It's that time of the year every kid in Australia dreads.

With Christmas festivities and fun school holiday activities now a distant memory, it's time to trudge back to school and hit the books again.

It can be especially difficult as the sun is still out and the lure of the beach remains, so here are a few tips on easing your children's back to school blues!

Finish the holidays with a bang

If you really want your kids motivated and pumped up for another year ahead, make sure you give them an end to their holidays they won't forget.

Plan something big for the last weekend before they return to school to get them excited. Why not take a road trip or arrange a day at the beach to soak up the sun one last time, for example?

Tweak their sleep schedules

The holidays will likely have wreaked havoc on your children's sleep patterns, with late nights and even later mornings having been the norm.

It's important to reset their body clocks in anticipation of school, though, so they can hit the ground running from day one. Revert back to their usual bedtimes so they can readjust to waking up early.

Open up the books again

Most kids are far too busy having fun in the sun to worry about reading during the holidays, which means they might be a bit rusty when heading back to school.

Make sure your children take breaks from lounging around on the beach to get into a good novel or two to ensure they don't forget how to read and write!

Get organised

The best way to get your children raring to go for school is to take an active role in the preparation process.

Go back to school shopping with them and let them choose their favourite stationery, accessories and other items. That way, they won't be able to wait to get to school to start using them.