Your 2024 Guide to Spring in Canberra

The days are getting warmer. The frost is disappearing. The magpies are swooping. It can only mean one thing: it's finally spring in Canberra!

If you're looking for some ideas on how to get out and enjoy this gorgeous warm weather we've been having in Canberra, take a look at our ideas below. Whether you want to get out and about, or stay home and save some money, we've got something to suit the whole family!

Festivals & Events

ARC by Erth

Erth, the team that dazzled us with their roving performances of prehistoric creatures at the Enlighten Festival, are touring Canberra again, this time with their show ARC at the Canberra Theatre Centre. The work will showcase exquisite puppetry of rare and exotic animals, providing children and parents with intimate and magical encounters with vulnerable species. The show will raise important questions about our collective and individual relationship with nature and loss. Suited for children 5+, ARC is a magical, moving, and empowering show for young audiences that you won't want to miss. Grab your tickets here.

Canberra Moon Festival

Food, drinks, performances, lanterns, free activities, festival games and an attempt to break the world record for longest noodle... sound exciting?! The Canberra Moon Festival is back again, this time bigger and better than ever. From the 6th - 8th of September, City Walk & Petrie Plaza will be lit up with lanterns and buzzing day & night with a range of free family friendly activities, including making mooncakes, lanterns, handheld fans and sugar painting. Check out more details here.

Tulip Top Gardens

Looking for a bit of a country escape? Only a 20 minute drive away from Canberra you'll find the famous Tulip Top Gardens, where you can take the whole family (pooches included!) for a day of rambling through nature. There's plenty to keep you entertained, with an onsite cafe, Dutch pancake and coffee parlour, free live music on selected dates, and plenty of room for picnics and running around. Better yet, if you want to take the hassle out of planning, pre-order a Contentious Character curated picnic hamper. Pick it up when you arrive, sit back, and relax. And don't forget to pack your camera from some flowery IG snaps. Want more info? You can find it here.

Kite Fest @ The National Arboretum

The skies will be alight with colour on the 29th of September, as the annual Kite Fest at the National Arboretum takes place. Fly a kite with your kiddos, take part in a kite making workshop, grab something to eat from the pop up food vendors, view some kite flying demonstrations, visit the Curatoreum gift shop (with a beautiful variety of kites for sale), and enjoy a picnic on the lawns watching the kite demonstrations while listening to tunes provided by BoomBox2U in the Amphitheatre. Event is free; kite making workshops are $15. Find more info and book tix here.

Floriade

It's not spring in Canberra without a visit to Floriade! Australia's biggest celebration of spring, celebrating its 37th year, will run from the 14th of September - 13th of October. Stop by this free event to view over one million beautiful flowers planted throughout Canberra's Commonwealth Park.

Exhibition highlights for families & kids include:

• Gnome Knoll (the beloved tradition of painting your own gnome for display at Floriade)

• The Reflection gallery - a large-scale interactive installation that invites participants to draw and write on brightly coloured mirror shapes

• Warehouse circus (including a fire spectacular!)

• Costa Georgiadis - a session run by Australia's favourite gardener, with the chance to meet the man himself in meet and greet sessions

• CJ Shaw All Sorts Kids Show - a musical act that delivers playful, humorous songs that resonate with kids everyday experiences

• The Beanies - The Big Beanie Boogie is an energetic, interactive concert designed to have Mini Beanies up on their feet and dancing the day away

• Floriade Fairies - the lovely Chameleon Collective inclusive dance company will be roaming Floriade throughout the festival

• Teen Painting Workshop - learn to paint flowers on French arches paper using oil paints with artist and educator Naomi Zouwer

• Circus Extravaganza - a whirlwind of acrobatics, unicycling, juggling, hula-hoops, and comedy (paid ticketed event)

Night Fest

Need some date night inspo? Night Fest is the perfect place to let your hair down and unwind. From the 3rd - 6th of October, Night Fest is bringing more of the after-hours fun that we've come to love. This year, don't miss Kiss Bang Cabaret in the Kazador Tent (event is 18+), with their risque, silly and hilarious performance. Find tickets here.

Playgroups

National Arboretum's Nature Playgroup

If you want to get your little one outside to make the most of this gorgeous weather, why not head along to the National Arboretum's nature playgroups, held each school term from weeks 2 - 9. Nature playgroups offer a unique and holistic approach to childhood development, fostering a deep connection between children and the natural world. Held between 10am - 12pm on Mondays & Fridays. Find more info here.

ACT Playgroups

ACT Playgroups offer a range of playgroups in Canberra. Membership is free, and there is a range of playgroups offered in many suburbs throughout the ACT. The Kambah Nature Playgroup, held at the Kambah Adventure Park on Fridays during school terms, is an outdoor inclusive playgroup for children to explore and engage in nature-based play. Head to their website for more information.

Markets

Spring Wattle Market

Head to the good old Bus Depot Markets on the 1st of September to celebrate the first day of spring, which happens to also be National Wattle Day. Come down to celebrate all things golden wattle, with the lovely colours of green and gold adoring the halls of the Old Bus Depot Markets. Stop by to visit local artisans showcasing goods including handcrafted wares, clothing, jewellery, fresh local produce, and unique arts and crafts. Why not take dad along to the markets for a Father's Day outing, where you can celebrate Father's Day and National Wattle Day all in one! If you need more inspo for other Father's Day ideas, view our post here. For more info on the bus depot Spring Wattle Markets, visit their site.

