This post was written in 2009. Here is the post for this year Children’s Activities For September School Holidays In Melbourne 2010.
Only two weeks to go to school holidays start here in Victoria. I for one cannot wait. We will be having a weekend away at the beach, but other than that we will be staying in Melbourne and having a combination of daily excursions and just hanging out at home.
September school holidays in Melbourne always has a myriad of activities on offer for the kids. Listed below are just 10 that I think are worth checking out. If you are interested in any of them and they require bookings, I would recommend doing it soon as these events often book out.
1. ACMI Open Day
Celebrating the completion of the redevelopment at ACMI, they are opening their doors on Sun 20th Sept from 10am – 6pm and are putting on a fantastic range of free activities and films. Highlights include:
Time Slice: Inspired by the iconic ‘bullet time’ sequence in The Matrix, this full-body interactive experience is a world first. Your ‘Time Slice’ clip can then be sent to your email address for you to share with family and friends.
Make your own Foley sound effects: A ‘Foley’ artist creates post-production sounds for film using pots, glasses, shoes and just about anything else that makes a noise. In this fun workshop you’ll create your own sound effects for film footage – with potentially hilarious results! 11am-2pm > The Cube
Pong vs Tennis: Play videogame graphics across time in this full-body interactive experience. Player One has a retro-style paddle, while Player Two has a fully motion sensitive wireless controller. Who will win?
Check out the website here for more free activities and here for a listing of Films From The Vault that will be shown on the day.
2. Spooky Animation and Movie Making
This activity is also at ACMI! The sessions they run in school holidays are always fantastic. We have made a number of animations before but have never made a movie using the green screen, so are very excited about doing that these holidays.
Running from Mon 21 Sep – Fri 25 Sep, Mon 28 Sep – Fri 2 Oct, ACMI has Kids in the Studio: Make a spooky movie! In this free workshop, kids will be guided through creating and performing in their own spooky movie using green screen technology. It is recommended for children aged 4 to 12. No bookings are required and it runs from 12pm – 4pm.
You can also see some free animations before the session at 11am. The kids flicks for the September School Holidays are Spooky Animated Classics (G) They run for a total of 58 minutes and incldue Australian production Sebastian the Fox and Goofy, Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse in Lonesome Ghosts.
3. Snorkelling
This is part of the school holiday program at Aqualink Box Hill. They have two snorkelling sessions – 25 September & 2 October from 10.30am – 12.30pm. The Snorkelling clinics are run by Scuba Culture. The minimum age for participants is 6 years and each session is $23. Bookings can be made by downloading the registration form or calling 9898 2099.
4. The Royal Melbourne Show
It has been many years since we have been to the Melbourne Show. This year it is on from 17 Sept until 27 Sept. It is certainly not a cheap outing for the family with prices as follows:
Adults: $ 28.00
Children (5-14 yrs): $ 13.00
Children under 5: FREE
Family A (2 adults, 2 children): $ 65.00
Family B (1 adult, 3 children): $52.00
Additional Child with Family ticket (5-14 yrs): $ 8.00
If you do get along, be sure to check out the interactive kids activities which include:
Spudhunters is a free, fun interactive activity for kids in the Grand Pavilion that is all about SPUDS! Learn where they come from, how they grow and what they are used for. Dig up your own potatoes in specially designed paddocks and be amazed at the different shapes and sizes of the varieties. Once you have your spuds (that are yours to take home) you can speak to a farmer about how spuds grow and how a farm operates.
Working with Wood – FREE. Children can try their hands at woodwork in the Kids Zone. Sitting at their own workstation in a woodwork class, children will learn how to use tools to make their very own wooden masterpiece. Completing one of the several models they can choose from in class, children can then take their artwork home to display proudly on the mantel piece.
Working with Wood is open from 9.30am – 5.00pm daily.
5. Grand Final Celebrations
This is not an activity that will excite all Melbournians but I have two boys who are pretty keen on AFL (Australian Rules Football). In the week leading up to grand final day on Saturday 26th September, there are a number of AFL events on at Federation Square:
Tue 22 September Kicks for Kids Day. From 10.00am
Wed 23 September Idol’s Live – The Top 10. From 10.00am
Thu 24 September – Spirit of Football Day. From 10.00am
Fri 25 September – Footy on Parade Day. From 10am
Sat 26 September – Grand Final Live. From 10am
Check the AFL Website closer to the date for further details. (Image by brylan )
6. School Holiday Activities At The Library
Libraries are a great source of free and low cost activities for the kids in school holidays. You can try the State Library Of Victoria in the city for something like this:
Slovenian storytelling: Land of fairytales
Meet five popular Slovenian authors and enjoy delightful stories and a puppet show, Song for a Fairy. Presented in association with the Institute for Slovenian Studies of Victoria.
