Spring is just around the corner, and for many busy parents in Sydney, that means it’s time to start thinking about school vacation care options. Finding the right vacation care program can be a game-changer for both you and your kids. Whether you’re looking for fun activities to keep your children entertained or educational programs that provide new learning experiences, Sydney has a huge variety of vacation care programs to choose from. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the best vacation care options available in Sydney for Spring 2024, helping you find the perfect fit for your family’s needs and ensuring your kids have a memorable break.
NB. we have only included options where you can drop your child off, not events/activities you can do together as a family. The vacation care options are listed below (in alphabetical order):
- Menai
- Age 4-12
- They are the Sutherland Shire’s only dedicated Acrobatics and Acrobatic Gymnastics Club. They pride themselves on a fun and friendly approach to coaching for all levels and ages. Downtime is limited, and there is an emphasis on individual learning.
- $65 per day
- 9am-3pm
- Bondi Junction
- Age 4-12
- Each day is filled with a variety of fun activities and games. Your child will learn new skills and have an opportunity to use all of the Ninja/ Parkour & Gymnastics equipment.
- 9am-3pm
- Lucas Heights
- Age 7 – 14
- Australia’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) is the home of Australia’s most significant landmark and national infrastructure for research. Thousands of scientists from industry and academia benefit from gaining access to state-of-the-art instruments every year. And now kids can gain access to, with their school holiday workshops. Topics include: 3D Printing, Artificial Intelligence, Sizzling Space, and EV3 LEGO Mission to Space.
- Times and cost vary according to workshop
Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP)
- Dawes Point
- Year K – 12
- AYTP school holiday workshops encourage and engage young people from K-12. Participants will make new friends, learn about performing, gain confidence and most importantly, have a ton of fun in a safe and inspiring environment.
- From $205 for 2 days
- 9.30am-3.30pm/10am-4pm
- Gladesville, Bondi Beach, Castle Hill and Mosman
- Age 5-12
- Inviting all fans of Harry, Hermione, Hagrid and the entire magical world of Hogwarts for a fun-filled Performing & Creative Arts adventure! For 2 days, your child will leave the Muggle World behind and step into a magical world, all culminating in a Wizardry Showcase on Day 2 for families! The children will engage in sessions designed to inspire their creativity, boost their confidence, and ignite their love for learning in Magical Dance, Drama, and Singing sessions. Your budding Wizard will get to make potions and cast spells with STEM, engage in House challenges to earn points, and make magical Craft & Cooking creations. Get ready to experience Bop’s magical “World of Wizardry”.
- $198 for 2 days
- Homebush and Cromer
- Age
- More freestyle-fun, more adrenaline, and more action-adventure awesomeness! With great value tickets and friendly Hosts ready to give helpful tips and tricks, BOUNCE is the perfect adventure to take your holidays to the next level. Get a taste of freestyle and show off your moves. Master new skills into the Big Bag, run up the walls and all through the X-Run and Wall Climb. BOUNCE is all about fun, movement, and keeping the kids active.
- $65 for 3 hours
- Various locations throughout Sydney
- Randwick
- Age 5-12
- Park Science – Mad Mappers & Treasure Hunters, Park Arts – Leaves and Colours, Bushrangers – Shelter Challenge.
- $100 per day
- Over 100 locations across Australia, as well as online
- Age 5-12
- Australia’s favourite holiday and after-school program. Code Camp is kids discover fun school holiday activities and after-school programs that empower children to get creative with technology.
- From $275 for 2 days
- Carlton
- Kindy-Year 6
- Brick Retreat is a school holiday destination that’s guaranteed to bring out your child’s creativity! It’s an innovative whole-day workshop designed to give your child the ultimate Lego building and engineering experience. Enjoy peace of mind knowing your child won’t just have fun in a collaborative environment – they’ll be learning too! Their workshops are guided by friendly instructors who go above and beyond in every way to make sure each child feels special and celebrated. What better way could there be to keep your kids entertained?
- $50-100 per day
- 9am-3pm
- Newtown
- Age 4-12
- The Gymkidz holiday vacation care program is the perfect option for parents looking for a dynamic and exciting activity day for their child during the school holidays.
- $109 per day
- 9am-3pm
- Various locations throughout Sydney
- Age 3-10+
- Hot Shots Tennis programs are designed for every child at every age and ability.
- Price varies according to location
- Hurstville
- Age 4.5-12
- Choose from Swish Basketball, Strike Football and FlipIt Gymnastics.
