Summer is finally here, and so too are the school holidays.
The South Australian summer school holidays run until Monday the 27th of January so with six-weeks off, the youths of Adelaide will be looking for fun ways to spend their time, and I’m sure all the parents out there will be keen on keeping them busy.
With that in mind, we’ve created a guide to the exciting activities and programs available for kids these school holidays, with everything from family adventures to arts and crafts.
School Holiday Programs
There are so many great school holiday programs out there to choose from. Here’s some of our favourites:
Adelaide 36ers school holiday clinics
The Adelaide 36ers are excited to be hosting the next wave of basketball clinics this December & January for 1 & 2 day clinics! Open to both boys and girls aged 6-15. Facilitated by community coaches and Current Players, the Adelaide 36ers’ 2-day School Holiday Training Camps provide the perfect environment for tomorrow’s NBL stars to hone their skills and learn from stars of the game. Improve your skills, develop techniques, enhance your game, meet new friends and have fun!
Circobats School Holiday Workshops
Have you ever wanted to run away and join the circus? This school holidays, you can! CircoBats offers a mixture of full day and half day workshops during the holidays. Students will have the opportunity to try all things circus in a safe and controlled environment. Learn gymnastics skills, aerial silks, tumbling, lyra, hula hoops, flower sticks, plate spinning, mini-tramp, juggling, trapeze and more!
School Holidays Unplugged at Woodhouse Activity Centre
School Holidays Unplugged is a thoughtfully programmed and fully-facilitated ‘drop & go’ kids-only adventure, specifically designed with age-appropriate activities, guaranteed to keep your primary school child screen free, active and entertained for the whole day. With loads of different themes each week, as well as some returning Woodhouse favourites, there’s an activity theme to suit all types of kids.
Where: 37 Spring Gully Rd, Piccadilly SA 5151
Price: $78 per day
Who: Kids aged 5 – 12
For more info, click here.
Theatre Bugs school holiday programs
Learn singing, dancing and acting skills while making new friends and having fun! Treat your kids to the thrills of creativity, acting and fun, with hands on, dynamic classes taught by friendly and encouraging teachers.
Adelaide Thunderbirds school holiday programs
Sign your kids up for one of the Adelaide Thunderbirds’ school holiday clinics, where the Netball superstars of the future are discovered! Students can practice core skills, have fun, keep active, and meet new friends in an inclusive environment via modified games and skill activities.
Where: Mid Hills Netball Association, 10 Onkaparinga Valley Rd, Woodside SA 5244
Price: $69
Who: Ages 5 – 13
For more info, click here.
Everything Bao & Boba
Bobibao’s first ever kids cooking class is happening this January! Book in your kids for 2 hours of hands-on fun, where they will be learning how to make bao buns, bao-zi buns (steamed pork buns) and boba (bubble tea) from scratch. Once the children have finished their creation, Bobibao will steam the buns in their oven so the kids can enjoy them fresh after class or take them home.
Where: Bobibao, 7 Second Street, Bowden
When: January 13th, 14th, 20th and 21st
Price: $55
Who: Ages 6 and over
For more info, click here.
Family Fun
Seeking something fun to do with the whole family? Check out the following options:
School Holiday Fun at X-Golf Marion and West Lakes
X-Golf Marion and West Lakes are your one-stop place for entertainment, golfing fun and delicious food. Conveniently located South or West of the city, with ample parking, and close to Westfield shopping centres, it’s easy to build a whole day out with the kids. X-Golf is also a great place for summer birthday parties with indoor comfort, a dedicated party room and packages to suit all budgets. Take the worry out of planning a party in the festive season.
Where: West Lakes: 37 Turner Drive, West Lakes
Marion: 838/842 Marion Road, Marion
Price: Kids play from $12 (9 holes)
School Holiday Bundle (pizza, drinks + golf) from $79 for up to 6 players
Who: The whole family
For more info, click here.
School holidays at Monarto Safari Park – Saturday 14 December 2024 to Sunday 26 January
For a grand family adventure into the wilderness, check out Monarto’s school holiday program. The park is open every day of the school holidays from 9:30am – 5pm. Home to over 500 animals, an expedition to Monarto is fun for the whole family, with daily keeper talks, hidden treasures to be found, and all sorts of close-up encounters with animals on offer.
Where: 63 Monarto Road, Monarto, South Australia
Price: Adults $49, Concession (15+) $36, Child (4-14) $27, Cub (0-3) FREE, Family / Mini Group from $125
Who: The whole family
For more info, click here.
Pick your own cherries
There are a range of orchards in the Adelaide Hills where you can take the whole family to pick your own cherries. In fact, we already have a guide to all the best locations around SA, which you can find here.
Mount Lofty Adventure Hub
The Mount Lofty Adventure Hub offers an exciting range of family experiences in the scenic Adelaide Hills. Scale the 15-metre high climbing wall, sail through the trees along the zip-line, or face your fears on the three-person Mega Swing.
Where: Mount Lofty Adventure Hub & Southern Adventure Hub
Price: Adult $67.00, Child $60.00, Group >4 $57.50 per person
Who: The whole family
For more info, click here.
