KEY POINTS:
Irei Joseph and Teariki Taputu would need a pot of gold to reach Rainbow's End. A school holiday trip to the Auckland theme park for them and their eight children would cost $320 for entry alone.
Add in food and transport costs and it's clear why the family doesn't get out much together. Movie tickets would cost $94, and a trip to Auckland Zoo $101.
Joseph, a nightshift worker, told the Herald on Sunday the family could "hardly ever" afford the movies or popular attractions. But she said holidays didn't have to be expensive - and she rarely had to listen to a chorus of "I'm bored" from her children aged 4 to 15.
"During the day, they all have chores, then the older ones usually go to the internet cafe. They have the little ones to look after, too, when their dad is working.
"They do the same thing every day. They eat constantly, they'll run outside for 20 minutes, then come into the rooms, then get a bit bored, so they'll go outside and play."
Joseph had no problem keeping them busy during the holidays but there was "no way" she could afford to send them to holiday programmes, even with a Government subsidy.
Kevin Hill, founder of Holiday Fun, one of the North Island's largest providers of out-of-school care and recreation and holiday programmes, said 80 per cent of parents found sending children to his programmes costly.
They could pay up to $170 a week each child, and there was an extra charge for outings such the movies or horse-riding.
He said 20 per cent of them received help through the Working for Families Scheme, but the income threshold, ($72,800 for one-child families) was "far too low". Many middle-income parents struggled to pay for childcare but had to put in long hours to stay afloat.
"More and more people are needing after-school care and holiday programmes. I feel sorry for some of the kids. They spend longer with us than they do at school."
Mangere Budgeting Services Trust chief executive Darryl Evans said days out and holiday programmes were often the first casualties of over-stretched budgets.
Large families and parents whose incomes fell just outside the Government subsidy cutoff were hardest hit. His staff had "huge problems" finding affordable care during holidays, and children had a "keeping up with the Joneses" mentality.
John Kennedy, Auckland manager for the Out of School Care Network, said the average cost of a school holiday programme was $25-$35 a day.
"That's much higher than it used to be, and if you have three or four kids it really gets expensive. But providers are facing the same cost hikes as everybody else."
ACTIVITIES FOR LITTLE COST
School holiday activities don't have to cost the earth. Parenting guru Kerry Burridge, of Kiwi Families, has some ideas.
* Have a pot-luck picnic with your children's friends or other families.
* Instead of going to the movies or hiring a DVD, why not swap some?
* Go on a bushwalk. Visitor information centres can tell you about walks in your area, or visit www.doc.govt.nz.
* Do some baking.
* Take your children to the library and get them their own library card.
* Blow bubbles. Make a bubble wand by cutting out the inside of an ice cream container lid, and leaving just the frame.
