The best things to do around Perth with the kids over the summer school holidays

The summer school holidays are in full swing and if you’re already hearing “I’m bored” – we have a few ideas to help you through the longest break of the year!

We’ve put together a list of activities and adventures for all ages and interests, from art and craft to sporting programs, LEGO workshops, cooking lessons, messy play and Minecraft masterclasses.

Plus, the biggest events, most popular playgrounds and best water parks to escape the heat!

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES 

Treetop adventures

The treetop climb at Yanchep National Park is one way to keep our young adventurers active. It’s perfect for newbies and ninjas aged 8-12, with tree ropes courses to try out – filled with ziplines, wobbly bridges and swinging cargo nets.

Amaze Miniature Park 

Get lost in a hedge maze or explore the beautiful gardens, dotted with more than 70 mini displays at the Amaze Miniature Park near Mandurah. You can also go for a round of mini golf, check out the Lego display or simply enjoy coffee and cake at the 1940s themed “Tiny Teapot Cafe.”

Cuddly Animal Farm 

Meet the friendly guests at the Swan Valley Cuddly Animal Farm in Henley Brook. Your kids will also get a taste of farm life, with tractor rides – and the chance to feed the adorable animals.

Perth Aqua Park 

A giant, inflatable fun park on the water, with more than 100 interconnected obstacles. You and your children can launch down the slides or climb the walls, while trying not to slip. So much fun – and open every day of the school holidays. If you’ve already conquered this one, check out our full list of Perth’s Best Water Parks to keep you and the fam very busy over the next couple of months.

Funcats

Looking for something a little different on the water? Funcats offer sailboat hire on the Swan and have been doing so since 1975! It’s now the largest catamaran hire business in Australia, and has evolved into a full-on watersports regatta, with stand up paddle boards and kayaks also available to hire. Find them on South Perth foreshore, seven days a week!

Kangaroo Safari @ The Vines

For something a little more unique why not head to the Swan Valley’s Vines Resort and jump on a Kangaroo Safari? Immerse yourself in the lush surrounds of the area while witnessing kangaroos up close and learning about the beloved Aussie marsupials from knowledgable guides. You can also tee it up with some mini golf while you’re out there, and add drinks or food packages to the experience if you want. Find out more here.

Mini Golf

Perth is flush with a variety of fantastic options to suit kids of all ages (even the parents!). We did the homework for you and went on a deep dive to discover all the best courses around Perth – click here to find them all, including the epic new offering at Matagarup.

Take a hike

Perth is filled with fantastic walking and hiking trails, both in the city and just out of it. Fortunately many of these walking trails are perfect to take the kids along to, and are guaranteed to at least tucker them out for one night! Here’s our list of kid-friendly walking trails to get you started, and just be mindful of weather conditions during summer!

Pirate playground – Heathcote Reserve

It’s easy to see why this is one of Perth’s most popular playgrounds! A huge pirate ship full of tunnels, slides and secret hideouts, with smaller playgrounds and swing sets nearby. You also get a beautiful view of the river. Of course it’s not Perth’s only great playground – late last year we went on a little hunt to find the best kids playgrounds around Perth, and managed to dig up 20 that are not only great (one even has a volcano), but will keep the tiny ones occupied for hours (check ‘em HERE). We’ve also located a heap of great nature playgrounds to explore, which you can check out HERE. The only thing remaining is to see how many you can tick off, and how many you can these hols!

SPORTING ACTIVITIES

Parkour 

Send the kids on an exciting, action packed day at one of Perth’s parkour camps. Hours of climbing, jumping and tumbling into foam pits – along with fun and safe flip workshops. Their “Floor is Lava” game will be a little more exciting than just jumping from cushion to cushion at home! Here’s a few to get you started:
– The Motion Academy
– Ninja Academy
– Movement Co

Bounce into… Bounce!

On a similar tip, Bounce Inc. features 50 interconnected trampolines, cliff jumping, wall running, wall climb arena, giant inflatable soft-landing pit known as the Big Bag and adventure challenge course the X-Park, for the real thrillseekers. Head to the website for more info and to book a visit now.

