The best school holidays activities in Melbourne

From April 9-12, the Sea of Light transforms Abbotsford Convent Oratory into a glowing, immersive wonderland. Created by Patch Theatre, the interactive experience invites kids to become artists of light, using UV torches to paint, stencil and guide luminous ships through a dreamy "ocean". Along the way, glowing artworks by contemporary Aboriginal visual artist Elizabeth Close emerge beneath their feet, while a gentle soundscape by First Nations composer Rob Edwards adds to the magic. Designed for children aged three-plus, this 30-minute adventure blends creativity, culture and play within one of Melbourne’s most beautiful heritage precincts – making it the perfect outing for curious minds. Book your tickets here. 

Address: 1 St Heliers St, Abbotsford

Time Out tip: Buy a family pass for $50.

This April, Fed Square is your go-to for school holiday fun, with a packed program of free, family-friendly activities. Kids can get hands-on at the Little Food Festival, meet inspiring guests like Costa Georgiadis, and dive into sustainability through play. ACMI celebrates 60 years of Play School with Playschool: Come and Play!, an interactive exhibition for pre-school aged kids who can go behind the scenes, climb the Rocket Clock, sing along and experience the magic of their fave TV show. There’s also the outdoor cinema screening nostalgic family favourites over the Easter long weekend, plus an Open Day at the Test Garden with critter-themed talks and theatre on April 11. Kids will also enjoy the program of free workshops celebrating First Peoples culture through art-making, storytelling and hands-on creativity from April 2-24. Get all the details here. 

Address: Cnr Swanston & Flinders Sts, Melbourne

Time Out tip: If it's a sunny day, take a walk along the Yarra River or have a floating picnic on a GoBoat

Need a new fun family photo? We’ve got you. One of the world’s biggest immersive experiences has landed in Melbourne – serving up a fun, surreal backdrop for your Instagram grid glow-up. Bubble Planet: An Immersive Experience features a fantastical world of optical illusions, cutting-edge virtual reality experiences, giant bubbles, and next-level immersive projections. Visitors can expect to embark on a dreamlike journey through 11 otherworldly rooms, home to giant bubble domes, LED underwater-style wonderlands, selfie hubs and VR dreamscapes.

Address: Fever Exhibition and Experience Centre, 62 Dawson St, Brunswick

Time Out tip: Bookings are essential, grab your tickets here.

Four hundred tonnes of sand. Fifteen solo sculptures. One colossal 50-tonne hero masterpiece. Get set for the spectacular Australian Sand Sculpting Championships, taking place until April 26. It will transform the Frankston Waterfront into a magical open-air gallery of sand and storytelling. This year’s theme ‘The Enchanted Realm’ invites visitors into a world where fairytale castles, dragons and other mythical creatures rise from the sand. Visitors will also marvel at a 50-tonne hero sculpture, a 25-tonne interactive sculpture designed for hands-on family fun, and a 15-tonne entry sculpture welcoming guests to the enchanted exhibition.

Address: 2 Kananook Creek Blvd, Frankston

Time Out tip: Over Easter there will be special family activities, including the much-loved Sandsational Easter Egg Hunt. Visitors can also vote for their favourite sculpture in the popular People’s Choice Awards.

Head to Melbourne's Dandenong Ranges to enjoy the Tesselaar KaBloom Festival in full bloom this autumn. Open daily from until April 19, it's a perfect day trip to take during the school holidays. The festival features a host of kid-friendly events among the flower fields with garden games, obstacle courses, a ferris wheel and hands-on workshops. Playful characters and storytellers will keep little ones busy and they're sure to love a ride on the tractor train. Add in a vibrant Market Faire that's brimming with handcrafted items, fresh flowers to take home and food trucks serving flavours from around the globe, and you’ve got a full day of feel-good floral fun.

Address: 357 Monbulk Rd, Silvan

Time Out tip: Kids under 16 get free entry into the festival when accompanied by an adult.

Luna Park is where classic rides and Easter fun meet this school holidays. Over the Easter weekend, the Great Easter Egg Hunt takes place with thousands of chocolate eggs and treats up for grabs. The delightfully chaotic Mad as Mad Hatter will give kids one crazy minute to grab as many eggs and lollies as they can (don’t worry, it’s organised by age). Make sure to set aside time to brave the twists of the Speedy Beetle coaster or soar through the autumn sky on the iconic Great Scenic Railway. Little ones will love a ride on the Happy Swing or a spin on the Moon Balloons. Add lively entertainment and plenty of thrills, and you’ve got one high-energy day out for the whole family. Get your tickets here. 

