School holidays in Sydney: 18 things to do with the kids

20 September 2026 · 8 min read · every pick checked against the organiser's own page

Two weeks and a bit, a Labour Day long weekend in the middle, and daylight saving turning up halfway through to wreck bedtime. Here are 18 things to do with the kids around Sydney these school holidays, from a live shark dive at Carriageworks to a free petting zoo in Moore Park.

The spring school holidays in Sydney run from Saturday 26 September to Sunday 11 October 2026, weekends included (the Department lists the break as Monday 28 September to Friday 9 October, and Monday 12 October is a pupil-free day at government schools, so most kids are back on Tuesday 13 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 Sydney is rebuilt from the catalogue every night, and there is a free page too.

Shows and theatre

All-Star Circus

Fool's Paradise, The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park · Daily at 3pm, Sat 26 Sep to Sun 11 Oct · From $29 (plus a $4.60 booking fee per order) · Ages: Rated G, made for the whole family

Towering human pyramids, massive spinning wheels and acrobats who make the impossible look easy, all wrapped up in 50 minutes. It is part of Sydney Fringe, which bills it as a fun introduction to circus for kids, and the 3pm start leaves you time for a second coffee. Worth knowing before you book: there is strobe lighting, haze and the odd sudden loud noise.

Cirque Alice

Sydney Lyric Theatre, Pyrmont · Fri 25 Sep to Sun 11 Oct. 1pm matinees on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, evening shows Wednesday to Sunday · From $69 (plus fees)

Alice in Wonderland retold as a full circus spectacle, with aerialists, contortionists, puppetry and dancers, set to new arrangements of classical hits. It runs about two hours with an interval, and the 1pm matinees are your friend if a 7pm curtain sounds ambitious (for you, not them). This is the splurge of the list, so save it for the big holiday treat.

Erth's Shark Dive: Live on Stage

Carriageworks (Bay 20), Eveleigh · Sat 26 and Sun 27 Sep, then Wed 30 Sep to Sat 3 Oct. Sessions from 10am, including a relaxed performance (Wed 30 Sep, 12.30pm) and an Auslan interpreted, audio described show (Fri 2 Oct, 10am) · $25 (plus a $5 booking fee per order) · Ages 5 and up

Erth's puppeteers bring Australia's sharks, plus a parade of other marine life from ancient to modern, face to face with the audience, and you may well flinch before the kids do. It runs about 50 minutes with no interval and is recommended for ages 5 and up. There is an optional $10 Swim with the Sharks upgrade, if someone in your party negotiates hard.

Tinkerbell and the Dream Fairies Sydney

The Pioneer Garden, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney · Sat 26 Sep to Sun 11 Oct, every day except Mondays. 10.30am most days (11am on Sundays), plus some 1.30pm shows · From $25 (group of four from $90) · Ages 2 and up

Tinkerbell teams up with the fairies from A Midsummer Night's Dream for 75 minutes of song, dance and a trip to Bubble Land to find her lost wings, all outdoors in the Botanic Garden. Dressing up is encouraged (fairy, elf, Jedi, pirate, superhero) and yes, that invitation extends to you. It is performed on grass with no chairs provided, so pack a picnic rug or a low chair.

A Night at the Library

State Library of NSW (Library Auditorium), Sydney · Tue 29 Sep, Wed 30 Sep and Thu 1 Oct, at 11am and 2pm · $25 · Ages 8 and up

Bell Shakespeare's hour-long show follows a student who is no fan of reading and ends up stuck in the library overnight, where historical figures and characters from literature turn up to change their mind. It is pitched at ages 8 and up, a rare holiday show aimed squarely at older primary kids and tweens. Book the 11am session and your afternoon is free for a lie down.

