50 free school holiday activities for kids of all ages | Finder
finder.com.au

50 free school holiday activities for kids in 2021

Easy ways to keep childhood boredom at bay.

Avatar
Stephanie Yip
Updated
Fact checked

We’re reader-supported and may be paid when you visit links to partner sites. We don’t compare all products in the market, but we’re working on it!

If the cardboard box has taught us anything it's that you don’t have to spend big on the kids to keep them entertained and amused.

Keep it simple and stick to your budget these school holidays with these free (or close to free) school holiday activities, experiences and crafts.

Happy holidays!

50 free school holiday activities

kid_playground_shutterstock

1. Spend a day at the park

camping_shutterstock4. Go camping

6. Visit an museum

  1. Spend a day in the park. If a trip to the theme park is off the cards then a local park is just as good. Choose one with a colourful and extensive playground area and your afternoon is set. Pack a picnic lunch too for when they get tired and hungry.
  2. Take a coastal walk. On a nice day taking a coastal walk is a relaxing way to get out. In Sydney, Bondi to Coogee boasts some spectacular views and if you take it during spring you can catch the Sculptures By The Sea exhibit as well.
  3. Build an arts and crafts table. If you don't mind spending a bit, you can buy arts and crafts materials like pipe wire, cardboard, glue, colouring in pencils and buttons and ask them to go nuts. However, to keep this activity free, instead find scrap material and packaging around the house they can use to craft with.
  4. Go camping. If you can't get out-and-about for a family camping adventure you can keep it local and make this an in-the-house or backyard affair. Pitch a tent or grab a table and lay a long cloth over it. They can camp during the day or stay inside at night - with a dinner delivery service, naturally.
  5. Netflix it. Watch the flicks from the comfort of your home. Although Netflix is not free, if you're already paying for it then it's no added expense. If your plan allows for multiple devices you don’t even need to watch the shows with them. Leave them with cartoons while you catch up with The Handmaid's Tale. Alternatively, you can watch flicks on free-to-air if you don't have an account and want to keep this one free.
  6. Visit a museum or public library. Free museums and libraries for kids in Australia include the State Library of NSW, Australian Museum, Anzac Day Memorial, National Gallery of Australia and the National Gallery of Victoria.
  7. Make an indoors obstacle course. Grab all the pillows and move the couches to build an obstacle course they can run around in.
  8. Throw the footy around. Get out of the house and throw the footy around, play basketball or hit a tennis ball.
  9. Visit family. The school holidays are perfect for taking the kids to visit relatives. You can even drop them off for a day to play with them… (hint, hint, nudge, nudge).
  10. Learn origami. Download a free design online to get them crafting with paper.
  11. Catch public transport. The thrill of hopping on a train, bus or ferry to anywhere is one of the simple joys of being a child. Some cities offer a free city transport service: for example Sydney has its 555 tourist shuttle and Melbourne offers a free city circle tram ride.
  12. Go star gazing. Set up some blankets in your backyard and lay yourself down to stare at the stars.

baking_shutterstock

13. Bake and decorate

kid_costume_shutterstock

16. Play dress ups

17. Get them gardening

  1. Bake and decorate. Bake cupcakes (or biscuits) and get the kids to decorate them with icing and sprinkles. Their reward? A delicious treat.
  2. Visit your local botanical gardens. Bursts of colour and wildlife will distract kids to no end.
  3. Stroll through a theme park. The colours and sounds are candy to kids' eyes - just be wary that it costs money to go on the rides.
  4. Play dress ups. They can do this with their clothes or your clothes. (If they wreck your clothes, well, that's an excuse to go shopping!)
  5. Get them gardening. Visit the shops with them and let them choose the flowers or plants of seeds they’d like to grow and have them plant them in the garden. They can watch them grow and look after them throughout the holiday period. To keep this one free you can have them help weed or replant botanicals you already have in your garden.
  6. Draw a picture. All you need is some card and colouring pencils and they’ll take care of the rest.
  7. Write a story. Got a chatterbox on your hand with a huge imagination. Ask them to write it down.
  8. Go fishing. Grab the tackle and fishing rods and go on a fishing trip.
  9. Perform simple science experiments. Google "simple science experiments". There are heaps and use household materials you already own.
  10. Complete a puzzle/activity book. Activity books are a fun way to keep them occupied throughout the day. You can even download activity pages online.
  11. Read a book. Harry Potter anyone? It really is best to start them off early.
  12. Walk the city. To little ones, anywhere outside of home is an adventure. Take them on a trip through the city to explore its iconic sights.

