18 Free School Holiday Activities for Families in Melbourne
The winter school holidays run from Saturday 24 June to Sunday 9 July 2023. The City of Melbourne offers a wide range of free events and activities for families over this period.
Be aware that there are major disruptions to public transport over the holiday period. There are more than 70,000 car spaces in central Melbourne, both on and off-street and it might be worth considering driving into the city. Check out this guide to parking and driving in the city.
Free activities include:
1. Firelight Festival
The Firelight Festival takes over Docklands for three nights with fiery installations, mesmerising light shows, pop-up foodie feasts and more.
From fire sculptures and flame jets to fire twirlers and flaming trumpeters, every moment of Firelight Festival is a celebration of fire. This year don't miss 'Harbour Lights', a new laser light installation across the night sky.
Feast on Melbourne's best wintery pop-up food and drink offerings and experience a packed program of live performances across five sites at New Quay Promenade, Victoria Promenade, Harbour Esplanade, Buluk Park and Docklands Central Park.
When: Fri June 30 - Sun Jul 2, 2023
Booking: Not required
Location: New Quay Promenade, Victoria Promenade, Harbour Esplanade, Buluk Park and Docklands Central Park, Docklands
2. Skate, Park, Play
Making a return these winter school holidays, Skate, Park, Play will transform The District into an indoor play park with a bigger and better line-up of activities.
Featuring last year's pop-up skatepark powered by Rampfest, including free skate sessions and pro skater coached 60-minute lessons ($20 per person) plus interactive giant games for all to enjoy.
When: Sat June 24 - Sun Jul 9, 2023 (10am-6pm)
Booking: Not required
Location: Ground Floor, Outside H&M & UNIQLO, The District Docklands, 440 Docklands Dr, Docklands
3. CTRL+F: Assembling and Resembling the Poem
This workshop is grounded in the Dadaist idea that poetry is for everyone and that everyone can write poetry. Reject the romantic notion that you need be 'inspired' to write poetry and experiment with techniques and tools for generating poems.
Allow poets Holly Isemonger and Ella Skilbeck-Porter to demonstrate how rules and constraints can be useful and surprising methods of having fun with poetry.
Discover artistic movements from the 20th century that utilised experimental poetry practices, ranging from Dada, Surrealism, and Oulipo. Play poetry games, and explore Google Translate and digital algorithms to produce poems.
When: Sat June 24, 2023 (11am-4pm)
Booking: Book here
Location: Signal, Flinders Walk, Melbourne
4. NGV Indian Community Day
Enjoy a day out at the National Gallery of Victoria with the whole family filled with art, dance, food, music and hands-on activities celebrating the culture and traditions of the Indian subcontinent.
When: Sat June 24 (11am - 4pm)
Booking: Not required
Location: National Gallery of Victoria, 180 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne
5. ABC Alphabet Art: Jo Lane
A ten year labour of love, ABC Alphabet Art was born out of Jo Lane's concern that art is losing its place in education for little ones. Art is integral to development, growth, expression, understanding and wonder in life.
This exhibition shows the original artworks works from the book. Each is A3 landscape, framed in white timber frames, with white mounts of various dimensions as each drawing is a little different.
Artworks will be for sale by the artist and author, Jo Lane as well as the books and posters with proceeds going to Kids First's services for children and families.
When: Thu 22 Jun, 2023 (9am - 6pm), Fri 23 Jun, 2023 (9am - 6pm), Sat 24 Jun (10am - 4pm), Sun 25 Jun (12pm - 4pm)
Booking: Not required
Location: Gallery, City Library, 253 Flinders Ln, Melbourne
6. Winter Dino Lego Challenge
Ready, Set, Lego! Kathleen Syme Library has the bricks and you've got the skills. What can you make in one hour?
When: Mon 26 Jun, 2023 (10.30am - 11.30am)
Booking: Book here. Note that tickets are only required for children attending the program.
Location: Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre, 251 Faraday St, Carlton
7. Make and Play Games Day
Get ready for the next rainy day in this imagination filled craft session at City Library - make your own board and card games to play and take home.
Weave a draughts board, learn how to make and play a game of 'Top Score', or maybe create your own dinosaur cereal box game for the whole family to play.
When: Mon 26 Jun (2pm - 3pm)
Booking: Not required
Ages: 5 to 12 years.
Location: City Library, 253 Flinders Ln, Melbourne
8. Shrine School Holiday Program: Badge Blitz
Attention, young artists - explore the Shrine these school holidays and let this historic place inspire you.
Draw your favourite things, from the Gallipoli landing boat to the sprawling gardens, and create a one-of-a-kind badge memento to take home and treasure.
