Top 10 Autumn School Holiday Programs 2016

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Posted 2016-03-02 by Sue W ⇒ follow

Sat 09 Apr 2016 - Mon 25 Apr 2016

The first school holidays for the year have arrived and if you are looking for some fun and entertaining programs for your kids to join, there is something here for everyone. Canberra has a wide variety of programs each school holidays to cater to most children's interests, from archery and netball camps to 3D Designing and gaming workshops. Here are 10 programs that have advertised early - so get in quick and book a place to ensure a school holiday experience that will be cool for your kids this Autumn.

Science and Computing

1/ Gaming School Holiday Workshops at AIE
The AIE stands for the Academy of Interactive Entertainment and is Australia's most awarded 3D animation, game design and visual FX educator, with campuses across Australia - including Watson in Canberra. The AIE are running school holiday programs for kids aged 10 - 17 who want to be a game developer or 3D animator. Two day courses cost $250 and kids will receive a certificate of completion along with a copy of the work produced in class on DVD. If your kids love Minecraft and game design, they will love these programs, see their website here .

2/ Ian Potter Foundation Holiday Workshops
The Ian Potter Foundation Technology Learning Centre in Deakin is run by Questacon and has school holiday workshops for young inventors with big ideas. These innovation workshops are designed for kids aged between 10–15 years old and will unleash the inner inventor, designer or maker. Workshops include robotics, app designing and 3D design for $55 a workshop. See their website here for more information.

Creative Fun
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3/ Mugga Mugga School Holiday Program - Painting the Landscape**
Mugga Mugga is a historic shepherds' dwelling from the early settler period in Canberra. It is a unique location with sweeping views over the plains and it is the perfect location for kids to learn how to paint watercolour masterpieces with their families. This program is for the whole family and is suited for children aged 5 -12. Tickets cost $7 for children, gold coin donation from parents and this also includes a family friendly tour of Mugga Mugga. See website for details and bookings. Sessions are for 12th and 13th of April only.

**4/ Nolan School HolidayWorkshop - Sew What?
Canberra Museum and Gallery**
The Canberra Museum and Gallery (CMAG) is located in the heart of the city at Civic Square. This handy location is the venue for creative sessions for 5 to 12 year olds. Inspired by Sidney Nolan's paintings and artist Mirka Mora, children will design, create and decorate their own soft sculpture in the CMAG studio. See their website for details and cost. Sessions are for 20th and 21st of April only.

5/ Pottery Classes
The Canberra Potters Society in Watson are running school holiday classes for creative kids to learn how to use a potters wheel and techniques for handbuilding. Classes include all materials and firing. See their website outlines here for all the details.

Animal Encounters

6/ Zoocation - National Zoo and Aquarium
This popular program is designed for primary school aged children to learn about animals and see behind-the-scenes at the National Zoo and Aquarium. There are two age groups to book into - the Junior age group is for Kindergarten to Year 1's which caters to smaller groups and age appropriate activities. The Senior group is for Years 2 - 6 and it is divided into two groups. Children will get up close to the animals, play games, make toys for the animals and have fun whilst learning. The daily sessions run between 9am - 4pm and cost $80 a day. See here for dates and details.

Sporty Fun
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7/ Canberra Archery Club
**Has your child got an interest in learning archery? It is a sport that doesn't get much recognition, however it is a fun skill for kids to learn. Canberra Archery Club in Lyneham has a school holiday program between the 18th - 22nd of April, where kids can learn the techniques of this exciting sport. Go for one session of 1.5 hours to try it out ($15) or stay for a week of sessions ($75). Children must be aged 10 and over and mums and dads are encouraged to stay. See their website for details and select Holiday Programs.

8/ Australian Institute of Sport
The AIS in Bruce has a range of school holiday programs designed to get your kids active these school holidays. If your kids love sport in general, there is the Sport Vacation Program where kids get to enjoy a variety of sports over the course of the week. If your kids love a specific sport there is also soccer, tennis and swimming camps to join. For Preschoolers there is also a programme to learn skills such as throwing and catching from 8am -3pm. See the AIS website for prices and details.

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9/ Canberra Yacht Club**
If your kids enjoy sailing or would like to learn, the Canberra Yacht Club run school holiday programs for kids aged between 7 - 17. Choose from 3, 4 or 5 day programs that get your kids breathing in the fresh air and learning a new skill on Lake Burley Griffin. See their website for details and cost.

10/ ANZ NetSetGO Holiday Programs
If you have a young netballer in your family, they may enjoy the ANZ NetSetGO Holiday Program at the SolarHub ACT Netball Centre in Lyneham. For boys and girls aged between 5 - 10 years, there are two mornings of netball coaching between 9am - 12:30pm for $90 (20th & 21st April). For older kids aged between 11 - 15 there is one morning of coaching between 9am - 12:30pm for $60 (19th April). See their website for details.

If you haven't found what you are looking for in this list, why not check out cooking classes for kids at Kids Pantry , arts and crafts at the Belconnen Arts Centre , drama workshops at the Canberra Youth Theatre , or physical fun at Battle Games . They can learn circus acts with the Warehouse Circus , enjoy sport at Australian Sports Camps and improve skills at the Canberra School of Tennis . See their websites closer to April if their latest details aren't showing.

Canberra is the city of opportunity for kids during school holidays, with a wide variety of programs and activities to join. Some invite mums, dads and carers to stay too to enjoy the fun together, and others encourage kids to join on their own and make friends for life at these fun and bonding programs. Whether your kids are into Minecraft, pottery or archery - these programs and workshops are guaranteed to put a smile on your kids' faces these school holidays.