11 Free Activities for your Kids and Teens these School Holidays in Canberra

With the school holidays just around the corner (the 6th - 21st July, just in case you’ve forgotten!), we know how hard it can be to keep the kids entertained. And with the current cost of living crisis, it can really add up having to take the kids to a different activity every day. 

Here, we’ve compiled eleven totally free activities to keep your kiddos entertained these school holidays in Canberra (and none of them are playgrounds!). We’ve got a combo of indoor and outdoor fun for toddlers through to teens. Grab your puffer jackets, pack some lunch, and get exploring! 

Gungahlin Marketplace Trailblazing Cowboys 

Ideal for preschoolers - younger primary aged kids

For the entire school holiday period, Gungahlin Marketplace will be running daily activities for kids. They’re also doubling their locations this year, with the ‘Wild West Workshops’ happening outside Big W, and the ‘Space Cowboy’ sessions happening on level 1, outside Daily Market Grocer. 

With activities like making cowboy hats, sheriff badges, cactus pots and sand art, there’s sure to be something that your little one will enjoy. 

For more information and to book tickets, visit the Gungahlin Marketplace website. 

Magnificent Megafauna: Hide and Seek

Ideal for preschoolers - younger primary aged kids

Head along to the Australian National Botanic Gardens with your young ones to encounter the MEGAfauna that roamed Australia more than 20,000 years ago. Kids can discover ‘living plant fossils’ and  unique prehistoric plants and animals from Australia’s past. 

Running each day from 8:30am - 5:00pm. Visit the Australian National Botanic Gardens website for more info. 

Repair Cafe

Best for middle primary - teens 

For kids with an interest in how things work, they can attend the Repair Cafe with a broken item and learn how to fix it with the help of skilled volunteers. This fun and hands-on event not only helps to reduce household waste, but it will also help you save money by not having to buy new items. Win win! 

Sessions running during the holidays - 

Sunday 7th July: 1pm - 3:30pm @ The Link Building at Ginninderry 

Saturday 13th July: 10am - 1pm @ the Hughes Community Centre

Visit the See Change website for more info. 

Champions Arena at the Canberra Centre

Suitable for all ages

Who isn’t excited about the upcoming Olympics? Visit the Canberra Centre’s Champions Arena to compete in a range of sporting activities, perfect for active kids and curious toddlers. 

Big kids can choose from Wii Sports, Guess Who sports edition or a twister championship, while little ones can create their own green and gold medals. Try out your best commentator voice at the Sports Commentator Box, and then get a snap at the final podium, where you can crown your family’s winner. 

The Champions Arena is running from the 6th - 19th of July from 11am - 2pm daily. You can find it on the ground level of the Canberra Centre, near R.M. Williams. 

For more info, visit the Canberra Centre website. 

Fire Performances

Suitable for all ages

Heat up this winter with live performances from fire dancers. Performances run every night of the school holidays at 5:30pm, 6:30pm and 7:30pm in Garema Place. 

Get more information here. 

Haig Park Village Markets’ Winter Wonderland

Suitable for all ages

Want to help your kiddos experience the magic of a winter wonderland? Hit up the Haig Park Markets on the 14th of July for the return of their Winter Wonderland markets. Feast your senses with warming fires, twinkling lights, the sound of the Riff Raff brass band, the smell of spices in the air, and the delicious food from stallholders and the multicultural soup celebration. 

If that’s not enough, there’s a visit from Hephner the alpaca, marshmallow toasting, damper making, and free kids art and craft activities, face painting and lantern making. 

Visit their website for more info. 

Libraries ACT 

Activities for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and primary aged kids

The Libraries ACT school holiday calendar is packed with events for all ages. Happening at all locations across Canberra (Tuggeranong, Dickson, Belconnen, Gungahlin, Erindale, Kippax, and the Woden pop-up library), there’s sure to be something to keep your kiddos entertained for an hour or two. 

For 8 - 12 year olds, there’s a range of spy-themed activities that will help kids unleash their inner James Bond! They can learn about espionage and sending secret messages, make their own binoculars and use them to solve the mystery of the library riddle, play some mystery-based board games, test their spy abilities with a memory game, and listen to a storytime mystery (The Eleventh Hour). 

For babies through to preschoolers, there’s the ‘Stealth Moves with Liz Lea’ movement classes. The classes are designed to encourage families to undertake gentle movement together, while building an understanding of healthy living. The classes are led by Liz Lea and her team of professional dance artists.

And for the whole family, there’s screenings of various kid-friendly movies. Choose from Spies in Disguise, Holes, Cats and Dogs 3, Zootopia, and Basil the Great Mouse Detective.

For more information and to book your registration, visit the Library ACT website. 

Warm Trees at the National Arboretum

Suitable for all ages - check website for pram accessibility 

If you want to get out and keep your kids active, visit the National Arboretum’s popular installation ‘Warm Trees’. Throughout July, the forests come alive with vibrancy thanks to the gorgeous knitted and crocheted colourful scarves and decorations, lovingly made by hundreds of volunteers. The theme this year is thanks to the Arboretum’s diplomatic partner, the Embassy for Chile. 

For more information, including which forests within the Arboretum will feature in the Warm Trees installation, visit their website. 

National Portrait Gallery

Activities for toddlers - teens

There’s plenty to see these holidays at the National Portrait Gallery. 

For your toddlers, preschoolers and primary kids, visit ‘Reach for the Stars: A Place to Create’ where they can enjoy creative activities inspired by the stars of the Olympics. They can design a medal, cosy up with a book, or create their own Olympian that will contribute to a collaborative artwork by the Gallery. Kids must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Reach for the Stars runs daily throughout the holidays from 10am - 4:30pm. 

For teens, there’s a number of exhibitions at the Gallery that might spark their curiosity. ‘Self Portrait: Myself and I’ celebrates “inventiveness and diversity in approaches to self portraiture”, and explores a range of mediums, including digital media, needlework, welding, printing, collage and calligraphy. 

‘Frocked up’ demonstrates “the interconnectedness of costume and portraiture” by examining how clothing in portraiture is used to express unspoken characteristics and identity. Both exhibits, along with all others in the gallery, are open daily from 10am - 5pm. 

See here for more information. 

‘Belle’ - Movie and Pizza

Suitable for teens 12+

Although it’s not technically in Canberra, if you’ve got teens who love anime and you’re willing to go for a bit of a drive, the Yass Valley Library is hosting a free pizza lunch and screening of the movie Belle on Thursday the 18th of July from 1:30 - 3:00pm. 

Belle is “a visually stunning Japanese animated film that reimagines the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast in a modern virtual world, exploring themes of identity, connection, and the power of compassion to overcome trauma”. 

To reserve a spot, click here. 

PlayConnect+

For children aged 0-8 years with a disability or chronic medical condition

ACT Playgroups is running PlayConnect+ in the July school holidays. PlayConnect+ are facilitated playgroups and parent peer support groups for families with a child, aged between 0-8 years, with a disability or chronic medical condition. There are both free and structured play activities, including music, gross and fine motor activities, sensory play and stories. 

Parents and families also have the chance to socialise with others who understand what it's like to be a carer. They can meet with people in similar circumstances and share ideas and explore what community support is available. 

Please note: children attending do not need a diagnosis, and siblings are welcome. 

PlayConnect+ will run from Monday the 15th -Thursday the 18th of July from 10am - 12pm. Find them at the Castle Playroom, ACT Playgroups, 41 Templeton Street, Cook. 

For more info or to book, give the team a call toll-free on 1800 171 882.