The best school holiday activities in Canberra this summer
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Visit Canberra shares everything you need to keep the kids entertained this December and January.
You won’t have any trouble keeping the kids happy this summer, as many of Canberra’s iconic attractions host activities and programs exclusive to the ACT school holiday period (16 December 2023 – 29 January 2024). Book in early to maximise family holiday fun.
Zoom through the trees at Corin Forest
Just 45-minutes from the city, Corin Forest has a scenic alpine slide that trails through the trees for over one kilometre, and is a must-do on your visit (open seven days a week during the ACT school holidays).
While you’re in the area, take the family over to Namadgi National Park, where you can explore the ancient and diverse landscape that the Ngunnawal People have been custodians of for tens of thousands of years. Namadgi National Park protects 106,095 hectares of alpine, sub-alpine and mountain bushland and makes up almost half of the ACT, making it the perfect landscape to enjoy beautiful walks and breathtaking picnic spots.
See live spectacular science shows
The spectacular science shows at Questacon will have the whole family enthralled by experiments run by the Questacon Excited Particles theatre troupe. Access to these amazing shows is included with your paid admission to Questacon.
Ignite your sense of adventure as you bounce from one gallery to the next, each one tackling science concepts in an engaging way. The Mini Q area, specifically designed for ages zero to six helps the tiny tots in the family not miss out on the fun.
Walk alongside prehistoric life
Enjoy everything this delightful precinct has to offer with the Gold Creek Adventure Ticket. The ticket gives you full-day access to Cockington Green Gardens, Canberra Walk-In Aviary, Canberra Reptile Zoo, and the National Dinosaur Museum.
While you delight your fun-filled day, roam through the interactive National Dinosaur Museum and snap a pic with Sam the T-Rex. Your budding palaeontologist will love the hands-on experiences on offer. The museum is also home to one of the largest displays of crystals, fossils, minerals, and gemstones in Australia.
Encounter animals big and small
A day spent at the National Zoo & Aquarium is a day well spent with family and friends. With a wide variety of both native and exotic animals, as well as the largest inland saltwater tank in Australia, there is something that will surprise and delight the whole family. The Zoo also has an epic playground, known as AdventureLand, with 55 activities and various life-size fibreglass animal sculptures to capture memories of your visit.
During the school holidays, the zoo hosts Zoocation, which offers a unique experience for primary aged children. Kids can get close to many of the zoo’s animals, playing loads of games, and learn something new along the way throughout a fun-filled day.
Make money and memories
Flock to where all of Australia’s circulating coins are made. On your trip to the Royal Australian Mint, visit the factory viewing area for a bird’s eye view of where the coins are made. See if you can spot two giant robots, Titan and Robbie, alongside a few other robot friends who help make the coins.
Be sure to pick up the ‘My Visit to the Mint’ activity book from the front desk and complete the Mint Treasure Hunt. The Mint has more than just contemporary coins. Head to the gift shop to see collector pieces, centenary coins, and the ultimate tooth fairy kit. The Mint is open seven-days a week and closed only on Christmas Day and Good Friday. General entry is free.
See stories come alive
Get a snapshot of our nation at the National Museum of Australia, which is home to more than 210,000 objects representing Australia’s history and cultural heritage.
Follow one of the National Museum of Australia’s family trails to discover the stories behind some of the amazing objects on show at the museum. Take your own pace on either of the two self-guided family trails (available for ages two – five and five– eight years) and see what you can discover along the way.
Or hang with the smaller fam in the Museum’s Tim and Gina Fairfax Discovery Centre (ages birth to six years), where young minds can discover five stories from Australian History that encourage different types of play (open daily, costs apply). General entry to the museum is free.
Join in the fun at ANBG
Discover more about your favourite scaled creatures as the ACT Herpetological Association brings the Snakes Alive exhibition back to the Australian National Botanic Gardens over the school holidays. The event includes a high-quality display of living Australian reptiles and amphibian species to inspire interest and awareness of Australian native fauna (between 8-14 January, 10 am and 2 pm daily).
Join Lucky Jim on the Crosbie Morrison Lawn at for a musical performance followed by endangered species face painting and an interactive musical mushroom sculpture.
Discover the amazing secrets of the plants that live in the Australian bush on this family-friendly tour –Secrets of the Australian Bush– on the magical Flora bus (11, 15, 17, 19, and 23 January 2024). Walk through the Rainforest Gully, visit the Red Centre Garden, and finish at the Paperbark Treehouse. This tour is designed for children four – 10 years who must be accompanied by an adult. Bookings essential as numbers are limited.
Learn about Australia through portraiture
Look into the eyes of artists, musicians, athletes, scientists, and more at the National Portrait Gallery. This is the home to incredible portraits that tell stories of extraordinary people from Australia and beyond. In the final weeks of the exhibition, the gallery presents Archie 100: The Final Countdown. Come along to explore three fun-filled days of activities, workshops, talks, and tours planned for visitors of all ages, including workshops with artist Kate Beynon, a 100 Faces project, water play, accessible mornings, screenings of Finding the Archibald, and more!
Try a creative workshop
Uncover the inner workings of Canberra Glassworks with a hands-on workshop in one of the most exciting art facilities in Australia. With the help of an experienced artist, children will learn how to cut coloured glass to create a two-dimensional masterpiece in a tile-making workshop or try their hand at designing and creating a sculpture in clay. During the school holidays, choose between blowing your own tumbler, fusing your own glass bowl, or crafting your own holiday tiles.
Climb through acorns
The award-winning POD playground at the National Arboretum Canberra will have kids climbing structures and testing out slides, swings, giant acorn cubbies, and music-making instruments.
Take a wander through the nearby Bonsai Collection which hosts a world-class display of some of the finest miniature trees and forests in the world.
Get your race on or try bouldering indoors
The tracks at Power Kart Raceway are sure to get your heart racing. Take the whole family to try their hands at racing the world class electric go-karts on a Formula One style indoor circuit. Also on site is an indoor glow-in-the-dark mini golf course, synthetic ice skating rink, and an array of arcade machines, so everyone will find something to make them happy at Power Kart.
A short drive away you’ll find BlocHaus. This bouldering centre is perfect for kids to get a taste of rock climbing but as the walls are shorter and the mats below padded, there’s no need for ropes, partners, or gear. There’s an area designed specifically for families.
Catch some of Australia’s top athletes in action
Go behind the scenes on a 90-minute tour of the Australian Institute of Sport, Australia’s premier elite sports precinct. Discover where Australia’s sporting champions are created and gain insight into the life of their leading athletes. You might even catch some of Australia’s top athletes in training.
Included is a visit to Sportex, one of Australia’s leading interactive sports exhibits, set amongst a first-class collection of sporting memorabilia. Try wheelchair basketball, virtual downhill skiing, rock climbing, football penalty shootouts and more. Great fun for all ages and athletic abilities.
Getting around during the holidays
A school holiday bus timetable will be in place from Monday, 18 December 2023 until Sunday, 28 January 2024. Transport Canberra’s school holiday bus timetable will deliver the same reliable network and frequency that is currently in place just without the school services and diversions over the six-week period.
FREE travel will be available on Christmas Day and from 5 pm on New Year’s Eve for bus and light rail services.New Year’s Eve will run to a regular Sunday bus timetable with additional Rapid bus services kicking off from 10 pm to support the New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Visit transport.act.gov.au to plan your school holiday travel.