fingeranimals_pinterest

25. Make fingerprint animals (image: Pinterest)

kids_beach_shutterstock

27. Visit the beach

woolworths_fruit

31. Make crazy fruit juices (image: Woolworths)

  1. Make fingerprint animals. All you need is an ink-pad, paper and a pen. Press your fingerprint onto the sheet and use it as a head or body to draw animals.
  2. Hold a family board games night. From Monopoly and UNO to Game of Life and Ticket To Ride, the possibilities are endless. Stock up at these top games shops.
  3. Visit the beach. Spend a sunny day at the beach.
  4. Go on a treasure hunt. Create a map for your kids to find a bounty that you’ve stashed somewhere.
  5. Create a paint station. Grab some butcher’s paper and a couple of pots of colourful paint and the rest is up to their imagination.
  6. Build a scrapbook or collage. All they need is some old magazines, a pair of scissors and some glue to create a collage or scrapbook.
  7. Make crazy fruit juices. This is a top way to get them eating fruit and having fun in the kitchen. Give them a station of fruits to choose from and mix them up in the juicer with some ice. PS: Shops like Woolworths and Harris Farm often offer free fruit for kids with your shop.
  8. Visit an art gallery. Many galleries offer free entry to their general exhibition spaces. Major galleries in Australia that have free entry include the Art Gallery of NSW, Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, QAGOMA in Brisbane and MONA (under 18s are free).
  9. Visit a farm. Heaps of local farms offer fruit picking or allow you to visit the animals. For something closer to home, try a petting zoo. The Grounds at Alexandria in Sydney has one over the weekend that goes down well with the kids.
  10. Go bush walking. Bush walks for every strength are available in national parks like the Blue Mountains in NSW and Mount Ainslie in Canberra.
  11. Be a photographer for a day. Give them the camera for a day and see what shots they come up with. You can choose to print or frame their best ones after.
  12. Make masks. Paper plates and spare card are perfect for these. They can then roleplay their characters with the masks after.

38. Play hide and seek

Sparkly-Fairy-Dust-Dough

41. Make fairy glitter dough (image: Pinterest)

50. Play with a cardboard box

  1. Go to the markets. From Glebe Markets and Eveleigh Farmers markets in Sydney to Salamanca Market in Hobart and Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne, a visit to the market is a fun day out and who knows, they could even come home with a trinket afterwards.
  2. Play hide and seek. Two words: endless fun. You might also like to play tag, dodgeball or pretend the floor is lava.
  3. Perform a play. Have the kids write and perform a play for you.
  4. Do face painting. You can do this or you can let them have fun. Just don’t forget the baby wipes.
  5. Make macaroni necklaces. A fundamental component of any childhood. All you need is a piece of string and a packet of dried macaroni and the rest is up to their imagination.
  6. Make fairy dust dough. For a unique scientific play session they can create fairy dust dough by mixing hair conditioner and corn-flour and adding food colouring and glitter.
  7. Go for a bike ride. Cycle the streets wherever you are. Melbourne boasts a bike share scheme that gives you 30 minutes free hire while Canberra has some beautiful cycle loops including one around Lake Burley Griffin.
  8. Go to the pools. A low-cost day out in general, and some harbourside pools like Murray Rose Pool and Maccallum Pools in Sydney are free to enter.
  9. Host a sleepover. Invite your kids’ friends over for a night of movies, games and all-round fun.
  10. Host a fashion show. This could be with their own clothes or with yours. Your choice.
  11. Have a dance party. Pull up the volume on the radio and cover the lights with cellophane for a musical evening.
  12. Make eggheads. Give eggshells a new lease of life by filling them with alfalfa and asking the kids to draw faces on them.
  13. DIY aquariums. This super fun activity is perfect after a day at the beach. Ask them to collect shells and pebbles which they can them place into jars of coloured blue water to marvel at and keep. Here’s an example.
  14. (And finally) Play with a cardboard box. From building a cart or a dollhouse to crafting a rocket ship or mini golf course, a cardboard box can offer so much play for a kid.

