Fight
If you're trying to ease back on sugary snacks without a full-blown negotiation every afternoon, small, gradual swaps work far better than an outright ban. Our guide to easy sugar-free swaps using organic pantry staples has practical ideas that don't feel like a punishment to a six-year-old.
Stocking the Holiday Snack Drawer
For everything else, our Kids & Babies collection is worth a proper browse before the holidays kick off, with a genuinely deep range of organic crackers, popcorn, dried fruit and lollies made from real fruit rather than artificial colours. Our broader Pantry collection is also handy for stocking up on staples for packed lunches, picnics and day trips.
A Few Practical Tips
Pre-portioning snacks into small containers or reusable pouches at the start of the holidays saves you from a dozen small decisions every single day. Keeping a mix of textures on hand, something crunchy, something chewy, something fresh, tends to keep kids more satisfied than offering the same one or two things on repeat. And involving kids in choosing or making their own snacks, even just picking which freeze-dried fruit to buy, makes them far more likely to actually eat it.
Browse the full Kids & Babies collection to stock up before the spring school holidays begin.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are good healthy snacks for kids on school holidays? Freeze-dried fruit, homemade muesli or oat bars, organic crackers and popcorn are all easy, nutrient-dense options that are simple to pack for day trips or keep on hand at home.
How can I get my kids to eat healthier snacks without a fuss? Gradual swaps work better than sudden bans. Involving kids in choosing or preparing their own snacks, and keeping a variety of textures on hand, tends to make healthier options more appealing.
Are freeze-dried fruit snacks a healthy lolly alternative? Freeze-dried fruit retains much of the fruit's natural nutrients and sweetness without the added sugar, artificial colours and preservatives commonly found in lollies, making it a popular natural swap.
How do I keep snacks fresh for school holiday outings? Pre-portioning snacks into small, resealable containers or pouches at the start of the holidays makes them easy to grab on the way out the door and helps keep freeze-dried and baked snacks fresher for longer.