20 Spring School Holiday Programs in Canberra 2016

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Posted 2016-08-19 by Sue W ⇒ follow

It is school holiday time again and families around Canberra have a lot to look forward to. Spring is in the air, blossoms are out in bloom and we can bravely leave the house without a jacket and scarf (insert celebratory jig here!). These school holidays are an ideal time to dust off the BBQs and enjoy the Springtime sun in all its glory. There are also a host of free events and activities to enjoy around the Capital, with the family friendly Floriade easily sitting at the top of the list. As well as this, there is a large variety of school holiday programs to choose from - with the following list mentioning just a mere 20 of them. With so much to do and beautiful weather in store, school holidays in the Canberra has never looked so good.

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MUSEUMS & NATIONAL ATTRACTIONS**

1/ Canberra Glassworks (Kingston) are holding a variety of glass making workshops to choose from, that run between 20 minutes and 2 hours. These workshops are designed for children 8 years and over to work independently, or ages 5 and over with an adult. Choose between making your own Spring Insects and Butterflies Tile, Mosaic Vessels or Spring Tile. For teenagers over 14, there is also the Make Your Own Paperweight or Tumbler workshop. See details here .
Cost: Classes range between $30 - $100 plus booking fee.

2/ Zoocation (Yarralumla) is a school holiday program at the National Zoo and Aquarium where the kids go behind the scenes and meet some of the animals, make them toys, play games and learn about animals along the way. There are two sessions to book into - Zoocation Junior (ages Kindy to Year 1) and Zoocation Senior (Years 2 - 6). See details here .
Cost: $80 per child, per day.

3/ The National Portrait Gallery (Parkes) will be hosting two school holiday craft activities around the gallery. Firstly Art Cart - Bugs and Blooms is a Floriade inspired craft activity (free) and Portrait Play explores the portraits in the gallery and includes family-friendly activities. Portrait Play is designed for children aged 4 - 8 and all children must be accompanied by an adult.
Cost: Portrait Play costs $5 per child.

4/ The Australian War Memorial (Campbell) will be holding a range of school holiday programs and activities. There will be Drop In Craft , Storytime , Stories for Families and Hands on History held throughout the holidays - all free. On September 29th there will be a two-hour workshop for kids aged 10 and over called Casting, Carving, Creating . This workshop explores various cast and carved sculptures and works of art at the Memorial. Children will use various materials such as plaster and clay to experiment with sculpting techniques. On October 5th there will also be a workshop for kids aged 6 and over called Building a Collection to learn more about the objects of war and take a tour with the Education staff.
Cost: Workshops cost $15 per child.

5/ The National Museum of Australia (Acton) will have a school holiday program called Discovery Space: Medieval Space. This program is inspired by their blockbuster exhibition A History of the World in 100 Objects from the British Museum. Go back in time and imagine life in the Middle Ages by helping to build a castle and making your own medieval headgear to take home. See details holidays&search_page_324663_submit_button=Submit¤t_result_page=1&results_per_page=10&submitted_search_category=&mode= here .
Cost: $10 per child.

For other school holiday ideas at Canberra's landmarks, see the National Film and Sound Archive , Old Parliament House , Parliament House , The National Gallery of Australia , the National Dinosaur Museum , the Australian National Botanical Gardens , Canberra Museum and Gallery , National Library of Australia and the National Arboretum .

Whilst at the National Arboretum, the kids will enjoy playing at the popular Pod Playground - arguably the best playground in the Canberra.

ART, CRAFT, COOKING & CREATIVITY

6/ Canberra Potters Society (Watson) will be running hand building and pottery workshops for children over 5 to have fun and create their own bowls and pots. Parents are also encouraged to enrol with their kids and learn the skills of pottery with them. See details here . They will also be running Puppetry Workshops, where kids can learn how to make their own puppets using pottery and mixed media. Kids will also learn performance skills, puppet manipulation techniques and how to follow scripts and prepared stories. This workshop is designed for kids aged between 6 - 12. See details here .
Cost: See website closer to dates.

7/ Belconnen Arts Centre holds art and craft classes throughout the year for kids of all ages, as well as popular school holiday programs. See details here closer to the date - however book in quick as they fill up fast!

8/ Lavender Art Studios (Phillip) hold school holiday art programs for kids aged between 5 - 13 years to learn a range of artistic skills and have fun at the same time. These workshops last for 3 hours and have relaxing harp music playing in the background, while the kids concentrate on their work. If you children love to paint and create, these supportive classes are a great way to spend the holidays. See details here .
Cost: $60 per child, per session.

9/ Bricks 4 Kids (Palmerston) is a place for all LEGO® lovers to get together and play with LEGO® Technic pieces such as gears, axles, electric motors and more. They will work in small groups to complete a variety of activities, as well as enjoy art and craft, games, mosaics and other activities. It is a fun way to learn new skills, make friends and encourage them to use their imagination. There are three 2 day workshops to choose from, for children aged 5 and above. See details here .
Cost: $180 for a 2 day workshop.

