And what better way to break from the weekday school routine and reinvigorate the senses than with some fun and memorable family adventures. Most children will have a list of fun things they’d love to do – maybe they’re keen for a trip to the movies or minigolf. Maybe they’re desperate to visit a new playground.

Maybe they’re excited by the prospect of visiting a cafe for a sweet treat or a warming hot chocolate. Maybe they’re keen to burn off some energy playing sport, or learn some new skills at a circus workshop. Or maybe they’re most enthusiastic about exploring nature with a waterfall walk, a trip to the snow, or an animal encounter at a zoo or wildlife park.

Whatever your child’s interests, there are lots of free or low-cost activities sure to excite kids of all ages. So let us help you plan your school holiday outings with this mega list of the best things to see and do in Tasmania during July.

ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS

New “Bite-Size” night tours are running at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary until the end of August, giving participants a chance to experience Bonorong after dark. Running from 5.15pm until 6.15pm, this family-friendly tour allows kids to get up close to friendly forester kangaroos, baby wombats and eastern quolls, and help feed Tasmanian devils their dinner.

Bookings are open for Friday and Saturday nights and every night during the school holidays. Cost is $220 for two adults and two children, and includes general admission to Bonorong: bonorong.com.au/bonorong-bitesize-night-tour. Meanwhile Launceston’s Tasmania Zoo has recently welcomed maned wolves and some new lemurs, in addition to existing favourites like giraffes, tigers, capybaras, meerkats and red pandas. New behind-the-scenes binturong experiences are now also available for children aged 8+ for $80. tasmaniazoo.com.au

BICHENO BEAMS

The Bicheno sky will come alive during the school holidays with Bicheno Beams (bichenobeams.com) laser light show running nightly from 6pm at Lions Park.

This free, family-friendly annual event runs until July 22. Now in its third year, the event attracted more than 10,000 visitors in 2022.

JOIN THE CIRCUS

Try juggling, tumbling, hula hooping and group acrobatics at a circus workshop run by artists from Tasmanian circus company ROOKE at Moonah Arts Centre on July 11 at 10am. Suitable for kids aged 8-12, accompanying adults are welcome to stay and watch.

Tickets are $20 (moonah artscentre.org.au/kids). Interloper by ROOKE, a contemporary circus show with daring acrobatics, mesmerising hula hooping, much silliness and a little bit of magic, will be performed at the Theatre Royal’s Studio Theatre on July 13 and 14. Tickets from $25, theatreroyal.com.au

PIXAR PUTT

Combine your love of movies and minigolf at Pixar Putt – a Pixar-themed pop-up minigolf course which is open daily from 10am-10pm during the school holidays.

The course, undercover at MyState Bank Arena until Sunday July 23, is made up of interactive putt-putt holes inspired by the stories and characters of beloved films including Toy Story, Cars, Monsters Inc., The Incredibles, Luca, Soul, Onward, Finding Nemo, A Bug’s Life, WALL-E and Turning Red.Suitable for players of all ages (18+ sessions run from 7pm-10pm). Play nine holes ($29.90 adults, $19.90 juniors, $79.90 per family of four) or 18 holes ($39.90 adults, $29.90 juniors, $119.90 per family). pixarputt.com.au

LEARN A NEW SKILL

Visit your local library for more than just books during the school holidays – the Libraries Tasmania winter school holidays program includes a range of fun activities where you can learn plenty of new skills.

You can build an icypole catapult, go on a scavenger hunt, enjoy movie screenings, work with Lego and marble runs in build and create sessions, learn first aid, take part in story time and craft sessions, make an indoor herb garden, or create objects using a 3D printer. Sessions are free but bookings are required. libraries.tas.gov.au/events

HOT CHOCOLATE

Warm your belly with a delicious hot chocolate from Nutpatch Chocolates on Hobart’s waterfront. Made from Callebaut chocolate and Ashgrove cream, it’s decadent, delicious and perfect for brightening a cool winter’s day. There are plenty of eye-catching chocolates kids will love, made by local chocolatier John Zito. Open daily (except Sundays) 10am-4pm, $8 a cup. nutpatch.com.au

Or drive to The Springs on kunanyi/Mt Wellington for a mini mountain break and when you need to warm up, drop in to Lost Freight where there’s a different hot chocolate flavour on offer every month during winter. July’s special is wattleseed and burnt caramel. From $4.50. Drinks are served by husband and wife team Jess and Nige Coombes, who have a four-year-old son, Hugo. lostfreightcafe.com

PLAY LIKE A JACKJUMPER

Hone your basketball skills with JackJumpers school holiday clinics, led by community coaches and mascot Jack the Jumper.

