Your guide to the best things to do during the NSW Easter holidays
From the Harbour Bridge Climb to coding and basketball camps and the Sydney Royal Easter Show, there’s an event on for every age these school holidays.
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From Alice and Wonderland in the Royal Botanic Garden to coding and basketball camps and the Sydney Royal Easter Show, there’s an event on for every age these school holidays.
1. EXPLORE THE HARBOUR
From 10am-4pm on Saturday, April 8 and Sunday, April 9, The Rocks and Darling Harbour are hosting an enormous Easter egg hunt in the laneways and streets. In Barangaroo Reserve, Aboriginal educators are leading children aged 5-12 in workshops aimed at learning about Australia’s endangered animals. They will create their own bilby Easter hat and participate in an Easter egg hunt throughout the reserve. This runs from 10.30am-noon every weekday from April 13 to April 20, $16.95 per child. Back at Darling Harbour, Peppa Pig is inviting visitors to join her on an interactive adventure through Wild Life Sydney Zoo and Sea Life Sydney Aquarium. Visitors will meet some underwater and furry friends and learn how to keep them safe. April 7-23, Darling Harbour and surrounds. darlingharbour.com; visitsealife.com/sydney; wildlifesydney.com.au
2. ENJOY THE SHOW
The Sydney Royal Easter Show is on again, with everyone’s favourite events, rides and showbags. International daredevil Sam Powers will be putting on a nail-bitting escapism show, there’s The Thunder of a Thousand Hooves, a drone show and Bluey meet-and-greets, plus the usual dog show, flower, arts and crafts and produce displays. There will also be student workshops, where school-aged children can learn about honey and chocolate making. Visitors can also get up close and personal with all kinds of livestock and learn all about milking a cow, sheepshearing and the “Journey of an Egg”. April 6-17, Sydney Royal Easter Show, Olympic Park. eastershow.com.au
3. MEET THE EASTER BUNNY
The Easter Bunny is coming to Luna Park for a weekend of fun and, of course, chocolate. Lunabunny will be hopping around LunaPark for the long weekend, giving visitors plenty of photo opportunities and handing out Darrell Lea Easter eggs as well as appearing at the Sun and Moon Stage in the Midway every hour from 11am-2.30pm each day for 30 minutes. Luna Park will be open every day during the school holidays and visitors can snap up an Unlimited Rides pass to make their Easter all the sweeter. April 7-9. lunaparksydney.com
4. ENCOUNTER FRIENDLY ANIMALS
Get up close and personal with animals from around the world at Taronga Zoo. Nura Diya, the zoo’s immersive Australian habitat,opens this month and will be home to a vast array of iconic Australian wildlife, giving guests the opportunity to immerse themselves among native Australian flora and fauna and gain a deeper understanding of the relationship Aboriginal Culture has with Country. See kangaroos, dingo pups and koalas. Elsewhere, you encounter some of the Zoo’s newest arrivals including Kobe the adorable Fur-sela pup and eight Bolivian Squirrel Monkey babies. taronga.org.au
5. GO ON A JOURNEY
The Sydney Opera House has a whole host of fun for the kids these holidays. Start off with a performance of Mem Fox and Julie Vivas’ beloved picture book Possum Magic by the Monkey Baa Theatre Company. See Saltbush – an interactive show that explores the journey of two friends and their spiritual guide on foot as they cross Australian landscapes – or sign the kids up for the Saltbush Dance Workshop with Gamilaroi and Mandandanji dancer Nathan Leslie. April 13-22, Sydney Opera House. sydneyoperahouse.com
6. CLIMB THE BRIDGE
BridgeClimb is holding its first-ever Easter egg hunt on the iconic Harbour Bridge. Throughout the Easter school holidays, kids over the age of eight can count the fun graphical Easter eggs throughout their journey with a delicious Easter prize on offer. All participants will receive a sweet treat for their efforts. BridgeClimb also has a special school holiday price of $99 for kids aged eight and over across its climbs. April 7-23, Sydney Harbour Bridge. bridgeclimb.com
7. VISIT WONDERLAND
Lewis Carroll’s absurd and wickedly clever classic Alice in Wonderland is brought to life in the Australian Shakespeare Company’s acclaimed production, set in The Royal Botanic Garden. Meet your favourite assortment of curious characters, including the skittish, constantly late White Rabbit, the pepper-obsessed Duchess and her crazy cook, the Cheshire Cat who will leave you with a grin and Humpty Dumpty on his way to meet Tweedledum and Tweedledee. The outdoor, interactive performance is fun forthe whole family. April 8-23, Pioneer Garden, The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, $25-$30. shakespeareaustralia.com.au
8. DESIGN A POSTER
