Melbourne School Holidays Activities December/January

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Mum-tested experiences updated for the 2026 school holidays.

When it comes to finding the best school holiday activities in Melbourne, I look for family activities I would genuinely choose myself. Even better, many of the activities in this guide are ones I’ve personally tried with Alex, Ben and Sophie over the years.

I update this article in the lead-up to every set of Victorian school holidays with new events, activities and ideas to help save you time (and money). To make it easier to find something that suits your family, I’ve organised my suggestions by age and budget, including big days out, cheap activities and free things to do, and added my own tips to help you decide what’s actually worth your time.

Best Melbourne school holiday activities by age

HOT TIP: This article is LONG and filled with my own personal experiences and recommendations, but not every activity works for every child. So if you are looking for the TL;DR version, these are some of my quick picks depending on who you’re trying to entertain.

Age	Good choices
Toddlers & preschoolers	Melbourne Zoo, Collingwood Children’s Farm, Royal Park Nature Play, Melbourne Museum Children’s Gallery, ArtPlay
Primary school kids	LEGOLAND, Puffing Billy, Scienceworks, Clip ’n Climb, Ashcombe Maze
Tweens	Archie Brothers, O’Brien Icehouse, Skydeck, MCG Tour, Melbourne Museum
Teenagers	Flight Experience, Old Melbourne Gaol, Fire Services Museum, St Kilda Penguins, Shrine of Remembrance
Whole family	Melbourne Zoo, Royal Botanic Gardens, Federation Square, National Gallery of Victoria, City Circle Tram

Things to do in Melbourne during the school holidays

There is no shortage of things to do with kids in Melbourne during the school holidays, but finding the right activity for your family, your budget and the weather can take some digging.

Below you’ll find my picks for big family days out, cheaper activities and completely free things to do. I’ve included plenty of activities we’ve tried ourselves, along with some I’ve researched and added because I think they’re genuinely worth considering.

If Melbourne’s weather isn’t playing nicely, I’ve also put together a complete guide to indoor activities in Melbourne for toddlers through to teenagers.

And if you need something more structured while you’re working, you’ll find full and half-day options in my guide to Melbourne school holiday programs and vacation care.

Let’s start with the BIG days out.

BIG days out in Melbourne these school holidays

Some school holiday activities are perfect for filling an hour or two, but these are the ones worth building a whole day around. Over the years, I’ve done many of Melbourne’s big family attractions with my son Alex, from riding Puffing Billy and exploring the city’s wildlife attractions to heading up the Skydeck and trying our hand at flying a plane. Some have been definite hits, others have suited particular ages better, and I’ll tell you that too. If you’re looking for a memorable school holiday day out, these are the Melbourne experiences I’d start with.

Melbourne Zoo

I took Alex to Melbourne Zoo when he was three, and at that age the zoo was a brilliant big day out. He has always loved being in charge of the map, so I handed it over and let him think he was deciding where we were going next. Secretly, of course, I had already planned our route. He was three. What did he know? 😉

There is plenty here for younger children because you don’t need every animal to cooperate for the day to be a success. Melbourne Zoo is home to hundreds of species, including Australian wildlife, giraffes, big cats, reptiles and primates. One of my favourite memories from our visit is just how close Alex got to an orangutan through the glass. Looking back at the photo now, I’m not entirely sure which of them was more fascinated by the other.

My tip: arrive as early as you reasonably can, particularly during the warmer school holidays. Animals can be more active during the cooler part of the morning and you’ll also get a head start on the school holiday crowds. If your child desperately wants to see one particular animal, check the day’s keeper talks and feeding times, but don’t build the entire visit around spotting it. Tigers, I’m looking at you.

For little kids, I found it much easier to treat the day as “let’s see what animals we can find” rather than promising a checklist of must-see animals. Let them hold the map, stop when something catches their attention and accept that sometimes the thing a three-year-old finds most exciting isn’t remotely the thing you expected!

Melbourne Zoo is only a few kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD and is easy to make into a full-day school holiday outing. Children under 16 receive free general admission on weekends, Victorian public holidays and Victorian Government school holidays, which makes it particularly good value for families visiting during the break.

Best for: Toddlers, preschoolers, primary school kids and families with mixed ages.

Check out the Melbourne Zoo website.

Fly a Boeing 737 at Flight Experience Melbourne

This was an absolute winner for us. I took Alex to Flight Experience Melbourne when he was 16 and booked him the one-hour Boeing 737 simulator experience. He loved it, and so did I!

We did Flight Experience when it was located at QV in Melbourne’s CBD. It has since moved to The District Docklands, but the Boeing 737 simulator experience we loved is still available.

Alex took the Captain’s seat while an experienced instructor guided him through the flight, and I got to sit directly behind him as his passenger. During his session he tackled Melbourne, Paris, London and Brisbane, getting to experience the take-offs and landings without either of us having to worry about him actually being responsible for a plane full of passengers!

The simulator is designed to replicate the cockpit of a Boeing 737, with the controls, instruments, sounds and visuals making the whole experience feel remarkably real. You don’t need any previous flying experience either. The instructor guides you through everything and can tailor the flight to suit your ability.

My tip: If your child is genuinely interested in aviation, I’d choose one of the longer sessions if your budget allows. Our hour gave Alex enough time to really get into the experience rather than having it finish just as he’d worked out what he was doing.

Flight Experience itself isn’t going to fill your whole day. Our simulator session lasted an hour, and the current experiences also include a pre-flight briefing. Now that Flight Experience has moved to The District Docklands, I’d use its new location to build a bigger Docklands day around it. Have lunch, explore the waterfront and add another nearby activity that suits your family.

I particularly like this one for older kids and teenagers because it’s genuinely different from the usual school holiday attractions. And as the parent, you don’t necessarily have to miss out. Sitting behind Alex while he attempted to land a Boeing 737 was part of the fun for me!

Best for: Older primary school kids, tweens and teenagers, particularly aviation-mad kids and anyone who has ever wondered what it feels like to sit in the Captain’s seat of a passenger jet.

Find out more online here.

You can buy the experience here.

SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium

I first took Alex to SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium when he was three, but SEA LIFE has become something of a recurring theme since then. We’ve visited the Sydney and Mooloolaba aquariums many times and even managed to visit SEA LIFE in Hannover, Germany! So I can safely say we’ve tested the aquarium experience at quite a few ages.

SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium is completely indoors, which makes it a particularly useful school holiday option when Melbourne delivers one of its rainy, freezing or ridiculously hot days. There are more than a dozen themed zones to explore, with sharks, rays, jellyfish, seahorses, tropical fish and King and Gentoo penguins, as well as animal talks, feeds and interactive experiences.

Book before you go, particularly during the Victorian school holidays when popular sessions can fill. If you have a choice, I’d opt for an earlier session when it is likely to be quieter. Allow around two hours for your visit, although children who want to stop and inspect absolutely everything can easily stretch it longer.

My tip: The aquarium is pram-friendly, but some areas are deliberately dark and immersive and it can become noisy when busy. If your child is sensitive to crowds, noise or lighting, an earlier session may make for a more relaxed visit.

Best for: Toddlers, preschoolers, primary school kids and marine-life-loving tweens and teenagers.

Take a look at the Sea Life website here.

Grab your ticket here to skip the queue.

LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Melbourne

If you have a LEGO-mad child aged around 3–10, LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Melbourne is an indoor LEGO playground at Chadstone Shopping Centre designed specifically for this younger age group. Personally, I think it skews younger end of the age group. I think that’s worth pointing out because this isn’t a miniature version of the enormous LEGOLAND theme parks you might have visited overseas. Think interactive LEGO play centre rather than theme park.

There are 13 attractions and play areas inside, including two rides, a 4D cinema with wind, rain and even snow effects, LEGO Racers where kids can build and test their own cars, a Creative Workshop, DUPLO Farm Adventure for little builders and LEGO City Fire Academy.

One of the highlights is MINILAND Melbourne, built from more than 1.5 million LEGO bricks. Kids can hunt for familiar Melbourne landmarks including Flinders Street Station, Luna Park, Eureka Tower and the MCG, with interactive features dotted throughout the miniature city.

This is one I’d choose primarily for preschool and primary-school-aged LEGO fans rather than tweens or teenagers. In fact, the centre describes itself as designed for children aged 3–10. If your older child has graduated from building LEGO to leaving it scattered across their bedroom floor for you to stand on, I’d probably choose one of Melbourne’s more adventurous attractions instead.

My tip: You need to pre-book online and choose a timed session. Adults cannot visit during normal sessions unless accompanied by a child aged 15 or under, and both adults and children need socks if they want to use the soft-play areas. The centre is stroller and wheelchair friendly and has a cafe inside. Outside food and drinks aren’t permitted except for babies or dietary requirements.

Best for: Preschoolers and primary school kids, particularly serious LEGO fans.

Read up on Legoland here.

Grab your Legoland tickets here.

Ride Puffing Billy

If you haven’t ridden Puffing Billy and want a memorable school holiday day out, put this one on your list. We loved, loved, loved our day on Puffing Billy!

I took Alex when he was seven and we travelled from Belgrave to Lakeside and back. From the moment that steam train pulled into the station, he was hooked. The whistle, the steam, the old-fashioned stations, the conductors and the scenery all make it feel like a proper adventure rather than simply a train ride.

But the best bit? Hanging our legs out of the open-sided carriage as the train travelled through the Dandenong Ranges. Yes, you’re really allowed to do it, and yes, I hung my legs out too! Puffing Billy has been travelling through these forests since 1900 and sitting on the carriage sill with your legs dangling over the side is still part of the experience today.

The journey takes you through towering eucalyptus and fern gullies and across the famous Monbulk Creek trestle bridge before reaching Lakeside. Allow time there rather than simply turning around. Emerald Lake Park is a short walk from the station, with the lake and walking trails giving kids somewhere to explore before the return journey.

My tip: Make this your main activity for the day rather than trying to squeeze Puffing Billy between other Melbourne attractions. We drove to Belgrave and found it straightforward, but you can also reach Belgrave by Metro train from Melbourne. Book Puffing Billy well ahead if you’re planning to go during the school holidays, as popular departures can fill.

Would I give up a big chunk of a Melbourne day for it? 100% yes. And that’s whether you’re visiting Melbourne or you’ve lived here for years and somehow never got around to doing it. Puffing Billy is one of those uniquely Victorian experiences that deserves a spot on the family bucket list.

We’re actually planning to go back now that Alex is 19 to see whether it lives up to our memories of doing it when he was seven. Watch this space for the verdict!

Best for: Families of all ages. I’ll report back on the 19-year-old test after round two!

Grab Puffing Billy tour tickets here.

Phillip Island and the Penguin Parade

I took Alex to Phillip Island when he was three specifically to see the famous Penguin Parade. Watching the little penguins emerge from the ocean after sunset and waddle back to their burrows really is one of those uniquely Victorian experiences that children remember.

But here’s what I wish I’d planned better: Phillip Island is a long way to drive just for the Penguin Parade.

The island is around 90–120 minutes from Melbourne by car, and the Penguin Parade itself doesn’t happen until after sunset. We drove down for the penguins and then faced the long drive back to Melbourne afterwards with a very tired three-year-old. If I were doing it again, I’d make Phillip Island the whole day’s adventure rather than treating the penguins as an evening excursion. And perhaps even consider staying on Phillip Island overnight.

There’s plenty to fill the day. You can walk the treetop boardwalks at the Koala Conservation Reserve, explore Churchill Island, visit the clifftop boardwalks at The Nobbies or spend some time exploring Phillip Island’s beaches and coastal walks before heading to the Penguin Parade later in the day. The Penguin Parade, Koala Conservation Reserve and Churchill Island can also be combined on a discounted 3 Parks Pass.

My tip: Take warm clothes for everyone, even if Melbourne has been warm. We visited in a warmer month and I remember being COLD waiting for those little penguins! You’re sitting outside after sunset near the Southern Ocean, so this is one occasion when I’d rather carry jackets we didn’t need than spend the evening wishing we’d brought them.

Also think about the journey home before you book. The penguins arrive after sunset and visitors are advised to arrive around an hour beforehand. There is no V/Line service from the Penguin Parade back to Melbourne after the event, so if you’re not driving, organise a tour or other transport in advance.

Would I still do it? Absolutely. But next time I’d spend the day exploring Phillip Island, finish with the Penguin Parade and accept that we’re getting back to Melbourne late. Alternatively, staying overnight on Phillip Island would make the whole experience considerably more relaxed.

Best for: Families of all ages, particularly animal and wildlife lovers. Just be prepared for a big day and a late night if you’re travelling back to Melbourne afterwards.

Find out what you can do on Philip Island.

Get tickets for the penguin parade here.

Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park

We’ve visited Moonlit Sanctuary as a family and loved it, although it was long enough ago that I’m not going to pretend I remember which wallaby Alex befriended or what we ate for lunch! What I do remember is that it didn’t feel like a traditional city zoo, and that’s still one of the reasons I’d recommend it.

Moonlit Sanctuary is a wildlife conservation park on the Mornington Peninsula, specialising in Australian animals. Rather than trying to showcase hundreds of species from around the world, the focus is much more tightly on native wildlife, including kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, wombats, dingoes, Tasmanian devils and some Australian species your kids may never have heard of.

There’s also some serious conservation work happening behind the scenes. Moonlit Sanctuary participates in breeding programs for threatened species including Tasmanian devils, orange-bellied parrots, squirrel gliders and spot-tailed quolls, with some animals bred there contributing to reintroduction programs in the wild.

That makes this a particularly good choice for families who love animals but aren’t necessarily looking for the traditional zoo experience. You can wander the bushland setting, get closer to Australian wildlife and learn about the conservation work being done to protect some of our endangered native species.

My tip: Check the day’s keeper presentations and experiences before you arrive. Moonlit’s Conservation in Action show focuses on natural animal behaviours and explains the conservation status of the animals, so I’d build that into your visit rather than simply wandering around and hoping you happen upon everything at the right time.

Best for: Animal-loving families of all ages, particularly kids interested in Australian wildlife and conservation.

Visit the website to see what animals you can get up close and personal with.

Werribee Open Range Zoo

If you’ve already been to Melbourne Zoo, don’t make the mistake of thinking Werribee Open Range Zoo is simply more of the same. We took Alex when he was younger and the safari experience made this feel like a completely different day out.

The highlight is the safari bus, which is included with your zoo admission. We loved heading out across the open plains to see giraffes, zebras, rhinos and other animals roaming in much more open surroundings. Alex thought riding the safari bus was great fun, while I really enjoyed the commentary about the animals and how they are cared for.

