Memory making things to do these school holidays

Sleepover at the Australian Museum with LEGO® City. LEGO® City is taking over two Dinosnores at the Australian Museum these spring school holidays with Arctic Adventure themed sleepovers. Parents and kids will be welcomed to an evening of exciting sub-zero activities starting with LEGO Arctic trivia over dinner followed by the chance to get up close to animals in a wildlife show. Mini adventurers will then embark on a special torchlight tour around the museum, exploring the galleries to hunt down polar animals and artefacts. Finally, to wind down, they’ll be treated to a private movie screening with a yummy, sweet surprise! When it’s time for bed, kids will then snuggle into their sleeping bags amongst some historical fossils and their new friends. Tickets can be booked for free at legocity.eventbrite.com.au

Join the circus at Barangaroo. In the upcoming October school holidays Barangaroo will be offering a first of its kind opportunity for kids to partake in a workshop offered by professional circus and physical theatre performers entitled ‘Acrobat’s Academy’! The workshops suit children between six and 16 years of age. No experience is required. Kids will get the chance to partake in movement games, floor based acrobatics and group acrobatic workshops encouraging them to work cooperatively, promote trust and take calculated risks, all under the watchful eye of highly-skilled experts. More information available at barangaroo.com

Get messy at Paddy’s Markets. Paddy’s Pop-ups will run for the duration of the school holidays during Paddy’s Markets Haymarket trading hours. Kids can enjoy activities such as ceramic painting, bath bomb making, balloon twisting and face painting, manicures and pedicures for kids, carnival games and rides, fairy floss creations by Som Som Candy, a mock bowling alley that kids can play with, and also people will be roaming with deals available for local attractions!

Check out the Dinosaur Festival at the Australian Museum. Children will see, hear, touch, and even smell the world of dinosaurs in this interactive experience that’s a mind-boggling 75 million years in the making! Children can roam the gallery of skeletons, skulls, teeth, claws and fossils; watch life-sized dino diorama; and learn about the evolution of dinosaurs to birds in a thrilling theatre performance. The Australian Geographic Nature Photographer if the Year and the 200 Treasures of the Australian Museum exhibitions will also be running throughout September and October for parents and children alike to enjoy while visiting the museum. See the full schedule at australianmuseum.net.au/school-holidays

Hit up Family-friendly music festival Lost Picnic in Sydney and Melbourne. Bohemian outdoor music festival, Lost Picnic, is the perfect family day out these Spring school holidays. Festival organisers have forayed into the world of theatre and art to bring on board a myriad of entertainment and performances to keep the young ones entertained, with the likes of La Petite Grande, The Nylon Zoo, Fizzics Science, Circus Playground joining the impressive food and music line-up. Lost Picnic will make its debut at Melbourne’s Flemington Nursery on 7 October, before returning to Sydney’s Domain on 13 October. Alongside the city’s best food vendors, Lost Picnic will feature a proudly antipodean music line up including Tash Sultana, Meg Mac, Marlon Williams, Odette, Sons of the East, Big Words and Hot Potato Band. Family tickets are on sale now from lostpicnic.net.

Saddle Up these school holidays at Flemington Racecourse. This full day program provides a range of horse related activities for primary aged children and will be held from 8.30am – 5.30pm over four days. The unique, school holiday program provides a range of horse-related activities for primary aged children including learning the fundamentals of riding a horse under the guidance of a recognisable Victorian jockey. The schedule includes a fun-filled scavenger hunt around Flemington Racecourse and at the end of each day, children can have their photo taken with their parents and a Melbourne Cup trophy. For further information and to book into this new program visit: racingvictoria.com.au/saddle-up

Join the Junior Rangers program with Parks Victoria. The Junior Ranger program offers free nature-based and ranger-hosted activities for children aged 6 to 12 and their families. It is designed to get kids out in nature and teach them about Victoria’s wonderful parks, wildlife and amazing natural and cultural heritage. From 24th September – 5th October, kids and their families can come along to a range of fun activities in Victoria’s parks. Kids can spend the day with park rangers on a Minibeast Discovery, become a Wildlife Detective, go on a Nature Treasure Hunt or get their feet wet in a Rockpool Ramble. For more information call Parks Victoria on 13 1963.

Dreamworld has something for everyone these school holidays. Trucks are currently rolling into Dreamworld with cargo for the Brickman Awesome Exhibition, made entirely of LEGO® bricks, making up part of Dreamworld’s AWESOME school holiday fun. Sunset Safaris will also be available soon, so guests can harness their wild side while they encounter Dreamworld’s wildlife after park hours. By day, take a walk on the wild side with Dreamworld’s tiger cubs Melati and Mya, before they make their big adventure to Canberra in October, to spread the important message of conservation. And keep your Trolls’ glitter in your pockets because the Bawd brothers are making their comeback, and they have their eyes on all things sparkly and gold. The infamous Bushrangers are set to wreak havoc on the Dreamworld Express once again – bringing back an iconic Dreamworld experience. For the full school holiday schedule visit Dreamworld.com.au

Get ‘Slimed’ these school holidays at Sea Life Sunshine Coast. In an attraction-first, guests will go on a slime-tastic underwater journey as they learn weird and wonderful facts about the slimy creatures of the sea including anemones, sea cucumbers, jellyfish and moray eels. For the daring, scattered throughout the attraction are ‘Black Box Challenges’ where guests can stick their hands in a mystery black box and guess what slimy creature the texture resembles! From coming face-to-face with colourful marine life including sharks and colourful fish to learning all the quirky and magical facts about the animals that call our oceans home, Sea Life Sunshine Coast promises interactive fun for the whole family. See more at underwaterworld.com.au.

Visit Floriade by night in Canberra. Australia’s most celebrated flower festival Floriade returns to Canberra this Spring. Some of this year’s festival highlights will include NightFest – Floriade’s ticketed after-dark experience and Dogs’ Day Out – where guests are encouraged to bring their furry friends, featuring a superhero dress up Pop Culture theme. Floriade is the perfect event to keep the kids entertained throughout the school holidays, with a free KidzKlub and an array of hands-on activities and workshops in the Kids Zone. Further information is available via, floriadeaustralia.com.

Movies under the Darwin sky. Experience the magic of the moonlight cinema at the Darwin Waterfront this dry season with free monthly movies. On Saturday 29 September, Paddington (G) will be screened on the Peninsula Lawns from 7pm. Take along your blankets or chairs and relax under the stars with family and friends. There are dinner specials available from local businesses or pack a homemade picnic dinner yourself. Movie goers are encouraged to arrive at 6.30pm to secure a spot on the lawns.

Make your own movies at the National Motor Museum. Visit the National Motor Museum in Adeliade these school holidays and make your very own ‘Brick Film’. Drawing inspiration from the vehicles on display at the museum, kids can create their own Lego car chase, or assemble their own unique vehicle. Movies will be filmed and put together using the Stop Motion Studio App available on mobile devices. They will then be uploaded to YouTube via the GooRoo Animation Workshops channel so you can share them with all your friends and family. See more at motor.history.sa.gov.au

The IGA Perth Royal Show is back for 2018. Bigger and Better than ever with The Voice, 2018 Winner Sam Perry and Shannon Noll headlining entertainment on the first two nights, you won’t want to miss out! Family friendly and with so many free things to do it is the perfect school holiday event. An excellent place for children and adults alike, get involved with all the awesome activities the IGA Perth Royal Show has on offer including such as the AgVenture Trail visiting live animal exhibits, panning for gold in the Walk Through WA Pavilion and cooking up a storm on the IGA Cooking with Kids Stage, plus much, much more. See the full schedule at perthroyalshow.com.au