Full and half-day clinics are available for a variety of age groups between 5-16 in Launceston (July 11 and 12), Ulverstone (July 13), Moonah (July 17 & 19), Kingston (July 18 & 20) and Clarence (July 21). Prices from $70 (which includes a basketball) jackjumpers.com.au. Meanwhile Swisherr Hoops Academy in Hobart runs half-day and full-day school holiday clinics for children aged 5-10 and 11-16, from $40. swisherr.com.

GET SPORTY

The Cricket Hub (thecrickethub.com.au) at Kingston is running school holiday sessions on July 11-12 from 9.30am-1.30pm for children aged 8-14. From $85. Ace Tennis Coaching (tastennis.com.au) will run clinics for children aged 5-16 at Geilston Bay Tennis Centre from July 18-20. Prices from $65.

Morton’s Soccer School (mortonssoccerschool.com.au) runs soccer program for children aged 6-12 on July 11-13 at South Hobart, while Australian Sports Camps (australiansportscamps.com.au) is running Aussie rules programs in Sandy Bay on July 11-13. Free Hookin2Hockey beginner clinics for children aged 6-12 run from July 12-17 in Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie (hockeytasmania.com.au). Netballers should check out NetFit clinics at Sorell (July 11), Hobart (July 12), Burnie (July 18), Launceston (July 20) and St Helens (August 5). Full-day and half-day options from $30. netfitnetball.com

SEE A MOVIE

Plenty of Hollywood blockbusters have been released just in time for the school holidays.

So visit your nearest cinema to see films including Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse; Barbie; Transformers: Rise of the Beasts; The Flash; Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny; and Disney Pixar animation Elemental.

TAKE A TRAIN RIDE

The Tasmanian Transport Museum (tasmaniantransportmuseum.com.au) at Glenorchy recently extended its train rides, offering a 2km return trip between Elwick Rd and Grove Rd.

The museum opens on Sundays during school holidays and is great for kids, particularly when trains run. A steam train will operate on July 2 and July 30, and a railcar will operate on July 16. No rides on July 9. From 11am-4pm, entry on ride days is $13 for adults and $6 kids. Online bookings are recommended.

VISIT AN ART EXHIBITION

Enjoy a fascinating look at the work of this year’s Hadley’s Art Prize finalists, at a family fun day designed especially for children. Saturday, August 19, between 10am-4pm at Hadley’s Orient Hotel in Hobart.

This prestigious Australian landscape prize offers $100,000 for the winner, and finalists include Tasmanians Joshua Andree, Raymond Arnold, Michaye Boulter, Megan Walch, Alex Wanders and Philip Wolfhagen. hadleysartprize.com.au

GET CREATIVE

Nurture your child’s creativity and love for performance and visual arts with a program of workshops – including stop-motion animation, Arabic calligraphy and landscape painting technique – at Moonah Arts Centre. There’s also a free Family Fun Open Day on Tuesday July 18 from 10am-1pm where you can snuggle into a beanbag and watch an animated film, sing along with Lorin the Mermaid, create your own Arabic calligraphy, get stuck into arts and crafts and more.

Performances of family-friendly stage show Quest for the Emerald Compass run on July 15 and 16. Can’t make it to Moonah? There’s also a series of free online video workshops and activities with artists, suitable for all ages. moonahartscentre.org.au/kids

CATCH THE FERRY TO MONA

Even if kids aren’t keen to enter the museum (bookings are required for museum entry between 10am-5pm) they can still enjoy the ferry trip ($25 return, children under four are free).

You can roam the grounds for free – climb the play equipment, check out the outdoor art and enjoy live music on the lawns – every Friday to Monday. mona.net.au

HUON VALLEY MID-WINTER FESTIVAL

This lively, family-friendly festival of feasting, music, fire and folklore will be held on Friday, July 14 (5pm-11pm); and Saturday, July 15 (10am-midnight) at Willie Smith’s Apple Shed at Grove, with a family session on the Saturday from 10am-4pm.

