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 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 movie at Animation Camp!
School Holiday Activities
Whether you’re looking for free school holiday activities in Melbourne or cheap school holidays in Melbourne, we’ve got all the best school holiday activity ideas to keep the family entertained!
Don’t forget to bookmark this page so you can come back to it!
Without further ado, here are our top fun things to do in Melbourne during the school holidays:
Your Guide to School Holiday Activities in Melbourne
- Fun free school holiday activities Melbourne
- Cheap school holiday activities Melbourne
- Kids activities in Melbourne for school holiday fun
- Melbourne rainy day activities for kids
- Easter holiday activities in Melbourne
- Christmas holiday activities in Melbourne
- Other fun things to do in Melbourne with kids
- Have the best school holidays ever at Code Camp!
7 fun free school holiday activities Melbourne
The best things (and activities!) in life are free. No need to break the bank with these free school holiday activities in Melbourne:
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
Want to entertain the kids over the holidays, but on a budget? Don’t fret! We have a list of low-cost, cheap school holiday activities in Melbourne that can be enjoyed on a shoestring.
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
Want a choice of fun things to do in Melbourne these school holidays and aren’t worried about budget? We have you covered! Here are some of the best school holiday activities in Melbourne to create special memories with the kids:
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!
Find a camp near you
All of our in-person locations have:
- At least one fully-trained primary school teacher with first aid certification
- COVID-Safe plan
3 Melbourne rainy day activities for kids
“Four seasons in one day” is a common Melbourne phrase, because the weather is so variable! But you can still have fun these school holidays even if it’s raining outside. Here are some of the best Melbourne rainy day activities for when the kids want to have fun but the weather is saying otherwise!
1. Go to the movies!
HOYTS and Events Cinemas offer spacious movie theatres for watching the latest blockbusters and kids movies in comfort! The Hoyts XTREME cinema, for example, boasts the biggest and loudest cinema experience in a large auditorium that’ll blow you away! Watch the latest movies in 3D and snack on yummy treats for a fun rainy day experience.
2. Strike bowling
Indoor bowling is always a blast! There is even a laser tag room for the kids to go wild in after they’ve finished their game. If you and the kids get hungry, there’s a food bar on site offering everything from burgers to icecream sandwiches!
3. Funtopia
Indoor play centres are the perfect school holiday activity for when it’s raining! Funtopia Melbourne is a massive indoor playground featuring interactive climbing walls, an Australian-themed adventure playground, ballpits, sensory parks, toddler world and more! With an onsite restaurant serving food, drinks and coffee you can spend the entire day there!
Easter holiday activities in Melbourne
If you’re on the hunt for Easter holiday activities in Melbourne, you’re in luck! There are plenty of fun Easter school holiday options for kids that will have your kids going hopping mad with excitement!
1. Easter Egg Hunts
Throughout Melbourne you can find plenty of local Easter egg hunts run by different communities. These family fun days encourage families to get together and participate in traditional Easter activities such as egg hunts and egg & spoon races! For example, the National Gallery Victoria has plenty on offer for the Easter school holidays. This year, kids can search for hidden chocolate Easter eggs around the NGV garden!
2. Easter at Queen Vic Market
The historic Queen Victoria Market is celebrating Easter with a range of family-friendly activities. Get creative and design an easter egg, create a pair of bunny ears to wear on Easter Sunday, decorate your very own eco-friendly tote bag and have the chance to meet the Easter Bunny in person!
3. Kids Day Out
Have fun while raising funds for the Royal Children’s Hospital this Easter at the Kids Day Out. Held at The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Kids Day Out will feature carnival rides, exhibitions as well as a Teddy Bear Hospital.
4. Melbourne Easter Show
The annual Melbourne Easter Show is an eggciting carnival held over the Easter long weekend. Get your thrills on the carnival rides, load up on showbags and cosy up to baby farm animals. There’s also roving entertainers, easter egg hunts and plenty of food stalls.
Christmas holiday activities in Melbourne
If you’re wondering what there is to do in Melbourne at Christmas, then you’ve come to the right place! The following Christmas holiday activities in Melbourne are sure to get you and the kids in a festive mood over the holiday season:
1. MYER Christmas windows
Every year, MYER amazes visitors with their spectacular Christmas window displays. There is a different theme each year, with this past year’s theme being Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit. You can also visit Santaland, send a letter to the North Pole and even get your photo taken with Santa Claus himself.
2. Santa’s workshop
Santa’s workshop at Federation Square gives kids the chance to get a glimpse at Santa’s real life workshop including the tools used to make all the toys! You may even spot one of Santa’s elves!
3. Christmas projections
Throughout the Christmas Holidays, Melbourne puts on a beautiful Christmas light display. Different buildings are lit up with Christmas-themed projections, turning the entire city into a Christmas wonderland. Make sure you visit Melbourne Town Hall to view the different displays along with a countdown clock to Christmas Day!
4. Christmas @ Fed Square
Federation Square puts on a Christmas extravaganza over the Christmas school holidays. Each year is slightly different, but families can expect to see a gorgeous 16-metre high light-up Christmas tree, glittering decorations, sculptures, displays, Christmas-themed activities, snacks and more!
Other fun things to do in Melbourne with kids
Melbourne is so jam-packed with fun things to do that we’ve got more kids activities in Melbourne to add to the list! Check out the following family favourites for other fun things to do in Melbourne:
1. Luna Park
The iconic Luna Park at St. Kilda cannot be missed! Entering through the famous Mr Moon giant laughing face, you’ll be met with amusement rides and attractions galore! There’s a carousel, ferris wheel, a retro ghost train and the Great Scenic Railway to take you to great heights!
2. The Lume
The LUME Melbourne is a permanent digital gallery located at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. It is your adventure into art! The LUME transforms popular artworks into a fully-immersive sensory experience where you can quite literally step into a painting!
3. Day at the beach
While Melbourne isn’t known for its beaches, there are still some beautiful beach spots that are also family-friendly and not far from the city. Some of the best beaches in Melbourne for kids include Carrum Beach with its nautical-themed playground along with Mordialloc Beach where you can get some of the best fish & chips in Melbourne at Tommy Ruff or the award-winning Hendriks Cafe.
Have the best school holidays ever at Code Camp!
Code Camp is the #1 destination for kids every school holidays! Kids are empowered to learn, discover, create and play through a range of online, in-person and after school activity camps. With over 100 locations around Australia, find your nearest Code Camp here. Hurry - Code Camp spots fill up fast! Sign up now and book your spot.
