Best school holiday activities in Perth
The golden west is at its golden best during the school holidays with a catalogue of boredom-busting activities.
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Discover family-friendly activities in Perth for school holidays, from outdoor adventures to creative workshops. Read on for the best ways to enjoy!
Hijinx Heaven
Laser tag, bowling, escape rooms, arcade games and Holey Moley mini golf in the one fun venue? We’re listening. This won’t be the cheapest school holiday you do in Perth but the fun levels are off the chain. We especially like the multiple sets of five challenge rooms each designed for two to six players. The idea is to score as many points as possible within four minutes before moving onto the next room. There is so much family fun on offer here that it rockets to number one on our list of the best things to do in the school holidays in Perth. Want to keep the kids entertained for hours? Look no further. It is located in Karrinyup in north west Perth.
Scitech sizzles
Putting aside the fact that this place has its own planetarium (currently doing a rocking show with the music of Queen), the Chevron Science Theatre is home to (controlled) explosions, flames and smoke galore. There is also a puppet theatre with an adorable quokka show and school holiday programs with titles such as “Poo and You”, “Wee and Me” and “Build A Virus”. # fun things. Interactive exhibits are at every turn and the whole family will find something to entrance on this fun day out. Children aged from 0 to six are even catered for in the Discoverland section and dedicated school holiday activities are also on offer. Located between Perth city and Subiaco, it’s up there with Questacon as one of Australia’s best science museums. Picture: Daniel Wilkins.
Tramp-tacular
With more than 50 interconnected trampolines, Bounce (locations in Cannington, Joondalup and Osborne Park) is the ultimate school holiday destination to get the whole family active. The warehouse-turned giant trampoline theme park is the stuff of childhood dreams, with a dodgeball area, slam dunk runway and giant foam pit for the ultimate airborne adventure. The X-Park obstacle course is the ultimate test for adrenaline junkies featuring moveable blocks, vault boxes and swinging bars. More school holiday activities can be found here in the form of the Bounce Inc Holiday Camps.
Get wild at Perth Zoo
Take the kids on an African safari with lions, giraffes, meerkats, zebras and more. But be sure to also check out the numbat, Australia’s insect-eating marsupial and the regal Sumatran tiger. Depending on when you are planning to take a trip, it’s best to look online before you go to find out what kid-friendly programs are running. We like the look of the Keeper Kids programs for pre-primary, the Wildlife Warriors for those in years three to six, the Zoo Crew for those in years four to eight and the Keeper Careers for those in years nine to 12 looking at perhaps working with animals one day. There are also free guided walks and talks for those with not quite so much attention plus a host of family dining options. One word of warning, it can get a bit crowded around the Easter Long Weekend.
Go clubbing at Wanneroo Botanic Gardens
Located just 30 minutes north of Perth’s CBD, the privately-owned Wanneroo Botanic Gardens has something for everyone. The family will love the kaleidoscope of colours in the gardens, rockeries and waterfalls, plus the chance to play a not-so-average game of mini golf in Perth’s premier garden settings. We’re talking 36 neon lit holes that are actually more fun to play when the sun goes down.
Find your way at Amaze Miniature Park
Step back in time at Amaze Miniature Park, located an hour from Perth, with an extensive display of English replica scale model buildings and working mini railways. The park is set on four acres of beautifully manicured gardens with many areas for kids to explore such as the hedge maze (with hidden letters to solve a mystery), secret garden, walking trails and chocolate factory across the road. There's also a challenging mini golf course that’s free with your admission and the 1940s tea house is super cute. The great outdoors has never been more charming.
Revel in nature at Kings Park and Botanic Garden
A short walk from the CBD with superb views of the city skyline, the Darling Ranges, South Perth and the Swan River, Kings Park is rich in Aboriginal and European history and has more than 3,000 species of WA’s unique flora. The Rio Tinto Naturescape Kings Park is a place for children to connect with nature and learn to appreciate the unique WA environment. Kids can brave the heights of The Bungarra and The Python, wade in the Paperbark Waterhole, get caught in a web in The Tangle, disappear down The Burrow and build a cubby. At over four square kilometres, the more secluded pockets of Kings feel like a national park, there myriad hiking trails and its perfect for a family bike ride. Click here for a map of the bike riding paths.
Cuddle the kids at Caversham Wildlife Park, Swan Valley
Enjoy the day at Caversham Wildlife Park and explore Australia’s unique native animals such as koalas, wallabies, possums, Tasmanian devils and wombats. Over 2000 animals across 200 species call the park home and if your little one is equally repulsed yet fascinated by reptiles, this is the place to view over 150 of the slithery creatures. There are opportunities to hand-feed kangaroos and take a photo with a koala. Don’t miss visiting Milly’s Farm for an interactive farm experience.
The Great Kimberley Wilderness
Narrated by Luke Hemsworth, 'The Great Kimberley Wilderness' is a 35-minute virtual reality documentary that transports you to one of the most spectacular and pristine landscapes in the world. Following its extraordinary lunar exhibition, this outing from the WA Museum Boola Bardip is guided by both science and Traditional Owners is puts you right in the centre of one of Australia's most stunning landscapes.
Dive into The Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA)
Just 20 minutes from Perth CBD, located at Hillarys Boat Harbour, The Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA) boasts over 40 stunning exhibits of marine life for the whole family to enjoy. Check out the largest living coral reef exhibition in the world and Australia's largest single aquarium. There are three school holiday marine programs to choose from - Eco Teen Shark Swim, Eco Teen: Turtle Researcher and Junior Marine Scientist. You can also dive with sharks, snorkel with sharks and glide across the aquarium in a glass-bottomed boat if you don’t fancy getting wet.
When are the next Perth school holidays?
In WA, the autumn school holidays officially start on April 12, 2025 and finish on April 27, 2025.
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Originally published as Best school holiday activities in Perth
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