What's on for kids these school holidays
Leave it to us: we’ve rounded up what’s on in town to keep the kids entertained these holidays, no matter if they’re into animals or art.
Published 02 January 2025
If you’ve been scratching your head thinking of ways to keep the little ones happy, you’ve come to the right place. Say goodbye to choruses of “I’m bored” with these fun, local activities, all happening before school’s back.
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Painting Workshops at Tinker Art
Calling all future Picassos! Tinker is hosting a handful of art workshops these school holidays. Let them paint a highland cow, the beach, their very own pencilcase or decorate a bear in these social sessions hosted by artist Alex Stalling and the crew. They can also host your child’s birthday party, so their friends can leave with their very own masterpiece.
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Animal Feeding Sessions at Darling Downs Zoo
Located 40 minutes south of Toowoomba near Clifton, Darling Downs Zoo makes for a fun day out for all ages. There’s daily (free!) animal feedings and talks throughout the day, from baby crocodiles to meerkats. Make sure to see the website above for all the animal show times, so you can start planning your day trip. Don’t forget to bring a hat and sunscreen.
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GRAND CHEFS at Grand Central
From January 13, your Kids will love becoming a little masterchef as they are guided through making their own shaped sandwich creations (13-17 Jan) or fruit kebabs (20-24 Jan) to take home. Join in the fun on Level 1 in Centre Court near Smiggle, daily from 10am - 2pm for a FREE kids workshop. No booking required.
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FAMILY HONEY HARVEST WORKSHOP
Discover the buzzing world of bees with this hands-on family activity. Learn all about hive life, watch bees at work, and help safely harvest honey straight from the hive. Afterward, enjoy the sweet rewards by touching and tasting honeycomb and fresh honey from the Windy Acres Farm bees. Suitable for all ages 4+, this activity runs on 11 January. (Children can attend with or without a parent).
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The Field Guide’s City-Wide Scavenger HUNT
While not specifically/ exclusively for children, this January-11 yours truely launched their very own city-wide scavenger hunt. Hiding $10K in tokens around the city, we’ll be releasing cluses daily that hint at their location. Follow along, crack the clues, find the coins and the cash is yours. This is not a
guided / coordinated activity, and so discretion should be used by parents regarding supervision, as they would in all public spaces / activities.
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ACTIVITIES at THE City Library
The Region’s Libraries are transforming into an ancient Egyptian wonderland these school holidays with fun and free hands-on activities for all ages. Create an Egyptian diorama complete with a sarcophagus, help construct the Great Pyramid, and craft your own shadow puppets to put on a show. You can even make papyrus paper and learn to write your name in hieroglyphs. Activities run from the 6 - 19 January. Booking are essential.
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Bunnings Kids’ Activities
Running throughout the school holidays, Bunnings stores host interactive projects for kids to make their own D.I.Y Tic Tac Toe, learning to make ice cream, creating cactus pots, and much more. These workshops are free for kids aged 5 and over. They also have a selection of print-out activities on their website that you can do at home. Check out their website for the full roster of events at both local stores.
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Empire Theatre Performances and Programs
The Empire Theatre offers a handful of workshops throughout the year designed for kids with a passion for arts, drama, singing afor arts, drama, singing and dance. These holidays, your teenagers can join the 18 Hour Play Project. Across three days, they’ll get to build a unique performance from the ground up and develop their acting, script-writing, and creative skills (Ages 9-14). Then, for the older thespians (15-19), the Shakespeare Series: Macbeth, is a more advanced holiday program for young actors eager to advance their performance skills through a Shakespearean deep dive.
There’s also live performances such as the Theatre of Magic (recommended for ages 10+).
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Mashed Theatre’s The Tempest in 20 Minutes
Got a budding actor or playwright at home? Dive into the magical world of Shakespeare these holidays with The Tempest in 20 Minutes, a high-energy acting intensive for teens aged 12–17. Over three fun-filled days, participants will bring the story of Prospero and his enchanted island to life in a condensed, exciting 20-minute performance. Guided by experienced instructors, they’ll explore Shakespeare’s language, unlock your creativity, and develop their acting skills like voice projection and stage movement.
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EXPLORE SCIENCE, NATURE, AND ART AT THE MUSEUM
This summer, the museum offers an exciting fusion of wildlife shows, art workshops, and hands-on activities for all ages. Meet Australian animals during daily wildlife shows (13–17 January), create vibrant nature collages with Alex Stalling (18 January), or learn nature journaling and birdwatching in engaging workshops (20–21 January). Other free activities include self-led nature collages, augmented reality with Salty Sharks, and live readings from local authors. Museum admission is free for Toowoomba Region residents, so bring the whole family along!
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SHOOT SOME HOOPS AT THESE TOOWOOMBA BASKETBALL Holiday Camps
Keep your kids active and learning with these basketball holiday programs.
Mini Neers Holiday Camps: Perfect for boys and girls aged 6–14, these camps run daily from 9am–3pm and focus on fun, skill development, and teamwork. Expert coaches teach basketball fundamentals while helping kids build confidence, resilience, and life skills (no experience required).
CLF Basketball Camp: Girls aged U/12–U18 can train with Washington Mystics Assistant Coach Ashlee McGee on Monday 20 January at Saint Mary’s, Clive Berghofer Arena. With sessions tailored for skill levels and an introductory program for new players, this is a rare chance to learn from a WNBA coach. Registration starts at $33.88.
Booking for both are essential.
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Bundle of Fun Pass
Looking for an easy way to keep the whole family entertained? Grand Central’s Bundle of Fun Pass is your ticket to hours of excitement. From arcade games to the latest blockbuster movies, this pass has something for everyone to enjoy. The $35 Bundle of Fun Pass includes an Event Cinemas single ticket, an iPlay 30-minute Unlimited Play Pack, a $10 Pick & Mix voucher to The Lolli Shop: $10 Pick & Mix voucher, and a $25 Grand Central Dining gift card. UPDATE: SOLD OUT
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Galactic Summer Music Camp
Blast off into a musical adventure with the Toowoomba Regional Youth Orchestra at the Galactic Summer Music Camp. Over four immersive days (January 14–17), young musicians aged 11–24 will learn epic space-themed music, from Star Wars to Star Trek, Interstellar, Lost In Space & Apollo 13; culminating in a thrilling Finale Concert on Friday night at the Empire Theatre's Armitage Centre.
With options for Full Orchestra, Junior Ensemble, and Vocal Group, the camp caters to skill levels ranging from early, intermediate to advanced (check minimum requirements), and is a great way for budding musicians to develop and hone their skills, make friends and soak in the fun camp experience.
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GET JURASSIC AT tHIS INTERACTIVE DINO EXPERIENCE
Step back in time and explore a prehistoric world with Jurassic Creatures, an interactive walk-through event that brings dinosaurs to life! Marvel at animatronic giants like the infamous Tyrannosaurus Rex, watch them move, and hear their mighty roars. Learn about their 165-million-year reign on Earth in a captivating experience for all ages. Running from January 16 to February 2 at Queens Park.
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Have you got an event we should know about? Let us know!
