The school hols are about a week away, eeek! I don’t know how they creep up on me like that every single time.
Back when I worked in the city I started planning the June school holidays in around February, such was the strategical precision required to organise three kids and a corporate life. Nowadays I have complete flexibility but generally run into trouble when I realise that I have to work and look after the kids at the same time. Getting interrupted when I’m working makes me snappy and cross, so you can imagine how fun I am to be around in the holidays.
To make up for my general grumpiness, I’m planning a few fun days out with the kidlets. Here are my picks for things to do around Sydney in the June school holidays.
Of course, if you just want to stay at home and be done with it, click here.
Free things
Solarus in Space
Don’t miss this wonderful freebie at Cathy Freeman Park. Kids take a disco cruise to the moon in an interactive adventure that includes craft, dance and lots of laughs.
Ages: 4-10
Free
Winter crafting
Paddington library has a free winter workshop where kids can make snowman marshmallows, make playdoh and decorate their own library bag.
Ages: 5 – 12
Free
Little Sydney Lives
While we’re here and there in the holidays, we are going to be snapping away to enter the Little Sydney Lives competition. Photography is an outstanding way to engage children further in the world around them and kids are invited to creatively show off Sydney through their lens. What a fantastic intitiative.
Ages: 3 – 11
Free
Cool Yule 2014
Darling Harbour is always appreciated by kids (at least it has that), but this winter they are really going to love, love, love it. Bringing the snow into Sydney must be a heck of a task, even in June, but Darling Harbour will be transformed into a winter wonderland with ice skating, a frozen forest and giant iceberg. Wandering and playing at loads of events costs nothing, but ice skating is $24 adults, $14 kids. Click here for the brochure to see everything that’s on.
Ages: All
Mostly free
Small cost things
Puppet workshop with the Bamboo Theatre
Out Bankstown way they are putting on a brilliant puppet workshop for only $20 a head. Kids will learn all about puppeteering (I think that’s a word) and make their own puppet to bring home.
Ages: 6 – 10
Cost: $20
Sydney Observatory mini-archaeologists
My kids had an archaeological dig experience at an historic house down the South Coast and they loved it. Kids are curious about the past and find it fascinating to discover how things were before they were… if you know what I mean. This “dig” at the Fort Phillip should be just the ticket for a fun and different sort of day.
Ages: 6 – 10
Cost: $13-15
Garrabarra!
This interactive show on at the Royal Botanic Gardens celebrates the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Using music, dance, games and storytelling the show explores cultural relationship with plants and food.
Ages: 6 -13
Cost: $16.50
Shutterbug photography workshop
Kids learn how to use a camera and take good shots a this photography workshop at the Mount Annan Botanical Gardens. Mount Annan is a bit of a trek for us, but I think this will be worth it. I think the more kids can get into photography the more observant and curious they’ll be about their everyday moments.
Ages: 8 – 12
Cost: from $22.50
Exxy but awesome things
Kids on Canvas
Sydney Olympic Park always comes through with some top school holiday activities and these hols my pick of the bunch is the Kids on Canvas Movie Characters session. An art lesson combined with our kids’ favourite characters has got to be a winner.
Ages: 6 and up
Cost: Sessions are $45 with a BYO materials clause (what’s with that?!) so it’s an extra $10 for paints and brushes. Ridiculous structure, right?
Leo
The Opera House is a Big Day Out, but always worth it. Leo sounds amazing and I absolutely adore anything that starts with a “what if?” question. In this case “what if the laws of gravity were to suddenly change?”. So looking forward to this one.
Ages: 8 and up
Cost: $30
Fizzics Education
Both Max and Cappers are all about the science right now (and even Badoo claims it’s her “favourite subjecture”) so we’ll hopefully get to head to a Fizzics Education session. There are a few different workshops to choose from – including Lego Robotics and Catapult making (Max!).
Ages: 8 -14
Cost: start from $25
The Gruffalo
“A mouse took a stroll through a deep, dark wood…” Is there an Aussie kid around who doesn’t know what’s coming next? We love the book, we loved the television adaptation but I think we’re going to love this stage production the most. It’s on at the Seymour Centre in Chippendale so make sure you leave enough room in the schedule for a good run around Victoria Park. The Rose on Cleveland Street is excellent for lunch too.
Ages: All
Cost: $26 per ticket + transaction fee
Footy and literacy
I just HAD to choose this one because what a great concept! The Focused Footy School Holiday Program aims to get kids who are struggling with literacy learning by doing something they love – playing sport. A great way to make learning fun, especially for sporty boys who find it hard to sit still in class.
Ages: School ages
Cost: $250 for 5 day program
I reckon that will do us! Especially as we also have to fit in 3 x gymnastics sessions a week for that leaping Cappers. Whatever you end up doing in the hols, enjoy yourselves and remember to just hang out at home doing not much at all as much as you can!