Sydney & surrounds
The Royal Easter Show
It’s that time of year again – The Royal Agricultural Show, commonly known as The Royal Easter Show! Dog shows, sheep trials, woodchopping, the fabulous fruit & veg District Exhibits, rides, sideshows and, of course Showbags – at Sydney Olympic Park!
Kids are king at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, with hours of fun entertainment and carnival classics on offer every day from 26 March through to 8 April 2015.
Young showgoers can see personalities from their favourite television programs come to life in a range of on-stage character shows and “meet and greet” sessions. Weird and wonderful circus acts will wander the showground to entertain crowds and the Kids’ Carnival will be brimming with magical new rides and old favourites.
Get the Easter Show app here
Dodo Sydney Family Show – FREE Entry!
Australia’s largest FREE ENTRY Family Show is on again this Easter at EQ Moore Park from 2-12 April, 2015.
Meet Lightning McQueen and friends, and Dusty from Disney’s ‘Planes’ and watch the Loony Tunes Stage Show daily,.Showbags, rides, an animal nursery, plenty of entertainment, markets and great food!
For what’s on when, information and special family RIDE pass discounts click here
Easter & School Holiday fun @ Centennial Parklands
Sydney’s largest and most popular Easter activity, The Great CP Egg Hunt returns to Centennial Park on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 April!
School holidays are full of fun nature play activities including Kids Vs Wild, CP Bush Rangers, Park Detectives, Kids Big Fish and more! Fizzics Education will feature the Liquid Nitrogen Show, Exploring Science Day, Slime, Sherbert and Bubbles, Lego Robotics, Rip Roaring Rockets and more!
And don’t forget pony rides PLUS the Cuddly Animal Show on Wednesday 15 April and The Great Big Story Book, returning this autumn from Monday 13 to Saturday 18 April.
For the full program of activities click here
Easter & School Holiday fun @ Sydney Living Museums
Vaucluse House
Join the Great Easter Egg Hunt for ages 3+ – Meet the Easter Bunny and collect your Easter bag following the hunt.
Sunday 5 April: 11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm
Cost: $15, includes one accompanying adult and entry to the house. Bookings essential.
Drop in and have fun making and dressing a peg doll or yarn doll to take home. Make a historical character of your choice, such as a convict or soldier. Let your imagination do the work.
April 7, 8, 9 and 14, 15, 16 April, 11.00am–2.00pm
Cost: $5 per child, plus museum entry. Bookings essential.
Discover ingenious optical toys designed to entertain and delight children in the days before computers and television. These clever toys were often made at home and used early animation techniques to trick the eye. Join us and have fun exploring old-fashioned toys, then children can make their own optical toy to take home. Ages 5–12.
11.00am – 12.00pm, Friday 10 and 17 April (Ages 5-8) and Monday 13 April (Ages 8–12)
Cost: $12, includes one accompanying adult. Bookings essential.
Hyde Park Barracks
Drop in and have fun making and dressing a peg doll or yarn doll to take home. Make a historical character of your choice, such as a convict or soldier. Let your imagination do the work.
April 7, 8, 9 and 14, 15, 16 April, 11.00am–2.00pm
Cost: $5 per child, plus museum entry. Bookings essential.
The Museum of Sydney
See over 200 original toys and treasures – from peg dolls to Barbie, tin soldiers to spacemen – and let the kids’ imaginations soar as they follow the children’s trail through the exhibition to the play space where they can play traditional games and make their own toy to take home.
Cost: Free with general museum admission: Adult $10, Child $5, Family $20, Members free.
Build, play and wonder at an exhibition of eye-popping LEGO® skyscrapers! Marvel at the architectural detail in an astonishing line-up of Asian and Australian towers, constructed by one of the world’s most famous LEGO® builders, Australia’s own Ryan McNaught. From Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands and the Tokyo Skytree to Q1 and our very own Sydney Tower. Plus create your own LEGO tower with over 200,000 loose LEGO® bricks on hand.
Cost: Adult $15, Child $15, Family $45, Members $5.
Visit Sydney Living Museums for full details of all activities, museum locations, bookings and times.
Kids in the Park – Sydney Olympic Park
Sydney kids love Kids in The Park, Sydney Olympic Park’s school holiday activity program that keeps the kids entertained and active without stretching the wallet.
Now in its tenth year, Kids in the Park offers a number of FREE and affordable (under $20) action-packed adventures and activities from 3-19 April.
The full Kids in the Park April 2015 program is available here.
Unleashed @ Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House is running a HUGE program of exciting events for kids these school holidays – a whole White world bursts into colour from 1-7 April; acrobatics, song and puppetry combine to spectacular effect in Monkey…Journey to the West; meet friendly baby dinosaurs at Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo from 4-19 April plus plenty of FREE creative play!
Enjoy a full day at the House with a Family Day Package that includes discounted show tickets and a commemorative photo of your day out.
Easter High Tea
For the very first time, InterContinental Sydney is welcoming families to the ultimate Easter Sunday experience, with a one off, exclusive chocolate-themed high tea with assorted Swirl Lollipops, Valrhona Milk chocolate and almond toffee apples, a variety of crepes and waffles with Nutella, homemade jam as well as Snickers and Redskin Macaroons!
