TOP 50 things to do this Summer 2016

Explore Botanic Gardens, stay entertained with live shows, … Get the kids all geared up for the best summer to remember with our top 50 holiday ideas.

TOP 20 School Holiday Programs

1. NIDA- For children aged 2 years, up to adults! In December and January, there are camps available covering everything from acting to directing, design, production, musical theatre, filmmaking or writing. Imagine… KENSINGTON

2. Kids In The Park - There are activities for sporty kids, creative kids, outdoorsy kids, and kids wanting to celebrate Australia Day! SYDNEY OLYMPIC PARK

3. Sparkle Cupcakery- The school holiday Kidz Bake classes will inspire junior pastry chefs. Kids will make, bake and decorate their own cupcakes, and leave with half a dozen of their own creations to take home. SURRY HILLS

4. Workshop Arts Centre- This holiday season kids can get involved in music, drama, dance, yoga, storytelling, art and crafts at this awesome centre that has it all. WILLOUGHBY

5. Centennial Parklands – Everyone loves a good picnic at Centennial Park, but they also offer great kids activities in the holidays including Exploring Science, Gross & Glory, Kids Vs. Wild, CP Bush Rangers, Lego Robotics,and multi-sports camps. Kids 2-13 years. CENTENNIAL PARKLANDS

6. Code Camp - We are absolutely blown away by this unique school holiday program. Kids will learn how to code, allowign them to create the iPhone apps of the future! A skill al kids should start learning ASAP. Kids 5+ years. ACROSS SYDNEY

7. Performing Arts Workshops At The Joan- Little show ponies and even shy kids needing a confidence boost will benefit from performing arts workshops with fun and interactive learning activities. PENRITH

8. Drop in 5-a-side Soccer Kids drop-in sessions for just $10 these school holidays! It’s a two hour program for 4-14 year olds of all ability levels. FAIRFIELD

9. GOAL Soccer Academy- Drop & Shop Mini Camps in December and January camps available. Make new friends, stay fit and learn new skills! BONDI & DOUBLE BAY

10. YMCA UNSW- Sports & games clinics for 5-12 year olds including Soccer, Basketball, Cricket, Touch Football,Swimming, Athletics, Badminton, Frisbee, Volleyball, AFL, Hockey and more!  KENSINGTON

11. Cookie Baking at Grandma’s At McEvoy- Enjoy a delicious coffee whilst your kids create delicious cookies! They’re FREE and run for 1hr and 15 minutes. ALEXANDRIA

12. Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney- Kids are encouraged to get outdoors this Summer with a heap of awesome activities including nature play and crafts with Garden Grubs, learn about Aboriginal culture with Jarjums, a live superhero show Tapstar Saves Water!, Chocolate Monkeys & loads more! SYDNEY CBD

13. Museum of Contemporary Art- Let children experience the arts with the child friendly light exhibition by Tatsuo Miyajima, and the family space where you can create your own art! THE ROCKS

14. Justice & Police Museum- This January, the museum is open daily for kids and families, where kids can participate in mock trials and learn all about Sydney’s sinister past. CIRCULAR QUAY

15. Museum of Applied Art & Sciences- Ancient Egypt is in the spotlight! Kids can get involved in a Dig Discovery Tour, Secret Histories, Midday Storytelling, Ancient Worlds & loads more. ULTIMO

16. GoGo Healthy Kids - Get fit, get out and get active with Go Go Healthy Kids multi-sports camp (including balance and circus, kick and fun & wet and wild), junior camps and football programs. Kids will make new friends and learn new skills. BONDI or ROSE BAY

17. Early Start Discovery Space- offer great free and paid school holiday activities, as well as a new Crawlers Cubby Experience for 0-2 year olds coming in January 2017! UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG

18. Future Kids Vet Camp - This veterinary inspired school holiday camp is perfect for young pet lovers with 2 camp options available: Wombats (9-11yrs) and Kookaburras (12-14yrs). WAVERLEY

19. Puppeteria - Their awesome December/January 2016-7 program includes some awesome puppet show titles, such as The Wizard of Oz, Puss In Boots, Baa Baa Black Sheep & Hansel and Gretel, just to name a few. CASTLE COVE

20. Nutty Scientists-  With the help of intrepid Nutty Professors, kids are transformed into little scientists! Kids will play fun games and engage in original activities, as they learn about the wonders of space, the mysteries of medical science & more! ACROSS SYDNEY

21. Illawarra Fly-  Go on an exciting adventure through the rainforest  and learn what it takes to become an official IFLY Rainforest Ranger! ILLAWARRA

 

TOP 20 Family Activities & Events

No one should be left out of having fun this summer. So have a go at our top family activities for the holidays and make sure no one of any age gets left behind!