Don’t stress about getting the perfect seat on the safari bus. We found there really weren’t any bad seats. The current safari takes around 40 minutes and has live commentary as you travel through the grasslands spotting animals including giraffes, rhinos, zebras, antelope, bison and ostriches.

There’s plenty to do off the bus too. You can explore the walking trails to see animals including lions, gorillas, monkeys and hippos, but one of the things I particularly liked about Werribee was how well it catered for kids who weren’t prepared to spend the entire day quietly admiring animals.

There were play areas dotted throughout the zoo, which meant Alex could climb and play while I spent a little longer looking at something that interested me. The zoo has expanded this idea and now has more than 10 indoor and outdoor play spaces.

And whatever you do, don’t tell younger kids about Ranger Kids too early! This was one of Alex’s favourite parts of our visit and I remember wondering whether we’d ever get him out of there. It’s an indoor play space where children can pretend to be vets and wildlife rangers, and happily it’s still there today.

Werribee is easily somewhere I’d allocate most of a day rather than rushing through. Do the safari, explore the walking trails, let the kids play and allow time for the things you didn’t expect them to love. On our visit, one of those unexpected hits was an old woolshed where the kids became completely absorbed in opening gates, pulling ropes and climbing around. Sometimes the simplest things win!

My tip: Children under 16 currently receive free general admission on weekends, Victorian public holidays and Victorian Government school holidays, making Werribee particularly good value during the school holidays.

Best for: Families of all ages, particularly kids who love animals, safaris and plenty of opportunities to play.

Take a look at their website for a range of tailored itineraries.

Get your discounted tickets here.

Luna Park Melbourne

You can’t really miss Luna Park. That enormous smiling face has been welcoming people into Melbourne’s seaside amusement park since 1912, making this as much a Melbourne institution as it is a school holiday activity.

I haven’t taken Alex to Luna Park Melbourne, so I can’t give you our usual first-hand verdict on this one. But if your kids love rides, it’s an easy option to turn into a bigger day out because you’re right in St Kilda rather than travelling well outside Melbourne.

Inside you’ll find rides for different ages and bravery levels, from the Carousel and family rides through to the more stomach-churning options for thrill seekers. The star is the Great Scenic Railway, which has been operating since Luna Park opened in 1912 and is the world’s oldest continually operating wooden rollercoaster.

My tip: Don’t necessarily make Luna Park the entire day. Its St Kilda location means you can combine the rides with time at St Kilda Beach, a walk along the foreshore or something to eat nearby. That makes it particularly useful if you want a BIG school holiday day without spending hours driving out of Melbourne and back.

If your kids intend to ride everything they possibly can, an unlimited rides ticket is likely to make more sense than deciding ride-by-ride once you’re there. Check the height restrictions beforehand too, particularly if you’re visiting with younger children, so everyone knows which rides are actually an option before you arrive.

Note that Luna Park isn’t open every day throughout the year, but it does open every day during the Victorian school holidays as well as weekends and public holidays. Popular school holiday dates can sell out, so this is one I’d book before turning up.

Best for: Primary school kids, tweens and teenagers who love rides, plus families looking for a big day out without leaving Melbourne.

Grab an all day rides pass to Luna Park here

Gumbuya World

What do you get when you cross a theme park, water park and wildlife park? Gumbuya World, and this is definitely one to allow a full day for.

Around 50 minutes from Melbourne’s CBD at Tynong, Gumbuya World is a particularly good option for families with children of different ages because you’re not committing everyone to the same type of activity all day. There are family rides and three rollercoasters for the thrill seekers, a wildlife park with more than 70 species, live shows and, during the warmer months, the Oasis Springs water park.

If you’re visiting in summer, pack the swimmers. Oasis Springs has eight water slides as well as a 300-metre lazy river, rock pools and water-play areas, so you can easily split the day between rides, wildlife and getting wet.

The wildlife component also makes Gumbuya a little different from a conventional theme park. Kids can see Australian animals including koalas, kangaroos, wombats, dingoes and quokkas, with keeper talks, wildlife experiences and a free-flight bird show adding more to the day than simply racing from one ride to another.

My tip: Check exactly what’s operating on the date you plan to visit before booking. Gumbuya’s opening days, hours and attractions vary throughout the year, and the water park is seasonal, generally operating from November to April. During school holidays you’ll usually have the widest range of attractions operating, but I’d still check the daily calendar and ride-maintenance information before making the drive.

This is one I’d particularly consider if you’re trying to please different ages in the same family. Younger kids have junior rides and animals, older kids can head for the bigger rides and rollercoasters, and in summer everyone can cool off in the water park.

Best for: Primary school kids, tweens and teenagers, especially families wanting rides, animals and water-play in one big day out.

Read the Gumbuya website here and grab your tickets here.

Visit the MCG and Australian Sports Museum

You can’t really talk about iconic Melbourne experiences without mentioning the MCG. Even though we’re not a particularly sports-mad family, I can see why the “G” deserves a place on this list, particularly if you have a child who loves AFL, cricket or Australian sporting history.

The Australian Sports Museum, located inside the MCG, is probably where I’d start with kids. This isn’t simply room after room of sporting memorabilia. It’s designed to be interactive, with touchscreens, immersive displays and the Game On! gallery where kids can actually test their sporting skills rather than just look at exhibits.

You’ll find Australian sporting history covering AFL, cricket, the Olympics and many other sports, so there’s enough variety that you don’t necessarily need to arrive wearing your team’s colours to enjoy it.

For serious sports fans, add an MCG Tour. The guided tour takes you behind the scenes of one of Australia’s most famous sporting venues, with access to areas you wouldn’t normally see when attending a match. If you’ve got a cricket or footy-mad child, I’d combine the tour and museum rather than choosing between them.

My tip: Check what’s happening at the MCG on the day you plan to visit. Tours, museum access and opening hours can change around major sporting events, and there’s no point promising the kids a behind-the-scenes look only to discover access is restricted that day.

I’d also use public transport rather than building your day around finding somewhere to park. The MCG is close enough to central Melbourne to make this one of the easier BIG days on our list.

Best for: Primary school kids, tweens and teenagers, particularly sports fans and kids who enjoy interactive museums.

Click here for the Melbourne Cricket Ground website.

You can book tour tickets here.

Skydeck

I took my son to Melbourne Skydeck and I’ll admit it: I was scared.

He loved it.

I did not.

The observation deck itself is on Level 88, with incredible views across Melbourne, but we also did The Edge. That’s the glass cube that projects out from the building with a glass floor underneath you.

I’m glad I did it, but standing in a glass box that high above Melbourne confirmed that my son and I have very different ideas about what constitutes fun!

What we absolutely agreed on was the view. Looking across the Yarra River, MCG, CBD and Melbourne’s landmarks from that height was spectacular.

There are different Skydeck experiences and ticket combinations available, so you don’t have to choose the most terrifying option to enjoy the views.

My tip: Check the different ticket options before booking rather than automatically paying for every add-on.

Best for: Families, older kids and teenagers

Find out more about Skydeck here.

Spend the day ice skating at O’Brien Icehouse

Got kids with energy to burn? O’Brien Icehouse in Docklands can turn ice skating into a proper school holiday day out, particularly for older kids and teenagers.

We haven’t tried this one ourselves yet, but there’s an important detail I hadn’t appreciated until I looked closely at how their public skating tickets work. You’re not paying for a short timed skating session. When you book, you select your preferred arrival time, but once you’re there you can skate for as long as public skating remains open that day. During the school holidays, O’Brien Icehouse runs all-day public skating sessions, so keen skaters can get considerably more value from the ticket than you might expect.