Cleland Wildlife Park
Experience the thrills of discovering some of Australia’s most iconic native animals at Cleland Wildlife Park these school holidays, located just 20 minutes from the CBD. They have a range of school holidays to choose from, such as self-guided trails, story time on the lawn, bush play, and the kids only zone. Click here to view their full list of school holiday activities.
Bounce
With all their holiday energy after finishing school for the year, your kids are probably bouncing off the walls right now. Why not take them to a massive trampoline park? Featuring tons of trampolines, a slam dunk zone, an obstacle course, and a dodgeball court, Bounce is full of fun activities for all ages. Bounce Marleston currently has a school holiday program called Holiday Camps, which offers 3-hours of bouncing and refuelling with food included.
Where: Marleston: 164-168 Richmond Rd, Marleston SA 5033
Greenacres: 13-15 Fosters Rd, Greenacres SA 5086
Price: From $12
Who:
For more info, click here.
The Beachouse
Featuring three enclosed waterslides, dodgem cars, an 18-hole mini golf course, blaster boats, and much more, the Beachouse is jam-packed with fun and adventurous activities for children and adults. Especially in summer, the waterslides are a perfect way too cool off after a day out in the sun.
Where: Colley Terrace Glenelg
Price: Click here for a comprehensive price guide
Who: Fun for the whole family
For more info, click here.
MIX 102.3 Giant Ferris Wheel
While you’re in the neighbourhood, take a ride on the MIX 102.3 Giant ferris wheel to soak in the views of Glenelg’s stunning golden sand. Open daily from 10am – 9.30pm, 7 Days a Week.
Where: Moseley Square, Glenelg
Price: $15 per person (13 years+), $10 seniors card holders and Children 2 – 12 years (children under 2 years are free), $50 per gondola of up to 6 people
Who: All ages
For more info, click here.
Adelaide Botanic Gardens
The Adelaide Botanic Gardens is a staple of our beautiful city, teeming with wondrous indigenous plant life and native wildlife. Take a walk through the trees, follow a cultural garden tour, or stop into the kiosk for a cold soft drink or iced coffee. There’s the incredible Chihuly glass exhibition currently showing, and they’re hosting moonlight cinema sessions until mid-February. Plus, with all those open areas amidst the plants, there’s plenty of space for the kids to run around.
Where: North Terrace
Price: FREE admission into the gardens
Who: Everyone
For more info, click here.
Christmas
To soak up the festive season, here’s some Christmas-specific activities:
Follow the Santa Course in Adelaide and Rundle Mall
Follow the trail and locate all TEN giant Santas from Rundle Mall to the Adelaide Zoo. Find all the Santas to enter a competition with a chance at winning Santa’s Sleigh of Surprises.
Discover Adelaide’s Christmas Decorations
There’s a bunch of wonderful, Christmas-themed decorations across the Adelaide CBD at the moment. The giant, 25-metre high Christmas tree in Victoria square offers a dazzling light display every night from 8:30pm – 2:30am this festive period. There’s also 5,000 blooming red and white petunias to discover, as well as Christmas pillars and wreaths, card cubes, inflatable Santas, and festive displays in Rundle Mall.
Free school holiday workshops at the Central Markets
Time to get creative! There’s a variety of free workshops on offer at the Adelaide Central Markets from Tuesday the 17th to Friday the 20th of December. Think gingerbread cooking, Christmas tree craft, reindeer art, and printmaking.
History, Art and Education
I know, it’s the school holidays. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take your kids to one of SA’s many fantastic museums and galleries to teach them something interesting and entertaining.
National Motor Museum
Kids love cars! So take them to the National Motor Museum in Birdwood to show them the stories of the vehicles and people that shaped our nation’s motoring histories.
Where: Birdwood, SA
Price: Adult: $22.50, Concession: $17.00, Children: $9.00 (children under 5 free), Family: $55.00 (2 adults, up to 3 children), Family Concession: $43.50 (2 adults, up to 3 children)
For more info, click here.
Art Gallery of South Australia
With over 45,000 works of art from around the world and alternating exhibitions on display, the Art Gallery is a perfect way to introduce art to your children. Currently, they have a program running on the first Sunday of every month called Start, offering a free, family-friendly occasion with art activities, tours, live performances and entertainment.
South Australian Museum
As one of the most visited museums in the nation, the South Australian Museum is open seven days a week and offers an incredible array of interesting exhibits for children to delve into. With a feast of family-friendly experiences available, the museum offers a perfect outing that will keep the kiddies entertained and educated at the same time. They can even get hands-on in the Discovery Centre and learn all about fossils and gemstones.
Adelaide Planetarium
Turn your kids into the stargazers of the future these school holidays at the planetarium. Take a tour around the solar system and discover the incredible expanse of the solar system. As part of the Planetarium’s school holiday programs, kids can enjoy hours of space-filled fun for as low as $12.
Where: Building P, Mawson Lakes SA 5095
Price: From $12. Bookings essential
Who: Everyone
For more info, click here.
We’re positive there’s something in this list for everyone. So, what are you waiting for? Get those kids off the couch and out into the sunshine. It’s summer, after all.
To read more about what’s on this summer, check out our events calendar here.
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