Are you wondering what to do with the kids during the Winter school holidays? Well this HUGE list that I scoured the internet for will hopefully give you some ideas.

NSW

Arts

• Opera House – Kids at the House. Fun things for kids to do and see.
• Riverside Theatre at Parramatta – Great shows for families and kids.
• Art Gallery of NSW – Workshops and performances for kids.
• NIDA – School Holidays Classes – In fact NIDA have classes for all states, so check out the link.

Scenic Skyway and Three Sisters. Photo: Blue Mountains Lithgow & Oberon Tourism. Image by David Hill.

Sydney Olympic Park have great activities for kids of all ages.  Some are free and others are under $25. So that is great value.  The below links are from the Sydney Olympic Park’s Website.

Creative Kids

• Sydney Olympic Park – check the link to see all activities 

Sporty Kids

Adventurous Kids

Clowning around

• Taronga Zoo. There’s always plenty happening at Taronga Zoo. With over 4,000 animals to see, over 20 keeper talks and shows a day, tours, events & concerts, there’s always a new reason to visit Taronga Zoo.
• Darling Harbour Quarter Playground – This is an amazing playground for kids. Make sure to pack a spare set of clothes and a towel for the kids. There is a wet area that they are drawn to and if you don’t have spare dry clothes you will suffer the whining of the child. Trust me!
• Visit the Blue Mountains and surrounds. Have family drives and explore all that there is to offer. Take the kids to see the Three Sisters and go on bush walks.
• Explore Scenic World in the Blue Mountains. Travel on the Skyway, Cableway and breath the wonderful fresh air on the walkway. It it is a great day out.
• Newington Armory – Discover one of Sydney’s most unique heritage precincts adjacent to the scenic Parramatta River. It is open every weekend.
• Bathurst Winter Festival, From the 7 – 22 July 2018 – Staged in the beautiful, heritage CBD of Bathurst, the festival is a showcase of all that is vibrant, creative and unique in the region.  Watch buildings come alive through static and interactive illumination breathing life into the historic architecture. Amuse yourself in the Winter Playground sampling the charm of the outdoor McDonald’s Bathurst Ice Rink, the giant Ferris wheel and magical two-story carousel every day of the Bathurst Winter Festival.
• SEALIFE Sydney Aquarium – SEALIFE always has fun exhibitions and things to do. Keep your little ones entertained by taking them to learn more about marine life and our environment.
• WILDLIFE Sydney Zoo – Visit the animals in the heart of the city. Learn more from the wonderful daily talks about snakes, Tasmanian Devils and much more.

QLD

• Free activities to do in Brisbane with Kids.  Great parks and playgrounds, The Queensland Museum and The State Library have free entry. Thanks to Brisbane Kids.
• Brisbane City Hall Clock Tower Tour – Free

The following links are from the Queensland Government Website:

Programs and activities

Camping

VIC

The below links are taken from the Victorian Tourism Website. There are plenty to do to keep kids entertained and also adults as well.

Cockington Green Gardens. Picture from their website.

ACT

• Canberra Theatre Centre – Great shows for kids
• Visit the National Zoo and Aquarium
• Cockington Green Gardens – See miniature buildings within beautifully landscaped gardens. Why not stay for afternoon tea at the Parsons Nose Garden Cafe.
• Visit Questacon – Bring science to life.
• The National Dinosaur Museum – “Focusing on education and entertainment, the museum offers a wide variety of activities to schools and the general public. From guided tours of the museum, to birthday parties for the kids, there is sure to be something to suit your needs.”

SEMAPHORE AND FORT GLANVILLE TOURIST RAILWAY. Image from their website.