The Powerhouse has a range of workshops for children and teens across its three locations in Ultimo, Castle Hill and Parramatta.They can attend a free record designing workshop for all ages or design posters with illustrators Ben Brown and Paul Curtis in Unproductive, both at Ultimo. At Castle Hill, kids aged five and up can attend a free screen-printing workshop, and in Parramatta, high schoolers can attend a three-day collage and animation workshop with mixed media artist ESSA. There are also coding, music and Lego workshops too, some of which the whole family can attend. April 8-23, Powerhouse Ultimo, Parramatta and Castle Hill. maas.museum
9. HUNT FOR EGGS
Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park, Hunter Valley Wildlife Park and Mogo Wildlife Park are offering free entry for children for the entire month of April. The Parks are also holding a massive Easter Egg Adventure during the long weekend for just $15 per child. Kids will have the chance to win prizes ranging from encounters, annual passes, dance class bundles, plus toy packs and plenty of chocolate Easter eggs. Terms and conditions apply. featherdale.com.au
10. SEE A PUPPET SHOW
Kids of all ages will be entertained by traditional puppets at Puppeteria theatre in Castle Cove. Performances include Hooray for the Easter Bunny, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Aladdin’s Lamp, The Gingerbread Man and more. puppeteria.com.au
11. LEARN TO CODE
Kids aged 5-13 can develop invaluable computer skills with a series of exciting two-to-three-day, in-person or online programs through Code Camp. Returning will be the Roblox Legends Camp, where kids learn to code their own Roblox game. Other camps include Drone Camp, where kids learn to program and code a drone and YouTube Creators camp for ages 8-13 targeted at budding vloggers, gamers and content creators. A new addition is two-day DJ Camp for those aged 8-13 where kids will learn how to mix music, and there is even a two-day Animation Camp for the 5-12-year-olds who love cartoons, giving them the chance to engage in a blend of storytelling, art and technology and create their own Minions or Lego movie. April 10-21, various locations. codecamp.com.au
12. SHOOT SOME HOOPS
Hoops Capital Academy – the Sydney Kings and Sydney Flames’ development program for girls and boys aged 8-17 – is hosting holiday camps at its new facility in Moore Park. Players of all skill level are welcome to attend the camps, which run over two weeks with the option to attend any or all dates. The camps are a great opportunity for young hoopers to join a supportive community and develop their basketball, teamwork and resilience skills in a fun and encouraging environment. Attendees will be exposed to best practice training techniques used by the professionals at the Sydney Kings and Sydney Flames. April 11-19, Hoops Capital East, The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park. hoopscapitalacademy.com.au
13. CREATE DELICIOUS BURGERS
Grill’d stores across NSW are serving up hands-on burger masterclasses these school holidays. For $25 per child, youngsters will see all the secrets of Grill’d’s famous burgers, learn the ‘superpowers’ of great nutrition and how to build and dress a perfect burger from the bun up. And the best part - they get to eat what they make. Takeaway goodies include a Grill’d bandana and spatula, a certificate of achievement and more. grilld.com.au
14. BECOME A PRANKSTER
Budding social media stars can put their pranking skills to the test at Madame Tussauds Sydney’s Prank Playground. Guests can unleash their inner prankster on an unsuspecting friend or family member, with some expert from dedicated ‘Prank Assistants’. madametussauds.com/sydney
15. WATCH ORDERS GET PACKED
Amazon Australia has opened its doors to the public for the first time, and is offering free in-person tours of its robotics fulfilment centre in Western Sydney four times a week. In-person tours are available to people aged six and up, and will run four days a week at Sydney’s Kemps Creek Fulfilment Centre. Visitors will get to go behind the scenes to see how the products they order are stored, see over 2000 robotic drives in action and meet employees who help pick, pack and ship Amazon orders. amazontours.com/au/onsite
16. HUNT FOR THE GRUFFALO
Explore the Gruffalo Spotters Trail - featuring characters from the children’s book - at Scenic World in the World-heritage listed Blue Mountains. Take photos and videos with Mouse, Fox, Owl, Snake and the Gruffalo as you discover interactive props and play structures along the trail. Don’t forget to jump on the Scenic Railway and Scenic Cableway. scenicworld.com.au/the-gruffalo
17. COOK LIKE JAMIE
Jamie’s Ministry of Food Australia’s online school holiday programs are back from April 11. Experts will teach youngsters the basics of food, nutrition and cooking, as well as some of Jamie’s special tips and tricks. All you need is a kitchen, basic cooking utensils, everyday ingredients and a hunger to learn how to cook popular recipes.thegoodfoundation.com.au/courses
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