Canberra School Holiday Activities
Scratching your head trying to find the best school holiday activities in Canberra? Lucky for you, Canberra isn’t just the capital of Australia, it’s also the capital of FUN!
Whether you’re a local or simply visiting, there are lots of fun things to do in Canberra these school holidays. Canberra is a hub of entertainment with plenty of kids activities to keep them busy and occupied.
Code Camp understands that sometimes it’s difficult to find ways to keep the kids entertained while they’re not at school. That’s why we have done our research to provide you with the best kids activities in Canberra and free school holiday activities in Canberra that won’t blow the budget.
This list will help take the frustration out of keeping the kids entertained over the school holidays. We’ve also added some Easter holiday activities in Canberra along with Canberra rainy day activities for kids to ensure that your children won’t be bored for even a minute!
No matter your budget or kids’ ages, we’ve got a unique school holiday activity in Canberra to please all!
Code Camp activities
Beat school holiday boredom with the best school holiday fun found at Code Camp! The school holiday program where kids come back from saying “the BEST school holidays EVER!”. Code Camp is where parents can find school holiday activities that are both incredibly fun AND educational. Our online camps, in-person camps and after school camps empower kids to design, code and create with awesome hands-on activities including DJ Camp, Drone Camp and our popular Spark Camp where kids aged 7-12 can start learning the basics of drag & drop coding.
School Holiday Activities
Ready to find out the top school holiday activities in Canberra for kids and families?! Below you can find our exhaustive list of fun school holiday ideas in Canberra so that you’ll never have to worry about how to entertain the kids once the holidays come around.
Remember to bookmark this page so that you can come back to it!
Read on to view our list of school holiday activities to do in Canberra as well as free and budget-friendly school holiday activities to keep the kids happy no matter what!
Your Guide to School Holiday Activities in Canberra
6 free school holiday activities Canberra
Finding school holiday activities is one thing, but finding FREE school holiday activities is something else! Jump for joy and save your pennies with the following school holiday activities in Canberra that are completely free:
1. Canberra City Farm
Kids can see how foods are grown and harvested and take a farm tour of the community garden with farm owners. They can also have fun planting their own seeds or helping out with the watering and picking of fresh vegetables.
2. Mount Ainslie Lookout & Trail
The Mount Ainslie Lookout gives a birds eye view of Canberra and great photo opportunities of the War Memorial, ANZAC Parade, both Parliament houses and the CBD skyline. The hike up to the lookout is moderate, but energetic kids can traverse it with no problem. Just don’t forget to bring water and snacks!
Boundless Playground
Boundless Playground truly offers boundless fun for kids these school holidays! The playground is Canberra’s first all-abilities playground, offering fun activities including swingsets, sandpits, slides and climbing apparatuses for all ages.
4. Canberra Glassworks
Want to find out how glass is made? Or how glass can be turned into art? Canberra Glassworks has a range of creative school holiday activities where kids can make their own glass art. The free exhibition also displays a range of glass artwork and sculptures by acclaimed artists.
5. Ride around Lake Burley Griffin
Get the kids out of the house with a free outdoor holiday activity in Canberra that is fun for all ages! Ride your bikes around the iconic Lake Burley Griffin. You can even opt for the e-scooters near the park.
6. National Museum of Australia
The National Museum of Australia holds a range of exhibitions including over 21 million scientific specimens and cultural artifacts along with artworks, sculptures, interactive displays and modern art exhibits.
4 cheap school holiday activities Canberra
Want to entertain the kids these school holidays on the cheap? We’ve got you! Canberra has some of the best activities for kids - and they won’t send you broke.
1. Deep Space Centre
The Canberra Deep Space Centre lets kids explore the vast universe and solar systems. Learn about the stars and planets and get a peek into how astronauts communicate back to earth at the NASA communication complex. There’s also a cafe and playground on-site.
2. Big Splash Waterpark
Canberra’s favourite waterpark is sure to please these school holidays! Big Splash has 9 waterslides, floating inflatable obstacle course, splash island fun park and a kiddies pool to entertain the youngin’s.
3. Cuddle a wombat
Just a 45-minute drive from Canberra CBD is Sleepy Burrows. This wombat sanctuary allows kids to visit and to see what it’s like to hold and even feed a wombat!
4. Jet flight simulator
Jet Flight Simulator Canberra lets you be a pilot for the day! The simulator is open to kids of all ages, and you don’t need any experience. You can choose your own destination and fly your plane there as if it’s a real flight!
4 kids activities in Canberra for school holiday fun
Not too fussed about budget and just want to make sure your kids have a great school holiday experience? Then put the fun into the school holidays with the following kids activities in Canberra:
1. Questacon
One of Canberra’s iconic school holiday destinations - Questacon is here to deliver all the fun these school holidays. Discover all things science with interactive rooms and exhibitions including an earthquake simulator, a six-metre free fall slide and a giant glowing moon.