Celebrate the Huon Valley’s apple-picking history and join in the age-old tradition of wassailing – scaring nasties out of the orchard’s cider trees to ensure a bumper autumn crop. Warm yourself beside towering bonfires and dress in your best pagan-inspired outfit. Family session tickets are $50 for adults, children under 16 are free. williesmiths.com.au

FAIRYTALE THEATRE WORKSHOPS

Enjoy an action-packed day of theatre and fun at ExitLeft in Hobart, where kids aged 6-12 can rehearse, stage and film a fairytale version of a classic tale like Mary Poppins, The Wizard of Oz or Wind in the Willows.

With age-appropriate scripts, music and costumes, kids will learn basic performance skills, while making friends and building confidence and they get a copy of the recording to take home. July 11-20, 9am-3pm, $99. exitleft.com.au

INDULGE YOUR SWEET TOOTH

Who doesn’t love an old-fashioned lolly? School holidays are perfect for a yummy treat. Choose a lolly from Lollies on Hampden in Battery Point, Sweets & Treats at Richmond, Candy Kulture in Wellington Walk, Choo Chews Lollie Shop at the Margate Train, Lilly & Rose Sweet Shoppe in Bathurst St or Renown Milk Bar in North Hobart.

If doughnuts are more your style, check out Circle of Life in Hobart (where flavours are inspired by childhood favourites like Tim Tams, fairy bread, Homer Simpson and Willy Wonka) and BeaDoughs, which has a shopfront in Burnie (open Tuesday-Saturday) and a trailer in Wellington St, Launceston, on Saturdays.

PLAY IN THE SNOW

Head to Ben Lomond (located about an hour from Launceston) for some fun in the snow.

Ben Lomond Alpine Resort opened its doors in mid-June after some heavy snowfalls, with the resort’s managing director, Ben Mock, predicting this season was set to be the best yet, with four new snow-making machines, a cafe, and ski hire hub called Ben Lomond BASE.

Snow boots, jackets, toboggans and other ski and snowboarding gear is available for hire, with the snowplay area, cafe and ski hire open throughout the school holidays from 9am-4.30pm, pending weather conditions. Visit tasmania.ski/snowplay or facebook.com/benlomondalpineresort for updates.

CUDDLE A SNAKE

Put Serpentarium Wildlife Park at St Helens on your holiday to-do list – kids can make friends with exotic, non-venomous snakes from 11am-4pm daily.

Make sure you arrive in time for the interactive keeper presentation at midday where kids get the chance to touch or hold a snake. Entry costs $18 for children, $26 for adults, or $75 per family. serpentarium.com.au

VISIT A MUSEUM

The Tasmanian Museum and Art gallery’s free school holiday program runs from July 11-14, 11am-2pm. Children can check out the new Twist exhibition, work with First Nations artists and piece together their own Mix ‘n’ Match creature. The interactive children’s gallery, mapiya lumi, is also a fun school holiday hangout for kids aged 0-7 (tmag.tas.gov.au).

Meanwhile, as part of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery’s school holiday program in Launceston, kids can discover how archaeologists work, by exploring a mini dig site; take part in a drawing class to sketch the architecture of QVMAG; learn about wild weather and the solar system; be inspired to create sustainable wearable art or jewellery using recycled materials; or take part in free family craft sessions. qvmag.tas.gov.au

VISIT KUNANYI/MT WELLINGTON

A snowball fight on the Mt Wellington summit – or even at The Springs – is a winter school holiday highlight for most children in Hobart. Hobart City Council (hobartcity.com.au) offers information on short walks in light snow conditions – including Springs to the Chalet, Silver Falls, and Sphinx Rock and Junction Cabin – as well as tips for keeping safe.

Consider booking a seat on the snow bus (mtwellingtonexplorer.com.au) – the 2½ hour tour includes a return trip from Hobart to the summit plus time to play in the snow. Bus tour tickets cost $40 adults, $25 children (6-16 years), infants are free.

