Here's how to keep the kids busy over the school holidays in Brisbane.
Queensland kids have sun and surf to keep the busy throughout the school break.
On top of the beach, there is more than a handful of year-round and seasonal activities available to kickstart the upcoming school holiday.
Here are a few that take minutes to book but provide hours of fun.
Best discounted school holiday activities in Brisbane:
40% off shark and ray pat and play from Groupon
Get up close to rays and sharks with an interactive in-water, kid-friendly session at the Shark and Ray Gardens
- Duration: 1 hour
- Location: Shark and Ray Gardens, Loganholme
- Price is per person
50% off indoor rock climbing day passes from Groupon
Climb your way up these 28 eight metre high walls or watch other climbers sweat their way up from the viewing gallery.
- Duration: Flexible
- Location: Fortitude Valley
- Price is per person
Inflatable play centre entry from $5 from Groupon
Let the kids run wild in an indoor play centre full of obstacle course, ball pits and jumping castles.
- Duration: Flexible
- Location: Salisbury, Queensland
- Price is per person
Wheel of Brisbane tickets from $12 from Groupon
See Brisbane bathed in sunshine by day or sparkling with neon at night.
- Duration: Flexible
- Location: Russel Street, South Brisbane
- Price is per person
Four kids swimming lessons for $19 from Scoopon
Give your child valuable life skills with swimming lessons from Joyous Swim School for four swimming lessons.
- Duration: Monday to Friday at 9am-12pm
- Location: Compton Rd, Underwood
- Price is per person
EcoPark Fishing World & Farm Stay entry for just $15 from Groupon
Get up close to and meet farm animals like sheep, alpacas, miniature horses and more during a day at the farm. Plus, play putt putt and bounce around on the jumping castle.
- Duration: Full day entry
- Location: EcoPark Fishing World & Farm Stay, Luscombe
- Price is per person
Best family friendly activities to keep your kids busy during school holidays in Brisbane
These jam-packed, hands-on activities and adventures will capture and amuse them to no end. Your kids might even learn a new skill while they're at it.
Mt Tamborine Rainforest tour from RedBalloon
Includes morning tea, wine tasting, 4WD ride and guided walking tour at the rainforest.
- Duration: Half-day
- Location: Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast
- Price is per person
$58 (child)
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Koala and river cruise from RedBalloon
Board on the famous Brisbane's river cruise and experience Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Plus a knowledgable cruise captain.
- Duration: 5 hours
- Location: Brisbane CBD
- Price is per person
$48
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Family high tea from RedBalloon
Have High Tea at Brisbane’s oldest café. Includes sandwiches, scones and sweet treats.
- Duration: 2 hours
- Location: Brisbane CBD
- Price is for four people
$120
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Australia Zoo day trip from RedBalloon
Experience up close with the amazing animals in Australia Zoo for one day - perfect for the whole family.
- Duration: 1 day
- Location: Brisbane CBD
- Price is per person
$89
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Abseiling at Kangaroo Point from RedBalloon
Get a perfect view of sunset while abseiling the cliffs of Kangaroo Point Minimum age of 8.
- Duration: 2 hours
- Location: Brisbane, QLD
- Price is per person
$89
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Flying trapeze class from RedBalloon
Learn to swing, flip and catch your way with this 90-minute flying trapeze workshop.
- Duration: 90 minutes
- Location: Brisbane Airport, QLD
- Price is per person
$66
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High ropes course from RedBalloon
A full-day of challenge that takes you on over 5 courses spanning and 10 acres of rope and wire challenges.
- Duration: 1 day
- Location: Tamborine National Park, QLD
- Price is per person
$55 (adult)
$45 (child)
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Story Bridge Climb from Viator
Enjoy a 360-degree panoramic views at Story Bridge for 2-hour climb.
- Duration: 2 hours
- Location: Brisbane CBD
- Price is per person
$77
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Rock Climbing at the Kangaroo Point Cliffs in Brisbane from Viator
Rock climb with experienced guides and enjoy Kangaroo Point. Includes use of all climbing and safety equipment.
- Duration: Flexible
- Location: Brisbane CBD
- Price is per person
$46
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Whale watching cruise from Brisbane (June to October) from RedBalloon
Cruise off the coast from Brisbane and see the migrating humpback whales, plus get a gourmet lunch on the boat.
- Location: Redcliffe (transfers available from Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast)
- Price is per person
$135
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Brisbane Bike, Rollerblade or Scooter Rental from Viator
Enjoy a bike ride, rollerblade or scooter around Brisbane.
- Duration: 1.5 hours, 4 hours or 1 day
- Location: Brisbane
- Price is per person
$16
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Brisbane Kayak Tour from Viator
Kayak around Brisbane river either by day or night for 90 minutes.
- Duration: 90 minutes
- Location: Brisbane
- Price is per person
$38
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Indoor Ski or Snowboard Lesson from RedBalloon
Get ready for the real thing with a kid-friendly indoor ski and snowboard lessons that's said to help you learn much faster than on real snow.
- Location: Hendra, Brisbane
- Price is per person
$60
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Moreton Island Day trip from Viator
Spend a day on Moreton Island with the whole family and enjoy the activities such as snorkeling, kayak tour and more.