The venue has two ice rinks and caters for everyone from complete beginners through to experienced skaters. Skate hire is included with public skating admission and helmets are available free for beginners, so you don’t need to own any equipment to give it a go.

School holidays are also a particularly good time for beginners to visit. O’Brien Icehouse currently runs free 15-minute beginner lessons during school holiday public skating, usually at several times throughout the day. There are also Ice Ambassadors on the rink who can offer advice if you’re still finding your ice legs.

My tip: Check the public skating timetable and school holiday activities before booking, and choose a day when you can make the most of the all-day skating. Wear warm layers, gloves and thick socks. It’s kept at around 16°C inside and those thick socks will make hired skates much more comfortable.

Best for: Primary school kids, tweens and teenagers, especially energetic kids who will happily stay on the ice for hours.

Find out more about ice-skating here.

Old Melbourne Gaol

I took Alex to the Old Melbourne Gaol when he was a teenager and, despite both of us being interested in Ned Kelly and Australian history, this one was a bit of a miss for us. We found it interesting rather than genuinely engaging, so I wouldn’t automatically put it on every family’s Melbourne must-do list.

That said, there’s certainly plenty of history here. The gaol operated from 1845 to 1924 and once held some of Victoria’s most notorious prisoners, including Ned Kelly. You can explore the original cells, learn about the lives of prisoners and see the gallows where executions took place. There are also death masks and displays covering crime, punishment and prison life in colonial Melbourne.

My tip: I think this is one where choosing the right experience matters. Rather than simply wandering through the gaol as we did, check what’s running when you visit. School holiday programs, special tours and other interactive experiences may make it much more engaging for kids and teenagers.

It’s also worth considering your child’s temperament. There is plenty of talk about executions, death and punishment, and some of the displays can be confronting. For history-loving older kids that may be exactly what makes it fascinating. For others, there are Melbourne attractions I’d choose first.

Best for: Older primary school kids, tweens and teenagers who are genuinely interested in crime, Ned Kelly or Australian history.

Read about the gaol online.

You can buy tickets to Melbourne Gaol here

CHEAP school holiday activities

While not everything in life is free, these activities won’t break the bank. These low cost activities are great options these school holidays in Melbourne.

School holiday activities at Federation Square

We’ve been to Federation Square many times over the years, particularly for its Christmas activities, but here’s something that’s worth remembering at every school holiday: check what’s happening at Fed Square before you start spending money on Melbourne attractions.

Fed Square regularly puts together a dedicated school holiday program with a mixture of free and low-cost activities for kids and teenagers, and the program changes each school holidays. Depending on when you visit, you might find outdoor movies on the Big Screen, creative workshops, interactive performances, activities at ACMI, events at the Koorie Heritage Trust or programs at NGV Australia.

And these aren’t necessarily just activities for little kids. Recent school holiday programs have included everything from child-led creative play and family workshops through to anime screenings and dedicated sketching sessions for secondary-school students.

My tip: Check the current Federation Square school holiday program before you visit because that’s where you’ll find the activities, dates, ages, prices and booking requirements for the particular school holidays you’re planning.

Some activities are completely free and others have a small charge, so Fed Square can be a really useful place to build an inexpensive few hours in the city without necessarily booking one of Melbourne’s big-ticket attractions.

Best for: All ages. Check the individual activity because Fed Square’s school holiday program can include separate events for preschoolers, primary school kids, tweens and teenagers.

Find out more about what’s on at Fed Square this school holidays here.

Scienceworks

We’ve taken Alex to Scienceworks and this was a big hit, particularly because so much of the museum is interactive. If your kids are the type who want to push buttons, test things, experiment and find out what happens, rather than quietly walk around looking at exhibits, this is a great school holiday option.

One thing Alex absolutely loved was the Vortex tunnel. You walk across a completely stationary floor while the tunnel around you rotates, and somehow your brain becomes convinced that you’re tipping sideways. You know perfectly well the floor isn’t moving, but try telling your body that! Because #science.

That’s really what I remember most about Scienceworks: there was always something for him to actually do. The hands-on displays turn concepts such as movement, technology, sport and the human body into things kids can experiment with for themselves.

Scienceworks also runs special activities during the Victorian school holidays, and we’ve found these can be excellent. My advice is to check the school holiday program well before you visit because the popular activities can book out quickly. Some activities are included with museum admission, while experiences such as Planetarium shows and other special programs can cost extra.

My tip: Check and book any school holiday activities you particularly want to do before you arrive. Kids aged 16 and under receive free general admission, so explore everything included with your general admission before automatically adding lots of paid extras. There’s already plenty to keep kids busy.

Best for: Preschoolers, primary school kids and curious tweens. It’s particularly good for children who learn by touching, testing and having a go.

Click here for Melbourne Scienceworks.

ArtVo

Located in the Docklands, ArtVo is perfect for teenagers who love to take selfies and cool photos on their mobiles! They have over 80 artworks and they guide you through how to take the best photos of each. The gallery is considered a ‘trick’ photography gallery because you can take amazing photos with your mobile that look incredible!

My tip: The City Circle free tram stops right outside The District Shopping Centre, Docklands Drive. Take Tram 70 (via Flinders Street) OR Tram 86 (Via Bourke Street) to the The District tram stop.

Best for: Primary school kids, tweens, teenagers and adults

Take a look at the website here.

Grab your tickets here.

Play the arcades at Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq

Alex and I have been to Archie Brothers at Docklands in Melbourne, and we’ve also visited the Brisbane venue with family. Our experience at both was pretty much the same: this is a lot of fun, particularly with older kids and teenagers.

Archie Brothers is a colourful, slightly crazy indoor entertainment venue packed with arcade and ticket games, with other activities varying between locations. You’ll now find Archie Brothers at Moorabbin, Chadstone, Docklands and Glen Waverley, so check what’s available at your closest venue before you go.

When we’ve visited Archie Brothers, the arcade games have been the big attraction. It’s competitive, noisy and a little chaotic, but that’s part of the fun. We particularly enjoyed the motorbike racing games, and yes, that’s Alex in my photo giving them a go at the Docklands venue.

I’ve included Archie Brothers in my cheaper Melbourne school holiday ideas because you can control how much you spend. You don’t have to book a huge package or make it an all-day activity. Load a game card with an amount you’re happy to spend and let the kids choose which games they want to play. Although, speaking from experience, teenagers can be remarkably efficient at making arcade credit disappear!

Decide on your spending limit before you walk through the door. It’s very easy to keep topping up a game card when everyone is having fun.

One thing I would flag is the noise. Archie Brothers is bright, busy and full of arcade sounds, music and people having fun. If your child is sensitive to noise, flashing lights or busy environments, this may not be the right activity for them.

My tip: The activities aren’t identical at every Archie Brothers location, so choose your venue first and check what’s available there before making plans.

Best for: Primary school kids, tweens and teenagers. In my experience, upper-primary and high-school-aged kids are right in the sweet spot.

Find out more and grab some credit to Archie Brothers Cirque Electricq here.

Play a round at Holey Moley

Holey Moley turns mini golf into a colourful, slightly ridiculous competition with themed holes, pop-culture references and plenty of opportunities to discover who in the family is a terrible loser!

We’ve done Holey Moley in Brisbane with teenagers and it was a hit. We haven’t tried a Melbourne venue yet, but I’d happily recommend it as an affordable activity for older kids and teenagers.