SA

• Steam train rides – Semaphore to Fort Glanville

Prices for this unique scenic and relaxing train ride are as follows:

Adult    $8
Child    $5 (3 years to 15 years)
Family  $20 (2 Adults with 2 Children)

• Adelaide Zoo – Come and have a great animal experience
• Botanic Gardens of South Australia – Find out all the fun things that the gardens are doing these school holidays. Creating crowns and masks, making fire, making glue, listen to aboriginal stories, and much more.
• Haigh’s Chocolate – Free guided tour
• South Australia – Learn about all the attractions from all the regions within Adelaide and surrounds.
• Drive-In Cinema at Gepps Cross. Stay in your PJ’s, bring your pillows and blankets and have fun watching a great film with the kids.
• Granite Island – Take a family drive to Granite Island to see the penguins. Why not get a guided tour. Tours start at dusk every night.
  Costs
  $12.50 Adult
  $7.50 Children
  $36.00 Family (2 Adults, 2 Children).
  Bookings are essential.
  Phone (08) 8552 7555
• Adelaide Planetarium – “Come to the Planetarium these school holidays and take a journey to outer space. Travel to the moon and back this school holiday break.  Adelaide Planetarium’s Night sky presentations and full dome movies offer educational entertainment for all ages.”
• Winter Wonderland at the Bay (Glenelg’s Moseley Square from the 1st July-23 July 2017)
• South Australian Maritime Museum – Monsters, Myths & Madness. Sail a haunted ship, watch out for mermaids and monsters. Dress up and come on a fantastic voyage.

Fairy Penguin at Granite Island

WA

• Lego Engineering and Robotics – St Andrews Grammar July School Holiday Program. Book here!

Ages: 7 to 12 year olds

Costs:

Basic Robotics -$100

2 Day Workshop – $170

• Sam Sunday’s Trek to the Goldfields – The Western Australian Museum – Kalgoorlie-Boulder
  Bookings required if more than 10. Phone: (08) 9021 8533
• Light, Lenses and Luminescence – The Western Australian Museum – GeraldtonTimes: 9.30am – 4.00pm
  “Discover the mysterious magic of light at the WA Museum – Geraldton during the school holidays. There is a range of fun, creative and challenging activities and workshops where you can explore what happens when light is reflected, refracted and blocked.”
• Time Trekker – Dino Dig – Western Australian Museum – Perth
  Time: 9.15am – 12.30pm
  Weekday: kids only 8-12 years.
  Weekends: Family friendly experience. Kids 6-12 years.
  See website for costs.
  

  Rottnest Island Map. Image www.rottnestfastferries.com.au

• Rottnest Island – 19km west of Fremantle
  Check out the island activities
• Surfing Lessons – Perth
  2 Day Course – School Holidays ONLY
  Our courses run Mon & Tue / Wed & Thur / Sat & Sun (great for getting dad and mum out there!)
• Adventure World – Progress Drive, Bibra Lake
  Little kids will love the slides, kingdom falls, pools. The whole family will enjoy the bumper boats, dragon express (rollercoaster), go carts, and the tunnel of terror.
  Open every day from 10am to 5pm during the school holidays. You can purchase tickets online to avoid the queues.

NT

• Daily Fish feeding at Aquascene
  Check out the times for feeding the fish. They do vary from each day.
  Adult: $15.00
  Child (3-15 years): $10.00
  Seniors: $10.00
  Families (2 Adults plus 2 or 3 Children aged between 3-15): $43.00
• Australian Aviation Heritage Centre
  See the B52 Bomber and other exhibits from Darwin’s role in WWII
  Open daily from 9am – 5pm
  Adults $14.00. Seniors / Pensioners $10.00. Children (under 12) $7.00. Family $30.00.Students $7.50
• Berry Springs Nature Park 
  “Whilst enjoying the pools, if you swim with goggles you can see many small native fish and other aquatic life that live in the clear pools. Wildlife is abundant.”
  Remember: Swim only where recommended, observe warning signs.
  Facilities: Picnic tables, walking tracks, Kiosk (open during high visitation periods but generally from late morning to mid afternoon)
  The Park is open from 8.00 am to 6.30 pm daily.
  

  Berry Springs Nature Park

• Darwin Wave Lagoon
  Open from: 10am – 6pm

  15yrs and over	$7
  Under 15yrs	$5
  Under 2 yrs	Free
  Seniors Concession	$5
  Family (max 2 adults & 3 children)	$18

  

  Wave Lagoon. Image from the Travel NT website.