Address: 18 Lower Esplanade, St Kilda

Time Out tip: Get your money's worth and book an Annual Pass.

The Langham Melbourne is serving treats, tea and timeless magic with their special Care Bears-themed afternoon tea. Running from April 9-11, with two daily sittings at 11am and 2pm, it has food inspired by the beloved Care Bears characters like Tenderheart Bear profiteroles, Good Luck Bear chocolate rocky road, Cheer Bear cookies and a Funshine Bear macaron, plus savoury delights and a take-home gift. Care Bears episodes play throughout, adding to the magic of a whimsical school holiday outing with a touch of luxury. Make a booking here. 

Address: 1 Southgate Ave, Southbank

Time Out tip: Enjoy the arts, culture and dining along the Yarra River in Southbank. 

Code Camp is back these autumn school holidays with a fun, hands-on program where kids aged 5–13 can build games, program robots and unleash their creativity. From workshops suited for younger kids like Little Coders and Spark to fan favourites inspired by Minecraft and the brand new Roblox Studio Designers camp that gives kids the chance to work like real game developers, there’s something for every skill level. Find out more here. 

Address: Various locations across Melbourne

Time Out tip: Code Camp also offers Get Crafty! for kids who love making things with their hands – like knitting, painting, crochet and more. 

The (Very) Big Laugh Out! is part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and promises big energy, hilarious talent and non-stop giggles. Watch top-tier stand-up comedians in two shows at Fed Square’s Main Stage over the Easter long weekend on Good Friday (April 3) and Easter Saturday (April 4). The fun continues with shows every Friday and Saturday at City Square from April 10-18. Best of all, it’s completely free, making it the perfect family day out.

Address: Federation Square, Melbourne

Time Out tip: If you haven't already, check out the stellar line-up for the MICF here. 

Here's a fun fact for you: our city is home to a flourishing herd of Asian elephants. You might have visited them at Melbourne Zoo, but with the birth of three new calves in recent years, the herd had outgrown their enclosure and were ready for bigger and better things. Luckily, the team at Zoos Victoria had planned for the growing elephant clan, with the construction of a big, world-class habitat at Werribee Open Range Zoo. You can now see the elephants up close – and during school holidays, kids under 16 can visit for free. 

Address: K Rd, Werribee South

Time Out tip: A free 40-minute Safari Tour on a bus is included in your admission price.

Calling all grommets, this one's for you! This inland wave pool is the first full-sized surfing lagoon to use Wavegarden technology. If that all sounds like gibberish, let us explain: the pool uses technology to create long, man-made waves in a closed environment. According to Urbnsurf, it's able to pump out up to 1,000 perfect, two-metre-high ocean-like surfing waves every hour. Beginners can attend surfing lessons in the whitewash with friendly and talented surfing coaches. A café-restaurant by Three Blue Ducks is open to accommodate your post-surf hunger, too.  

Address: 309 Melrose Dr, Melbourne Airport

Time Out tip: Become a surfer in 30 days with the Unlimited Learn to Surf Pass.

This brick-filled play area in the Chadstone Shopping Centre will delight little and big Lego fans. There are 13 family attractions in Legoland Discovery Centre – the space is packed with more than two million Lego bricks and features attractions including Miniland Melbourne, where the city's best-known landmarks have been recreated out of thousands of Lego bricks. You also get access to two rides, Lego build-and-play zones and a 4D cinema experience – yes, the wind will actually blow through your hair.

Address: Level 2/1341 Dandenong Rd, Chadstone 

Time Out tip: Each entry ticket now gives you a free mini figure.

These school hols, Melbourne Zoo has two excellent programs for your older eco warrior kids. There's a marine discovery camp from April 8-10 and wildlife photography workshops on April 15 and 17. Also, children aged 16 or younger can get free entry to Melbourne Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary and Werribee Open Range Zoo over the school holidays (when accompanied by an adult). Make sure you leave enough time to check out your favourite creatures, great and small. 

Address: Elliott Ave, Parkville 

Time Out tip: Plan your visit so that you don't miss the informative Animal Talks (giraffes, tigers, meerkats, etc.) held throughout the day.

Put your putt-putt skills to the test on the two-level, 18-hole mini-golf course or head to the old-school arcade and grab a joystick, pretend it's 1985 and play classic games like Space Invaders and Pacman. For those uninterested in a blast from the past, there's also an arcade boasting an ever-evolving collection of contemporary games and immersive experiences. Or head to the Clubhouse for some competitive sports like cornhole, shuffleboard, pool, air hockey, foosball and more.

