School holidays in Adelaide: 17 things to do with the kids

20 September 2026 · 7 min read · every pick checked against the organiser's own page

Adelaide does school holidays the sensible way: small, local and mostly cheap. Here are 17 things to do with the kids these holidays, from forest songs for the under fives to a kayak paddle past the dolphins at Port Adelaide, with 8 that cost nothing at all.

The spring school holidays in Adelaide run from Saturday 26 September to Sunday 11 October 2026, weekends included (Term 3 finishes on Friday 25 September and Term 4 starts on Monday 12 October). Every pick below links to its live page on Keen, with dates, prices and the ticket link, and every one was checked against the organiser's or venue's own page on 19 September 2026. Things sell out and get rained off, so tap through before you promise anything to anyone small. For the always-current list, kids and family events in Adelaide is rebuilt from the catalogue every night, and there is a free page too.

For the little ones

Forest Songs for Little Ones - Live

Immersive Light and Art (ILA), Level 1, 63 Light Square, Adelaide · Wed 7 Oct, two sessions: 10am and 11.30am (30 minutes each) · $10 plus booking fee online, $13 at the venue (everyone needs a ticket, babies included) · Ages: 0 to 6 years

Barkindji songwoman Nancy Bates and pianist Dave McEvoy lead an interactive singalong made for kids aged 0 to 6, surrounded by footage of the Takayna forest on ILA's 110 square metre LED screens. It runs for 30 minutes, which is handy, because that is about how long you can sit cross-legged on a floor these days. There are two sessions on the one morning, so pick whichever one dodges nap time.

Winged Wonders with Sea Star Rock

Ngutungka Henley, 378 Seaview Road, Henley Beach · Fri 9 Oct, 10am to 10.35am · $6.61 per child, booking fee included (carers free)

Lucy from Sea Star Rock brings 35 minutes of songs, movement and backyard discovery about the butterflies and birds of South Australia. Kids need a booked ticket, and carers get in free but have to stay and supervise, so expect to be doing the actions too. Fair warning: the songs may follow you home.

Sing, Dance & Play (0-3 years)

Civic (Woodville) Library, 72 Woodville Road · Thu 8 Oct, 10.30am to 11am · Ages: 0 to 3 years Free

Half an hour of music, singalongs and dancing for babies and toddlers at the Woodville library. It's free, there's no booking, and carers have to stay, so count it as your exercise for the day. Just turn up.

Peninsula Hotel presents 'Lil People Penny Party' Friday October 9

Peninsula Hotel Motel, 481 Victoria Road, Taperoo · Fri 9 Oct, from 5.30pm · $15 plus booking fee ($16.99 all up on Eventbrite) · Ages: 12 and under, with an adult

A kids' disco in the Peninsula Hotel courtyard with a face painter, DJ Shamo, a bubble party, party favours and a prize for best dressed. Kids eat free when you buy an adult main and there are $5 slushies, so dinner is sorted and someone else is running the entertainment for once. It's for children 12 and under with an adult, and bookings are essential.

Hands-on workshops

Yarning and Art around the Campfire with Karen Briggs

Mitcham Memorial Library, 154 Belair Road, Hawthorn · Wed 30 Sep, 1pm to 3pm · $5 per child · Ages: 7 to 12 years

Designer and illustrator Karen Briggs, a descendant of the Yorta Yorta people, shares cultural stories handed down through generations, then helps kids start an original artwork inspired by the yarning. It's part of the City of Mitcham's 'All In' Reconciliation Science school holiday program, designed for ages 7 to 12, and under 12s attend with a parent or guardian. Two unhurried hours of stories and drawing could be the calmest afternoon of your fortnight.

School Holiday Terrarium Building Workshop (Cork Jar)

Helen's Mini Worlds, 1/194 Prospect Road · Thu 1 Oct, 1pm to 2.30pm (fishbowl version Wed 7 Oct, 10am to 11.30am) · $56.37 per terrarium maker (fishbowl version $70.14) · Ages: 6 and up (an adult stays with ages 6 to 12)

Build a tiny living ecosystem in a cork jar at Helen's Mini Worlds: plants, a figurine of your choice and springtails, the little insects that help keep a terrarium healthy. It's recommended for ages 6 and up, an adult stays with 6 to 12 year olds, and you only need your own ticket if you want to make one too (you will). There's a fishbowl version on Wed 7 Oct, and free parking right out the front.

Kids' Tie Dye Class

Studio Rags, 12 Ferguson Avenue, Sefton Park · Sat 3 Oct, 1pm to 2.30pm · $38 · Ages: 7 to 15 years

Rehana from Studio Rags teaches a range of tie dye techniques, with all dyes, materials and a practice tote bag included. Kids can bring up to two cotton t-shirts in white or pastel to dye, and the listing is upfront that it's a messy one, so send them in old clothes. It's on a Saturday, handy if your weekdays are already spoken for.

For the tweens

Illustration Workshop with Sylvia Morris

Unley Town Hall, Oxford Terrace · Tue 6 Oct, 2pm to 3.30pm · $5 · Ages: 8 to 12 years

Local illustrator and nature enthusiast Sylvia Morris shows kids how to draw the natural world in any style they like, from manga to art nouveau, and how to turn a realistic drawing into a stylised illustration. It's for ages 8 to 12, and under 10s need a parent or carer with them. Five dollars for 90 minutes of someone else fielding the drawing questions.

