Summer holidays in Victoria

School’s out and there are loads of activities on in Melbourne throughout the holidays to keep families entertained. From museums to galleries, zoos, parks and stadiums, there is something new and exciting on every day over summer – so much so that kids (and parents) will need a holiday from their holiday after a summer in Melbourne.

Australian OpenFor two weeks in January, Melbourne Park becomes the home of family fun, when it hosts the Grand Slam of the Pan-Pacific, the Australian Open (16 – 29 January). Parents will be the real winners of the tournament with all-day entertainment for kids along with $5 ground passes for children three to 14 years old. For the first time ever there will be a mini-theme park The Ballpark that will include LEGO World, a NERF battlezone, Hot Shots Fan Zone and Adventure Park. There will also be $5 food options in The Ballpark along with $5 family carparks. Kids Tennis Day (14 January) will offer more entertainment than ever before, with free entry for kids under 15 years. Melbourne & Olympic Parks, Olympic Blvd, Melbourne.

Kinky BootsThe feel-good, multi award-winning musical Kinky Boots (until 26 February) is showing at Her Majesty’s Theatre. Featuring music and lyrics by pop icon Cyndi Lauper, and directed and choreographed by two-time Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell, Kinky Boots is a family-friendly musical renowned for having audiences dancing in the aisles by the end of the show. Her Majesty’s Theatre, 219 Exhibition Street, Melbourne.

NGVAs part of Viktor&Rolf: Fashion Artists, the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) Kids presents Atelier: Viktor&Rolf for Kids (until 26 February), an interactive space designed especially for children and families. The NGV Kids Summer Festival 2017 (16 – 26 January) will offer free creative workshops and activities led by contemporary artists. Kids can enjoy screen-printing with Home-Work studios, colourful collage making with Laura Blythman, illustration workshops with Kat Chadwick, and much more. 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, +61 3 8620 2222.

Arts Centre MelbourneKids and parents will see witches take to the sky in the adaption of Room on the Broom (4 – 15 January) and two clowning Acrobuffs create air sculptures in Air Play (18 – 22 January). Those keen on interactive adventures can get lost in an exciting new game In A Deep Dark Forest (11 – 15 January) or have fun with Les Moutons (The Sheep, 19 – 22 January) who will take up residence on the Arts Centre lawn. 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, 1300 182 183. 

ACMIThe Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) will offer a suite of brand new Creative Workshops (3 December – 23 January) for kids that will cover everything from superheroes and zombies to virtual reality and coding. The Creative Producers Hub (9 – 22 January) is a two-week residency program that enables young creative producers, developers and performers to be mentored in ACMI X’s co-working space. There will also be free, drop-in activities and $7 ‘kids’ flicks’ cinema tickets for movies including the Golden Globe winning The Adventures of Tintin, an ACMI exclusive season of A Town Called Panic: Double Fun, and ACMI’s annual screening of the festive classic The Muppet Christmas Carol.  Federation Square, Flinders Street, Melbourne, +61 3 8663 2200.

Melbourne ZooKids under 16 years old will receive free entry to Melbourne Zoo every day of the Victorian school holidays (20 December – 30 January). At 9am and 11am every day, visitors can find out how to wash the largest land mammal in the world, and see Asian Elephant Mali and her friends cool-off in the waterhole. Every Friday and Saturday at dusk Zoo Twilights (27 January – 11 March) welcome a selection of local and international artists. Acts include Australian legends Peter Garrett, Paul Dempsey, Killing Heidi and The Living End. Elliott Ave, Parkville, +61 39285 9300.

Healesville SanctuaryThe perfect destination for a day trip, located 75 minutes from Melbourne’s city centre, kids and parents can make a splash at Healesville Sanctuary’s Badger Creek. Families can bring along a picnic, don their swimming attire and cool-off in the swimming hole. There will also be an additional Tales from Platypus Creek presentation each day where visitors can learn about the creatures who make the waterhole their home. Entry for kids under 16 is free during the Victorian school holidays. Badger Creek Road, Healesville, +61 3 5957 2800.