See the latest school holiday activities deals

RedBalloonRedBalloon
Exclusive

Activities for kids from $17 + an extra $5 off with code

Available on select dates when you spend a minimum of $250. Activities include day tour cruises, zoo experiences, hop-on hop-off bus tours, attraction passes, zoo and animal interactions and more. Destinations include Gold Coast, Cairns, Melbourne, Adelaide and more. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Show code
AdrenalineAdrenaline

Up to 65% off activities for kids

Available on select dates, including school holidays, for activities like sandboarding, whale watching, jet boat rides, indoor skydiving, cruises, swimming, go karting and much more. Destinations include Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney, Canberra and more. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Get deal
KidcampusKidcampus

NSW: Sports and active programs from $44

Available on select dates and school holiday programs for kids including basketball camp, aerial gym, tennis, soccer, parkour and more. Sample rate is for a 3D design class. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Get deal
KidcampusKidcampus

NSW: Arts and crafts activities from $45

Available on select dates and school holiday programs for kids including creative writing workshops, sewing classes, ceramic pottery classes and more. Sample rate is for an electronics class. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Get deal
KidcampusKidcampus

NSW: Coding and technology programs from $45

Available on select dates and school holiday programs for kids including robot makers camp, python coding camp and more. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Get deal
AdrenalineAdrenaline

Up to 50% off Australia experiences

Available on select travel dates for activities including skydiving, hot air balloon flights, quad biking, scuba diving, whale watching, bridge climbing, high tea and more. Destinations include Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Melbourne and more. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Get deal
VoyaginVoyagin

Up to 40% off things to do in Australia

Available on select dates and activities such as Sydney attractions tickets to SEA LIFE Aquarium Sydney, Sydney Tower Eye and more. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Get deal
KlookKlook

Up to 15% off Brisbane Story Bridge adventure climb

Available on select dates until March 2022 for a 120-minute bridge climb.

Last verified

Get deal

Deal ends

KlookKlook

Up to 48% off SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium tickets

Available on select travel dates until 22 October 2021.

Last verified

Get deal

Deal ends

Experience OzExperience Oz

Up to 20% off SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast entry tickets

Available on select travel dates in 2021. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Get deal

Deal ends

Experience OzExperience Oz

Up to 20% off SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium tickets

Available on select travel dates in 2021. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Get deal

Deal ends

Gift It NowGift It Now

Gold Coast: $20 off Sea World whale watching cruise

Available on select travel dates. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Get deal

Deal ends

KlookKlook

Up to 10% off Gold Coast multi-day attraction pass

Available on 3,7 and 14-day passes until 17 October 2021. Attractions include Warner Bros. Movie World, Sea World and Wet n' Wild. Valid for new Klook members. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Show code

Coupon code ends

iVenture CardiVenture Card

Save up to 40% off Sydney attractions

Passes are valid for 12 months. Includes skip the lines at popular attractions including Taronga Zoo, Jenolan Caves, SEA LIFE Aquarium, whale watching cruises and more. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Get deal
RedBalloonRedBalloon

$5 off Sydney attractions multi-entry passes

Available on select travel dates when you buy two or more vouchers. Attractions include Sydney SEA LIFE Aquarium, WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, Sydney Tower Eye and Madame Tussauds. Pass is for 2 attractions. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Show code

Latest travel headlines

More guides on Finder

Ask an Expert

You are about to post a question on finder.com.au:

  • Do not enter personal information (eg. surname, phone number, bank details) as your question will be made public
  • finder.com.au is a financial comparison and information service, not a bank or product provider
  • We cannot provide you with personal advice or recommendations
  • Your answer might already be waiting – check previous questions below to see if yours has already been asked

Finder only provides general advice and factual information, so consider your own circumstances, or seek advice before you decide to act on our content. By submitting a question, you're accepting our Terms of Use, Disclaimer & Privacy Policy and Privacy & Cookies Policy.
Go to site