Festivals and big days out

Wild Things International Kids Festival

Sydney Opera House · Daily, Sat 26 Sep to Sun 11 Oct · Free Forecourt playground. Shows $49 and under, with a discount for four or more tickets · Ages: Varies by show, from 6 to 18 months up to ages 10 and over

The inaugural Wild Things festival takes over the Opera House for all 16 days of the holidays. The Forecourt becomes a free outdoor playground with giant swings and surprise performances, while inside there are ticketed shows for every age, from babies (6 to 18 months) to ages 10 and up. The free bit out the front means you can test the waters without committing to anything but sunscreen.

Moon Festival Darling Square

Darling Square, Haymarket · Until Sun 4 Oct (it started on 19 Sep). Lantern decorating Sat 26 Sep (11am to 2pm), free dance workshops Sat 3 and Sun 4 Oct (2.30pm to 4.30pm) Free

Hundreds of lanterns light up Darling Square each night until Sunday 4 October, and wandering under them costs nothing. There is a free lantern decorating workshop on Saturday 26 September (paint one, take it home) and free drop-in dance workshops with a DJ on the long weekend. The square's eateries are running Moon Festival menus too, mooncakes included, so dinner is sorted and nobody has to cook.

Taronga Zoo Sydney: Entry Ticket

Taronga Zoo Sydney, Mosman · Open every day, 9.30am to 5pm. Free Paw Patrol Kids Show at 10.30am and 12.15pm daily, Sat 26 Sep to Sun 11 Oct · Ticketed

The classic big day out comes with a holiday sweetener: a free Paw Patrol Kids Show with Chase and Marshall, twice daily on the Concert Lawns and included with zoo entry. The 12 minute ferry from Circular Quay counts as an activity in its own right. It is open 9.30am to 5pm every day of the year, public holidays included, so the only thing left to plan is the snacks.

Sydney Zoo: Entry Ticket

Sydney Zoo, Eastern Creek · Open every day, 9am to 4pm · Ticketed (prices change by day, cheaper booked early)

Sydney Zoo sits right on the Great Western Highway at Eastern Creek, so families out west can skip the trek into the city. It is a zoo and aquarium in one, with an African boardwalk, a primate boulevard, an Australian habitat and free keeper talks through the day. Ticket prices change daily and the zoo says booking early is cheaper, which might be the push you needed to actually plan something.

Australian Reptile Park

Australian Reptile Park, Somersby (Central Coast day trip) · Open every day, 9am to 5pm. PAW Patrol live shows at 11am and 1pm daily, Sat 26 Sep to Sun 11 Oct · Ticketed (the park advertises family passes from $36 per person, cheaper online)

A proper day trip: the park is at Somersby on the Central Coast, about an hour's drive north of Sydney. These holidays there are PAW Patrol live shows twice a day, a baby animal show, a Junior Wildlife Ranger mission, a jumping castle and free face painting, all included with standard entry. The daily meet and greet with Chase and Marshall has limited places and must be pre-booked, so lock that in before you promise anyone anything.

Exhibitions and museums

Bloodsuckers: Nature's Vampires

Australian Museum, Sydney · Daily, 10am to 5pm, until Sun 11 Oct · Adults from $24, kids (4 to 15) from $16 when booked ahead. Under 4s free · Ages: Designed for ages 8 and up

Nature's bloodsuckers get the full museum treatment: how they feed, which ones fancy human blood, how to avoid being lunch, and the vampire legends they inspired. There is a mozzie swarm simulator, microscopes and touchable models, and the museum says it is designed for older kids (8 and up) and adults. It closes on Sunday 11 October, and the museum is advertising a two for one ticket offer, so check that before you pay full price.

Spring School Holidays at the Maritime Museum

Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney (Darling Harbour) · Daily, Sun 27 Sep to Sun 11 Oct · See It All ticket: adults $35, family $89. Many activities are free with entry. Underwater drones $35, which includes entry for the player

A whole-day option on Darling Harbour: the Treasures of the Viking Age exhibition, a Kids on Deck maker space, touchable curiosities, a science circus show about cephalopods and real vessels to climb aboard. Most of it is free with museum entry, under 5s get their own Mini Mariners program, and kids aged 8 and up can pilot underwater drones (ticketed separately). Finish the kids activity trail and they walk out with a small treasure, which is more than most outings give you.

