It may be a dream for kids who are getting a break from school, but often a headache for parents trying to organise activities. Still, school holidays always seem to be just around the corner.
Those weeks can be a lot of time to fill for active kids, which can also mean a lot of money spent filling them. But, planning ahead with the winning combination of fun activities, local events and free things to do can make holidays a breeze.
Be prepared with plenty of activities to do (including budget-friendly options).
When are NSW school holidays in 2024?
Coming up again in just a few weeks, the spring school holidays are just around the corner. The Eastern division and the Western division of New South Wales have slightly different holiday dates. However, the majority of the population sits in the Eastern, including the state’s largest cities though, including Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong.
| Term | Eastern Division NSW School Holiday Dates |
|---|---|
| Holidays after term 1 | |
| Holidays after term 2 | Sa |
| Holidays after term 3 | Saturday 28 September to Sunday 13 October, 2024 |
| Holidays after term 4 | Saturday 21 December, 2024 to Thursday 30 January, 2025 |
What to do during school holidays
01
Get creative at an art gallery
Free
Best for: Creative kids
Whether they’re wanting to create art or just look at it, galleries are a great place to keep your kids busy for a few hours. During school holidays and on weekends, larger galleries often host special events just for kids. For example, the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney offers kid-friendly guided tours and workshops, including ones dedicated to children with special needs.
While admission to the main gallery at the Art Gallery of NSW is always free, if you’d like to check out any special exhibitions (like the Archibald Prize), children younger than 12 can enter for free. There are also kid-friendly guided tours available.
But just because you’re not in a big city, doesn’t mean you need to miss out. There’s a host of regional galleries scattered across the state and awe-inspiring outdoor sculpture trails.
Check out:
- Sydney: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA)
- Newcastle: Newcastle Art Gallery (Currently closed for construction of an expansion)
- Wollongong: Wollongong Art Gallery
- Broken Hill: Living Desert Sculptures, Broken Hill Art Gallery
- Albury: Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA)
- Coonabarabran: Sculptures in the Scrub
02
Take a hike
Free (Excluding any national park fees)
Best for: Adventure seekers
Go coastal or explore the bush on any of the hundreds of bush walks that are within easy reach of Sydney on a day trip.
Less than an hour south of the city, the Royal National Park is home to plenty of walks that are kid-friendly and offer stellar views of the coast from the cliffs. If the weather is good, Jibbon Beach offers calm waters for cooling down after a walk. Plus, the historic wooden ferry ride over from Cronulla Station to Bundeena adds to the magic of the day. (Or, you can opt to drive.)
If you’re coming from the north or are up on the Central Coast, both Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and Bouddi National Park are home to some stunning walks, too. Both offer more coastal views and plenty of opportunities to swim along the way, but Bouddi is bookmarked by beaches with lifesaving available.
Inland, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park likely offers more than enough bushwalks to do one a day for years without ever repeating. A host of panoramic views of valleys, iconic rock formations (hello, Three Sisters!), waterfalls and swimming holes can keep your kids plenty busy throughout the school holidays.
Check out:
- Royal National Park: Jibbon Track or parts of the Coast Track (from Bundeena or Wattamolla)
- Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park: Resolute Beach
- Blue Mountains National Park: Leura Cascades, Govett’s Leap, Three Sisters Walk
- Kiama: Kiama Coast Walk
- Bouddi National Park: Parts of Bouddi Coastal Walk
03
Learn something new
From $39
Best for: Those who never stop learning.
It may be school holidays, but there’s plenty of classes that your kids actually would want to take while on their much-deserved break. And we promise very little maths are involved.
From learning how to make the most mouth-watering pizzas and to rolling perfect sushi rolls to crafting the perfect dinosaur habitat from clay, there’s plenty of educational ways to keep your children entertained.
All those paint-and-sip studios that have been popping up around the city are also getting in on the action. Family friendly lessons are available that are all paint, no sip.
Check out:
- Class Bento: Cooking and craft classes for kids
- Australian Museum: School holiday programs for dinosaur- and photography-lovers
- Pinot and Picasso: Kid-friendly classes for those aged 7+
05
Explore a theme park
Price varies by park
Best for: Thrill-seekers
From roller coasters to zip lines, water slides to cable cars, spend the day at one of New South Wales’ theme parks.
You don’t have to make the trip up to the Gold Coast to experience a theme park. The South Coast’s Jambaroo‘s waterslides, chairlift and bobsled ride are open right the school holidays. Not too far away, you can zip through the Illawarra Rainforest and take a walk through the canopy at Illawarra Fly. If you’re looking for something closer to the city, you can’t go wrong with a day at Luna Park (where you don’t even have to pay an entrance fee if you aren’t going to go on any rides).
Live further up the coast or travelling to Coffs Harbour? There’s more than just another big thing to see at the Big Banana. There’s water slides, bumper cars, a toboggan ride, mini golf and plenty more to keep the family entertained.
Check out:
- Big Banana, Coffs Harbour
- Illawarra Fly, South Coast
- Jambaroo, South Coast
- Luna Park, Sydney
- Raging Waters, Western Sydney (summer only)
Free school holidays activities
We know most of the activities that your kids are begging to do aren’t the cheapest, but there’s still plenty of options that are both fun and affordable. Here are some of our go-tos when we’re watching out spending:
- Spend the day at the beach
- Go on a bushwalk
- Visit a local gallery or museum (and skip the paid exhibits)
- Play a board game
- Have a picnic in a local park
- Check out your local council’s free activities (there’s usually plenty on!)
Where can I go for school holidays?
Don’t want to stay in town? Travelling during school holidays is rarely cheap, but there are a few ways to have a holiday without breaking the bank.
Take a road trip
To save on airfares for you and the family, pack up the car and explore our own backyard.
We’re blessed with some beautiful places to visit all up and down the coast, and inland, so there’s bound to be something for just about every family somewhere in the state.
There’s the stunningly secluded beaches along the far south coast. Just about anywhere between Jervis Bay and Merimbula is well worth a stop and just about guaranteed to be empty when compared to a Sydney beach.
Go camping
The ultimate in budget-friendly getaways, camp sites at National Parks can be booked for less than the cost of a single pub meal. And that’s even for picturesque beachfront spots.
With bushwalks and beaches to keep the family entertained, plus the likelihood of there being other children around to play with, make camping a great option for a school holiday trip.
Need camping gear? Our fave Kmart is our go-to for cheap tents, sleeping bags and all the other camping basics.
Visit Southeast Asia
If you’re really wanting to get out of the country, consider heading to Southeast Asia. Sure, the flight may cost you a bit upfront during these peak weeks, but in places like Bali and Thailand, the costs on the ground will be a fraction of what they’d be in Australia.
Here, you’ll easily be able to find decent accommodation for $50 or less per night. Meals for the whole family should cost less than $10 per person. If you’re staying at a resort with a pool, your kids will likely be entertained enough by that, but day trips can be organised for very affordable prices that can let you take in a bit of the local culture.
Are school holidays in New South Wales the same everywhere in Australia?
No. Each state, and sometimes different parts of each state, have different school holiday periods.
This can work out in your favour though. If you’re thinking of travelling interstate, you may be more likely to get a deal if you head somewhere that doesn’t have the same dates as New South Wales as there will be less demand since locals won’t be travelling too.
