What’s On in Melbourne for Summer School Holidays 2023

School holidays are a great time for families to get out and about and explore all that Melbourne has to offer. With the Summer School Holidays fast approaching, there are plenty of activities and attractions that you and your family can enjoy throughout the city. 

From outdoor activities and beach days to unique experiences such as animal encounters and sports events, there's something for everyone. To help you find the best one for your family, I’m back again with another breakdown of what’s on in Melbourne for the Summer School Holidays!

Be sure to check back often for updates and to see what’s on in Melbourne today and this weekend, as well as what’s happening for the whole month.

Featured Event #1

Pixar Putt

Get ready to kick some serious putt when everyone's favourite mini-golf experience, Pixar Putt, opens for the first time on the Frankston Waterfront this summer!

This open air, pop-up mini-golf sensation is made up of interactive putt-putt holes inspired by the stories, characters, and icons from some of Pixar’s most beloved films including Toy Story, Cars, Monsters Inc., Turning Red, Soul, The Incredibles, Onward, Finding Nemo, A Bug’s Life, Wall-E, Inside Out, Luca and more.

The experience is perfect for players of all ages and is sure to become a popular summer destination throughout the school holidays.

Pixar Putt, Frankston Foreshore, Frankston

FEATURED EVENT #2

Melbourne Museum

Play all day for the young—and all night for the young at heart—as Melbourne Museum celebrates summer with an illuminated Plaza playscape. Enjoy sparkling days and balmy nights with friends, and drop in for a swing or a play at Museum Plaza.

Click here for the Full program of events visit.

Melbourne Museum, 11 Nicholson St, Carlton, +61 131102

WHAT’S ON – MELBOURNE’S NORTH / NORTH-EAST

• TeamKids Summer School Holidays (Wed 21 Dec – Sun 29 Jan) – Let your kids enjoy activities that will engage and entertain them in a fun and safe environment over the school holidays.
• Family Fridays at Pentridge (Fri 23 Dec – Fri 27 Jan) – Join in every Friday evening at Pentridge for live music, children’s activities and family fun!
• Summer of Play Melbourne Museum Plaza (Sat 24 Dec – Sun 26 Feb) – Play all day as Melbourne Museum celebrates summer with an illuminated Plaza playscape. Experience unmissable exhibitions, hot pink activations and late-night events.
• Big (Safe) Cardboard Car at Melbourne Museum (Tue 3 Jan – Fri 20 Jan) – Check out this a full-scale cardboard car installation created by talented and award-winning local Cardboard Architect Tobias Hoorocks.
• Slow Art Collective: Pavilion 2023 (Wed 4 Jan – Wed 18 Jan) – A brand-new series of, hands-on, art activities with Slow Art Collective, using visual art, craft, sound and performances.
• Child Nation (Wed 4 Jan – Tue 24 Jan) – Premiering for the first time, using a hand-held device, kids are prompted to answer quirky questions in response to the things they see around them.
• Whitehorse School Holiday Program (Mon 9 Jan – Thu 6 Jan) – Stay entertained these summer school holidays with a range of fun and affordable activities involving sports, arts, the environment, history and things the family can enjoy together.
• Brickman Masterclasses (Fri 13 Jan) – A unique opportunity to get up close and personal with Bricktionary: the interactive LEGO® exhibtion. Learn a whole new set of skills and meet the Brickman in person.
• Lunar New Year Celebrations (Sat 21 Jan) – Find your zodiac animal, enjoy Lunar New Year cuisine at the Museum Café, visit the Museum Store for Lunar New Year-inspired gifts or stay on for late-night DJs and food trucks on the Museum Plaza for Summer of Play.
• Brickvention (Sat 21 Jan – Sun 22 Jan) – An all things lego convention that's filled with workshops, presentations, special events and challenges!
• Resonate (Until Dec 2022) – a series of unique local and family-friendly live music events happening in Brunswick, Coburg and beyond.

• Tyama: A multisensory experience of nature (ongoing) – Be transported to Victoria’s nocturnal worlds, immersing you in 360-degree responsive projections, breathtaking effects and exquisite soundscapes. Tyama review
• Story Seekers Melbourne Museum (Mondays and Fridays) – Join in at the Melbourne Gallery to explore stories that bring life to treasures.
• Tiny Tour Melbourne Museum (Mondays and Fridays) – a 45-minute tour created for early-year audiences that will invite them to wonder, discover and be amazed.
• Bite-Sized Science Melbourne Museum (First Saturday of the Month) – Discover our natural world and uncover the secret life of the creatures around us and their ecosystems in these monthly Bite-Sized Science sessions.
• Fitzroy Market (Saturdays) – a one-stop hub for everything produce, food, artisan, handcrafted, vintage, second hand and local.