There are several Holey Moley locations around Melbourne, including Melbourne CBD, Crown, Chadstone, Eastland, Point Cook, Frankston and Moorabbin, so you don’t necessarily need to head into the city to play.

My tip: Nine holes is plenty if you’re keeping the outing cheap. Check the different Melbourne locations and current offers before booking because prices and packages can vary.

Best for: Primary school kids, tweens and teenagers, especially competitive families who don’t take their mini golf too seriously.

Book Holey Moley Melbourne

Burn off some energy at BOUNCE

We’ve been to BOUNCE plenty of times over the years, and it has been a winner at very different ages. Alex was still happily going as a teenager, including with a friend when he was 16, and I’ve even been known to get on the trampolines myself!

What makes BOUNCE work particularly well with older kids is that it isn’t just an hour of bouncing up and down. Depending on the venue, there can be freestyle trampolines, dodgeball, slam dunk areas, climbing walls, obstacle and ninja-style courses, high-performance trampolines and other challenges to move between.

There are BOUNCE locations across Melbourne, including Blackburn, Essendon Fields, Fountain Gate, Frankston, Glen Iris, Heidelberg, Hoppers Crossing and Keysborough, so there’s a good chance you won’t need to travel across the city to find one.

Younger children are catered for at selected venues too, with dedicated areas and sessions designed for little kids. Activities vary between locations, so check what’s available at your closest BOUNCE before booking.

My tip: For teenagers, take a friend! An hour of simply bouncing might not hold their attention anymore, but add a mate, some competition and a venue with different challenges and activity zones and BOUNCE can still be brilliant.

Best for: Primary school kids, tweens and teenagers, plus energetic parents who are prepared to have a go themselves!

Climb aboard HMAS Castlemaine

If your kids think museums are boring, exploring an actual World War II warship might change their minds.

HMAS Castlemaine is a restored WWII corvette permanently berthed at Gem Pier in Williamstown. We haven’t visited this one ourselves yet, but I’ve recently had it recommended as a great-value Melbourne activity and it looks like a particularly good option for older kids.

Rather than looking at a ship from the shore, you can actually climb aboard and explore it. Wander through the different compartments, see where the sailors lived and worked, inspect the restored equipment and head down to the engine room. Kids can ring the ship’s bells, try the voicepipes used to communicate around the vessel and get a much better idea of what life at sea would have been like for the crew.

The ship is maintained largely by volunteers and is usually open on weekends and public holidays, with additional opening days sometimes offered during holiday periods, so check before making the trip to Williamstown.

Allow around an hour to explore the ship, then make the most of being in Williamstown and wander along the waterfront afterwards.

My tip: This would be an easy one to combine with a Williamstown day out. Check the opening days before you go because HMAS Castlemaine isn’t open every day.

Best for: Primary school kids, tweens and teenagers, particularly kids interested in ships, engineering, military history or anything they can actually climb aboard and explore.

Get lost at Ashcombe Maze and Lavender Gardens

If getting deliberately lost sounds like your family’s idea of fun, Ashcombe Maze and Lavender Gardens is an affordable school holiday outing on the Mornington Peninsula.

The main attraction is the enormous hedge maze, made from more than 1,000 cypress trees and now standing more than three metres high. There’s also a Lavender Labyrinth and 25 acres of gardens to explore, so this is much more than simply finding your way into a maze and straight back out again.

For younger kids, admission includes the Great Gnome Hunt and Woodland Fairy Walk, which gives them something extra to search for while you’re exploring the gardens. The lavender labyrinth flowers throughout the year, while other parts of the gardens change with the seasons.

I’ve included Ashcombe Maze in my cheaper school holiday ideas because you can make a decent outing of it without continually paying for extras. Bring your own picnic, explore the mazes and gardens and, if the budget allows, finish with one of their lavender ice creams.

My tip: Don’t rush it. Ashcombe suggests allowing at least 1.5 hours, but there’s no time limit on your admission, so pack lunch and make more of the gardens rather than driving all the way to Shoreham just to race through the hedge maze. Some sections of the hedge maze are quite narrow and aren’t suitable for prams or wheelchairs, although the Lavender Labyrinth has wider paths.

Best for: Preschoolers, primary school kids and families looking for an inexpensive outdoor activity on the Mornington Peninsula.

Take a look at the website.

Discover Melbourne’s firefighting history

If you have a child who’s fascinated by fire engines, the Fire Services Museum of Victoria is one of Melbourne’s more unusual cheap school holiday activities.

I haven’t visited this one with Alex, but I think it’s worth including because this isn’t a big commercial museum. It’s run by volunteers and is actually housed inside Melbourne’s original Metropolitan Fire Brigade headquarters in East Melbourne, so even the building is part of the history.

Inside you’ll find more than 10,000 items tracing the history of firefighting, including vintage fire engines and other appliances, old uniforms and helmets, equipment, photographs, badges and memorabilia. Many of the museum volunteers have worked in the fire services themselves, which gives families the chance to hear some of the stories behind what they’re looking at.

It’s also a particularly good option for kids who have gone through that stage where anything involving a fire engine is automatically brilliant!

My tip: Check the opening days before making a special trip. The museum isn’t open every day and currently opens on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. I’d also check their latest news before visiting during the school holidays in case opening arrangements or special activities have changed.

Best for: Preschoolers and primary school kids who love fire engines, plus older children interested in emergency services, machinery or Melbourne’s history.

Take a look at the website here.

Meet the animals at Collingwood Children’s Farm

We took Alex to Collingwood Children’s Farm when he was 10. We’re an animal-loving family, so he still enjoyed it at that age, but having been there I’d say this one really hits the sweet spot with younger children.

This isn’t a petting zoo squeezed into a suburban block. It’s an eight-hectare working farm in Abbotsford where kids can wander around and meet farm animals including horses, cows, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens and guinea pigs. There are more than 300 animals living at the farm, and the activities happening each day depend partly on the animals themselves.

One of the highlights for us was getting closer to the animals. Alex got to hold the guinea pigs, I made friends with one of the horses and we found the most magnificent peacock perched on a fence.

Guinea pig cuddles are currently held every morning at 10.30am, kids can pat the goats and farmers run other activities such as animal introductions, egg grading and the daily feed walk. Check the activity board when you arrive because what’s happening can change from day to day.

I’d allow around half a day with little kids. The Farm says most families spend between 1.5 and 3 hours here, although your admission is valid all day if your children are having too much fun to leave.

My tip: If cuddling a guinea pig is going to be the highlight for your child, I’d aim to arrive in time for the 10.30am session rather than promising it and turning up afterwards! Animal activities can change depending on weather and animal wellbeing, so check what’s happening on the day.

Best for: Toddlers, preschoolers and younger primary school kids, particularly little animal lovers. Older primary kids can certainly still enjoy it, as Alex did, but I’d choose this most enthusiastically for younger children.

Click here for the website.

Rippon Lea House and Garden

You don’t need to spend a fortune to escape the city for a few hours. Rippon Lea Estate in Elsternwick has 14 acres of gardens surrounding its historic mansion, with lawns, winding paths, a lake, fernery, orchard and conservatory to explore.

We haven’t visited Rippon Lea ourselves yet, but I’ve included it because the garden-only admission makes this a relatively inexpensive family outing, particularly if you’re happy to skip the separately ticketed mansion tour.

