School holiday activities mean busy kids
There’s loads on for Sydney kids these school holidays; they can create their own short movies, learn how to make jewellery or join in various sports and recreation programs as part of the City of Sydney’s winter school holidays program
It runs from Saturday 7 to Sunday 22 July and offers a variety of classes, group activities and family outing ideas for children and young people aged 5–18.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said “Many of the activities for the older age groups are free, while the vacation care program for children aged five to 12 is reasonably priced and a a terrific support for working parents.
“The program is always popular and allows our younger residents to experience something new and make new friends.”
Newtown Library will host an Australian Poetry Slam workshop and competition for high school aged children. Poetry lovers can participate in this energetic celebration of the spoken word or enjoy one of only two high school heats of this live literary performance competition where the audience is the judge.
Other activities for kids at the City’s libraries include free workshops for children aged 10+ on making light-up felt badges. Children aged 5–15 years can get inventive and creative with robots, circuits and electronics with a variety of ‘makerspace’ workshops that aim to promote learning through play.
At Pine Street Creative Arts Centre, young people aged 12–17 can create a short animated film using old school timelapse, stop frame and hyperlapse techniques, while younger children from 5–12 years can use Lego, toys and cardboard to bring their animated stories to life. Other workshops at the centre include hand-made ceramics, silver jewellery making and creating prints on fabric or paper.
Teenagers can participate in a variety of indoor and outdoor sports, take part in skateboarding or robotics workshops or join a team to work through a real life puzzle experience to break out of an ‘xscape’ room.
As part of the Winter Vacation Care, primary school children aged 5–12 can join their local children’s program that offer a range of excursions and indoor activities.
Below are highlights from each school holiday program with links for bookings.
Pine Street Creative Arts Centre
- Stop frame animation, short-movie making – 9, 17 and 19 July
- Ceramics workshops – 9, 11, 12, 16 and 18 July
- Printmaking – 10 and 12 July
- Silversmith skills – 10 July
- Drawing and painting/engraving – 11 and 16 July
- Painting and sculpture – 18 July
Youth in the City – excursions for young people aged 13–18 include:
- Xcape room – 10 July at Chippendale
- Powerhouse Museum and robotics workshop – 11 July
- NAIDOC Family and Sports Day – 13 July at National Centre of Indigenous Excellence, Redfern
- Sports day – 17 July at Peter Forsyth Auditorium, Glebe
- Skateboarding workshop – 18 July at Ultimo community centre
- Muay Thai workshop – 19 July at Redfern Community Centre
- Australian Poetry Slam – 22 July, Newtown Library
- Electrocraft workshop – 9 July at Newtown, 10 July at Glebe and 12 July at Ultimo
- LittleBits building – 11 July at Customs House and 18 July Kings Cross Library
- Edison Robots – 19 July at Surry Hills Library
- Steady-hand game – 20 July at Haymarket Library
- Free balance bike clinics – 11am–2pm every Saturday at Sydney Park
- Cycling in the City – 14 July at Sydney Park
Winter Vacation Care
Families should contact the program team leader for the list of activities and booking forms.
- Pyrmont Children’s Program
- Redfern Children’s Program
- The Rocks Children’s Program
- Ultimo Children’s Program
- Woolloomooloo Children’s Program