10 Free and Fun Summer Activities for Kids
Creative, Engaging Ideas to Keep Kids Happy and Entertained During School Holidays (Without Breaking the Bank!)
The summer holidays in Australia are the perfect time to spark creativity, enjoy the outdoors, and create unforgettable family memories! If you’re looking for fresh ideas to keep the kids busy with low-cost or free activities, you’re in the right place. From hands-on arts and crafts to thrilling outdoor adventures and imaginative indoor play, here are our top 10 summer activities for kids in Australia!
1. Go on a Nature Scavenger Hunt
Turn a family hike or picnic into an exciting scavenger hunt adventure! Visit a National Park or nature reserve and bring along a list of Aussie wildlife and plants for the kids to find—gum leaves, native flowers, birds, and maybe even a kangaroo or two. This activity gets them moving, learning, and appreciating Australia’s stunning outdoors!
2. Get Creative with a Day of Arts & Crafts
Arts and crafts are always a hit! Gather supplies like paper, glue, paint, and recycled materials for fun, hands-on projects. Try making friendship bracelets, painting rocks, or starting a summer scrapbook to capture the best moments of the holiday. For a more immersive experience, check out local holiday craft camps like Get Crafty—these screen-free, hands-on crafting camps run throughout Australia and offer kids an exciting creative escape!
3. Enjoy Free Fun at Your Local Library
Libraries are gold mines for free activities! Many offer summer reading programs, story telling sessions, craft workshops, and even special events, all designed to make learning and reading an adventure. It’s a wonderful way to foster a love of books while keeping the kids entertained and learning during the break.
4. Create a DIY Obstacle Course
Build an obstacle course in your backyard or living room for hours of active fun! Use items like hula hoops, cones, and jump ropes, and set up challenges like crawling under tables and leaping over cushions. The kids will love the thrill, and it’s aperfect way to stay active!
5. Explore Local Art Galleries and Museums
Many galleries and museums offer free entry and special children’s programs during the holidays. Take the kids to discover fascinating exhibits, interactive displays, and inspiring artworks. Some places also offer hands-on workshops or guided tours, making it a perfect educational outing.
6. Spend a Day at a Local Farm
Many local farms welcome visitors during the holidays. Kids can experience feeding animals, picking fresh fruit, and learning about farming and sustainability. It’s a fun, hands-on way to connect with nature and enjoy the outdoors together.
7. Try a Gardening Project
Start a small garden with flowers, herbs, or vegetables. Gardening teaches kids responsibility and gives them a sense of accomplishment. Plus, watching plants grow is a wonderful way to connect with nature, and the whole family can enjoy the “fruits” of their labour!
8. Discover New Swimming Spots
From beaches to rivers and lakes, Australia has plenty of beautiful swimming spots! Plan a day to swim, splash, and explore the local scenery. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even plan an overnight camping trip and spend evenings stargazing by the campfire.
9. Get Creative with Chalk Art on the Driveway
Give the kids a bucket of colorful chalk and let them create masterpieces on the driveway or sidewalk. They can draw scenes, invent games, or design their own hopscotch course. It’s a simple and fun way to spend an afternoon outdoors!
10. Host an Outdoor Movie Night
Turn your backyard into a magical cinema! With a sheet and projector (or just a TV outdoors), blankets, and popcorn, you can enjoy a cozy night under the stars watching family-favourite films. Let the kids pick the movie for an added touch of excitement!
And when you are ready for some me time, let Code Camp entertain the kids with a few days of fun and creativity.
Your Ultimate school holidays activity list
1. Get creative with Minions
What is it?
Kids go bananas for Minions (pun intended) and these school holidays they can express their fandom making a Minions movie using stop-motion animation techniques. Over 2 days, kids create their own Minions clay characters and design their own film set. The magic begins when they see their characters come to life by taking multiple images of objects and stitching them together to look like they’re moving! - It’s incredibly fun!
Why go?
If they watch their favourite animated movies on repeat, they’ll love creating Minions clay figurines and developing their own story, taking lots of still frames and stitching them together to create their very first movie!
Ages: 5-7
2. Become a DJ
What is it?
Children will take their first steps into the exciting world of mixing music to create their own DJ set.
Why go?
Kids will love mixing their favourite pop tunes using beat matching and transitions on real DJ decks. Plus, they will design their own DJ brand, develop branded merch, and even perform a DJ set to their friends!
Ages: 8-13
3. Pilot a drone
What is it?
Kids learn to pilot a drone using coding to design a flight path and watch in wonder as the drone takes flight!
Why go?
If your kid shows an interest in drones, they can learn more than just the basics of flying. Kids get a taste of cutting-edge technology and learn about coding, problem-solving, engineering, design, and more. They’ll learn about drone tech and safety, movie making, and discover how drones have a positive social impact when used to fight bushfires, rescue koalas, spot sharks on the coast and loads more!
Ages: 9-13
4. Become a YouTuber
What is it?
While they may not end up with YouTube stardom, we’re sure kids will have a new lens on screen time. They will be equipped with the skills to start producing and directing their own ideas instead of simply watching other people's! Plus, they’ll gain confidence ‘performing’ in front of audiences and on set and importantly, learn about staying safe online.
Why go?
Taking a YouTube fixation and turning it into something incredibly productive where kids will learn planning, storytelling, filming and video editing to become the star in their very own YouTube-style videos.
Ages: 8-13
5. Produce a LEGO movie
What is it?
Turn hours of playing with LEGO characters into an even more creative pursuit, by teaching kids to create their own LEGO Movie.
Why go?
They can use their favourite LEGO characters and sets, come up with a fun storyline and use stop-motion techniques to produce a short animation film. It will transform the way they play at home and offer endless hours of creativity for the rest of the holidays.
Ages: 7-12
6. Code a game
What is it?
Kids can design their own arcade-style video games (like Super Mario Bros), jam-packed with cool characters like zombies and unicorns, and awesome gaming features such as invisibility cloaks and shrinking potions. They’ll learn drag and drop code and logic to connect all the design elements together and bring their games to life!
Why go?
Kids are spending countless hours on Roblox and Minecraft these days. Get them to spark their creative side instead, by producing their own original games, using a combination of creative level design, storytelling and problem-solving to bring their creations to life. It’s so much fun, they won’t realise they are actually learning some very important coding and tech skills for their future.
Ages: 7-12
7. Develop a Website
What is it?
For kids with some proficiency in coding, they’ll create their own website from scratch about an animal, movie, sporting team or their favourite topic.
Why go?
With 1.93 billion websites on the world wide web, developers are in higher demand than ever before. It’s a great head start to gain fundamental web building skills and your kids will have so much fun in the process.