There’s plenty of space for kids to wander and explore, and the gardens are large enough to make this feel like more than a quick walk around someone’s backyard! Pack a picnic and you can turn it into an easy few hours without adding much more to the cost.

Rippon Lea also runs special family activities and events during some Victorian school holidays, so it’s worth checking what’s happening before you visit rather than simply turning up for the gardens.

My tip: If you’re trying to keep the cost down, stick with garden admission and bring your own picnic. You can always add a mansion tour if your kids are genuinely interested in historic houses rather than paying for it automatically.

Best for: Preschoolers, primary school kids and families looking for a quieter outdoor school holiday activity.

Have a look at what is happening on the Rippon Lea website.

Ride the Altona Miniature Railway

For a genuinely cheap Melbourne activity, check whether the Altona Miniature Railway is running during your school holidays.

We haven’t visited this one ourselves, but it’s a volunteer-run miniature railway in Altona North where families can ride behind scaled locomotives around approximately 1.5 kilometres of track. The railway has been operating public train rides here since the 1980s, so this is a lovely little community attraction rather than a big commercial experience.

Rides are remarkably inexpensive, with single rides, multi-ride tickets and all-day options available. There are picnic tables, grassy areas, toilets and free park-style BBQs, so you could pack lunch and make more of your visit without adding much to the cost.

The big catch is the opening schedule. Altona Miniature Railway only opens to the public on the third Sunday of each month, rather than every day of the school holidays. That means you’ll need to check whether an open day actually falls during your break before promising the kids a train ride!

My tip: Check the railway’s Public Open Days page before you go. Extreme heat or severe weather can cause an open day to be cancelled, so it’s worth checking again on the day rather than simply relying on the date.

Best for: Toddlers, preschoolers and primary school kids, particularly little train enthusiasts.

Have a read about the trains here.

Go climbing at Clip ’n Climb Williamstown

If the kids have energy to burn, Clip ’n Climb Williamstown turns indoor rock climbing into something that feels more like a colourful vertical playground.

We haven’t tried this one ourselves, but I like it as a relatively inexpensive school holiday activity because you book a single climbing session and know exactly what you’re spending. There are a variety of climbing challenges designed for different abilities, so kids don’t need any previous climbing experience to have a go.

Each session includes a safety briefing, harness hire and 50 minutes of climbing. The walls use automatic belay systems, which gently lower climbers back to the ground rather than requiring another person to belay them.

This works particularly well when you’re looking for an active hour or so rather than an expensive full-day attraction.

There’s also an optional Leap of Faith challenge for an extra charge if you have a particularly fearless child who thinks climbing the walls isn’t exciting enough!

My tip: Book your session ahead during the school holidays rather than just turning up. And remember this is approximately an hour-long activity, so I’d combine it with something else in Williamstown if you’re making a day of it.

Best for: Primary school kids, tweens and teenagers, particularly active kids who enjoy a physical challenge.

Get climbing here.

Discover dinosaurs and more at Melbourne Museum

Melbourne Museum is one of those attractions where you could easily spend several hours, particularly if you have a dinosaur fan in the family.

We haven’t visited this one ourselves yet, but I’d be heading straight for Horridus, one of the world’s most complete Triceratops fossils. Kids can explore the immersive Triceratops exhibition as well as Dinosaur Walk, where enormous prehistoric skeletons make this much more exciting than simply reading about dinosaurs in a book.

There’s plenty beyond dinosaurs too, with exhibitions exploring science, nature, First Peoples cultures and Victoria’s history. Families with little kids should also look for the Pauline Gandel Children’s Gallery, a hands-on play and discovery space created specifically for babies through to five-year-olds. You’ll need to reserve a timed session for the Children’s Gallery, so don’t leave that until you arrive.

Melbourne Museum also puts together dedicated programs during the Victorian school holidays, with changing workshops, activities, exhibitions and family experiences. Some are included with museum admission while others require separate tickets, so it’s worth checking what’s happening before you visit.

Children aged 16 and under currently receive free general admission, making this a relatively inexpensive family day out even though accompanying adults need a ticket.

My tip: Check the school holiday program before you go and, if you’re visiting with a child aged five or under, reserve your Children’s Gallery session in advance. It can reach capacity.

Best for: All ages, particularly dinosaur-mad primary school kids and families with children aged five and under.

Read what else you can do at the Melbourne Museum.

Find tickets to Melbourne Museum here

FREE school holiday activities Melbourne

Wondering what you can do during the Melbourne school holidays without spending a fortune? Some of my favourite family activities in the city won’t cost you anything at all.

Below you’ll find some of my picks for free Melbourne school holiday activities, including museums, gardens, playgrounds, galleries and a few experiences you might not expect to be free.

If you want even more ideas, I’ve put together a separate guide to free school holiday activities in Melbourne with 30 options to choose from.

Explore the Children’s Garden at the Royal Botanic Gardens

The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne are one of my favourite free places to spend a few hours with younger kids. We spent an afternoon exploring the Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden, and what I loved most was that it didn’t feel like a man-made playground at all.

Instead, the garden encourages kids to get right in amongst nature. There are winding paths to explore, plants to touch and smell, a bamboo forest, places to hide and crawl through, water to splash in and plenty of opportunities to simply wander and discover things.

It’s designed as a hands-on garden rather than somewhere children have to stay on the path and admire the plants from a distance. There are lots of different textures, sounds and sensory experiences too, making it a lovely space for children with different interests and abilities.

The Royal Botanic Gardens also runs family activities and special programs during the school holidays, so check what’s happening before you visit. You can easily combine one of these with time in the Children’s Garden and a picnic or walk through the wider gardens.

My tip: Take a change of clothes for younger kids if there’s any chance they’ll discover the water play! And there’s a cafe close to the Children’s Garden if your idea of communing with nature still involves a decent coffee.

Best for: Toddlers, preschoolers and younger primary school kids, particularly children who love exploring outdoors.

Find out what is happening at the Royal Botanic Gardens this December/January here.

Explore the Shrine of Remembrance

The Shrine of Remembrance is a fantastic free school holiday activity, particularly for older children and teenagers. We walked there from the CBD and spent time exploring both the memorial and the free museum underneath.

We were fascinated by the exhibitions telling the stories of Australians who served in conflicts including Gallipoli, the First and Second World Wars and more recent conflicts. There are personal stories, historical objects, artworks and displays throughout the museum, so there is plenty to explore rather than simply walking through the memorial itself.

The highlight for us was heading up to the observation area at the top of the Shrine. The views across Melbourne and the Royal Botanic Gardens are fantastic and gave us a completely different perspective of the city. That’s my son in the photo above enjoying the view.

For school-aged kids, I think the combination works particularly well. They get the history and stories downstairs, then the reward of those incredible views from the top.

My tip: Time your visit for the Last Post Service if you can. The short ceremony includes elements such as bugle calls, the lowering of the flags, the Ode and wreath-laying, and can add another dimension to a family visit.

Best for: Primary school kids, tweens and teenagers, particularly families interested in Australian history.

Plan your visit to the Shrine of Remembrance

Get hands-on at ACMI

ACMI at Federation Square is one of my favourite free Melbourne finds for older kids and teenagers.

I visited with Alex when he was a teenager and was genuinely impressed by how well it worked for his age group. We weren’t the only ones. There was a high-school group there at the same time and they were actually excited, interacting with the exhibits and having fun.