1. You And Me And The Space Between- Don’t miss the part picture book, part play, and completely magical adventure brought to you by the Terrapin Puppet Theatre! Follow an adventurous little girl as the story is drawn out right in front of you by cartoonist Cathy Wilcox. Part of Sydney Festival. SEYMOUR CENTRE

2. Tipping Point- Check out the cool blend of circus, acrobatics and theatrewhere audiences are close to the action of this teetering world. Part of Sydney Festival. PRINCE ALFRED SQUARE

3. iD- Enjoy this high energy fusion of circus, acrobatics and urban dance with innovative video projcetion accompaniments. Part of Sydney Festival. PARRAMATTA

4. Movies By The Boulevard - We reckon this is the best Sydney summer family outdoor cinema where the kids will be surrounded with heaps of activities and play spaces, while you pull out the picnic rug and kick back in front of the giant screen. Best of all it’s completely FREE! SYDNEY OLYMPIC PARK

5. Sydney Hills Lunar Festival-A fusion of flavours, cultures and traditions, the Sydney Hills Lunar Festival welcomes in the year of the rooster with a festival like no other. Food trucks, displays and performances galore. BELLA VISTA FARM PARK

6. Sydney Hills Christmas Sky Show- More lights and snow than ever before.will include two animated light stories displayed on a 40 metre long LED banner stretching along Castle Hill Main Street. Each festive story will be accompanied by light and sound effects, and of course snow! CASTLE HILL

7. Shakespeare In The Park - Enjoy live theatre under the stars as the Romans bring all the comedy, drama, love and tradgedy to this outdoor stage. BELLA VISTA FARM

8. Sydney Opera House - Families will enjoy 2 live shows- George’s Marvellous Medicine based on Roald Dahl’s classic and Room on the Broom back from a sell out 2013 season! BENNELONG POINT

9. Lil Miss Collins Pop Up Cafe- Farm animals and Nutella shakes- need we say more? The ultimate family friendly cafe this Summer. BELLA VISTA FARM

10. Sydney WILD LIFE Zoo - Hanging around at Darling Harbour? Pop into the Wild Life Zoo to introduce the kids to over 1,000 native animals, insects and reptiles. DARLING HARBOUR

11. Museum of Sydney-  This Summer, the beach comes to you at the Museum of Sydney. Roll up your sleeves and get digging into this fully interactive sand exhibition! SYDNEY CBD

12. Skyzone Trampoline Park - Jumpy jump-jump-jump and fly! It’s not just the kids who gets to jump their heart out. ALEXANDRIA

13. Mister Maker And The Shapes- Every child’s favourite arts and crafts hero Mister Maker will be taking to the intercative stage with all his friends, the Shapes! NEWTOWN

14. SEA LIFE- This Summer, pirates are coming to SEA LIFE for some swashbuckling fun! There will be Treasure Hunts, Pirate Parties and so much more. MANLY

15. iFLY Down Under - We say you must to add this to your list – fly and have the most exhilarating, involving and rewarding experience imaginable this summer! PENRITH

16. Action Zone- At Flymotion, kids will have a ball on the latest in themed inflatables and sensory play activities from around the world! MOORE PARK

17. Calmsley Hill City Farm – There’s a full day program that invites the family into a life on the farm. ABBOTSBURY

18. Row A Boat- Your weekend family adventure sorted- hire paddleboats, rowboats, stand up paddleboards, canoes, kayaks and pedal boats. LAKE PARRAMATTA

19. Cinema In The Park- A FREE night of film under the stars in Victoria Park- this year’s feature? The live action smash hit The Jungle Book! ST MARY’S

20. Summer Fun In Parramatta - Parramatta seems to be the place to be this Summer! Family activities on the agenda include the NYE celebrations at Lake Parramatta, Australia Day at Parramatta Park, all the FREE water play parks, the swimming centre and Epping Aquatic and Leisure! PARRAMATTA

 

TOP 10 Spots to Cool Down & Splash About

We all love a fantastic spot to cool off in summer. Here’s our top 10 that both the littlies and school kids will enjoy!

1. Darling Harbour Water Park, DARLING HARBOUR

2. Splasher’s Water Playground, SYDNEY OLYMPIC PARK

3. Nurragingy Reserve Water Park, DOONSIDE

4. Parsley Bay Reserve, VAUCLUSE

5. Bundeena Beach, BUNDEENA

6. Little Manly Cove beach, MANLY

7. Blaxland Riverside Park, SYDNEY OLYMPIC PARK

8. Granville Water Park, MERRYLANDS

9. Greenwich Baths, GREENWICH

10. Bronte Beach, BRONTE

And here’s some BONUS Summer fun! Check out the pop-up water parks coming to Sydney- including WaterWorld Central At Moore Park & Bateau Bay! We also made some lists of the best kid friendly beaches on the Northern Beaches, in South Sydney, around the Harbour, and we spilled the beans on Sydney’s secret beaches!