2. National Dinosaur Museum
If your kids love dinosaurs they’ll love the National Dinosaur Museum! It’s Australia’s largest permanent display of prehistoric specimens, showcasing life size dinosaur displays, fossils and even a dinosaur nighttime tour!
3. Power Kart Raceway
Get your thrills at Canberra’s ultimate go-karting experience! Power Kart Raceway includes a 14-lap indoor go-kart track, arcade games, glow in the dark mini golf and even Australia’s first synthetic ice rink!
4. Quizzic Alley
Have a Harry Potter fan in the family? Then you need to visit Quzzic Alley. The store - closely modeled on the Harry Potter ‘Diagon Alley’ - has Australia's largest range of Harry Potter merchandise including books, posters, invisible ink, wands and potions!
4 Canberra rainy day activities for kids
Raining during the school holidays? Don’t let that stop your kids from enjoying their holiday fun. Here are the best rainy day activities in Canberra for kids to do over the holidays:
1. Old Parliament House
Tour the Old Parliament House where you can learn the history of lawmaking in Australia and tour historic rooms, museums and displays. Finish the day off by having high tea in the Courtyard Cafe.
2. Canberra Theatre
The Canberra Theatre is the ACT’s premiere performing arts venue where you can catch a live show, concert or a musical in the plush, comfy auditorium. There are new shows regularly, so keep an eye out for kid-friendly specials to kick back and enjoy during the holidays.
3. Let’s Play!
Let’s Play indoor playground offers all the fun a kid could ever have while indoors! From ball pits to a jungle gym and Space Odyssey laser tag room, kids of all ages will want to stay and play all day!
4. Inflatable World
Get out of the rain and into the biggest indoor inflatable playground in Australia! Inflatable World features giant inflatable slides, ball pits, trampolines and an inflatable ninja course where kids can test their skills and agility!
Easter holiday activities Canberra
There’s always something to do over the Easter school holidays in Canberra. Here are some fun easter activities in Canberra that kids will be eggcited about!
1. Easter egg hunt
There are plenty of easter egg hunts happening around the city this Easter. From an easter egg hunt and chocolate-themed high tea at Hotel Kurrajong to a free egg hunt and visit from the Easter Bunny at The Haig Park Village Markets. Hop to it!
2. National Folk Festival
Canberra’s annual National Folk Festival is a family favourite every Easter long weekend. Enjoy the vibrant festival that boasts musical entertainment, market stalls, poetry recitals, music workshops, art installations, book readings and a circus!
3. Easter Picnic Train
The Picnic Train runs all Easter weekend, taking you on a scenic train ride on an old steam locomotive. Enjoy a picnic onboard as you go through tunnels and chug through and up the Molonglo River Gorge.
Christmas holiday activities Canberra
Want some Christmas school holiday activities in Canberra to help the kids get into the festive spirit? These are our favourite Christmas activity options in Canberra for all ages:
1. Canberra Christmas Market
The free Christmas Market located at the Fitzroy Pavillion boasts over 90 stalls selling everything from Christmas treats and hampers, decorations, novelty gifts, kids toys, clothes and more!
2. Christmas light hunting
The Canberra Christmas Lights display occurs every Christmas, with more and more beautiful lights and decorations being added to the city and surrounds. With a Christmas tree, art installation and decorations in City Walk, the whole family will be dazzled with Christmas magic over the Christmas school holidays.
3. Carols by Candlelight
The annual Canberra Carols by Candlelight is a great family activity for the Christmas season. Listen to your favourite Christmas songs and enjoy a guest appearance by Santa himself!
Other school holiday activities to do in Canberra
Canberra isn’t short on school holiday activities. While you might think we’ve exhausted our list, there is more than where that came from! Here are some great other school holiday activities to do in Canberra:
1. National Zoo and Aquarium
Get up close to the world’s most exotic animals at the National Zoo and Aquarium. From red pandas to white lions, giraffes, meerkats and more - with over 2.6km of walking trails, the kids will have the best time exploring all the animals including underwater sealife at the only inland aquarium exhibit in Australia!
2. Toboggan at Corin Forest
You can enjoy an alpine ride year-round at Corin Forest. The kids will get a thrill sliding down the 1.2km metal toboggan slide which weaves its way through the Mountain Ash forest of the Gibraltar Valley. Over the snow season, the kids can learn how to ski or snowboard, build a snowman and have a snowball fight!
3. Make money at The Mint
The Royal Australian Mint is the birthplace of Australia’s currency. Find out how coins are made with the help of two robots, Robbie and Titan, along with three automated guided vehicles called Penny, Pency and Florin. Kids can watch the robots make coins from the observation deck, then browse The Mint Coin Shop where they can get their own tooth fairy kit!
Book a Camp these school holidays at Code Camp!
Code Camp is THE destination for kids fun over the holidays! Our Holiday Camps are the perfect solution for entertaining and empowering kids to create, design and code.
Find your closest Code Camp here and be sure to sign your kids up as our Holiday programs are always super popular!
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