Shipwreck Odyssey

Carriageworks (Bay 19), Eveleigh · Sat 26 Sep to Sun 18 Oct. Closed Mondays, Tuesdays and Sat 3 Oct · Free on weekdays, $5 on weekends

A high-tech ocean adventure from Box of Birds, led by the ghost ship Jenny Lind, where kids dance with stingrays, bask with whales and drift through shimmering plankton on the Great Barrier Reef. Wednesday to Friday it is free with no booking needed, and weekends are $5 for a 45 minute timed session. It runs a week past the end of the holidays, and it is cheap enough that you can afford the coffee you will want afterwards.

Outdoors

Farm Animals: Meet your furry friends

Moore Park South · Weekdays, Mon 28 Sep to Fri 2 Oct and Tue 6 to Fri 9 Oct. 30 minute sessions between 10am and 12pm Free

Moore Park used to be grazing land, and these holidays the farm animals are back for a free pop-up petting zoo. Sessions run for 30 minutes, which is a smart length: long enough for plenty of pats, short enough that your patience survives intact. It is free but bookings are essential, it goes ahead rain or shine unless the weather is unsafe, and everyone needs enclosed shoes.

Spotlight Prowl for Families

Centennial Park (meet at the Robertson Road Gates) · Fri 2 Oct and Wed 7 Oct, at dusk · $26.50 per person · Ages 5 and up, with an adult

Rangers lead a spotlight walk through Centennial Park after dark, looking for brushtail possums, microbats, tawny frogmouths and one of Sydney's largest colonies of grey-headed flying-foxes. It is built for families with kids aged 5 and up, everyone needs a ticket, and the walks run rain or shine. Bring a torch, warm layers and enclosed shoes, and enjoy the rare treat of a late night that was your idea.

Balance bike clinics

Sydney Park Cycling Centre, Alexandria · Saturdays 26 Sep, 3 Oct and 10 Oct, 9am to 11am · Ages 3 to 8 Free

A free learn-to-ride clinic where instructors show how balance bikes get kids onto pedals, and parents are expected to join in rather than watch from the sidelines with a flat white. Bikes and helmets are provided and there is no booking: just turn up between 9am and 10.45am. It is for kids aged 3 to 8 who can't ride yet, closed shoes are a must, and rain can cancel it.

Hands-on

Explore Egypt! A Family Workshop on Ancient Egypt

Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney, Camperdown · Fri 2 Oct, 10.30am to 12.30pm (the museum also lists a Tue 6 Oct session) · From $25 per child, grown-ups free · Ages 5 to 8, with a grown-up

Two hours of mummies, gods and goddesses at the University of Sydney's museum, where kids handle genuine ancient artefacts and learn to write their name in hieroglyphs. It is for ages 5 to 8, and the rule is that children must bring their grown-ups, who attend for free. So you are going, and you will probably enjoy meeting Ramesses II, Tutankhamun and Cleopatra more than you expect.

I See You Like This

Bondi Pavilion, Bondi Beach · Studio sessions Sun 27 to Wed 30 Sep. Free exhibition Fri 2 to Sun 11 Oct. Free Make Your Own Photography Weekend Sat 10 and Sun 11 Oct · Studio sessions $25 ($20 concession) per ticket, one child and one adult minimum. Exhibition and photography weekend free · Ages: Studio sessions for ages 6 to 12 with one adult. Exhibition for all ages

Your child becomes the art director and your face becomes the canvas: they choose the props, arrange them on your head, and a professional photographer captures the result (dignity optional). The 45 minute studio sessions are for kids aged 6 to 12 with one adult, and the portraits then go on show in a free exhibition at the Pavilion. There is also a free Make Your Own Photography Weekend on 10 and 11 October, no booking needed.

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.