School Holiday Activities in Melbourne: The Best for Winter 2024

Looking for school holiday activities in Melbourne to get the kids out of the house? Melbourne is full of fun school holiday boredom busters to keep them entertained, happy, and out of your hair!

Here are our top picks for the best things to do for kids this these school holidays in Melbourne.

School Holiday Activities in Melbourne: The Best for Winter 2024

1. Meet Victoria the T. rex at Melbourne Museum

Meet Victoria the T. rex, an extraordinary fossil that stands as one of the largest and most complete T. rex specimens ever discovered. Remarkably, she is the first real T. rex to make her way to Australia—66 million years in the making!

This is no ordinary dinosaur exhibit; it's an interactive, world-class adventure that transports you back to the Cretaceous period. Using cutting-edge technology and the latest paleontological discoveries, you'll gain a profound understanding of Victoria's life and era.

This exhibition is set to be a highlight of winter school holiday activities in Melbourne, so don't miss out!

Where:   Melbourne Museum
When:    28 June to 20 October 2024
Cost:      Tickets from $18 per child; $32.50 per adult

RELATED:
Awesome School Holiday Programs in Melbourne

2. BOUNCE INC. 

Luckily for families everywhere, BOUNCE INC. has multiple locations throughout Melbourne, meaning you're never far from your kids' next epic energy burn! 

It really is the ultimate indoor play haven that combines a trampoline park, a climbing park, and a dedicated kids' play centre. Little ones will love getting busy and energetic at the specially designed toddler play centre, featuring a play area crafted just for the little ones under 5. Safe to say, BOUNCE INC. offers a world of boundless fun, where kids can bounce, climb, and play to their heart's content.

Where:      Multiple locations throughout Melbourne, see BOUNCE INC. for details
When:       Throughout the school holidays
Cost:         Various dependent on child's height, age and length of session 

3. Air Playground at Scienceworks

From making objects float in a stream of air to building paper planes that really fly, Air Playground at Scienceworks is an interactive playground that lets you experiment with the principles behind the wind.

Air Playground is not just returning due to popular demand; it's been revamped with exciting new activities that will astonish you.

Prepare to immerse yourself in a hands-on adventure of science and fun. Whether you're a curious child or simply young at heart, you'll soon be discovering the secrets of our atmosphere.

Where:     Scienceworks, 2 Booker St, Spotswood
When:      Open daily from 10 am
Cost:        $10 per child; $25 per adult

4. Rainbow Buddies at District Docklands

Immerse yourself in the colourful, plush-filled universe of Rainbow Buddies at District Docklands—a real-life game inspired by the viral online sensation.

Brought to you by the minds behind Saboteurs, this is one of the most engaging school holiday activities in Melbourne that elevates playground fun to new heights.

Set within creatively transformed shipping containers, you'll dive into the heart of the action. Navigate through a maze illuminated by vibrant yellow, green, and blue lasers as you laugh, dash, and dodge. Your mission is to locate and rescue hidden plushie toys without getting zapped—otherwise, it's back to the beginning for you!

Where:   District Docklands
When:    Until 31 August 2024
Cost:      From $35

5. Pass GO at Monopoly Dreams

 

School holiday activities in Melbourne don't get much more immersive than at Monopoly Dreams. Trust us, this place is packed with games, challenges, and chances to score some serious Monopoly Money.

Test your skills by cracking Mr Monopoly's vault, dive into the Water Works and Electric Company, grab some cash at the Bank, and try your luck at interactive games. Just make sure to steer clear of Jail.

Stroll through the legendary streets of Monopoly City, where all your favourite board game spots come to life: fix those broken pipes, get the power flowing, and snap a mugshot in Jail.

Earn Monopoly Money by tackling challenges and games like outsmarting the high-tech laser security at Mr Monopoly's vault, solving puzzles, or using your wits to break out of Jail.

Then, cash in your hard-earned Monopoly Money at the retail store, café, or for tickets!

Where:   Melbourne Central, 290 Lonsdale Street
When:    Open daily from 10 am to 7 pm
Cost:      From $39.60

6. Triceratops: Fate of the Dinosaurs

Another school holiday activity for dino lovers, step into uncharted territory and encounter some of the most fearsome creatures to have ever roamed the Earth: dinosaurs!

Triceratops: Fate of the Dinosaurs takes you on a journey through the Cretaceous period across two levels at the Melbourne Museum. Here, you'll get up close and personal with the most complete dinosaur skeleton in Australia: Horridus the Triceratops.

This unique exhibition, exclusive to the Melbourne Museum, tells the story of the dinosaurs from Horridus's perspective. Visitors will be transported back to the Cretaceous period to explore the environment Horridus inhabited and meet the diverse creatures that lived alongside this iconic dinosaur.

Where:     11 Nicholson St, Carlton
When:      Open daily from 9 am to 5 pm
Cost:        FREE with museum entry

7. Jump Aboard the Puffing Billy Railway

 

Puffing Billy travels through the magnificent forests and fern gullies of the Dandenong Ranges from Belgrave to Lakeside, only one hour east of Melbourne.

Buy your tickets online and enjoy one of Melbourne's best activities for kids and a fun family day out!

Where:   Belgrave Station, 1 Old Monbulk Road, Belgrave
When:    Open throughout the school holidays
Cost:      Fares from $31.50 

8. Check Out Melbourne Rockpools

What always puts a smile on kids’ faces? Finding hidden treasures is definitely at the top of the list! And when you add water and rocks, the wonder of the cool outdoors fun is hard to beat.

Rockpools tick an exciting range of boxes – with squishy sand for inquisitive fingers, rocks to climb on and the possibility of uncovering real-life sea creatures in their natural habitat. Check out the best rockpools for kids in Melbourne.

Where:   Various locations across Melbourne and beyond
When:    Throughout the school holidays 
Cost:      Free

9. Spend a day at the Museum of Play and Art

With locations in both Melbourne and Geelong, MoPA offers a truly wonderful day of school holiday activities in Melbourne.

This children's museum is dedicated to engaging and immersing kids in educational and fun ways—there's a soft play area, a creative art car, and a whole lot more—making it the perfect day out these school holidays! Bookings are essential; due to the popularity of the museum, walk-ins are currently not accepted. 

Where:   MoPA Geelong: 51 McKillop Street, Geelong. MoPA Melbourne: 247 Bay Road, Sandringham
When:    9 am - 5 pm during school holidays
Cost:     $20 per child, $16 per adult

10. Take a Trip to Melbourne Zoo

Making a great day out in the heart of the city, Melbourne Zoo is perfect for big and small animal lovers alike—plus, their awesome Dinos at the Zoo exhibit is landing in Melbourne just in time for the school holidays!

Visitors can discover penguins, seals and other inhabitants of Victoria's coast and ocean at the Wild Sea exhibition, walk the infamous elephant trail—which is home to eight Asian elephants, and encounter the endangered Sumatran tiger; whilst learning about conservation efforts to protect endangered species. 

Kids under 16 go free on weekends, public holidays, and during Victorian school holidays—so don't miss out!

Where:   Elliott Ave, Parkville
When:    9 am - 5 pm daily
Cost:     $42 per adult, kids go free during school holidays

More Family Fun in Melbourne

Best Ninja Warrior Courses for Kids
Free Things to Do in Melbourne
Family Fruit Picking Near Melbourne

Have you signed up for our newsletter? Join ellaslist to get the best family and kid-friendly events, venues, classes and things to do NEAR YOU!