Victoria is the cultural capital of Australia, and there are hundreds of events and activities to spark curiosity and creativity in kids of all ages over the winter school holidays.
From exhibitions to opera, dinosaurs to dancefloors, Victorian families are spoiled for choice with a range of free and affordable activities on offer,
NGV’s new exhibition, Plans for the Planet: Olaf Breuning for Kids, presents an adventure playground for kids to explore, be creative and share their world view. Free to attend, the exhibition offers hands-on experiences from drawing to creating their own self-portrait.
LEGO® Star Wars continues at Melbourne Museum, where kids can step into a world of epic battles, gargantuan spaceships and stunning landscapes from a galaxy far, far away, constructed using more than 8 million LEGO® bricks, right here in Melbourne. This is a ticketed exhibition.
Melbourne Museum also presents Little Landscapes, a chance to get creative with two miniature worlds – volcanic plains once home to enormous dinosaurs, and coral reefs, where tiny seahorses and colourful sea creatures take shelter. Entry is included as part of your visit to Melbourne Museum and kids entry is free.
Budding young writers, illustrators and authors can make their own story book or zine, or build their very own story house as part of State Library Victoria’s program of activities for kids.
Tinkertownat Scienceworks will encourage young creatives to explore design processes by building cubby houses, solving challenges, sending secret messages and inventing wacky contraptions. Entry for children is $10, and includes entry to the Scienceworks museum.
Koorie Heritage Trust will host a Kids’ Culture Day of Painting with Barkindji and Ngiyampaa Elder Uncle Col Clark, who will take kids on a tour of his new exhibition, Connections to Home, talk about culture and Country, and lead everyone on a painting exploration.
In the regions, Opera Australia will invite young people to step into the world of opera, learning the story of La Bohème as part of a free two-day workshop at Geelong Arts Centre. The Children’s Sensorium will open up an interactive world of touch, sound, sight, smell, and taste at Hamilton Art Gallery, a free hands-on exhibition for kids aged 4 to 11 years old.
Bendigo Art Gallery’s popular school holiday program gives families and kids a chance to escape the cold with a range of free and low cost art and craft activities, with a focus on imagination, self-expression, and having fun with art.