Address: 120-200 Rosamond Rd, Maribyrnong 

Time Out tip: Belt out your favourite song at one of Funderdome's private karaoke lounges – check their socials for more. 

Having undergone a multi-million dollar redevelopment in 2021, there's no denying this high-altitude attraction in Eureka Tower remains one of the best ways to discover the city from a dizzying height. Melbourne Skydeck now boasts a massive virtual reality theatre where visitors can embark on an 11-minute immersive journey across the state, and you can get an even closer look at the city with the augmented reality 3D model of Melbourne built to a 1:1100 scale. 

Address: 7 Riverside Quay, Southbank

Time Out tip: Take a trip to the Edge – a terrifying experience for all those who dare enter this transparent cube that's suspended almost 300 metres above the street.

Need something to do these school hols that will keep tummies happy? Grazeland has you covered. This multicultural foodie haven serves up fare from Colombo to Colombia and everything in between. Aside from the epic line-up of tasty food and drink, there's also live music, kid-friendly fun like face-painting and heaps of good vibes. Other stalls include handmade gifts, doggy treats, Australian merino products and more. There's a $4 entry fee for 12-plus years but no bookings are required. 

Address: 20 Booker St, Spotswood

Time Out tip: Have a sweet tooth? Go to Sweet Street for Dutch pancakes, frozen cheesecake, doughnuts, loukoumades and more. 

Sometimes, it helps to look at the world from a different angle – upside-down, perhaps? At this new experience that's opened  underneath the (now closed, but soon-to-be reopened) Melbourne Star Observation Wheel, you'll certainly be able to see things from a different point of view. The inverted house experience, House Down Under, brings topsy-turvy fun to Docklands. From the outside, the house appears to have dropped from the sky, Wizard of Oz-style, while inside you can capture surreal photos.

Address: 101 Waterfront Way, Docklands

Time Out tip: Made for interaction and imagination, get upside down with gadgets and gizmos in the house for the full experience. Kids under four years are free. 

The first Australian SuperPark opened in Melbourne's western suburbs at Highpoint Shopping Centre. Here, kids can run, climb and jump across a whopping 2,300 metres and choose from 17 movement-based activities in the Adventure Area, Games Arena and Freestyle Zone. SuperPark activities include an indoor pedal car track, a ninja track obstacle course, an interactive trampoline game, ten-pin bowling, a digital basketball game and a world-first footy game where kids can test their AFL skills. 

Address: Shop L07, 6201/200 Rosamond Rd, Maribyrnong

Time Out tip: Being indoors makes it the perfect place to go if the weather turns wet and windy. 

MoPA is a children’s museum, a place where kids can engage with fun, immersive exhibits created in line with childhood education guidelines. While all children develop at different rates, the exhibits at MoPA are designed for tots aged one to seven. The best bit? All activities, exhibits and activities are geared towards play-based learning and creative exploration through art, colour, storytelling and music. 

Address: In Sandringham, Thomastown, Geelong and Nunawading

Time Out tip: This Easter, MoPA has a craft activity called 'Hopping Headbands' – kids are invited to craft and customise some awesome Easter-themed headgear.

Science during the school holidays? When it's as interactive and interesting as the stuff they've got in Scienceworks, it's a great day out. The autumn school holiday program runs from April 4-19. Come down to the amphitheatre to discover how rockets work in this free 20-minute show that runs at 12 noon and 2pm daily. Attend a colourful and creative workshop that explores the fascinating world of iridescence in nature. Get to the Planetarium every Saturday (March-May) for Fulldome Flicks.

Address: 2 Booker St, Spotswood 

Time Out tip: Become a Museum Member and visit the museum for FREE these school holidays (and every day!).

As a kid, there's few things that are more fun than a huge playground. Flying across monkeybars, swinging up to the sky, diving down a slide – it's a paradise for little ones with a big sense of adventure. Across the city and its suburbs, there are plenty of sites for kids to run amok and have a ball. Many of these playgrounds also offer tables and barbecues, so you can pack a picnic or fire up the grill and spend the whole arvo soaking up some sunshine. 

Address: Various

Time Out tip: Don't forget your sunscreen and water.

Catch some thrills in the air at an indoor trampoline park. On top of being super fun, it's also a form of exercise in disguise – it's a great workout for building strength, coordination and balance. In the words of that House of Pain song 'Jump Around': Get up, stand up, throw your hands up/If ya got the feelin', jump up towards the ceilin'.

Address: Various

Time Out tip: Different play areas cater to different age groups and skill levels, so find one that suits your child.