10/ NIDA (Dickson) will be running acting classes for children in Years 3 - 6 at school and Years 7 - 10. These comprehensive classes will cover techniques for stage and screen as well as audition tricks and tips. If your kids have an interest in dramas and acting, NIDA is the ideal venue in which to learn the skills required. See details /school holidays?tag=/who/young people/grades 7-10&tag=/who/young people/grades 11-12&tag=/who/children/2 to 5 years %28preschool%29&tag=/who/children/grades k-2&tag=/who/children/grades 3-6&near=canberra/2600/10 here .
Cost: Prices start at $288 for a 2 day workshop.

11/ 3 Seeds Cooking School (Fyshwick) will be running Kids Techniques in the Kitchen classes for children aged between 6 - 13, split into age groups. The kids will select ingredients from the Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets and then create a healthy lunch based on their choice and creativity. They will learn safe knife techniques and cooking techniques in a safe environment. See details here - scroll down to September 29th for the first class.
Cost: $65 per child.

12/ Kids Pantry (Garran) are running their popular school holiday cooking classes, where kids can learn how to create cakes, slices, meals and baked treats. These are fun and interactive classes where kids can learn the skills of cooking and also take home a treat to show Mum and Dad. There will be three sessions per day in three age groups: 5 - 8 years, 9 - 12 years and age 13 and above. See details here .
Cost: Prices start from $45 a class.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

13/ The Ian Potter Foundation (Deakin) is run by the science museum Questacon and each school holidays they have classes that encourage kids to invent and think outside the box. Designed for kids aged 10 - 15, there are workshops on Robot Programming, Robot Hack, App Design, Wacky Racers, 3D Design and Enginuity. These popular classes fill up fast, so get in early to secure your place. See details here .
Cost: $55 per workshop.

14/ Code Camp (Kaleen) is for kids who love computers and would enjoy learning more about coding, apps and website design. For younger children in Years 2 - 6 at school, there is Beginner Code Camp to learn how to "code" using logic, computational thinking, creativity and problem solving. For older children in Years 7 - 10 at school they can attend Web Hackers - where they learn to build their own website in 3 days . See details here and then find Canberra under the Location tab.
Cost: $350 for 2 days.

15/ Photo Access (Griffith) are running 3-day Photography Workshops where children aged 10 - 16 can learn how to make the most of their digital camera and then create special effects using Adobe© digital manipulation software. If you don't have a digital camera, there are some available to borrow. See details here .
Cost: $275 for 3 days.

SPORT, EXERCISE & FUN

16/ Battle Games (Symonston) is a fun, challenging and muddy school holiday program which puts kids through their paces and encourages teamwork, confidence building and having fun. Designed for kids aged between 7 - 15, there are four "Ops" to choose from to complete a mission. See details here .
Cost: $85 per session.

17/ Warehouse Circus (Chifley and Kaleen) will be running their popular school holiday programs these Spring holidays, where kids can learn a range of different skills including tumbling, mini trampoline, stilt walking, unicycling, hula hooping, juggling, staff twirling and trapeze. Kids are divided into two groups - ages 5 - 7 and 8 and over. See details here .
Cost: Starting from $160 for 4 days (for ages 5 - 7).

18/ Sailing Classes (Yarralumla) are available on Lake Burley Griffin each school holidays. If your kids were inspired by the Olympics, there is a 5-day program where they can learn how to sail and be out on the water. These classes are run by the experienced Canberra Yacht Club, with highly trained professionals to introduce them to sailing, safely. See details here .
Cost: $390 for 5 days.

19/ The Australian Institute of Sport (Bruce) will be holding their school holiday programs where children of all ages can focus on learning one sport (swimming, soccer or tennis) or they can enjoy them all in their Sports Vacation Program. There is also a Pre-School Holiday Program for kids aged 4 - 5. See details here .
Cost: Prices start from $60 for Sports Vacation Program/Soccer Camp.

20/ Skate Nation (Fyshwick) is Canberra's only roller skating rink and they hold popular school holiday programs to get kids up on their feet. Their Mini Camps teach them how to skate and also how to dance while skating! These sessions are designed for kids under 16 and run between 9.30am-12.30pm on selected days. Skates, helmets, and safety gear are provided. See details here .

For other sports ideas, see the websites for Canberra Tennis Academy , Basketball ACT , ACT Netball Camp , ACT Soccer Camp , King Swim , Southern Canberra Gymnastics , Canberra Archery Club , & #61701 ;Kyodo Shuho Karate-Do and Murrumbidgee Country Club Golf clinics .

Whether your child is interested in art, archery or acting, there is something for everyone these school holidays. Also keep an eye on local advertising, magazines, newspapers and Weekendnotes for more programs, events and ideas as they are advertised. With over 400,000 extra people in Canberra for Floriade, we are going to be spoilt for choice with Springtime activities on offer. So enjoy these relaxing Spring school holidays - because before you know it, the next ones will be here for Christmas!