Last updated: February 19, 2024
A guide with twenty of the best school holiday activities in Sydney to help you keep your kids busy and entertained for a few weeks.
Are you ready to launch headfirst into the long-awaited school holidays without knowing how to stay sane, entertained, or even productive during this break?
Or perhaps you’re the superhero parent, guardian, or older sibling scrambling to assemble a magic box of tricks to keep those energetic young minds busy?
We have compiled a list of 20 fun and exciting things to do during school holidays in Sydney, with outdoor as well as indoor activities. For exact dates this year, check our NSW school holidays and terms guide.
1. Go Indoor Rock Climbing
Sydney is home to many indoor bouldering and rock climbing venues where novice and experienced climbers can go and get a great workout whilst having lots of fun.
If you’re keen to try a new sport that is intense, fun, and social, indoor rock climbing or bouldering should be on top of your list.
Check out our guide to the best climbing gyms in Sydney to try out bouldering or rock climbing.
2. Play Mini Golf
Otherwise known as putt-putt, mini golf is a fun and social pastime suitable for all ages and skill levels. It’s one of those games where the fun factor is more important than winning.
You don’t have to be a golf pro either to start playing mini golf, as it’s super easy to learn, and the courses are designed such that anyone who can hold a golf club can begin playing right away.
Check out our guide to the best mini golf courses in Sydney, both indoor as well as outdoor.
3. Go Racing in Karts
Go-karting is another fun sport and pastime for all ages, with various venues in and around Sydney offering indoor and outdoor racing tracks.
Racing in go-karts is not cheap, but doing one or more sessions feels like an intense workout, so you will get good value for money with your friends.
Read our guide to the best go-karting race tracks in Sydney with awesome indoor and outdoor venues.
4. Explore the Opera House
Have you ever been inside the Opera House? If not, it’s way more exciting than you might think!
A great way to learn more about the Opera House is by doing a tour with a professional guide. That way, you can go deep underneath the world-famous sails, navigate the 300 corridors of the Opera House, and see and learn new and exciting things about Sydney’s most popular tourist attraction.
You can also do a backstage tour that goes behind the scenes, inside the orchestra pit, and inside a dressing room.
Sydney Opera House tours:
5. Jump on Trampolines
Trampoline jumping is a classic pastime in Australia, either in the backyard or in one of the trampoline parks that have popped up in Sydney in recent years.
If you’ve never been to a trampoline park before, you might be surprised by how large they are and how many different types of trampolines they offer. Fun guaranteed!
Check out our guide to the best trampoline parks in Sydney for some great options to choose from across the city.
6. Do a Pottery Class
Are you ready to get your hands a little muddy? Great! A pottery class is where the clay meets creativity, and your hands become the ultimate artists.
Think of the thrill as you shape a lump of clay into a beautiful creation. Whether it’s a giant mug, a quirky bowl, or a funky vase, the possibilities are as limitless as your imagination.
Feel the joy of making something from scratch, the excitement when the wheel starts spinning, and the satisfaction when your masterpiece emerges.
Recommended Sydney pottery classes:
7. Visit a Sydney Zoo
Are you a wildlife enthusiast, a prospective zoologist, or just up for an exciting day out in Sydney?
Sydney has various excellent zoos and wildlife parks, teeming with everything from playful penguins and cuddly koalas to majestic elephants and roaring lions.
One of our favourites is Sydney Zoo, where you can visit all the classic zoo animals, including lions, monkeys, tigers, and Australian natives like Koalas and kangaroos.
Read our guide to Sydney zoos and wildlife parks for a complete list of the best zoos in and around Sydney.
8. Discover the Harbour Bridge Pylon Lookout
Have you ever climbed the Harbour Bridge? If you think that’s a little too scary, the perfect backup plan is to visit the Harbour Bridge Pylon Lookout and Museum!
This hidden Sydney tourist attraction not only offers fantastic Harbour and city views, but it is also home to a fun and educational museum. The entrance to the pylon is on the southeastern side of the Harbour Bridge. Follow the pedestrian walkway onto the bridge and look for the big entrance sign.
Read our guide to the Harbour Bridge Pylon Lookout and Museum including photos and details on how to get there.
9. Go Ice Skating
Sydney is home to several indoor and outdoor ice skating rinks, in addition to various pop-up ice skating rinks during the winter school holidays.
Some of the indoor rinks in Sydney are world-class Olympic-sized ice skating arenas where seasoned ice skaters and beginners can enjoy a fun afternoon.
Check out our guide to the best ice skating rinks in Sydney, both indoor as well as outdoor.
