School holiday activities
The Victorian School Holidays will start on 31 March - are you ready to entertain your children? Below are a range of activities you might consider to entertain them with over the school holiday period.
Note: this page will be updated progessively.
The Arts Centre Kids Program
KlezKids - Get ready to dance, sing and join in an old-style Jewish party in KlezKids with a live klezmer band and dance caller at Arts Centre Melbourne. 1 April 2012.
Boon Wurrung Ngargee - In this very special workshop, kids and their families will learn about, sing and dance the Melbourne stories of the Boon Wurrung. Boon Wurrung is one of the five language groups of the Eastern Kulin Nation and the traditional name for the indigenous people who inhabited the land on the south of the Yarra River upon which the Arts Centre Melbourne sits. 4-7 April 2012.
Random Musical - Totally spontaneous, totally improvised and totally hilarious! Random Musical, part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival during the school holidays, lets the audience decide what happens on Arts Centre Melbourne's stage. 11-15 April 2012.
School of Random! - Explore the craft of improvisation in a workshop of fun music and drama activities led by the Random Musical team. 11-15 April 2012
Arts, Crafts & Mixed
ArtPlay - A huge variety of hands-on activities to keep kids inspired during school holidays.
Ballarat Art Gallery - Grace Kelly - Imagine, design and create at our special holiday art workshops. Activities these holidays take their inspiration from kings, princesses and other things royal with classes for children 4 to 7 and 8 to 14 years. For all enquiries and bookings please contact the Gallery. Cost $7–10, bookings essential. 3 - 12 April.
Blanc Canvas Studios - provides instructional and entertaining lessons for children aged 4 years and over. 2-13 April 2012.
Gasworks - The Gasworks Children's Holiday Program runs every school holidays for children aged 3 to 14.
GlazeIt Studio - Pottery Painting at GlazeIt Studio is a unique, fun and creative activity for all ages and occasions, which involves decorating ready-to-paint ceramics into beautiful and usable pottery pieces.
Squishface Comic Art Studio - Cartooning classes: classic cartooning through to manga, superhero and alternative comic styles. 12-1.30pm Thurs 5 and 12 April.
Thread Den - During the school holidays, Thread Den offers a great range of sewing classes for kids aged 6 years and up. Develop skills with textiles, add to your folio, or just make something completely unique. Classes are run in Thread Den's light filled sewing lounges and are led by industry professionals and friendly instructors.
Exhibitions
Explore-a-saurus - Discover a world of dinosaurs at Scienceworks as you explore the science of palaeontology. Until 15 April 2012.
Time Catcher - Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to follow the clues to step through time.
Visual Illusions - A small exhibition of hands-on and 'bodies-in' visual illusions. Until 30 June 2012.
Films
ACMI - Australian Centre for the Moving Image
Galleries
Heide Museum of Modern Art
- Kids & Families - Heide offers a range of activities for kids and families including artist-led workshops that draw on Heide's exhibitions, history and gardens.
- School Holiday Activities - These hands-on activities, guided by art educators, provide children with opportunities to engage with contemporary artists and art practices. Children are shown a variety of art making techniques and encouraged to use their imagination in activities appropriate to their age group.
NGV Kids Space - Opens 31 March. NGV Kids Space: An Excellent Adventure will invite children on a journey inspired by a time when sailing ships explored the seven seas.
NGV Schools Programs - NGV Schools Programs are educational sessions for students and teachers in the Gallery that are led by an Educator. We advise groups (led or self-staffed) to book well in advance to reduce waiting times and ensure access.
Museums
Museum Victoria
- Immigration Museum - Autumn School Holiday Program - Tantalise your tastebuds.
- Melbourne Museum - Autumn School Holiday Program - Melbourne Comes to Life.
- Scienceworks - Autumn School Holiday Program - Set Adrift.
National Wool Museum
- Sports Alive! - 12 March - 13 May 2012.
State Library of Victoria - School Holiday Programs
Nature and Wildlife
City of Melbourne Junior Rangers. Join the City of Melbourne Park Rangers in Melbourne's beautiful and historic parks and gardens for summer fun and adventure. Suitable for children aged 5 - 12 years, this environmental program incorporates art and craft, guided walks and story telling.
Collingwood Children's Farm - Open every day of the year.
Fitzroy Gardens - Visit Cook's Cottage.
Junior Rangers - Parks Victoria - Parks Victoria's Junior Ranger program is an exciting environmental program encouraging primary-aged children and their families to explore and have fun in Victoria's parks and reserves by participating in a wealth of activities during the school holidays.
Marine Discovery Centre - The Marine Discovery Centre conducts special programs for adults and children throughout the year during school holidays and on weekends. These programs aim to provide people with the opportunity to experience the wonders of the marine environment.
Melbourne Aquarium - Wander through glass tunnels and see thousands of creatures, including sharks and stingrays, that live in the Southern Ocean.
Phillip Island - See the penguins.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne - Explore 363 hectares of untouched heathlands, wetlands and woodlands, and see bird and animal life, including several rare and endangered species.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne - Children's Garden
Urban Penguins - Take a cruise on the Penguin Express and see little penguins just 5 kilometres from Melbourne's city centre.
Zoos Victoria - School Holiday Programs
Out and About
Federation Square - Summer School Holiday Program - With a little planning a day out in the city doesn't have to be expensive. Throughout the school holidays Fed Square has a jam-packed program of free and affordable activities to delight visitors of all ages.
Giant Sky Wheel - Geelong Waterfront
Luna Park - Ride all day or get your skates on and push, glide or swing-roll into Luna Freeze.
Puffing Billy - Get on board Puffing Billy.
Queen Victoria Market - School Holidays are bigger at Queen Victoria Market! Let the kids have some fun at one of the most exciting and colourful destinations in Melbourne with a range of FREE activities for kids to enjoy in a secure and safe environment!
Sovereign Hill - Pan for gold or chat with the storekeepers and miners at Sovereign Hill.
SkyHigh - Enjoy the stunning views, an exquisite English garden, Adventurous SkyHigh Maze and links to trail walks in the Dandenong Ranges National Park.
Steam Train - All aboard for family fun.
V/Line:
Visit Melbourne - There is so much to see and do in Melbourne and with V/Line you can enjoy discounted entry at some of the best attractions.
Visit regional Victoria - There's something for everyone to enjoy in regional Victoria. Check out the special events and some of our favourite attractions.
Waterfront City - Circus Skate-A-Rama, 31 March - 15 April 2012.
Wonderland Fun Park - Spellbound Illusion Spectacular, 31 March - 15 April 2012.
Performance
Sports and Active
Ice Skating - Icehouse offers two Olympic-sized rinks, roving entertainers during the holidays, live DJ'd skating sessions for late afternoon/early evening for older kids and teens, a tiny tots area for the non-skaters, plus lessons.
Football Federation Victoria - Boys and Girls aged 5-11, get into the spirit of the World Game with 2 days of Football fun! Geelong 2-3 April, Shepparton 4-5 April, Moama 11-12 April.
Skateboarding at Riverslide Skate Park - in the Alexandra Gardens, is a five-minute skate from Flinders Street Railway Station.
SoccerWise - Bialik College, Hawthorn East. Limited places - bookings essential. For bookings email bookings@soccerwise.com.au or call 0419 253 837.
Sport Camp, AllSportz - Suited to children between 2-10 years old, our unique school holiday program will immerse every child in to a world of sports, fun and excitement.
Swimming
Visit your local council website for pools and activities in your area.
Further information
Event not listed? - Email infovic@dbi.vic.gov.au and tell us about your school holiday event.
Disclaimer - We reserve the right to not publish all events.