VARIETY MONSTER BOOK FAIR

Stock up on school holiday reading material while supporting a worthy cause at the annual Variety Monster Book Fair on July 8 and 9 from 10am-4pm at Hobart’s Princes Wharf No. 1.

As well as books, DVDs, games and puzzles for sale, there will be children’s entertainment, a petting zoo plus coffee and doughnuts. Entry is free. variety.org.au/tas

HUNT FOR WATERFALLS

We’re lucky to live in such a beautiful place, so why not walk some of the scenic trails around Hobart and enjoy the magic of a cascading winter waterfall. In the foothills of kunanyi/Mt Wellington you can find several waterfalls within a few kilometres of each other, including Strickland Falls, Myrtle Gully Falls, Secret Falls and O’Grady’s Falls.

You can walk to Silver Falls from Fern Tree or head to Snug Falls, a great child and dog-friendly adventure. Russell Falls at Mt Field looks spectacular in winter, too. Find inspiration on the Waterfalls of Tasmania Facebook page.

VISIT A FARM

At Curringa Farm at Hamilton (curringafarm.com.au) visitors can say hello to farm dogs, feed alpacas and horses and see sheep shearing and mustering as part of a two-hour tour ($75 adults, $35 children).

Or check out Highland cattle farm tours at Ranelagh where you can spend two hours touring the property in six-seater ATVs and get up close to Highland cows and alpacas. $85 adults, $50 children (aged 4-10 years), under-4s are free. highlandgetaway.com.au

ROYAL TASMANIAN BOTANICAL GARDENS

The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens is a great place to spend a couple of hours with kids.

Visit the ducks, walk through the conservatory, experience the chill of the sub-Antarctic plant house, see what’s in season in the vegetable patch and grab an ice cream from the cafe. It’s open daily from 8am-5pm and entry is free.

RUN, JUMP & CLIMB

We are lucky enough to have more than 100 playgrounds across greater Hobart, so rug up for some outdoor holiday fun. Check out Flyway Island Park and Sweetwater Park in Midway Point, or visit Iron Creek Bay Cafe (just past Sorell) for a coffee and a play at the property’s well-equipped playground.

Kids who enjoy riding bikes should check out the new asphalt pump track at Kingborough’s Mountain Bike Park on Kingston View Drive, or the beginners’ pump track at Kingston Park. Other playground favourites include Legacy Park on Queen’s Domain, Callington Park at Oatlands, waterfront parks at Bellerive Beach, Simmons Park, Long Beach and Cornelian Bay, West Hobart’s Caldew (Train) Park, Princes Park at Battery Point, Launceston’s Riverbend Park and Cataract Gorge playground and The Bluff playground at Devonport.

NIGHT OF LIGHTS

Embrace winter and celebrate Night of Lights at the Kingborough Community Hub on Friday July 21 from 4.30pm-8pm.

There will be children’s craft, circus and fire-spinning performances, bollywood dancing, live music, food trucks and a lantern parade. There will also be lantern-making workshops ($5) on Friday, July 14, at 4pm and 5.30pm so people can make a paper or glass lantern for the parade. Book at events.humanitix.com/lanternmaking

STREET ART

There’s some fantastic artwork tucked away in Hobart’s laneways.

Wander through Bidencopes Lane (near Centrepoint), which is brimming with colourful works by Tasmanian artists.

PLAN A DAY TRIP

Grab a map and work out which direction you’d like to head in. From Hobart it’s an easy drive to the Derwent Valley (Mt Field, Russell Falls, Salmon Ponds, Tynwald Park), Richmond (visit the ducks, walk under the bridge, get lost at Amaze, visit Faerie Land and The Puzzle People) or the East Coast (there’s a great playground at Orford and delicious fish and chips from The Fish Van at Triabunna).

Also consider the Tasman Peninsula (Port Arthur Historic Site, Tessellated Pavement, Tasman Arch, Coal Mines Historic Site, Port Arthur Lavender, Doo-lishus fish and chips at the Blow Hole), the Channel (Snug Falls, Dru Point, Margate Train, Peppermint Bay, Art Farm Birchs Bay sculpture trail) or Geeveston (visit Tahune Adventures and grab a sweet treat at The Wall of Lollies and play on the flying fox at Heritage Park). •