With exciting entertainment and activities for children (and big kids!) to enjoy, kids are encouraged to attend in their best fairytale and fancy dress costumes- and there’s a prize on for the best girl and boy costume. There’s also a magical cupcake decorating station where children can show off their best artistic skills, there will even be a very special appearance from the one and only Easter Bunny, who will be giving all attending a very special chocolate egg.
Date: Sunday, 5th April
Time: 3 sessions:
10.30 – 12.30,
13.00 – 15.00,
15.30 – 17.30.
Cost: $55 per adult, $55 per child
Price includes: Food and Sparkling wine on arrival for adults, hot chocolate for children and a special chocolate cocktail is available for an additional $15 each
To book and for more information call Restaurant Reservations on 02 9240 1396.
Circus Factory @ The Powerhouse Museum
Circus Factory, a program of spectacular proportions, featuring all the wonder of the circus with live performance, sideshow favourites, local and international exhibits and vintage toys and novelties is on at the Powerhouse Museum during the April school holidays.
The Circus Factory arena will come alive, featuring a limited season of performances from the acclaimed Australian contemporary circus troupe, Circa. Shows will run for approximately 15 minutes, on the hour.
For the full holiday program, dates and times visit powerhousemuseum.com
Go Wild @ The Australian Museum
With live animals, craft, photography and exciting scientific experiments all on the agenda, the Australian Museum is the place for kids to explore their ‘wild’ side these school holidays!
Make your own 3D wild animal,learn all about native reptiles, birds and mammals in a fun and interactive display of live animals, get down and dirty exploring the secrets of your backyard and learn what lights up our oceans and glows in the dark, and experiment with light!
See the full school holidays program here
Sydney Tower Eye
The whole family can experience Sydney like never before at Sydney Tower Eye these school holidays! It all starts on ground level, where guests enter the interactive zone and get an up close 3-dimensional history of Sydney and the famous tower. Measure up next to other great towers of the world, touch actual pieces of Sydney Tower cable and heaps more! Experience the amazing 4D Cinema, then ascend to the Observation Deck where you’ll be taking in the sights from 250 metres above the city. Those feeling brave can even conquer SKYWALK, Sydney’s highest outdoor viewing experience at 268m above the city.
NIDA Open’s Autumn School Holiday Program
Image: © NIDA/Maja Baska
Got a budding actor in your midst? NIDA Open’s Autumn school holiday program (the National Institute of Dramatic Art) is rolling out in Sydney during the Easter school holiday break with fantastic, fun and creative classes for all ages.
Dive into a world of make-believe with short courses across acting, film and TV, musical theatre and creative design, like Neverland for kindies to Year 2 … with a pinch of fairy dust and a hand full of courage, kids will follow Peter Pan and Tinkerbell into the exciting Never-Never Land during this two-day course.
For more information on all courses in the NIDA Autumn school holiday program click here
WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo
Fun is flying into WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo with the all-new WILD Flight – a self-propelled ride where kids and parents alike will experience flight through the attraction’s aviary. Riders will see kangaroos from the sky, glide past princess parrots and other feathered friends and even take a daring journey above Rex, the zoo’s huge 5 metre crocodile. As a part of this treetop experience, WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo also welcomes a family of endangered Grey-headed Flying Foxes which can be seen from three different vantage points made accessible by a brand-new treetops observation tower.
Madame Tussauds Sydney
Check out the brand new Marvel Super Hero Zone, featuring some of the world’s most popular superheroes, including Thor, Spiderman, Wolverine and Ironman! Hang out with Spiderman, the ultimate web slinging crime fighter, join the fight of good versus evil as you come face-to-face with Ironman, don Marvel’s superbly skilled warrior, Thor’s helmet and try out Wolverine’s remarkable foot long Adamantium claws.
There is something for everyone at Madame Tussauds Sydney these Easter school holidays. Mum can steal a kiss with Ryan Gosling or Brad Pitt, while Dad takes a call with his feet up on the oval office desk next to Barack Obama in our World Leaders Zone. In the Music Zone, the next pop-idol can get the party started with P!nk on her heart-shaped stage set, or pick up a guitar and shake it off with Taylor Swift!
School holiday activities on Cockatoo Island!
An exciting range of FREE activities on Cockatoo Island over the holidays includes an entertaining, family-friendly history tour about the crooked characters from Cockatoo Island’s colourful convict past. Be swept away by a wonderful, whimsical kids’ show about the island’s history. Watch the island’s maritime past come to life when our 1891 steam crane gets revved up for action. Relax around the campground fire pit and enjoy special early evening performances by some of Australia’s top new musical talents.
When: Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 April, 5-6pm
Ages: Suitable for kids of all ages
Find out more
Join the Etcetera Duo (Russell Garbutt and Julia Cotton) on a wonderful, whimsical journey through Cockatoo Island’s history. A dynamic combination of comedy, illusion, puppetry, magic and mime, Island Antics will transport you into a world of imagination and fun.
