The best school holiday activities in Canberra this spring
Updated 13 Sep 2024
Everything you need to keep the kids entertained these spring school holidays.
You won’t have any trouble keeping the kids happy this spring, as many of Canberra's iconic attractions host activities and programs exclusive to the Term 3 school holiday period (VIC: 21 September to 6 October, NSW: 30 September to 11 October, ACT: 28 September to 14 October). Book in early to maximise family holiday fun.
Explore the great outdoors
Embark on an unmissable adventure through Majura Pines, just a 20-minute drive north east of Canberra’s city centre with Treetops Adventure Canberra. The park boasts over 90 aerial obstacles and 16 ziplines, suspended up to 15 metres above the ground.
Take the family over to Namadgi National Park, where you can explore the ancient and diverse landscape that the Ngunnawal People have been custodians of for tens of thousands of years. Namadgi National Park protects 106,095 hectares of alpine, sub-alpine and mountain bushland and makes up almost half of the ACT, making it the perfect landscape to enjoy beautiful walks and breathtaking picnic spots. While you’re in the area, take a turn on the 1.2-kilometre alpine slide located in Corin Forest which winds down through the trees of the Mountain Ash Forest.
For a bit of light outdoor play without leaving the city centre, Pixar Putt returns to Civic Square. This pop-up mini-golf sensation is made up of interactive putt-putt holes inspired by the stories, characters, and icons from some of Pixar’s most beloved films including Toy Story, Cars, Monsters, Inc., Turning Red, Soul, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, A Bug’s Life, Wall-E, Luca and Lightyear plus a new hole from Pixar’s newest release, Inside Out 2.
Delight in spring events and festivities
Australia’s biggest celebration of spring, Floriade (14 September—13 October), returns to Commonwealth Park. Featuring more than one million blooms, this flower festival is also renowned for its marketplace, food stalls, live music, and workshops. And when the sun goes down, NightFest (3-6 October) transforms the floral displays with artistic illuminations, and hosts evenings filled with entertainers, fantastic food, and Insta-worthy photo opportunities.
Meet the makers at over 250 stalls within the Handmade Canberra food and design market (21-22 September) and grab the next gift on the wish list for yourself or someone special.
Celebrate peace, goodwill, and the sister city relationship between Canberra and Nara at the Canberra Nara Candle Festival (26 October). This popular festival features thousands of shimmering candles, delicious street food, and cultural performances.
Climb, slide, jump and crawl on Australia’s largest inflatable obstacle course
Get ready for an action-packed adventure with Tuff Nutterz. Returning to Parkes Place Lawns, this family-friendly event offers a thrilling 300m long obstacle course, a mini course for the little ones, and a heart-pounding 6m tall slide. Plus, with a range of delicious food and drinks on offer, you can refuel and recharge between challenges. All this excitement unfolds against the backdrop of Australia’s iconic national attractions.
Get more bang for your buck
Canberra Mega Pass grants access to three iconic attractions that showcase some of the best of Canberra's offerings for the whole family. Tour Australia’s premier elite sports precinct with an Olympian at the Australian Institute of Sport, encounter the animal kingdom up close and personal at the National Zoo & Aquarium, and unleash your curiosity at Questacon, with hands-on exhibits and interactive displays.
Enjoy everything this delightful precinct has to offer with the Gold Creek Adventure Ticket. The ticket gives you full-day access to Cockington Green Gardens, Canberra Walk-In Aviary, Canberra Reptile Zoo, and the National Dinosaur Museum. Home to one of the largest displays of crystals, fossils, minerals, and gemstones in Australia; your budding palaeontologist will love the hands-on experiences on offer at the National Dinosaur Museum.
See spectacular science displays and shows
The spectacular science shows at Questacon will have the whole family enthralled by experiments run by the Questacon Excited Particles theatre troupe. Access to these amazing shows is included with your paid admission to Questacon. Ignite your sense of adventure as you bounce from one gallery to the next, each one tackling science concepts in an engaging way. The Mini Q area, specifically designed for ages 0–6 helps the tiny tots in the family not miss out on the fun.
Dive into the immersive learning experience of CURIOSITY: Building Breakthroughs in LEGO Bricks, a collaboration between renowned LEGO-certified professional Ryan 'Brickman' McNaught and Questacon. This hands-on exhibit breathes life into science and history, captivating visitors of all ages. LEGO braille bricks have been integrated throughout CURIOSITY, helping to make the exhibition accessible to visitors with low vision or blindness and their accompanying families and carers, thanks to a partnership with Vision Australia.
Walk alongside prehistoric life
Enjoy everything this delightful precinct has to offer with the Gold Creek Adventure Ticket. The ticket gives you full-day access to Cockington Green Gardens, Canberra Walk-In Aviary, Canberra Reptile Zoo, and the National Dinosaur Museum.
While you delight in your fun-filled day, roam through the interactive National Dinosaur Museum and snap a pic with Sam the T-Rex. Your budding palaeontologist will love the hands-on experiences on offer. The museum is also home to one of the largest displays of crystals, fossils, minerals, and gemstones in Australia.