Time: Sat 19 & Tues 22 Sept, 11am–12noon
Venue: Experimedia
Bookings: Book online for 19 Sept or 22 Sept, phone 03 8664 7099 or email bookings@slv.vic.gov.au Free
Or try your local library. Here are some examples of what you might find:
Wild Action will be presenting their amazing Insect-a-mania show – a fantastic opportunity to learn about the weird and wonderful world of insects and mini beasts.
The unique Terry Cole, artist extraordinaire, will be performing his Circus in a Suitcase show. The show is a wonderful mixture of circus, magic and music.
Marvels of Magic WITH ELIO SIMONETTI. Discover the secrets
of magic tricks!
Ages 5+ years, 3.30 – 4.15pm
Cost $3 per child. Bookings essential.MANGA DRAWING . Create your own Manga character.
Ages 10-14 yrs
2.30 – 4.30pm
Cost $3 per child. Bookings essential.
(Image by Luca Castellazzi)
7. Cook’s Cottage School Holiday Program
Cook’s Cottage will be buzzing with fun these Spring School Holidays at the Butterflies, Bugs & Blooms Workshops.
Watch your childs creativity grow as they engage in arts and crafts, creating their own wonderful world of beautiful butterflies and bugs, whilst embracing the blossoming blooms in the Cottage Garden. A guided tour of the Cottage and its gardens will complete their exciting journey. Don’t miss out, book in early.
Date: 21 to 25 September and 28 September to 2 October
Time: 11am to 12 noon and 1pm to 2pm weekdays
Cost: Child: $7.50 (includes guided tour and craft activity), Adult: $2.20 (accompanying child)Bookings and further information: (03 )9419 5766
Email: cookscottage@melbourne.vic.gov.au
8. Art Sparks – Dali Kids
NGV international is located at 180 St Kilda Road and is 10am–5pm (Closed Tuesdays). During the school holidays they are running Art Sparks sessions inspired by the Dali exhibition. The cost of the Art Sparks session is free, but admission fees apply to the Dali Exhibition. The sessions start at 10.30am and no bookings are required.
The Dali Exhibition runs until Oct 4th. (Image by Alejandro Peters)
9. Gasworks School Holiday Program
Gasworks Arts Park is located at 21 Graham Street, Albert Park. They have a comprehensive school holiday program with different activities to suit all ages.
Choose from activities such as:
Hip Hop Dance Classes
With DEMILITION B-GIRL (Demi – So You Think You Can Dance Top 4, 2008)
Age: 6 to 13
Demilition B-Girl Demilition B-Girl will teach hip hop moves and routines so that you too can groove on the dance floor. Come to the Casio Brothers & Demilition B-Girl in concert after the workshop and dance with them!
Dates: Mon 28 or Tue 29 Sep
Time: 10am to 10.45am
Venue: Gasworks Theatre
Tickets: $13
Bookings: t: 9699 3253 or book online now!Fairy Mary’s Favourite Faces
Age: 3 to 6
Fairy Mary Fairy Mary invites children to make up their face to look like one of her fairy friends: grumbly dragon, cheeky elf, fairy princess, beautiful butterfly or a friend you might know! Includes stories, dancing and a makeup kit to take home.
Dates: Mon 21 or Mon 28 Sep
Times: 9.45am to 10.45am or 11.15am to 12.15pm
Venue: Art & Craft Room
Tickets: $18
Bookings:t: 9699 3253 or book online now!
10. Melbourne Zoo School Holiday Activities
The Melbourne Zoo runs a full day activity for school age children. See their website for details of each activity:
Monday 21st September Junior Keepers
Tuesday 22nd September Animal Myth Busters
Wednesday 23rd September Dude where’s my Croc?
Thursday 24th September Junior Keepers
Friday 25th September Spring BabiesMonday 28th September Spring Babies
Tuesday 29th September Junior Keepers
Wednesday 30th September Animal Myth Busters
Thursday 1st October Dude where’s my Croc?
Friday 2nd October Junior Keepers
Cost: $58.00 Includes morning tea (BYO lunch )
Time: 8.30am to 3.30pm
Age: 5 –12 yrs old
Enquiries and bookings call: (03) 9285 9406 (Image by Scootie)