School Holiday Ideas for Kids in Sydney

Sydney is one of the most vibrant, family-friendly cities in the world. Rain, hail, or shine – here’s a list of activities and excursions to keep kids entertained during the school holidays.

 

Choose From Over 100 Beaches

School holidays are the perfect time to create a ‘Beach Bucket List,’ and cross off as many as you can as a family. Try the lovely local favourites: Nielsen Park, Chinamans Beach and Parsley Bay. Or, if your little swimmers are looking for more adventure, introduce them to some spectacular snorkelling at Balmoral Beach or Shelley Beach at Manly.

 

For the Storytellers

Get artsy with school holiday festivities at the Art Gallery of NSW or Museum of Contemporary Art where there are always amazing all-age activities. Your local library is also a great place to spend some quiet time cuddled up in a corner with a book. Look out for free story time sessions and other special workshops for kids.

 

Get Pedalling

Spend a day at Sydney Park; 40 hectares of landscaped gardens and wetlands. Here, you’ll find plenty of paths to ride through and hills to roll down or catch a sunset from. And, if your pint-sized park enthusiasts still have the energy, there’s an excellent playground to keep them entertained.

 

Sensory Underwater Experience

Make a family memory with a trip to SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium; entirely indoors, it’s perfect for those rainy or sweltering days. Our six themed habitat zones are chock-a-block with play, learning, and whole-family adventure. Travel through the heart of a busy reef to meet marine turtles or jump aboard an educational sub-antarctic boat journey through the King and Gentoo Penguin display. SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium also showcases the city’s very own native fish – there are over 600 species! Or get the adrenaline pumping when you come face to face with one of our beautiful, ginormous sharks.

Get your kids involved in exciting school holiday events like our Behind the Scene Tour to learn first-hand what it takes to be an aquarist. Check out our latest events calendar for some underwater ideas.

 

Breakfast With the Koalas

At WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, you can enjoy Breakfast with the Koalas. Included in the ticket is a delicious, hot buffet breakfast, guided highlights tour and koala photo, complete with a printed photo to take home. After your morning date with these marsupials, meet the other Aussie Big 5 - kangaroos, a crocodile, a wombat and platypuses.

A visit to Kakadu Gorge is an unforgettable family experience. It’s also home to the largest reptile in the world, so if you’re feeling brave, visit our resident saltwater crocodile and learn about crocodile conservation issues. WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo also gives you the chance to catch the nocturnal ghost bat and yellow-bellied gliders during their ‘day time’ – something you couldn’t easily do in the wild. For a more fairytale-like adventure, get lost in-between the colourful butterflies flitting through ferns at Butterfly Tropics. 

Here, you and your kids can experience a real Australian animal adventure, right in the heart of Darling Harbour.