• Abbotsford Farmers Market (Saturday) – Shop local and seasonal produce and visit the Collingwood Children’s Farm which is just next door.
• VU Play Coburg pop-up playspaces (Tuesdays – Saturdays) – VU early childhood pre-service teachers create pop-up play spaces for children to play.
• Rose Street Artists' Market (Saturdays and Sundays) – Shop directly from Melbourne’s best artists, designers, crafters and makers at Fitzroy’s iconic Rose Street Market.
• Diamond Valley Railway (Sundays) – miniature railway with a playground next door. Diamond Valley Railway Review.

WHAT’S ON – MELBOURNE’S SOUTH / SOUTH-EAST / BAYSIDE

• The Art Factory Malvern (Mon 19 Dec – Fri 20 Jan) – various activities and workshops.
• TeamKids Summer School Holidays (Wed 21 Dec – Sun 29 Jan) – Let your kids enjoy activities that will engage and entertain them in a fun and safe environment over the school holidays.
• Space Jam (Fri 23 Dec – Sun 19 Feb) – a fun and active basketball play, video gaming and skills testing event experience for all ages coming to The Glen Shopping Centre.
• Gumbuya World – School Holidays (Tue 27 Dec – Sun 29 Jan) – Get one-on-one with wild friends like koalas, kangaroos, wombats, and more, and then hit up the adrenaline-filled rides like The Rebel, the Giant Tree Swing, dodgem cars and more.
• The Explorer (Sat 1 Jan – Tue 28 Feb) – Discover the beauty of this inner-city oasis and enjoy live commentary in the comfort of an open-air minibus.
• Seek and Find Nature Cards (Sat 1 Jan – Fri 30 Jun) – Set your young ones on an adventure exploring the wondrous scenery, plants and creatures of Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne with their Seek and Find Nature Cards.
• Little Devils Circus (Sun 2 Jan – Fri 20 Jan) – teach, inspire and exhaust even the most restless of children!
• Operation Ouch Live! (Thu 5 Jan – Fri 6 Jan) – This brilliant show will be packed with all-new crazy experiments, mind blowing illusions and amazing facts, showing you the incredible things your body can do. 
• Climbing School Holiday Programs (Fri 6 Jan, Wed 11 Jan, Thu 12 Jan, Fri 13 Jan Mon 16 Jan, Wed 18 Jan, Tue 27 Jan, & Fri 27 Jan) – Enjoy 4 hours of engaging fun including supervised climbing/caving, craft activities and active games.
• Summer Cinema (Sat 7 Jan, Sat 14 Jan & Sat 21 Jan) – Sink into the summer vibes and cruise on down to Bunjil Place on Friday evenings throughout December and Saturday evenings in January.
• Hypercolour Summer Family Films (Sun 8 Jan, Sun 15 Jan & Sun 22 Jan) – Checkout this series of hyper-colourful Sunday films for all the family to enjoy.
• Loose Parts in the Play Republic (Mon 9 Jan – Fri 13 Jan) – With abundant, simple resources and the ability to come and go freely from the space, the Plaza will become your playground for creative ideas and building.
• Summer Nature Play (Tue 10 Jan – Wed 11 Jan) – Delight your child’s senses with free nature play experiences in the Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden this summer, led by Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria’s experienced Learning Facilitators.

