It’s school holiday time! Here’s a list of ideas to keep everyone busy!
First stop: check out the Hills District Mums website. There are HEAPS of ideas and suggestions, particularly in the ‘Play’ section, for things to do that will keep everyone entertained!
Holiday camps, classes & workshops. If you need a helping hand with care over the break, there are stacks of camps and classes on in and around the Hills, for all types of interests. Here’s a list. Book soon as they fill up.
Shows at PHIVE in Parramatta. High energy parkour and breakdance combine with the Dauntless Movement Crew and Junkyard Beats brings electrifying rhythm to the awe-inspiring shows at PHIVE these school holidays!
Swing Bridge Loop Walk in Cherrybrook. We found a new bushwalk a few weeks ago thanks to a local mum. Swing Bridge Loop Walk is tucked in the very quiet back streets of Cherrybrook. This is a great option if you’re introducing kids to bushwalking. It’s a loop walk of approximately 800m and is described as ‘easy to slightly challenging’. It takes approximatey half an hour. For more info click here.
Fun at local shopping centres!
- Seven Hills Plaza – Build-A-Bear workshops. 8 – 12 July.
- Castle Towers – the Champions Arena. 8 – 21 July.
Check out the activities at the Hudson Hotel in Seven Hills. To make a booking click here.
Visit your local library. There are great libraries in the Hills including Dural, Castle Hill and Vinegar Hill – they’re also nice and warm on cold winter days.
Discover Geocaching. Have you heard of it? Our kids only recently discovered it, even though it’s been around for a long time now. It’s essentially a global treasure hunt where you use a GPS device, most commonly these days a mobile phone, to hide and seek containers, called geocaches or caches, at specific locations. The first geocache was placed in 2000 and by 2023 there were over 3 million active caches worldwide. There are 3111 in Sydney alone!
Our kids love it because it combines the outdoors, treasure hunting for something physical and a form of technology. We downloaded an app called Geocaching – our kids decided to contribute to purchase the premium version for a year. It enables you to find caches with a difficulty of 2 and above and has other additional features. Be sure to have a pen with you to write your name on the scroll once you’ve found the cache. Google Geocaching for all the info.
See The Bugalugs Bum Thief at Riverside Theatres Parramatta. A bum-tastic adventure awaits at Riverside Theatres these school holidays. In this new production, Skeeta, Mick and Billy take on an investigation to try and find the missing bums of Bugalugs. Who is the Bugalugs bum thief? 17 – 21 July. Read more.
Visit Fagan Park for the day. There’s the recently opened Children’s Forest, meaning the park now has 3 playgrounds. Find out more here.
Celebrate NAIDOC Week. There are various options at Bella Vista, Parramatta and Rouse Hill.
- Bella Vista Farm – ‘Yarn at the Farm’. Thursday, 11 July, from 11am – 2pm.
- Burramatta – Bring your family to an outdoor festival in Parramatta Park celebrating First Nations culture on Saturday 13 July with a concert headlined by JK-47, workshops, dance performances and market stalls. Free entry.
- Rouse Hill Estate – On Sunday 14 July, Museums of History NSW is partnering with Muru Mittigar to bring you a FREE day of fun activities for the whole family. 10am – 2pm.
Inflatable Holiday Fun at The Centre Dural. These school holidays, your kids can get out some energy jumping on a wide range of inflatable rides at The Centre in Dural while you can sit back and enjoy the cafe. 2 hour sessions are available everyday of the school holidays between 9am and 4.30pm, no booking required. Tickets are $13 for kids 4 and under, and $20 for kids 5 and over. See website for more details.
Take a trip to Canberra! If you’ve never visited, it’s fabulous for families! Here’s a list of things to see and do.
Get crafty with cardboard boxes! If you need a day or two at home to rest and recharge (and save $!), here are 10 awesome and easy things to make from cardboard boxes. These activities are great for free, cheap days at home, especially if it’s too rainy to go out, or if everyone just needs a rest day. Check out the 10 ideas and how to make them here.
Find a new playground in your area. We love a hidden gem! Sure, these little parks often don’t tick every box and because of their locations they’re on the smaller side, but they’re more than fine for a morning play in the sun and because they’re so hidden, are lovely and peaceful. Here’s a list of playgrounds you might not know about.
Enjoy a day trip to somewhere you haven’t been before. Here are some of our favourites.
Make up a dance! Choreograph and perform a concert for mum and dad! Remember doing this? Dance, comedy sketches, magic or singing are great fun!
Visit Meadowbank Regional Playground. We discovered this playground this year and WOW, it’s completely mind blowing! In terms of playgrounds it’s without a doubt one of the best we’ve ever seen. Our kids are so keen to go again. Find out about it here.