- $50 per day
- 9.30am-3pm
- Various locations throughout Sydney
- Age 5-15
- Enrol your child in Junior Engineers’ exceptional school holidays coding, robotics and STEM workshops. Learn to code either in-person or online, with the ultimate digital technologies curriculum for kids.
- $130 per day
- Miranda
- Primary school-aged children
- Rec Club turns into a kid’s wonderland in the School Holidays, with the Kids Club House! With Inflatable World and all of their school holiday camp programs (e.g. gymnastics, escape room, movies, slime time, talent time etc) there’s something for everyone and the fun never stops.
- $85 per day
- 9am-3pm
- St Ives, Woolhara and Waverley,
- Age 4-12 (Children can attend in January of the same calendar year they will start school)
- At Kool HQ, they believe that every day should be a new adventure for children. That’s why their OSHC programs are designed to be jam-packed with exciting activities such as sports, art, music, cooking classes, science experiments, drama, and free play. They offer a variety of free incursions and activities within their facility to provide new experiences and opportunities for learning and growth. Their programs cater to all interests, levels, and ages, from beginners to advanced, ensuring that every child has the chance to explore their passions and have fun in a safe and nurturing environment.
- $104 per day
- 8.30am-6pm
- Miranda
- Age 4-12
- The Little Tennis Aces School Holiday Camps run over 2 days during each school holiday break. Their School Holiday Camps involve group kids tennis lessons, team-based events and games designed to improve self-confidence, gross motor skills and learning the rules and strokes of tennis in a fun environment.
- $60 for 1 day or $10 for 2 days
- 9am-12pm
- Macquarie Park
- Age 5 – 14
- Exciting adventures, cool activities, super sports and awesome creations await at Macquarie University’s school holiday programs. Is your child a budding scientist? Do they enjoy art, drama, cooking and games? From swimming and gymnastics to science and robots — their school holiday programs have you covered with age-appropriate activities.
- From $91.50 per day
- 7.30am-6.30pm
Manchester City Football School
- Waverley
- School years 3- 8
- Manchester City coaching clinics will give girls and boys the opportunity to develop their skills and learn how to play ‘Beautiful football’ in the playing style of Manchester City, utilising the football club’s coaching and playing methodology. Players of all abilities will be challenged to develop in a safe, fun and authentic environment that reflects how Manchester City train and develop football players. Players will learn how to master the ball, play with style, dominate the game and achieve their goals.
- $200 for 2 days
- 9am – 3pm
Marian St Theatre for Young People
- Killara and Hornsby
- School years K-12
- Kindergarten to Year 6 students get to make a play! With a performance at the end of the week for family and friends. Teens will dive into an audition masterclass with a professional actor and test their new skills with a performance at the end of the week. These workshops are the best thing to do this holidays if your young people are interested in acting and drama.
- $260/$325 for 4/5 days
- 9.30am-12.30pm
- Various locations throughout Sydney
- Kindy – Year 6
- Be treated like a rock star during the April school holidays at Super Camp. Campers will be treated to an incredible array of team sports in an environment full of energy. With a live DJ pumping the beats and multiple prize giveaways, this is a school holiday camp not to be missed.
- $79 for 2 days
- 8.30am-3.30pm
- Kensington
- Age 2-18
- Their holiday program offers fun and engaging skills-based drama training for all ages and aspirations.
- From $328.50 for 2 days
- 10am-4/5pm
Ninja Warrior School Holiday Program
- Caringbah
- Age 4-12
- It’s a full day of fun and challenging activities. They make sure the kids are well looked after, with activities, obstacles and breaks well planned out so the day is fun and enriching. They focus on confidence, teamwork, strength, and ability, and ensure all kids are participating and happy. They also provide healthy food, snacks and drinks to maintain their energy levels throughout the day.
- $100 per day
- 9.30am-3.30pm
- West Pennant Hills and Kellyville
- Age 5-12
- Since 1996, children around the world have benefited from the Nutty Scientists® method for learning through experimentation, participation, and most of all – fun! Through their revolutionary methodology and programs, which span many areas of science, sustainability and general life education, they teach scientific concepts in a way that children understand and remember.
- Various locations throughout Sydney
- Age 5-13
- O’Grady Drama Classes, the local presence of the International Helen O’Grady Network, is more than just your regular drama class provider. They’ve got it the right way around – that is they have put the kids first and nurture them with the life skills gained from drama.