• The Rainbow Tree (Sat 14 Jan – Sun 15 Jan) – The Rainbow Tree is playful, imaginative and interactive. It’s filled with fun visual imagery, wonderful original songs, live music and stories written by seven children from Rainbow families.
• Sunset Sounds (Sun 15 Jan & Sun 22 Jan) – Come along with your friends and family, grab your picnic rug, and settle in for great evenings of live music under summer sunset skies
• PrimeSCI! Hawthorn Science Workshops – (Mon 16 Jan – Fri 20 Jan) – Attention young scientists! Get back in the classroom for hands-on holiday science at Swinburne Uni's Hawthorn Campus.
• Tangle by Polyglot Theatre (Tue 17 Jan – Fri 20 Jan) – Tangle invites children and their families to create a giant, vibrant, interactive artwork that shifts and grows over time.
• The Gruffalo (Tue 17 Jan – Wed 18 Jan) – Join Mouse on a daring adventure through the deep, dark wood in this magical, musical adaptation of the classic picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
• Night MODE: Hypercolour Edition (Thu 19 Jan) – Expect tight grooves from soul-pop outfit JOTHI, indulge in a little lino printing with artist Yaz Gaté and experience craft, collage and colour like never before at workshops by JNL X SJM.
• Windmill Theatre Company's World of Musicals For Kids Z (Sat 21 Jan – Sun 22 Jan) – Featuring a mixture of songs from Broadway Musicals and animated film your kids are sure to be singing and dancing in the aisles.
• Butterfly House (Fri 27 Jan – Sun 29 Jan) –  Come and celebrate the miracle of flight and metamorphosis at the Butterfly House. Meet a giant praying mantis or make friends with a caterpillar.
• Numinous Bloom (Wed 25 Jan – Thu 26 Jan) – an interactive mechanical garden for all ages featuring triggered animatronics, sound and light.
• The Wind in the Willows (Sat 17 – Sun 29 Jan) – Join Ratty, Mole, Badger, Otter, Portly and, of course, Mr Toad as they bring Glenn Elston’s adaption of Kenneth Grahame’s immortal story of life on the riverbank to the stage.
• Kickstart Soccer (Mon 19 Dec – Thu 22 Dec) – focus is on skill development and game time.
• Fizz Kidz Malvern  (Mon 19 Dec – Fri 27 Jan) -Each child takes home their own special all natural cosmetic creation from our holiday program’s events in Melbourne.
• Alice in Wonderland (Tue 20 Dec – Sat 28 Jan 2023) – This school holiday, tumble down the rabbit hole as the Australian Shakespeare Company presents Lewis Carroll’s absurd & wickedly clever classic – Alice in Wonderland
• Inflatable Fun Park (Until Sun 29 Jan) – ome on down and make a splash this summer as you enjoy a number of water activities, large inflatable pools and sports activities
• Hypercolour Summer at Bunjil Place (Until Sun 26 Feb) – This summer, head on over to Bunjil Place to enjoy fun-tastic shows, art workshops, movies & more.
• Christmas at Dandenong Plaza (Various dates throughout December), Giveaways, free Santa photos, free festive kids activities, gift wrapping, Christmas choir performances and more. 
• Free face painting Prahran Market (Thursdays during school holidays) – face painter, Alysha, from Paint The Party.
• Sunset Twilight Markets (Sundays) – Enjoy live music, roaming performers,  curated stallholders offering a variety of unique products and wares and more
• Mornington Railway (Sundays) – Climb aboard the Mornington Railway steam train for a fun-filled outing.
• Little Play Squad Legoland (Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays) – An interactive parent-child Play & Learn session based on LEGO® DUPLO®. DUPLO Farm Adventure Review.

• Bentleigh Sunday Market (Sundays) – plants, clothing, cosmetics, jewellery, books, videos, tools, antiques, crafts, pre-loved goods and more! Every Sunday. 
• Frankston Community Market (Sundays) – a weekly community market located in the very heart of Frankston, featuring an ever-changing variety of stalls.
• Gasworks Farmers’ Market (Third Saturday of every month until Sun 18 Dec) – On Saturdays soak up the vibrant atmosphere and sample the very best of local Victorian produce directly from Victorian farmers and specialty makers.
• Gumbuya World Wildlife Wanderers (Every Wed) – join in every Wednesday for a day full of fun for your little ones with a 30-minute program, which will include storytime, games and nature play-based activities.
• The Mexican Music Man – The Mexican Music Man plays a wide range of instruments and encourages your children to get involved! Come and sing “We all live in a Yellow Submarine” with the Mexican Music Man- the kids (and you!) will have a ball.
• Prahran Market Mini Marketeers (Every Tuesday) – Enjoy free, guided activities teaching toddlers the fundamentals of eating well and putting the ‘yum’ in healthy food choices.
• Camelot Traffic School (Weekends and School Holidays) Ride or scoot in this miniature city and get practical experience riding and learning some road rules. Located in Bentleigh East. Check their hours on their website before you go as they are subject to change. Read my review.
• Young at Art Mornington Peninsula Art Gallery (Tuesdays) – program for 0-5-year-olds. Sing, dance, clap and stomp your feet with Matteo! Do an exciting activity with the Education Coordinator afterwards.

