October is barely getting started, but Kenyan parents already know what is coming. The children are about to be home for a long time.
According to the 2026 school calendar, Term III for pre primary, primary, junior and secondary schools ends on October 23. National assessments and KCSE then run through October and November, depending on the class. The end of year holiday for basic education stretches to January 1, 2027, making this one of those breaks that deserves more planning than simply waiting for the last school day.
And while children may hear “holiday” and immediately think Christmas, sleepovers, visiting shags and unlimited screen time, parents know there is another side to it.
There are meals to plan, childcare to figure out, trips to budget for and, somehow, a child who can announce at 10am that they are already bored. So, if you have school going children, now might be a good time to start thinking about how you want the long break to look.
Start with the money
December has a funny way of making money disappear.
There are school expenses waiting on the other side of the holiday, Christmas shopping, travel, family gatherings and all the small expenses that somehow become very large when added together.
If you already know that your children will be travelling, attending a camp, visiting relatives or taking part in paid activities, it helps to put those costs on paper now rather than discovering them one week before Christmas.
You do not need to create an elaborate holiday budget. Even a simple list of what you expect to spend on transport, food, activities, gifts and January preparations can make the season less financially chaotic. And if money is tight, planning early also gives you time to decide what can be skipped.
Think about childcare before the schools close
For parents who work, the long holiday can be less “Yay, family time!” and more “So who is watching these children while I am at work?” – a conversation worth having early.
If your children will stay with grandparents or relatives, travel upcountry or spend some of the holiday at home, work out the arrangements before the school gates close. If you need paid childcare, holiday programmes or another arrangement, leaving it until December could make things unnecessarily difficult and is particularly important for younger children who cannot simply be left at home for the day.
You do not have to fill every day
There is a temptation during school holidays to create a schedule so packed that the child needs another holiday after the holiday.
Please, resist it. Children need activities, but they also need unstructured time. A long holiday can be an opportunity to sleep a little longer, play outside, read something they actually enjoy and spend time with family without rushing from one activity to another.
A holiday does not have to become an extension of the classroom. That said, a little structure can save everyone’s sanity.
A few regular chores, reading time, outdoor activities or family routines can give the days some shape without making children feel like they are still in school.
Decide what happens with screens
This one deserves an honest conversation because while “just give them the phone so I can work” has rescued many parents from the brink of madness, weeks of unrestricted screen time can quickly become the default.
Rather than trying to ban devices completely, parents can decide in advance what feels reasonable for their household. That could mean specific screen times, no phones during meals, outdoor play before gaming or simply making sure screen time is balanced with other activities.
And yes, there will probably be negotiations.
Children are surprisingly skilled negotiators when Wi-Fi is involved.
Plan at least a few things children can look forward to
You do not need to take your children to an expensive resort every weekend. A visit to grandparents, a day at the beach, a picnic, a trip to a museum, helping in the kitchen, visiting relatives or simply exploring somewhere new in your own town can become part of the holiday story.
The important thing is giving children something to anticipate. For families travelling upcountry for Christmas, this is also the time to start thinking about transport. Prices and availability can become a headache as December gets closer, particularly if several family members are travelling together.
Let children do some of the planning
One easy way to make the holiday more interesting is to give children some ownership of it. Ask them what they would like to do.
Perhaps they want to learn how to cook something, visit a particular place, spend time with cousins, learn a new skill or finally finish that book they have been carrying around all year.
Older children can even help plan part of the family budget or itinerary.
Remember January is coming
This is probably the least exciting part of holiday planning, which is exactly why it is easy to ignore. Uniforms will need checking, shoes may need replacing and books and stationery will need buying. Transport arrangements will have to be made and then ofcourse the big one – school fees will come due.
The December holiday may feel endless when it begins, but January has a habit of arriving with absolutely no regard for our feelings.
Let the children actually have a holiday
There is value in using school breaks for revision and keeping academic skills fresh, particularly for children preparing for major examinations.
But not every child needs a holiday packed with tuition and academic targets.
Children have spent months waking up early, doing homework and meeting school expectations. They also need rest. The long holiday can be a chance for families to reconnect, especially in a year when everyone has been busy with work and school.
So yes, plan the childcare and think about travel. Check the uniforms and most importantly, have the screen time conversation.
But leave some room for absolutely nothing, because sometimes the best part of a school holiday is simply having nowhere to be.