- $75
- 9am-3pm
- Maroubra Junction
- Age 6 – 10
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They’re running dance workshop for ages 6 to 10 year olds; Jazz, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, Acro & Performance. The Benefits of Dance at OzDance Studios: socially connected and well-rounded children, more confident and culturally aware superstars, skills taught and developed within a supportive and nurturing environment and trained by world class qualified teachers.
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$90 per day
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9am – 3.30pm
- Sutherland
- Age 5-10 (currently attending primary school)
- PCYC NSW runs a variety of safe, fun, creative and inclusive school holiday activities for primary and high school aged youth. Their structured programs have a selection of sport and creative-based activities to ensure we offer something for everyone. From multi-sport, gymnastics and boxing to painting, dance and crafts. From pirate days and graffiti, to coding classes and skateboarding, they have lots on offer. PCYC Sutherland school holiday activities are run by qualified coaches that have a passion for working with young people in a sport and recreation environment.
- Details tbc
- St Peter’s
- Age 5-14
- ROCKCAMP school holiday programs engage, excite and activate children’s natural ability to climb! Low student to instructor ratios ensure maximum participation and ultimate fun throughout the camps numerous challenges and climbing-related games and activities. Suitable for all skill levels and abilities, every ROCKCAMP student is catered for and encouraged to reach new heights. Sydney Rock Climbing camps are led by a qualified school teacher and climbing instructor with 20+ years’ experience ensuring students learn the art of climbing in a safe, fun and structured learning environment.
- $115/ $103.50* (early bird price)
- 9am-4pm
School Vacation Care
- Many schools also offer vacation care, either on or off-site. Providers include: TheirCare, 3 Bridges, TeamKids and more. Did you know that you can enroll with any vacation care provider, not just the one with your school. This can be particularly useful if your child(ren) has friends at other schools. The main benefit of these providers is that you can claim the Child Care Subsidy rebate through Centrelink (if you are eligible) until they are 13 (or 14 to 18 with disability).
- Various locations throughout Sydney
- Age 5-12
- Their holiday clinics are a great way to experience what they do and how they do it. They provide a fun environment for the player to learn new skills or sharpen up existing ones, while growing their passion for what they call ‘jogo bonito’ (the beautiful game). Their clinics are especially programmed for any player of any skill level who wants to take advantage of the school holidays to build into better versions of themselves as players. They combine a solid skill training program together with an environment that makes them feel that they are just playing with friends.
- $90 per day or $349 for 4 days
- 9.30am-1.30pm
- Sutherland or Menai
- Age 5-12
- Their Sharks Holiday Camps are a fun and engaging way to keep your kids active and entertained during the school holidays. Their camps are conducted in a safe and engaging environment, with a focus on skill development and gameplay. Kids will have the opportunity to learn new skills, make new friends and have a blast.
- $75 for 1 day or $150 for 2 days
- 9am-3pm
- Various locations throughout Sydney
- Age 5-13
- Sydney FC Holiday Clinics offer three days of non-stop football fun to keep kids active and entertained during the school holidays. Their well-structured programs are available at locations across Sydney. Whether your little one is a football fanatic or just wants to give it a go, their Holiday Clinics are a great way for kids to boost their skills and make new friends.
- $310 for 3 days
- 9am-3pm
- Sydney Olympic Park
- Age 5-12
- Various options include: All day recreational program at the Aquatic Centre, Multi Sports Camp, Table Tennis, Soccer, Gymnastics, Basketball, Netball, Water Polo, and Diving.
- Recreational program: $75 per day
- 8am-5pm
- Various locations throughout Sydney
- No two days are the same at their amazing school holiday programs across NSW. With each program specifically designed for each venue, their programs allow children to explore their world, connect with others, and make the most of their school holiday break.
- Daily cost from $78
- 7am-6pm
- Over 30 locations in NSW
- Age 4 (if enrolled in school – 12
- Their school holiday programs are jam-packed with activities designed to stimulate inquisitive minds, get children physically active and discover interests. Their vacation Care allows your child to meet new friends and socialise with others of different ages and diverse backgrounds. Their activity-based programs are developed by qualified Educators who consider individual children’s interests and needs and aim to provide a wide variety of experiences for all children to enjoy.
- Costs vary according to location
- Brookvale or North Sydney
- Shape the future with STEAM-based Holiday camps that guarantee a hands-on and mind-blowing experience. Solid life skill development around problem-solving, creativity, collaboration, and design thinking. Immersive experiences designed to foster learning, creativity, and collaboration in a world of endless possibilities.
- From $99.99 for a full day or $64.99 for half a day
Stay tuned for updates as we continue to expand this list. And if we’ve overlooked any of your favourites, please do let us know.
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