WHAT’S ON – MELBOURNE’S EAST

• TeamKids Summer School Holidays (Wed 21 Dec – Sun 29 Jan) – Let your kids enjoy activities that will engage and entertain them in a fun and safe environment over the school holidays.
• Cherry Picking Cherryhill Orchards (Mon 14 Nov – early Jan 2023) – Pick your own cherries and enjoy cherry treats. Full review. 
• Ninja Parc (Tue 20 Dec – Fri 27 Jan) – 3 hours of Ninja Parc action, dedicated Ninja Coach/Parc Ranger and morning or afternoon snack provided.
• School Holidays at Heide Museum of Modern Art (Wed 21 Dec – Sun 29 Jan) – Enjoy a great range of drop-off workshops designed for primary school-aged children.
• Westgate Vacation Care (Tue 3 Jan – Fri 27 Jan) – Created to offer a range of activities that will help build your child's confidence, support their interests, explore their curiosity and encourage the development of a variety of skills that will allow your child to get the best start in life.
• SkyHigh Dandenongs Children's Festival (Mon 9 Jan – Thu 19 Jan) – dine in at the SkyHigh bistro or maze cafe while your kids can enjoy the awesome fun on top of the mountain.
• Junior Chocolatier Yarra Valley Chocolaterie (Tue 10 Jan – Wed 25 Dec) – Children aged 6 – 12 years can learn from Chocolatiers how to make their very own yummy creations. Read my review.
• Asian Cooking with Parents and Kids (Sun 10 Jan & Fri 27 Jan) – If your child loves to eat and have fun, you want them enrolled in our kid cooking classes. More important than having fun, your child will begin to learn a fresh and healthy alternative to foods. We use all-natural and healthy ingredients in every dish.
• Ninja Mania Challenge (Wed 11 Jan, Fri 13 Jan, Wed 18 Jan and Fri 20 Jan) – Test our your ninja warrior skills at the first custom-made Ninja challenge course for all wanna-be Ninjas!
• So Frenchy So Chic (Sun 15 Jan) – experience joie de vivre as the French do, with plenty of fine food and wine, sunshine, fabulous music and great company.
• Box Hill Central Chinese Lunar New Year (Tue 17 Jan – Sun 29 Jan) – Join in the fun and see the traditional lion dancers perform to spread wisdom, good fortune and happiness for the year ahead.
• Chinese Lunar New Year at Sunshine Marketplace (Tue 17 Jan – Sun 29 Jan) – You’re invited to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit at Sunshine Marketplace.
• Chinese Lunar New Year at Victoria Gardens (Tue 17 Jan – Sun 29 Jan) – Find your fortune for the upcoming year of the rabbit, watch lion dance performances, and more!
• Kids in the Kitchen (Mon 23 Jan – Sun 29 Jan) – Throw on your chef hat and dust off your apron, because Kids in the Kitchen is coming to Eastland these school holidays!

• Blue Lotus Water Garden (until Mon 10 Apr) – thousands of beautiful blooms, picnic areas, fairy garden, workshops. Read my review.
• Auburn Kids Sunday Funday (Sundays) – Let the kids roam with the barnyard animals at the FREE petting zoo while you enjoy a Sunday roast! What could be better!?
• Camberwell Sunday Market (Every Sunday) – second-hand retro, vintage, antique, fashion and collectible goods you just can't find anywhere else
• Yarra Valley Railway (Every Sun) – take a trip on the historic Walker RM22 Railmotor from Healesville to Tunnel Hill. Yarra Valley Review.
• Heide Art Babies (Tuesdays) – 30 minutes of sensory play in the gallery, looking, thinking and talking about art. Heide Art Babies Review.
• Mooroolbark Miniature Railway (Runs 4th Sunday each month) – miniature rail running every 4th Sunday.