10. Visit a Free Museum
While there are some fantastic museums in Sydney where you must pay an admission fee, quite a few museums still offer free entry.
Some of our favourite free museums in Sydney are the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Chau Chak Wing Museum, the Australian National Maritime Museum, and the Australian Museum.
Check out our guide to the best free museums in Sydney for some great options to spend a fun afternoon.
11. Swim in an Aquatic Centre
Swimming in an aquatic centre during the colder winter months is not only an excellent way to stay in shape, but it’s also the perfect place to have some serious fun.
Some of the Sydney aquatic centres offer exciting indoor and outdoor slides, wave pools, saunas and steam rooms, and much more.
Popular Sydney aquatic centres:
12. Visit an Escape Room
Ever dreamed of becoming a hero, a secret agent, or an intrepid explorer? Welcome to the escape room experience, where you and your friends can step into a thrilling story waiting to be written.
Imagine this: the door closes behind you, and the clock starts ticking. The room is full of cryptic puzzles, hidden clues, and unexpected surprises. You’re not just in a room; you’re inside a gripping movie, an intriguing novel, or a real-life video game.
As the minutes tick by, watch as you and your friends transform into a team of super sleuths, cracking codes, solving mysteries, and laughing in the face of challenge. The thrill of victory awaits you, but only if you can escape in time!
Check out our list with the best escape rooms in Sydney for some great options.
13. Ride a Bike
While Sydney may not be the most bicycle-friendly city in the world, there are still quite a few rides with either no cars or very few cars around.
It’s those bicycle tracks where we can all enjoy the benefits of cycling in safe surroundings whilst getting a great workout with friends and family.
Check out our guide to the best bicycle tracks in Sydney for some great options for short and longer bike rides.
14. Go Hiking
Hiking is by far the best way to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of Sydney, either by going into the bush, walking along the coast, or exploring the mountains.
So bring your friends along and go on an adventure in the great outdoors, with lots of walking tracks to choose from in and around Sydney.
Check out our guide to the best hikes in Sydney for some great options for short and longer walking tracks.
15. Explore the Blue Mountains
If you’d like to venture out a bit further, the Blue Mountains west of Sydney are surprisingly easy to access with public transport.
Catch a train from Sydney Central Station, and within two hours, you will be in Wentworth Falls, Leura or Katoomba, where you can visit the popular tourist attractions or do a couple of bush walks. In Katoomba, you can also use the hop-on-hop-off bus that brings you to all the highlights.
Read our guide on how to get to the Blue Mountains by train and our guide on the best things to do in the Blue Mountains with lots of tips and ideas.
16. Go Stand-Up Paddle Boarding
Stand-up paddle boarding, or SUP-ing, is a super fun and exciting water sport that is not only a great social activity but also an effective way to get a good workout in.
There are many secluded locations in Sydney to enjoy some serious paddling fun. Some of the gear hire shops can also teach you the basics if you’ve never done this sport before.
Popular locations to go SUP-ing in Sydney are Double Bay, Rose Bay, Watsons Bay, Manly and Clareville Beach, to name a few.
17. Jump on a Ferry
Grab your Opal card and discover the most beautiful parts of Sydney Harbour by jumping on all the ferries for a full day of outdoor fun.
With exciting destinations such as Watsons Bay, Manly, Rose Bay, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour and Cockatoo Island, you may even need two days to make the most of it.
Check out our guide to the best ferry trips in Sydney for a complete list of great ferry rides and destinations.
18. Water Fun at Raging Waters
Located in Prospect in Sydney’s west, Raging Waters is a huge outdoor water park with 25 hectares worth of family-friendly fun, including more than 30 water slides, rides and attractions.
In addition to all the exciting slides and rides, you can also rent your very own cabana, organise a birthday party, and so much more.
Check out the Raging Waters Sydney website for opening hours, admission prices and more information.
19. Go Skateboarding in a Skate Park
Skateboarding is a fun way to exercise and socialise with like-minded people while improving your coordination, balancing and agility skills.
The best way to learn skateboarding and to practise your tricks is to visit a skatepark. Luckily, there are many fantastic skate parks in various suburbs in Greater Sydney.
Read our guide to the best Sydney skateparks for some really cool skateboarding venues in Greater Sydney.
20. Discover a New Beach
This may come as no surprise, but the long and beautiful coastline of Sydney is, of course, home to a large number of fantastic beaches.
But while Bondi and Manly are indeed fantastic beaches to visit, there are so many more strips of sand to choose from in Sydney, including a few that only the locals know about.
Check out our articles with the best beaches in Sydney and the most secluded beaches in Sydney to help you find your perfect strip of sand.