The Spring Handmade Markets

The spring edition of the wonderful Canberra Handmade Markets is happening on the 21st & 22nd of September. Come along and shop from over 260+ Australian made designers and producers, where you will find limited edition fashion, ceramics, handcrafted furniture, children’s toys and clothing, original artworks, jewellery, and accessories along with a gourmet food and wine pavilion. They will also have a low sensory shopping hour, held from 9am – 10am on the morning of Sunday the 22nd of September. Visit the EPIC site for more details.

Brindabella Business Park Spring Markets

Take advantage of the warmer weather and head along to the town square at Brindabella Business Park for their spring markets on the 12th of September from 10:30am - 2:30pm. With food, drinks, art, flowers, crafts and more, there's something the whole family will love. Find out more here.

Floriade at the Markets

To help celebrate spring, the Little Burley Markets are joining forces with Floriade to help spread the Art in Bloom experience across the city. With floral themed stalls, kids activities, workshops and so much more, there will be plenty to help you and your family celebrate the arrival of spring. The markets will be running every Saturday from 14th September - 12th October. More info available here.

Sports

BMX

Are your kids keen to take up a new sport? BMX can be a great way for kids to build confidence, develop new skills, and potentially make some new friends. The Canberra BMX Club are a volunteer run sporting group that meet on a weekly basis to ride and race BMX bikes. The club actively promotes participation for everyone, not just 'the boys'. Sessions are really cheap (ranging from $3 to $10 for coached sessions). Why not get your kids outside and let them try something new? Find more info at the Canberra BMX website.

Skateboarding

If your kiddos were impressed by the 14-year-old girl winning the skateboarding at the Olympics, why not encourage them to give it a go themselves? The Canberra Skateboarding Association are running free learn to skateboard progression sessions at skateparks in Canberra throughout August - December. They run from 9am - 11am, with all skateboard and equipment provided. All ages and experience levels are welcome. Visit their site for specific dates and more info.

At-Home Activities

It can be expensive to get out and about all the time with a family. Now that the weather is finally warming up, it's much easier to get out in the sunshine and keep the kids entertained (if only for a short while!). Here, we've compiled our best spring activities that you can do at home or in the local neighbourhood in Canberra.

Learn to Ride a Bike

If you've got a little one who's at the age of learning to ride a bike (or scooter), head to a 'Learn to Ride' centre at either Lake Tuggeranong District Park or Lake Ginninderra District Park. The centres simulate a real road environment that educate children about road safety and develop practical riding skills. They feature footpaths, roundabouts, pedestrian crossings, line markings and road signs. They provide the perfect environment for little ones to learn to ride their bikes in a safe and calm environment.

Jumbo Chalk

For some reason, kids seem to love chalk. It's a wonderful tool for keeping kids entertained and doesn't leave any permanent marks, so it's a win win in our books. If you want to get out of the house/yard for a while, why not go on an adventure and find a new place where the kids can explore and draw on paths with some chalk. From hopscotch to giant naughts and crosses, there's plenty of ways you can use chalk and spark your kids creativity.

Make a Fairy Garden

Keeping the magic alive is something we want to instill in our kids for as long as possible. Fairy gardens are a great way to get kids outside and involved in gardening, while also creating a spirit of imagination and magic. There are a few simple things you need to create a fairy garden:

• A decent-sized planter pot, barrel or container (we got ours from Bunnings)

• Soil (again, Bunnings)

• Bulbs/flowers (you guessed it... Bunnings)

• Fairy decorations (available in most cheap $2 stores, gardening nurseries or Kmart)

It's as simple as filling up your planter pot with soil, planting your bulbs/flowers, and then placing your decorations. The more you can get your kids involved in the process, the better. It gives them a real sense of pride when they see the flowers blooming, and can prompt further conversations around nature and bees/pollination.

If you're super dedicated, you can get the kids to place items outside that they'd like to give to the fairies, and duck outside at nighttime and replace those items with things that the fairies would like to give back to the kids. You can also use the magical backyard fairies for other things, like a fairy reward chart (the fairies place a sticker on the kids' chart overnight if they've done certain tasks, e.g. brush their teeth, sleep in their own bed, etc). There are a lot of opportunities here to create a lot of magic for your little ones. Let your (and their) imaginations run wild!

Pick some Local Flowers

If you want to take the kids for a local nature walk, why not pick some flowers along the way? You can talk about different types of flowers (e.g. cherry blossoms and wattle bloom in the spring time), and then collect some to put in a vase when you get home. It gets the kids burning some energy, teaches them about nature, provides a hands-on activity, and brightens your home when you see the fresh blooms in a vase.

Walk in the Rain

Our first instinct when it rains is to find cover. But when you've got energetic, curious children, it can be hard to keep them indoors for too long. Don't be afraid of your kids getting a bit dirty and wet and wet in the rain. If it's not too cold, they'll love being outside and getting a bit wet. If you've got some rain-safe gear, why not put it on and go out for a family walk? We love Rainkoat waterproof overalls for our kids. Pair it with some gumboots, and you're good to go in the wet weather.

Do you have any other ideas for the best ways to celebrate spring in Canberra? Let us know in the comments below!