When: Mon June 26 - Fri Jul 7, 2023
Booking: Not required
Location: Shrine of Remembrance, Birdwood Ave, Melbourne
9. Kids School Holiday Fun at Queen Vic Market
Bring the kids along to Queen Vic Market to enjoy free family fun with Festive Tribe. Kids of all ages are invited to get their groove on in the Disco Inflato silent disco dome, with family-friendly pop tunes the kids are sure to know and love.
Once the kids have strutted their stuff on the dance floor, bring them along to participate in The Floor is Lava. A favourite with kids young and old, they will need to draw on their creative thinking to build a safe passage across the lava flow.
When: Tue 27 Jun (10am - 2pm), Thu 29 Jun (10am - 2pm), Tue 4 Jul (10am - 2pm), Thu 6 Jul (10am - 2pm)
Booking: Not required
Location: C Shed (Peel St end), Queen Victoria Market, Queen St, Melbourne
10. Dinosaur Extinction Dioramas
Come along for a bit of creative dinosaur craft at City Library. Build a diorama of your own design, or take some inspiration from the library's active dioramas and add in a meteor zooming through the sky or a volcano exploding.
When: Tue 27 Jun, 2023 (10.30am - 11.30am)
Booking: Book here. Note that tickets are only required for children attending the program.
Ages: 5 to 12 years.
Location: City Library, 253 Flinders Ln, Melbourne
11. Dino Stompers
Roar and stomp like a dinosaur at East Melbourne Library. Join in for a morning of songs, stories and fun. Roar, stomp, roar, stomp!
When: Wed 28 Jun, 2023 (10.30am - 11.15am)
Booking: Not required
Ages: 18 months to 3 years.
Location: East Melbourne Library, 122 George St, East Melbourne
12. Dino Lego Challenge
Ready, set, Lego! East Melbourne Library has the bricks and you've got the skills. What can you make in one hour?
When: Thu 29 Jun, 2023 (10.30am - 11.30am)
Booking: Book here. Note that tickets are only required for children attending the program.
Ages: 5 to 12 years.
Location: East Melbourne Library, 122 George St, East Melbourne
13. Dinosaur Extinction Dioramas
Come along for a bit of creative dinosaur craft at North Melbourne Library. Build a diorama of your own design, or take some inspiration from the library's active dioramas and add in a meteor zooming through the sky or a volcano exploding.
When: Thu 29 Jun, 2023 (1.30pm - 2.30pm)
Booking: Book here. Note that tickets are only required for children attending the program.
Ages: 5 to 12 years.
Location: North Melbourne Library, 66 Errol St, North Melbourne
14. DIY Dinosaur
We all know what boring old dinosaurs probably looked like. But what if you could make some new dinosaurs? Channel your inner mad scientist and craft your very own terrible lizard.
When: Fri 30 Jun, 2023 (3.30pm - 4.30pm)
Booking: Book here. Note that tickets are only required for children attending the program.
Ages: 6 to 11 years.
Location: Library at The Dock, 107 Victoria Harbour Promenade, Docklands
15. Puppet Picnic
The Puppet Picnic is a free community day on the lawn of the Carlton Highrise Estate with performances, roving puppets, engaging workshops and an opportunity for all to connect, share and celebrate.
Suitable for families and children of all ages. The garden and recreation area is accessible from Rathdowne, Drummond and Palmerston Streets, and there will be community partners offering stalls and refreshments throughout the day.
When: Sat 1 Jul, 2023 (10.30am - 3.30pm)
Booking: Not required
Location: Between Palmerston, Rathdowne and Drummond Streets, Carlton. Neill Street Reserve, 180A Palmerston St, Carlton
16. Old Bones from Museum Victoria
Triceratops or muttaburrasaurus? Experts from Museum Victoria talk about dinosaurs and will bring prehistoric objects for you to learn about and touch.
When: Mon 3 Jul, 2023 (10.30am - 11.30am)
Booking: Book here. Note that tickets are only required for children attending the program.
Ages: 5 to 12 years.
Location: City Library, 253 Flinders Ln, Melbourne
17. Fossil Cookies and Reading Party
Make cookies with dinosaur footprints and create fossil-like cookies. Bring or select a book to read while your cookies bake. Decorate a cup and then enjoy a hot chocolate with your fossil cookies and a book for cosy reading.
When: Tue 4 Jul, 2023 (10.30am - 12.30pm and 1.30pm - 3pm)
Booking: Book here. Note that tickets are only required for children attending the program.
Ages: 3 to 13 years.
Location: Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre, 251 Faraday St, Carlton
18. Winter Reading Party
Make a bookmark for your favourite book, decorate a cup and fill it with hot chocolate. Then get cosy with your hot drink and a book for a bit of winter reading. Bring a book or pick something from their selection on the day.
When: Tue 4 Jul, 2023 (10.30am - 11.30am)
Booking: Not required
Ages: 5 to 12 years.
Location: City Library, 253 Flinders Ln, Melbourne
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