ACMI’s permanent exhibition, The Story of the Moving Image, is free and explores film, television, videogames and digital culture. This isn’t a museum where kids simply shuffle past display cases either. There are playable videogames, movie props and costumes and interactive experiences where they can experiment with things like animation, sound and filmmaking.

Alex is a huge Marvel fan, so seeing props from Thor: Love and Thunder was a particular highlight for him. That’s him with some of the Marvel props in my photo above.

ACMI also runs changing exhibitions, workshops, screenings and family activities, with additional programming often appearing during the school holidays. Some of these are ticketed, but you can have a really worthwhile visit without spending anything by sticking to the free permanent exhibition.

My tip: Don’t dismiss ACMI as something just for film buffs. The gaming, interactive and pop-culture elements make this one of the better free Melbourne museums I’ve found for keeping older kids and teenagers genuinely interested.

Best for: Primary school kids, tweens and teenagers, particularly gamers, movie fans and kids interested in digital technology and pop culture.

See the Little Penguins at St Kilda Pier

Here’s one that’s going on our own Melbourne school holidays list! We haven’t seen the St Kilda penguins yet, but I’m hoping to change that soon.

Around 1,400 Little Penguins call the St Kilda Breakwater home, heading out into Port Phillip Bay during the day before returning to their burrows around sunset.

The way you visit has changed in recent years. There’s now a purpose-built 150-metre elevated viewing boardwalk at the end of St Kilda Pier, designed to give visitors a good view while keeping people away from the penguins’ nesting areas.

Viewing is free, but you must book. There are two one-hour viewing sessions each evening, with numbers limited to protect the colony. The first is around sunset, when you can watch the penguins begin returning from the water, while the later session gives you the chance to see and hear them settling in around the breakwater after dark.

Penguin guides are there to help you spot them and explain more about the colony and its conservation.

My tip: Don’t just turn up at sunset and expect to get in. The sessions are free but bookings are essential, so reserve your place in advance. Book St Kilda Penguin viewing as early as you can, particularly during the school holidays when sessions can fill quickly! And leave the flash, phone torch and bright lights off. The penguins are wild animals and protecting them comes first.

Best for: Primary school kids, tweens and teenagers, particularly animal and wildlife lovers.

Read more about the penguins here.

Play in nature at Royal Park

Nature play parks have always featured high in our list of great playgrounds! We went to check out the Royal Park Nature Play playground for about an hour when Alex was 10, and what we particularly liked was how different it felt from a standard playground.

Rather than lots of brightly coloured plastic equipment, the play space uses natural elements such as rocks, logs, ropes, sand and water, with plenty of opportunities for kids to climb, balance, explore and make up their own games.

There’s a water play area with channels and pumps, climbing and balancing structures, slides and plenty of open grassy space. The idea is to encourage kids to interact with the natural environment rather than simply moving from one piece of playground equipment to the next.

It’s right beside Melbourne Zoo, so it’s particularly handy if you’re already in that part of Melbourne. You could use it as a free activity on its own or add it before or after another outing nearby.

We spent around an hour here, which felt about right with a 10-year-old. Younger children who become absorbed in the sand and water play could happily stay longer.

My tip: If you have younger kids, take a change of clothes. Where there is water, sand and mud, there is always a child who manages to become considerably wetter than you thought possible. It is located in Parkville, Melbourne.

Best for: Toddlers, preschoolers and primary school kids, particularly children who love climbing, exploring and messy outdoor play.

Find Royal Park playground here.

Explore State Library Victoria

We visited State Library Victoria when Alex was 16, so unsurprisingly we weren’t there for the Children’s Quarter! At that age, he was much more interested in the incredible building itself, and it’s worth visiting just to wander through some of the Library’s magnificent spaces.

For families with younger children, though, there’s a completely different reason to visit. The free Pauline Gandel Children’s Quarter is designed for children up to 12, with thousands of children’s books, reading nooks, play areas, craft activities and board games.

The Library also puts together dedicated school holiday programs, with activities changing each break. These can include hands-on craft, storytelling, performances, writing workshops and other creative activities for kids, with plenty of free options alongside some ticketed events.

That makes the State Library one of those rare free Melbourne attractions that can work at very different ages. Younger kids can head for the Children’s Quarter and holiday activities, while older kids and teenagers may be more interested in exploring the building, exhibitions and architecture.

My tip: Check the school holiday program before you go rather than simply turning up. If you’re visiting with a teenager, don’t assume the Library is only about books or activities for little kids. Give them time to explore the building itself.

Best for: All ages, with the Children’s Quarter particularly suited to children under 12 and the wider Library a good option for older kids and teenagers.

Visit the State Library website to see their school holiday guide.

Wander through Queen Victoria Market

Queen Victoria Market is a wonderland for the senses and one our family often visits. It’s technically free to wander around, but I’ll be impressed if you manage to leave without buying anything!

There are delicious smells coming from the food stalls, colourful displays of fresh produce and plenty of interesting things to browse. Try on silly hats, sample some treats or let the kids bring some of their own pocket money and give them a budget for a mini shopping expedition.

Queen Victoria Market also regularly runs activities for families during the Victorian school holidays, including things such as kids’ cooking workshops and other hands-on activities, so check the current school holiday program before you visit.

Or buy some fresh ingredients together and take them home to cook something. They’ll be learning about measuring, weighing, budgeting and timing… but don’t tell them they’re learning. Ssshhh!

My tip: Give the kids a specific pocket-money budget before you arrive and let them decide how to spend it. Wandering is free. Resisting all the yummy food is considerably harder.

Best for: All ages, particularly kids who enjoy food, shopping and being trusted with a little spending money.

Browse the Queen Victoria Market website for school holiday activities.

Discover Australian aviation history at the RAAF Museum

If you have an aircraft-mad child, the RAAF Museum at Point Cook is a fantastic free option to investigate.

We haven’t visited this one ourselves, but the museum is located at the birthplace of Australian military aviation and takes families through more than 100 years of Air Force history.

There are historic aircraft to see throughout several galleries and outdoor display areas, including everything from early Australian military aviation through to jets and reconnaissance aircraft. The Strike Hangar is home to some particularly impressive aircraft, including an F-111C and F/A-18 Classic Hornet, with an immersive light and sound show telling some of their stories.

On some museum open days there are also flying displays by aircraft from the Air Force Heritage Aircraft Fleet, so it’s worth checking what’s scheduled when you’re planning your visit.

There is one important catch: you can’t simply turn up. The museum is inside RAAF Base Point Cook, so bookings are essential and visitors over 16 need suitable photo identification to enter the base. Opening days are also limited, so check the current schedule well before making the trip.

My tip: If you have an aviation-mad child, try to coordinate your visit with one of the scheduled flying displays. Just remember that flying is weather and operational dependent and can change at short notice.

Best for: Primary school kids, tweens and teenagers, particularly aircraft, engineering and military-history enthusiasts.

Plan your RAAF Museum visit

Hunt for gold at the Old Treasury Building

We’ve walked past Melbourne’s beautiful Old Treasury Building and I’ve taken photos of the outside, but we haven’t actually ventured inside yet.

Entry is free and, for families, I think the most interesting part is downstairs. The building was constructed during Victoria’s Gold Rush and its original basement vaults were used to store gold.

Today you can explore those old vaults and discover stories from the Gold Rush, alongside exhibitions exploring Melbourne’s history. It’s a lovely way to introduce kids to the extraordinary story of how the discovery of gold helped shape Melbourne and Victoria.