WHAT’S ON – MELBOURNE’S WEST

• TeamKids Summer School Holidays (Wed 21 Dec – Sun 29 Jan) – Let your kids enjoy activities that will engage and entertain them in a fun and safe environment over the school holidays.
• Ramp Camp (Tue 20 Dec – Mon 30 Jan) – Camps are suitable for skateboarders, scooters & BMX riders aged from 7-14.
• Kids and Parents Skate Class (Thu 5 Jan, Tue 10 Jan, Thu 12 Jan, Tue 17 Jan, Thu 19 Jan, and Tue 24 Jan) – a group roller skate class for kids where their parents/adults can join in and skate too. Running during January 2023 school holidays.
• Fish Club (Fri 6 Jan, Fri 13 Jan & Fri 20 Jan) – 2-hour interactive experience teaching kids about marine creatures, caring for the environment and an introduction to responsible fishing.
• Movies by the Bay (Fri 13 Jan & Fri 20 Jan) – Enjoy free outdoor screenings of family-friendly films in Hobsons Bay.
• Lego Fun at Pacific Werribee (Sat 14 Jan – Sun 15 Jan) – This fantastic two-day charity event gives you the chance to share your incredible builds, discuss techniques and talk about all things LEGO® in a family-friendly environment.
• Junior Chocolatier Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie (Mon 9 Jan – Mon 23 Jan) – chocolate making workshop and free chocolate tastings. Read my review.
• Jurassic Creatures (Sat 7 Jan – Sun 22 Jan) –  Explore and be amazed as the greatest creatures ever to walk the earth return and come alive before your eyes.
• Superstars (Tue 17 Jan – Fri 20 Jan) – Spanning four days, each day, kids do three different performing arts workshops run by professional artists.
• Inspiring Minds (Mon 16 Jan – Wed 25 Jan) – workshops with hands-on activities to strengthen fine motor skills, explore STEM concepts, develop resilience and foster a love of learning.
• The Rainbow Tree (Thu 19 Jan – Fri 20 Jan) – The Rainbow Tree is musical storytelling with moving image. Written with children from Rainbow families, it shares personal and imagined stories around the idea of family, identity and community.
• Summer School Holidays at Kryal Castle (Wed 21 Dec – Sun 29 Jan) – Kryal Castle in Ballarat will be transformed into a fantastical kingdom of fairies and goblins! Enjoy a wand-erful range of performances and activities each day that make for a spellbinding adventure.
• Tet Vietnamese New Year Celebration – Community event (Sun 22 Jan) – a family-friendly event that combines food, culture, fashion and the arts. On top of this, the event will also include a game show with prizes and prizes for the ‘Best Ao Dai of the Day'.
• Tet Vietnamese New Year Celebration – Arts Showcase (Sun 22 Jan) – This special event will include an Ao Dai fashion show, Vietnamese traditional dance, live music, a magician and a children's fashion show.
• Australia Day in Wyndham (Thu 26 Jan) – Pack your picnic blanket and enjoy a morning of family entertainment with live music, kids’ activities, roving performers and more.
• Extreme Arts (Mon 23 Jan – Wed 25 Jan) – Enjoy Printmaking, learn hip-hop dance and learn how to be a puppeteer in this three-day arts program.
• Pirates Ahoy! (until 29 Jan 2023) – Calling all scallywags! Visit LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Melbourne during these school holidays to join the Pirate festivities!

• Summer Cirq-tacular (Fridays and Saturdays in January) – Celebrate summer in a Cirq-tacular fashion with clown shows, magic shows, hula hoops, and juggling every weekend.
• Illuminate (Daily) – a brand new exhibition exploring the science behind the fastest traveller in the universe – light. Ignite the senses and learn through hands-on interactive play. What is light, what can we do with it, and how do we see?
• Meet me in Tarneit Market (Third Friday of Each month) – Meet me in Tarneit is back and they’re turning up the heat in Tarneit once again to bring you free movies, music, markets and more.
• Yarraville Village Farmers Market (1st & 3rd Saturday of Each Month) – enjoy a wonderful, relaxed community environment and sample the freshest products direct from the farmers and producers as you shop in the open.
• Mini Makers (Wednesdays) – Back for Term 3, Mini Makers provides masterclasses for kids ages 2 – 5, where they can explore science, craft, cooking, music, movement and more!
• Bulla Railway (3rd Sunday of each month) – Ride the dinosaur trail on the miniature railway. Bulla Railway Review.
• Altona Miniature Railway (3rd Sunday of the month) – between 10 am and 3 pm ride this wonderful Miniature Railway. Altona Miniature Railway review.
• Story Time With Amanda Falson (Mondays) – Join in this free event with your little ones every Monday morning for story time with Amanda Falson.
• Grazeland (Fridays – Sundays) – huge dining precinct with city views and 50 stalls to choose from. Read the Grazeland Review

• Essendon Traffic School (Saturdays) – Essendon Traffic School is a mini road set up for kids aged two to ten years, complete with road signs, railway bells and traffic lights. Essendon Traffic School review.
• Sunday Funday Station Hotel (Sundays) – Every Sunday The Station Hotel prepares an animal farm and other entertaining activities to keep the little ones busy while you sit back and relax. Station Hotel Review
• Enterprize Sail Williamstown (usually sails the third Sunday of every month) – go for a one-hour sail on the tall ship Enterprize in Williamstown.

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