"I'm 43, my child's 12, and I still freaking love Timezone."

There’s a school holidays activity which I love as much as my 12 year old, but don’t tell him, because I use it for leverage.

He’ll ask: “Mum, can you please take Sam and me to Timezone?”

I’ll say: “Sure. But all your chores need to be done first, and then I get to watch what I want to on TV tonight, OK?”

But here’s my secret… Timezone is actually for me. It’s not a ‘parental chore’.

I was a gamer in my youth, an arcade lover, and an absolute speed demon. I have so many good memories of playing the old-school Daytona car racing game before I even learned to drive.

That was a long time ago. These days, I spend my spare time Googling things like “How to get red Icy Pole stain out of white school shirt.”

So, I only feign reluctance to take my kid to Timezone. While I might have an ulterior motive, I do find it’s got something for everyone – here are five reasons why it’s my pick for these school holidays.

1. The summer school holidays are scary long.

As a parent, I find the immense stretch of time a little intimidating. My son needs entertaining most of the time – like most kids. He’s constantly looking for an activity we may not always have the time for during the school term.

I’ve found that Timezone is a destination which will entertain him for hours, even after a few visits.

The other issue I find in the summer holidays is the weather. You can’t be at the beach every day, or go to the cinema three times a week.

Timezone is somewhere you and the kids can hang, that’s air conditioned comfortably, meaning it’s fun respite from the heat.

2. There's no "I'm bored". From me or him.

One thing that I’ve never experienced at Timezone is boredom. In the dozens of times we’ve been there, my kid, or his friends, have never come up to me and begged to leave.

In fact, it’s always the opposite – they want to stay forever. This is because there’s such a large variety of things for them to do. And they can play alone, or together. Laser tag, bowling, bumper cars, games – whatever they feel like.

And it’s definitely not all about sitting down in front of a screen. The variety of activities means you can take your 12 year old and your six year old and everyone’s got something they can enjoy.

The other thing I love about having such a wide range of activities to choose from is that you rarely have to wait your turn at stuff – even in the busy times.

That pretty much eliminates waiting-whinging from the kids, too.

3. The school holiday deals are excellent.

Budget is a big concern for most parents, especially during the big school holidays where it feels like money’s flying away.

But Timezone has amazing school holiday deals: this summer, get $80 credit when you load $50. The credit doesn’t even have to be used that day.

I love that value for money – and it’s a good excuse to come back again.

It’s called the Load Zone deal, and it’s on from Wednesday 11 December 2019 until Tuesday 4 February 2020.

4. Parents, we can do what we like, too.

There are many kids' places I cannot wait to get out of, but Timezone isn’t one of them. As a mum or dad, you can join in the fun with the kids, or play alone… or just have a quiet moment to yourself.

That’s what I did when I took my son and six of his mates there recently; I found a Zombie game booth and had a moment to myself in the dark.

And when I say parent-friendly, of course I mean Timezone is family friendly; that’s right, the grandparents will have a ball, too, when they take the kids.

5. It makes me feel young again.

I love the nostalgia element of being there; it takes me back to my youth. If my kid and I are there alone, he’ll play things like Air Hockey with me, and I love that I’m doing something with him that I did in my childhood.

(Of course, when he’s there with his friends, he’ll barely acknowledge my presence.)

And by the way, they call it Timezone for a reason - the time you spend there just flies by.

Now that’s a win for everyone.

Visit timezonegames.com for all the activities, deals, and terms and conditions.

What's your favourite thing to do over the school holidays? We want your ideas, share below.