Where: Building 3 (Mess Hall), Convict Precinct
When: Friday 17 – Sunday 19 April, 1pm + 3pm
Ages: Suitable for kids of all ages
Find out more
For all of this – and tons more, including Steam Crane Demonstrations on 17 and 18 April, The NIDA Games, Dog Leg Tunnel Cinema and free Kids Activity Trails visit cockatooisland.gov.au
For a holiday your family will never forget, why not take advantage of these Easter Stay Deals.
• Book a two-night glamping or camping package to receive a 25% off each night’s stay.
• Book a two-night, mid-week stay in one of the island’s apartments to receive a 25% off each night’s stay.
Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary
Set sail to Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary for the all-new Shipwreck Shores play zone experience where kids will learn about conservation through imagination, play and discovery.
While scuttling through the hull of a sunken ship into a soft play place filled with slides, climbing obstacles and tunnels, children will encounter fun activities and may even see a few undersea creatures along the way. The new Shipwreck Shores play zone also boasts a kid-friendly splash play area and imagination zone where adults and kids alike can make-believe themselves as a captain, a marine biologist or an aquatic animal. And if that’s not enough excitement, the crawl-through sea cave complete with colourful corals and fossils will leave visitors in awe.
Out of Sydney
Featherdale Wildlife Park
Two beautiful Greater Bilbies will be the star attraction at Featherdale Wildlife Park these Easter school holidays.
Entry to the Park to see these rare creatures from April 3 -19, 2015 is available for $69 for two adults and two children (3-15 years).
Grab a WILD Family Fun package for Special Holiday encounters from April 3 to 19 including:
• Meet an Easter Bilby at 12.30pm outside Featherdale’s Nocturnal House
• NEW Feeding Trails! Follow the keepers as they feed the animals throughout the Park. Limited spaces available each day. Tours commence at 11.30am and 11.45am daily for Southern Cassowaries and Wombats
• Last chance to see Ngukurr, Featherdale’s giant Saltwater Croc catch his breakfast at 10.15am daily before his winter fast begins
• Make new friends in the farmyard nursery with lambs, chickens and kids (baby goats that is!). Special feedings take place at 1.15pm daily
• Rapt in reptiles – Meet a baby animal or dare to get up close to a snake or lizard at 2.00pm daily.
Easter and School Holidays Fun @ Elizabeth Farm, Rouse Hill House & Farm and Meroogal
THE GREAT EASTER EGG HUNT
Eggsplore the grounds as you hunt for hundreds of Easter eggs at Elizabeth Farm this Easter Sunday! Meet the Easter Bunny and collect your Easter bag following the hunt. Ages 3+
5 April, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm
Cost: $15, includes one accompanying adult and entry to the house. Bookings essential.
MAKE AND TAKE: YARN DOLLS AND PEG DOLLS
Drop in to Elizabeth Farm and have fun making and dressing a peg doll or yarn doll to take home. Make a historical character of your choice, such as a convict or soldier. Let your imagination do the work.
7, 8, 9 and 14, 15, 16 April, 11.00am–2.00pm
Cost: $5 per child, plus museum entry. Bookings essential.
TERRIFIC TOYS!
Step back in time and discover what children did for fun during the Victorian era. Explore the Rouse Hill schoolhouse, or the house at Meroogal, to find and play with some of the toys and games from the period. Then it’s time to make your own toys to take home with you! Ages 5–12
Meroogal Thursday 9 April, 10.00am–12.00pm
Rouse Hill House & Farm Tuesdays 7 and 14 April, 11.00am – 12.30pm
Cost: $15, includes one accompanying adult
EARN YOUR TUCKER
The sun is up and it’s time for kids to have fun at Rouse Hill House & Farm and muck in to get the chores done. Help feed the chickens, collect the eggs, grind the corn, churn the butter and pump the water. Ages 5+
Sunday 12 April, 11.00am – 1.00pm
Cost: $15 per person
Illawarra Fly
Kids visiting Illawarra Fly these Easter school holidays will grab an Adventure Passport at the Fly’s entrance that follows an exciting trail of questions that will have them learning about the region’s diverse flora and fauna, as well as cool facts about Illawarra Fly. After completing their treetop walk, they can finish their day out with an amazing Zipline Tour!
The award winning Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures is one of Australia’s premier treetop walk and zipline experiences. The Treetop Walk and Zipline experience, which is officially the highest Zipline Tour in Australia, create a 2.5 hour experience where you can truly immerse yourself in the natural environment. With stunning views, guided tours, a visitor centre and cafe, the Fly is a great place for a day out for families!
Booligal Sheep Races
Celebrate the Year of The Sheep – the sheep growing area of Booligal in south western NSW will celebrate the 17th annual JBS Booligal Sheep Races on 11 April.
Attractions include Jumping castle, Super Slide, Sumo Suits, Face painting and Laser tag or hire a sheep for $30 to be in the winning for the Booligal Cup with prizes for most creative name (for the sheep) and a Perpetual Trophy for best decorated sheep!
Entry $5 for adults
Children are free
All day bbq.
Booligal is located 75 km north of Hay in south western NSW.