• Nightcliff Markets
  Every Sunday from 6am to 2pm all year round
  “Enjoy a relaxing morning, listening to some great entertainment while the kids play nearby in the playground. Sample our array of tasty foods such as curries, soups, crepes, satays, sushi, samosas, burgers, noodles.. and locally grown fresh fruit and vegetables.”
• The Rock – Darwins Indoor Climbing Centre
  Business Hours – Tuesday to Friday 12noon till 9pm.
  Saturday & Sunday 12noon till 6pm.
  Closed Mondays
  Phone: (08) 8941 0747
  email: helpnt@bigpond.com.au

The Rock – Darwin’s Indoor Climbing Centre. Image from Travel NT’s Website.

• Indo Pacific Marine
  Check out the tours that are offered.
  Opened from 9am to 4pm
  April to October and from November to March 9am to 1pm weekdays and 10am to 2pm weekends and public holidays. Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Good Friday.
  

  Showing the beauty of the Northern Territory marine environment. Image from Travel NT’s website.

TAS

• The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG
  

  Tours at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG). Image from Museum’s website

• The Phenomena Factory
  “The Phenomena Factory is a free-entry interactive science centre providing hands-on education for kids of all ages. You can challenge yourself in the Perception Tunnel or test your reactions while you touch, switch, pull and crank your way around the Phenomena Factory, actively learning about science along the way.Exhibits also include Death at a Distance, Dice with Death, Sniff a Snack, and Squeeze and Serve – all from Questacon, the National Science and Technology Centre in Australia. You will also find the Jaffa Machine donated by Hydro Tasmania which turns human mechanical energy into kinetic energy. Crank the handle and sustain the energy output long enough and you’ll be rewarded with a jaffa.”
  Cost: FREE!
  Times: Open 10am – 5pm daily
  For all ages
• The Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery
  If you visit The Phenomena Factory the Museum is very close so why not pop in for a visit too.
  Learn about the Heritage Trail, and how the railways transformed Tasmania, plus lots more!

  Telephone 03 6323 3777
  Fax 03 6323 3776
  Email enquiries@qvmag.tas.gov.au

  Two Destinations
  Museum at 2 Invermay Road, Inveresk TAS 7248
  Art Gallery at 2 Wellington Street, Launceston TAS 7250

  Opening Hours (Admission free)
  10am to 4pm daily (both destinations)
  Closed Good Friday and Christmas Day

• 2015 Huon Valley Mid-Winter Festival
  Dates: 15, 16 & 17 July 2022
  See the website for costs

  The Apple Shed
  2064 Huon Highway, Grove TAS
  Suitable for all ages

  

  Planetarium. Image from QVMAG Planetarium’s website.

• QVMAG Planetarium
  Free Admission
  Age Group: 5 years and up. Admission fees for shows are very reasonable.
• National Automobile Museum of Tasmania
  The museum is located at Cnr Willis & Cimitiere Sts, Launceston, Tasmania, 7250, Australia.
  See website for costs for admission.
  Open every day except Christmas Day, 9am – 5pm summer hours. Winter hours: 10am to 4pm.
• Learn about more great activities for the school holidays, Zoo Doo (An African Safari just 6km from Richmond), Allport Library and fine arts, Maritime Museum of Tasmania, Museum of Old and New art has great holiday programs for kids, and Bush Kids that is a brilliant holiday program that takes kids on exciting nature-based adventures.

This is just a list of things I found online and thought looked interesting and fun. It is by no means a full list of everything in Australia.

If it was this blog post would be way longer than it already is.

I hope you have fun and some of these events make the holidays fun for all. We are on a holiday countdown in our house.

Sign up for my newsletter

Do you wish to stay current with all the things that are happening on Mummy to Twins Plus One? Don’t miss a thing by signing up for my newsletter. This newsletter will list all giveaways and fabulous things that are happening.