Melbourne School Holiday Activities

It’s that time of year again! If you’re a parent who is scrambling for ideas when it comes to fun school holiday activities in Melbourne, breathe a sigh of relief. We’ve got a tonne of great things to do in Melbourne these school holidays that kids both big and small will enjoy!

This list will take the hard work out of figuring out fun things to do in Melbourne during the school holidays so you’ll never hear the kids wailing “we’re bored!!”!

Code Camp understands that it can be difficult to keep kids engaged, so we’re providing this free resource of school holiday and Easter holiday activities in Melbourne to make your life easier!

Plus, if you’re a Melbourne, VIC local then you know the seasons can change quickly! That’s why we’ve also included some Melbourne rainy day activities for the kids as well as free school holiday activities in Melbourne to keep the kids occupied no matter the weather or your budget!

Code Camp activities

Code Camp is your destination for fun kids' activities! Kids describe Code Camp as “the best school holidays EVER!”. Our in-person camps, online camps and after school activities offer kids endless entertainment. Try our NEW Drone Camp (kids get to build and pilot their own drones!) or entertain your budding content creator or wannabe vlogger with our YouTube Creators Camp! Kids can even create their own Minions movie at our Minions Animation Camp!

1. Ride the tram

Melbourne’s free City Circle Tram is a fun way to get around the city and take in all the sights! The heritage-class tram makes its way up all of Melbourne’s iconic streets, including LaTrobe Street, Harbour Esplanade and Bourke Street. Audio commentary provides details of the local sights and city landmarks such as Parliament House, Federation Square, Melbourne Museum and the State Library Victoria. The entire loop will take approximately an hour.

2. Visit a mini village at Fitzroy Gardens

Fitzroy Gardens is one of Melbourne’s most historic and beautiful gardens. There are plenty of tree-lined paths for kids to run around on, along with a small playground, the Fairies Tree and Captain Cook’s Cottage. One of the best free attractions however is the model Tudor village. The miniature replica of a Kentish village consists of 28 buildings including thatched cottages, a school, barns and a church.

3. NGV Museum

The National Gallery of Victoria always has free school holiday activities and exhibitions for kids to enjoy. These school holidays, kids can roam the gallery, discover exhibitions and participate in hands-on activities. You can collect kids activity sheets upon entry and let the kids guide you on an art trail throughout the gallery!

4. Have a picnic at the Royal Botanic Gardens

The Melbourne Botanic Gardens is a wonderful place to relax. Entry to the park is free. Inside the gardens you can go on a self-guided walk and watch the kids run around the Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Playground and wetlands. Pack a rug and a picnic basket full of treats and enjoy an entire afternoon in the park!

5. Become a Junior Park Ranger

The Junior Ranger program offers a range of free fun activities for kids to inspire their curiosity and learn more about local wildlife. Kids can participate in cool programs such as rockpooling, birdwatching and going on detective hunts!

6. Visit your local library

Libraries Victoria regularly hold free kids school holiday programs to keep children entertained over the holidays. From baby and toddler storytimes to craft workshops and scavenger hunts, there’s plenty of free entertainment to be had at the library.

7. ArtPlay Playground

Arguably one of the best free playgrounds in Melbourne, ArtPlay Playground is located at Fed Square and offers an all-abilities play space for kids of all ages. With slides, sandpits, swings, rock climbing, hammocks, activity panels and more, the children will be thrilled with this fun free school holiday activity in Melbourne!

5 cheap school holiday activities Melbourne

1. Collingwood Children’s Farm

The Collingwood Children’s Farm gives city kids a chance to explore country life in Melbourne! At the farm, you can milk cows, collect eggs, feed chooks, cuddle with lambs and ride a pony! A farmer’s market also takes place every second Saturday of the month. You can also eat at The Farm Cafe and enjoy fresh paddock-to-plate meals.

2. National Aviation Museum

The Australian National Aviation Museum located at Moorabbin Airport is any young Top-Gun’s dream! The museum holds a collection of aircraft and engines and kids can even climb into an airplane cockpit and pretend to be a pilot!

3. BOUNCEinc

BOUNCEinc is a massive indoor trampoline park where your kids can run (or bounce!) wild! Open for kids of all ages, the trampoline park includes a free jump arena, ninja warrior course, wall climb, trampoline basketball courts, high ropes course and more! For the little ones, there is also a mini bounce zone that provides a safe and supervised space for preschoolers to bounce and play.

4. Legoland Discovery Centre

What kid doesn’t love Lego?! Discover Australia’s first Legoland Discovery Centre where you can build and play with Lego, look at life-size Lego displays and enjoy a 4D cinema movie experience! The best part is there are often discounts for kids over the school holidays, making it a cheap and fun school holiday activity for all.

5. GlowGolf

Ever tried glow-in-the-dark mini-golf? GlowGolf at Docklands offers 18 holes of family glow-in-the-dark fun! For just $12 (free for children under 5), you can navigate the fun light-up golf course complete with laser lights and projections.

4 kids activities in Melbourne for school holiday fun

1. SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium

SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium takes you to an underwater oasis filled with amazing sea life including sharks and penguins. Kids can enjoy interactive displays like the Coral Attol and the popular Interactive Wonder Wall where kids can colour-in their own jellyfish and watch it float on an interactive screen!

2. Melbourne Zoo

One of the most beloved and popular family attractions in Melbourne, the Melbourne Zoo lets you get up close and personal to exotic animals including old favourites such as the gorillas, giraffes and lions. There are plenty of animal exhibits to look at including a reptilian enclosure and butterfly house. Remember - kids under 16 get FREE admission to Melbourne Zoo on public and school holidays as well as weekends!

3. Science Works

Feed curious minds at Science Works in Melbourne! Kids can wonder around freely and interact with hundreds of displays and immersive exhibitions including the Planetarium where the night sky is projected on the roof.

4. DreamCity

Does your child have dreams of being a fireman? Or perhaps they want to be a police officer when they grow up? At DreamCity, kids can explore different careers in a purpose-built high tech city where the kids rule the town! Children can practise being a surgeon, work at a bank or even fly their own virtual airplane! The possibilities are endless - and so is the fun!

What is Resilience ?

01 Resilience is a skill, not a personality trait.

Some people may appear naturally resilient, but research shows resilience is largely developed through practice, supportive relationships, and opportunities to learn from challenges. Students aren't born resilient; they learn resilience over time.

02 How we talk about setbacks matters.

Students who view mistakes and setbacks as opportunities to learn are more likely to persist and recover from challenges. Helping students focus on effort, strategies, and next steps can strengthen resilience and confidence.

03 Recovery is more important than avoiding failure.

Experiencing setbacks doesn't harm resilience. Learning how to recover from setbacks is what builds it. Every challenge presents an opportunity for students to practise problem-solving, emotional regulation, and persistence.

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