Encounter animals big and small
A day spent at the National Zoo & Aquarium is a day well spent with family and friends. With a wide variety of both native and exotic animals, as well as the largest inland saltwater tank in Australia, there is something that will surprise and delight the whole family. The zoo also has an epic playground, known as AdventureLand, with 55 activities and various life-size fibreglass animal sculptures to capture memories of your visit.
During the school holidays, the zoo hosts Zoocation, which offers a unique experience for primary aged children. Kids can get close to many of the zoo’s animals, play loads of games, and learn something new along the way throughout a fun-filled day.
For the first time, Wildlife Reimagined and the Australian National Botanic Gardens have teamed up to present the Bugs Alive Exhibition (9-14 October). Featuring over 40 remarkable insect species, this event offers an up-close encounter with some of the world's most fascinating creatures. Explore the venom room to meet the deadliest spider, dive into the mysteries of underwater insects, and marvel at a snail with hair. With a diverse array of bugs on display, prepare to be amazed by these incredible and often surprising animals.
Or make your own way to a self-guided adventure through Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, where wallabies, emus, koalas, and even the elusive platypus wander free. You can make the most of the reserve’s Nature Discovery Playground and the idyllic picnic spots, BBQ areas, and many beautiful views, to keep those wiggly little ones well-exercised.
Tidbinbilla’s Open Day (29 September) will be the perfect chance to enjoy a family-friendly outing with free entry to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. Groove to live music from the Paverty Bush Band and dive into a range of exciting activities. There will be face painting, a live snake awareness display, engaging NaturePlay activities with ParkCare volunteers, and much more.
Catch some of Australia’s top athletes in action
Go behind the scenes on a 90-minute tour of the Australian Institute of Sport, Australia’s premier elite sports precinct. Discover where Australia’s sporting champions are created and gain insight into the life of their leading athletes. You might even catch some of Australia’s top athletes in training.
Included is a visit to Sportex, one of Australia's leading interactive sports exhibits, set amongst a first-class collection of sporting memorabilia. Try wheelchair basketball, virtual downhill skiing, rock climbing, football penalty shootouts and more. Great fun for all ages and athletic abilities.
See stories come alive
Get a snapshot of our nation at the National Museum of Australia, which is home to more than 210,000 objects representing Australia’s history and cultural heritage.
Follow one of the National Museum of Australia’s family trails to discover the stories behind some of the amazing objects on show at the museum. Take your own pace on either of the two self-guided family trails (available for ages 2–5 and 5–8 years) and see what you can discover along the way.
Or hang with the smaller fam in the Museum’s Tim and Gina Fairfax Discovery Centre (ages birth to 6 years), where young minds can discover five stories from Australian History that encourage different types of play (open daily, costs apply). General entry to the museum is free.
Try a creative workshop
Uncover the inner workings of Canberra Glassworks with a hands-on workshop in one of the most exciting art facilities in Australia. With the help of an experienced artist, their School Holiday Program will teach children how to cut coloured glass to create a two-dimensional masterpiece in a tile-making workshop or try their hand at designing and creating a sculpture in clay. During the school holidays, choose between blowing your own tumbler, fusing your own glass bowl, or crafting your own holiday tiles.
Or take your little wizard to Australia’s most magical store, Quizzic Alley – with the biggest range of official Harry Potter merchandise anywhere in the country – where the Potter-fans of the family can enjoy a wand-making workshop during the ACT school holiday period.
Join Storytime at the Australian National Botanic Gardens
Discover more about the diverse floral life in Australia at the Australian National Botanic Gardens over the school holidays. Join Storytime for stories, songs, rhymes and creative activities on the Crosbie Morrison Lawn, bringing to life the gardens’ beautiful, natural surroundings (10-11 am, first Friday of every month). Or discover the amazing secrets of the plants that live in the Australian bush on a family-friendly tour on the magical Flora Explorer bus (Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays at 11:30 and 1:30 pm). Bookings are essential as numbers are limited. While you’re there, wander through the Rainforest Gully, visit the Red Centre Garden, and finish at the Paperbark Treehouse.
Climb through acorns
The award-winning POD playground at the National Arboretum Canberra will have kids climbing structures and testing out slides, swings, giant acorn cubbies, and music-making instruments.
The Arboretum will be holding Bonsai Workshops during the these school holidays. In the beginner workshops for children aged 8-16, participants will make their own Bonsai creation to take home and care for.
Get your race on or try bouldering indoors
The tracks at Power Kart Raceway are sure to get your heart racing. Take the whole family to try racing the world class electric go-karts on a Formula One style indoor circuit. Also on site is an indoor glow-in-the-dark mini golf course, synthetic ice skating rink, and an array of arcade machines, so everyone will find something to make them happy.
A short drive away you’ll find BlocHaus within the Dairy Road precinct. This bouldering centre is perfect for kids to get a taste of rock climbing, with a section of the gym dedicated to families – with the walls shorter and padded mats below. There’s no need for ropes, partners, or gear for this all-day fun.
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