Where’s Wally Around the World Yoga (8-11 years)

Ngutungka West Lakes, 9 Charles Street · Tue 6 Oct, 10am to 10.45am · Ages: 8 to 11 years Free

Yoga poses based on the people, animals, places and time periods in the Where's Wally books, with an activity sheet to fill in and a prize draw at the end. Dressing up as a Wally character is welcome. It's free but bookings are essential, carers stay on site, and you'll need a yoga mat or towel (there are a few spares).

Escape Hunt Adelaide

Escape Hunt Adelaide, Level 3, 133 Rundle Mall (enter via Twin St) · Open seven days, book a 60 minute game · From $100 for two players ($135 for three, $180 for four, priced per group) · Ages: 7 and up, with at least one player aged 15 or over in each room

One locked room, 60 minutes and a run of puzzles to crack as a team before the clock runs out. It suits ages 7 and up, and each room needs at least one player aged 15 or over, so a grown-up or a big sibling is part of the deal. Pricing is per group, so it generally gets cheaper per head as the team grows: rope in the cousins.

Outdoors and active

Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary and Ships Graveyard Kayak Tour

Adventure Kayaking SA, Lot 204 Garden Island Road, Port Adelaide · Sun 4 Oct, 9.30am to 12.30pm · From $75 (adult ticket $78) · Ages: 8 and up (12 and under share a double kayak with an adult)

A guided paddle of up to three hours through the mangrove creeks of the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary and past the wrecks of the Ships Graveyard, with kayak, life vest and paddle supplied. Kids need to be at least 8, and anyone 12 and under shares a double kayak with an adult, so your arms are doing the work either way. The meeting point is on Garden Island Road, about 30 minutes from the CBD, and the listing asks for a moderate level of fitness.

Play Volley - Come n Try...

'W' Rec Centre, 39 Smith Street, Walkerville · Thu 8 Oct, 2pm to 3pm · Ages: 5 to 12 years Free

An hour of come and try volleyball for ages 5 to 12, run by Volleyball SA at the new 'W' Rec Centre in Walkerville. The kids learn the rules and how to hit, and the listing itself points out that parents can grab a coffee from the kiosk. It's free, thanks to the City of Prospect and the Town of Walkerville.

Mural Painting @ McConnell Community Native Garden

McConnell Community Native Garden, McConnell Avenue Reserve, Marino · Sat 10 Oct, 11am to 3pm Free

Help professional artist Ella Simpson paint a community mural onto the old asphalt at the McConnell Community Native Garden in Marino. All paint and materials are provided, everyone should wear painting clothes, and kids need one to one adult supervision the whole time. That means you're painting too, which beats watching from the sidelines.

Free and easy

Nature Detectives: STEAM Drop-In (5-12 years)

Civic (Woodville) Library, 72 Woodville Road · Thu 1 Oct, 10am to 11am · Ages: 5 to 12 years Free

A drop-in hour of hands-on science, technology, engineering, art and maths activities inspired by the natural world, for ages 5 to 12. You don't have to finish every activity or stay the whole session, so it still works if you're running ten minutes late (you will be). Free, no booking, just come along.

School Holiday Family Fun Day

John McVeity Centre, 182 Peachey Road, Smithfield Plains · Thu 1 Oct, 11am to 1pm Free

The City of Playford's all ages fun day packs in cultural activities, library crafts, sports and games, plus a free sausage sizzle (one per person). Entry is free but bookings are essential. Lunch handled and two hours of someone else's activities: that's a good Thursday.

Museum Music and Songwriting

Unley Museum, 39 Oxford Terrace · Tue 6 Oct, 10am to 11am (a second session at 11.30am is listed by the City of Unley) · Ages: 4 to 14 years Free

Kids explore the sounds and stories behind the objects in Unley Museum, then sing, dance and write new songs about them. It's free for ages 4 to 14, but bookings are essential. The City of Unley site lists a second session at 11.30am if the 10am fills up (or if 10am is ambitious for your household).

Card Making Craft Drop-In (4-12 years)

Hindmarsh Library, 139 Port Road · Wed 7 Oct, 10am to 11.30am · Ages: 4 to 12 years Free

A relaxed drop-in session where kids aged 4 to 12 make personalised greeting cards, with all materials provided. No bookings, just come along. If someone in the family has a birthday coming up, consider the card sorted.

The part where you actually go

That's the list. Finding things to do was never the hard part. The hard part is getting the other parents, the cousins or Nan to agree on a day.

That's the job Keen does. The quickest way in is Find a time: pick two or three days that could work, add an idea or two from this page, and drop one link in the group chat. Everyone answers from their browser, no app and no account needed. You see which day wins, tap once, and it's a real plan with RSVPs and a chat of its own.

And once your mates are on Keen too, it starts doing the noticing for you: everyone marks the times they're free, and when yours line up, Keen tells you, along with what's on that actually suits the crew. Which, in the holidays, mostly means whatever gets everyone out of the house.

Pick one, name a day, and send the message before someone asks for a snack.

Keen. Made in Melbourne, live across Australia.