Werribee Open Range ZooSet in the lush surrounds of Werribee Open Range Zoo, just 40 minutes from Melbourne city, Rhythm of Africa (7 January – 25 February) returns for its 20th year of live African music and kids’ activities. Bringing together drumming workshops, hair braiding, face painting and picnics on the grass, the concert series will run every Saturday night over the summer holidays, with kids under 16 free. K Road, Werribee South, +61 3 9731 9600.

Melbourne MuseumThis summer, Melbourne Museum is celebrating fresh water and the animals that live in Victoria’s rivers and streams. Using museum specimens as inspiration, kids (and adults) can join Fresh Water Drawing Classes (Saturdays in January) and learn drawing techniques to capture the fresh water creatures. At in the Water Colour Wonderland (26 December – 30 January) families can help create a freshwater painting along the upstairs walkway of the museum using water colour pencils to add splashes of colour to fish, eel, platypus, yabby or turtles. The newly developed Pauline Gandel Children’s Gallery is a place for children to explore, play and learn. Budding palaeontologists are able to excavate fossils in the dinosaur dig while aspiring botanists can traverse the discovery garden, exploring plants and stories. Included in museum entry, Adults $14 and Children are free. 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton, +61 3 8341 7777.

Immigration MuseumFamilies can discover special museum objects and stories around the Immigration Museum in a treasure-hunt activity for visitors of all ages, What’s in My Backpack? Visitors can grab a My Backpack booklet and fill it with special stamps along the journey through the Museum’s spaces as they track down clues and collect objects. Tickets are included in the entry price and children are free. 400 Flinders Street, Melbourne, +61 3 9927 2754.

MPavilionKids of all ages can enjoy a summer program of free events and workshops at the handmade pavilion designed by Indian architect Bijoy Jain of Studio Mumbai. Bringing together an array of international and local Melbourne artists, designers and creatives, MPavilion’s free summer activities includes Polyglot Theatre’s week-long series of events (9 – 15 January), Sciencework’s robotics workshops, Tree Telling (16 – 22 January) with Caitlin Franzmann, the return of MRelay (4 February) the popular marathon day of conversation and full moon celebration M*Sync. Queen Victoria Gardens, St Kilda Road.

SEA LIFE Melbourne AquariumKids can dive in this summer and explore the all-new attraction, Finding Dory and Friends: The Experience. Created with Disney-Pixar, the immersive movie-themed experience will allow visitors to actively participate in Dory’s journey as they adventure across the ocean to learn all about the underwater world. Ridin’ the EAC (i.e. the East Australian Current) enables participants to race their own paper turtles by pumping their arms up and down. There will also be a special VIP stopping in at the SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium the week before Christmas with SCUBA SANTA diving into the 2.2 million litre Oceanarium tank twice daily (17 – 25 December). King Street and Flinders Street, Melbourne, +61 3 9923 5925.

Melbourne Royal Botanic GardensMelbourne’s inner city garden oasis provides the perfect setting for a picnic all year round, and this summer, the Melbourne Royal Botanic Garden offers school holiday fun for the whole family. The Australian Shakespeare Company presents Tinkerbell and Dream Fairies  (28 December – 28 January) and Wind in the Willows (28 December – 28 January). Or kids can make a buzz in the gardens and discover the world of Busy bees (17 – 19 January). As the sun sets, the Moonlight Cinema (8 December – 2 April) gets underway and families and older children can lay out the picnic rug while waiting for their favourite film to roll against the city skyline. Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra, +61 3 9252 2300.

Cranbourne GardensJust a 45 minute drive from the city, Cranbourne Gardens has a variety of fun activities for children and family outings this summer. Kids can dress up and discover the magic of Desert Fairies and Elves (10 – 24 January) in the Australian Garden and find out about the native animals that emerge at night at Twilight Highlights (11 January). The whole family will enjoy the Family Fun Day (18 January) filled with activities, games, entertainment and storytelling. Corner Ballarto Road and Botanic Drive, Cranbourne, +61 3 5990 2200.