- Duration: 8 hours
- Location: Brisbane
- Price is per person
$108
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North Stradbroke Island Day in Paradise Tour from finder.com.au
Queensland Day Tours
Highlights:- Cruise across Moreton Bay
- Swim in Brown Lake
- Walk the Gorge, visit Point Lookout, see Myora Springs and more
$99 (child)
$149 (adult)
View details
Sightseeing cruise from finder.com.au
Kookaburra Showboat Cruises
Highlights:- 2-hour cruise
- See the city by boat
$30
View details20 school holiday events in Brisbane during the winter school holidays
Winter school holidays are on their way and the city is jam-packed with activities to keep your kids entertained. Our roundup includes some free and budget-friendly activities so you won’t have to break the bank.
- Dance A Story - The Jungle Book: Kids can join in on an interactive dance class where children are encouraged to express themselves and explore movement through the characters of well-known stories. 5 July
- Skating At Brisbane Festival: King George Square is transformed into a winter wonderland complete with ice skating rink and ice slide. 22 June - 15 July
- Out of the Box Festival: QPAC’s festival for children aged eight years and under is packed with in-theatre experiences, workshops, activities and exhibitions. 26 June - 1 July
- Scenic Rim Eat Local Week: Just short drive from the city, eat your way around the Scenic Rim with experiences for foodies of all ages including including farm tours and cooking classes. 30 June - 8 July
- The Snow4Kids Festival: When this popular festival returns to South Bank, kids can play in the snow, throw snowballs, build snowmen and slide down the toboggan hill. 30 June-15 July
- The Arrival: Adapted from the award-winning graphic novel by Shaun Tan, The Arrival follows the story of a man starting a new life amidst the extraordinary inhabitants of his new land. Kids will especially enjoy the use of puppetry and physical theatre. 5-8 July
- Le Canson Mini-Festival: As part of Le Festival, Le Canson Mini-Festival or Children's Village celebrates the spirit of all that is French with interactive entertainment, activities and workshops. 7-8 July
- Early Childhood Music Class: Help your kids foster a lifelong love of music in fun-filled sessions including singing, rhymes, games, fingerplays, dancing, lullabies and stories. 12 July
- Junior Keeper for a Day at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary: Let the kids go wild over the holidays with a taste of what it’s like to work with animals. Kids will get special behind-the-scenes access with lots of hands-on activities, special shows and wildlife and conservation education. 3-4 July
- Egyptian Mummies: Exploring Ancient Lives: Step back 3,000 years, meet six mummies and unlock the secrets behind their wrappings using the latest CT scanning technology. The Queensland Museum has borrowed over 200 artefacts from the world-famous Egyptian collections of the British Museum to that will fascinate even the littlest of minds. Until 26 August
- Unicorn Markets: This special family-friendly event is not just about bargain buys you can also expect a slew of unicorn themed fun. Highlights include a slime workshop, rainbow unicorn rides, baby animal petting zoo and unicorn face painting. 7 July
- Young Actor's Shakespeare Intensive: A unique drama program for high school students to unravel the riddle of Shakespeare's text through interactive exercises and techniques. Your young actors will get to show off their skills with a performance at the end of the intensive. 10-13 July
- Boggo Road Gaol history tours: Pay a visit to the past with a tour through Brisbane’s infamous jail. Learn of dramatic escapes, well-known inmates, riots, rooftop protests, and the daily lives of prisoners and officers. Adults at concession prices and a family rate all July
- Unlimited fun at Urban Xtreme Adventure Park: Get ready for a full day of fun and fitness with a special just for the holidays. Kids 6-16 will have the full run of the park with unlimited access until they wear themselves out. 2-6 July and 9-13 July
- Redcliffe Show: Treat the whole family to a day at the show complete with rides, show bags and cuddly animal experiences like camel rides with fireworks as the big finale to end the day. 29 June-1 July
- Lifeline Bookfest: Give the kids a budget and let them choose their favourite books from millions of options. Your little bookworm will be in literary heaven with tables of picture books, young adult novels and even a huge selection of second hand board games, comics, DVDs and CDs. 23 June-1 July
- Day out with Thomas: Spend the day with the world’s most lovable blue steam engine and his friends at the Workshops Rail Museum. 30 June-15 July
- Disney’s Mulan Jr: A legend more than 2,000 years in the making, this live-action adaptation features iconic songs including Reflection and I’ll Make a Man Out of You. Until 21 July
- Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic: Be dazzled with magical moments and over 30 favourite Disney songs as the show brings to life timeless Disney tales including Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Finding Nemo, Frozen and more. 29 June-2 July
- Abbey Medieval Festival: End the school holidays with a touch of time travel. Slip back to the Middle Ages where you can see jousting, reenactments, authentic food and drink and even charge your hand at archery. 14-15 July
7 free school holiday activities Brisbane
- Splash around at the urban Streets Beach in the South Bank Parklands.
- Spend the afternoon browsing the produce and boutique wares at the Carseldine Farmers and Artisan Markets.
- Follow along the kilometre-long Aboriginal Art Trail at Mt Coot-tha to see contemporary art works, tree carvings and rock paints.
- Explore the nearby D'Aguilar National Park's rainforests and hills.
- Stroll around the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens and find the perfect spot for a picnic.
- Check out the views of the city from the Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park.
- Go to The Corner at the Queensland State Library and check out what children's activities are on.