This isn’t a huge museum that needs half a day either, so it could work particularly well as an interesting free stop while you’re already exploring the CBD.

My tip: Head downstairs to the original gold vaults. If you’re visiting with kids, start with the gold rather than trying to convince them they’re excited about visiting a Treasury building!

Best for: Primary school kids, tweens and teenagers interested in gold, Australian history and old buildings.

Find out more about the Old Treasury Building here

Discover Australian art at The Ian Potter Centre

We’ve wandered through The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square and enjoyed it, although for us it was more of an interesting stop on the way to somewhere else than somewhere we spent half a day.

And that’s actually how I’d recommend using it with kids. Entry to the permanent collection is free, so if you’re already exploring Federation Square, pop in and see what catches their attention rather than feeling you have to march everyone through an entire art gallery.

The Ian Potter Centre is dedicated to Australian art, including an important collection of First Nations art, alongside paintings, photography, sculpture, design and contemporary works. Exhibitions change, so there’s always the possibility of finding something completely unexpected.

It’s particularly worth checking what’s happening during the school holidays. The NGV regularly runs family and children’s programs including art-making activities, workshops and activity trails, with programs for teenagers too. Some are free and others are ticketed, so check the current school holiday program before you go.

My tip: Combine it with the other things happening around Federation Square rather than necessarily making the gallery your entire outing. It’s free to wander in, so let the kids decide how long they want to stay.

Best for: Primary school kids, tweens and teenagers, particularly creative kids and families already spending time around Federation Square.

Find out about NGV school holiday activities school holiday exhibits here.

Discover NGV International with the kids

NGV International is one of Melbourne’s best-known galleries and it’s completely free to explore the permanent collection, making it an easy addition to a school holiday day in the city.

We haven’t visited this one with Alex, but I wouldn’t dismiss it as somewhere that’s only going to appeal to art-loving adults. The NGV regularly creates exhibitions, installations and activities specifically for children and families, with extra programming often appearing during the Victorian school holidays.

Even without a special holiday activity, there is plenty to wander through. The collection spans thousands of years of art and design from around the world, so rather than expecting kids to appreciate every gallery, let them find the strange, enormous, colourful or unexpected things that grab their attention.

The building itself is part of the fun too. Enter beneath the famous Waterwall before exploring the galleries, then take a break in the NGV Garden.

My tip: Check the NGV What’s On program before your visit and filter for kids and families. School holiday workshops and special family activities can give children a much better reason to explore the gallery than simply asking them to look at art.

Best for: All ages, particularly primary school kids, tweens and teenagers who enjoy art, design or creative activities.

Click here for the website.

Get creative at ArtPlay

ArtPlay is a creative space for children from babies through to 13 years, tucked into Birrarung Marr right in the heart of Melbourne.

We’ve visited ArtPlay and those are our photos above. What makes it worth checking during the school holidays is its changing program of creative experiences developed with professional artists. Depending on when you visit, kids might find workshops, performances, exhibitions or other hands-on activities designed specifically for them.

Some ArtPlay activities are free while others are ticketed, so check what’s running during your school holidays before you go.

You can also combine your visit with the recently upgraded Birrarung Marr playground beside ArtPlay. It’s free and has slides, swings, climbing equipment, log trails and nature-play elements, making this an easy place to spend longer with younger kids even if you aren’t booked into an ArtPlay activity.

My tip: Check the ArtPlay program before you head into the city as activities change throughout the year and onsite events require booking or registration. Even if nothing suits your dates, the playground beside ArtPlay gives younger kids another free reason to stop here.

Best for: Toddlers, preschoolers and primary school kids up to around 13, particularly creative kids who enjoy making, experimenting and getting hands-on.

Find out what’s on offer at ArtPlay here.

Ride Melbourne’s trams for free

One of our favourite things about exploring Melbourne is the trams. We’ve used both the regular trams within the Free Tram Zone and the historic City Circle Tram, and they’re such an easy way to get around the city with kids.

There are actually two different free tram options, and it’s useful to know the difference.

Melbourne’s Free Tram Zone covers much of the CBD and Docklands. Within this area you can jump aboard regular trams and travel between many of the city’s attractions without paying a fare or using a myki. We use these as transport, particularly when we’ve already done plenty of walking! You can find the map of where the free trams travel to here.

The City Circle Tram, Route 35, is different. This is the historic W-class tram that loops around much of central Melbourne and includes recorded commentary about landmarks and Melbourne’s history. You can hop on and off along the route or stay aboard and enjoy the ride.

We genuinely loved travelling on the old City Circle Tram. There’s something about those heritage trams that makes getting from A to B feel like part of the Melbourne experience rather than simply transport.

My tip: Use them differently. Jump on any convenient tram within the Free Tram Zone when you want to get between attractions, but make time for the City Circle Tram when the journey itself is part of the fun. Just watch the Free Tram Zone boundaries because you’ll need a valid ticket if your journey travels outside them.

Best for: All ages, particularly families exploring several Melbourne CBD attractions in one day.

Take a look at the historic tram route here.

Explore Fitzroy Gardens

Fitzroy Gardens is a beautiful green escape on the edge of Melbourne’s CBD and an easy place to add some outdoor time to a busy school holiday day in the city.

We’ve wandered through Fitzroy Gardens, visited the Conservatory and stopped by Cooks’ Cottage, and what really stands out for me is how beautiful the gardens are. The changing colours through the seasons can be spectacular, so it’s worth visiting at different times of the year.

For families, there’s more to do than simply wander. Pick up the free Fitzroy Gardens Outdoor Adventure from the Visitor Centre and kids can follow a self-guided trail through the gardens, solving questions along the way. There is also a simpler Seek and Find activity for younger children.

Look out for the Fairies’ Tree, the tiny Model Tudor Village and the playground, and pop into the Conservatory to see the changing floral displays. You’ll also find historic Cooks’ Cottage in the gardens. You can admire it from outside for free, although there is an admission charge if you want to explore inside.

My tip: Start at the Visitor Centre and ask what’s available for kids that day. The free activity trails give children something to look for while you get to enjoy wandering through one of Melbourne’s prettiest gardens.

Best for: Toddlers, preschoolers and primary school kids, particularly families looking for some free outdoor time while exploring central Melbourne.

Explore the Fitzroy Gardens activities

Things to do in Melbourne at night with kids

Don’t head back to the hotel or home just because the sun has gone down! Melbourne has plenty of family activities that are even better after dark.

I’ve put together a complete guide to things to do in Melbourne at night with kids, with ideas for toddlers, younger kids, tweens and teenagers.

More Melbourne school holiday ideas

Still looking for something that suits your family? I’ve put together more Melbourne guides to help you narrow it down.

If the weather isn’t cooperating, start with my guide to indoor activities in Melbourne.

Travelling with older kids? My guide to things to do in Melbourne with teenagers is packed with activities that are actually suitable for tweens and teens.

And if you need somewhere the kids can spend a few hours while you’re working, take a look at my guide to Melbourne school holiday programs and vacation care.

Let us know if we missed your favourite or if you would like us to add your venue or event!

Even more VIC school holiday ideas:

Planning a day trip or a few nights away from Melbourne during the school holidays? I’ve also put together guides to family activities in some of Victoria’s favourite regional destinations:

• Bendigo school holiday activities
• Geelong school holiday activities
• Ballarat school holiday activities
• Warrnambool school holiday activities

Or browse my complete guide to school holiday activities in Victoria for even more ideas.

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