Sport programs 

Dance, tennis, yoga, meditation, trampolines, bouncy castles, messy play, a treasure hunt and even a talent show – Lords Recreation Centre has so much on offer these holidays. A six hour, drop and run session from 9am-3pm, with a different theme each day. Jungle Sports, Peak trampoline and Pro Football Training also run classes at the centre.

Circus classes 

Have a taste of the circus life and send them back to school with some new tricks. These holiday classes are catered to kids from the age of 2 years old.  Professional circus artists safely guide them through a variety of skills, including aerial trapeze, tightware and spinning plates. It’s open to all ages, if you also want to get involved.

Kidz n’ sport

The coaches at Kidz n’ sport are passionate about getting kids excited about sport. A range of different sporting activities are offered to boys and girls of all skill levels, like basketball, hockey, soccer, tennis and tee-ball.

INDOOR FUN

Cine Wonders @ Luna Palace Cinemas

For the first time in its over 70-year history, Perth Festival will host a curated program of films specifically for the young and young at heart called Cine Wonders, in partnership with Luna Palace Cinemas. Running from Monday 6-Sunday 19 January, Cine Wonders will spark imaginations through six of the world’s finest children’s films – from inventive animations to inspiring documentaries, both local and international – making it the perfect school holidays adventure for the whole family.

Explorasaurus 

This dinosaur-themed, four tier indoors play centre in O’Connor provides hours of entertainment with obstacles, a flying fox, bouncy castle and craft area. There are also interactive exhibits, including one where kids can test their strength against the bite of a mighty T-Rex!

Electric Go Karts 

An electrifying adventure for budding revheads! Powerplay takes Go Karting to a whole new level, with tracks in Bibra Lake, Malaga and Joondalup. Suited to thrillseekers aged 10 and over.

Playdates Cafe 

With a large ball pit and padded play area, this popular cafe at Karrinyup Shopping Centre is easy entertainment for little ones. The air-conditioned centre is a good choice on a hot day, though it’s more suitable for the younger ones, kids aged 7 years old and under.

The Revival House @ Como Theatre

The Revival House is dedicated to bringing the Como Theatre back to its cinematic roots by screening movies exclusively from 16mm or 35mm film prints! Catch a mix of cult faves, Academy Award-winners, cinema classics, kids jams and more on the big screen in the beautiful surrounds of the art deco Como Theatre. Check out their upcoming program here, which features heaps of kid-friendly programming over the holidays.

Movie Theatres

Outside of the Revival House, you can always hit up one of Perth’s many movie theatres, escape the heat, grab some popcorn and enjoy to the latest release movies for some low key parenting – the ultimate break where you can sit back and have a well deserved rest. Moana 2, Wicked and Mufasa are just some of the newly released films for the family to enjoy.

AQWA

We have some fond childhood memories of visiting AQWA, so it’s always a relief to discover that the aquarium is getting better and better for each generation. Kids can marvel at the iconic marine life of WA in exhibits that closely replicate the natural environments – did you know that AQWA is one of only a few aquariums in the world that don’t use artificial coral? They’ve got heaps of year-round experiences to get close up to the marine life, plus a selection of extra activities scheduled for the school holidays, which you can check out here.

Scitech

Alongside AQWA, Scitech remains Perth’s ultimate “have fun while you learn” location and as always they’ve got a huge lineup of exhibitions, workshops and more to keep the kids entertained this school holidays. Head to their What’s On page to plan your next adventure.

Check into the Hijinx Hotel

Funlab, the mad minds behind Holey Moley and Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq have just opened a wild new playground in Perth with Hijinx Hotel. The competitive playground features 10 challenge rooms that’ll test you and your friends inside a Wes Anderson meets Willy Wonka meets New York-style hotel.

Nostalgia Box

Nostalgia Box is the perfect spot to show your kids what gaming used to be about! Having relocated to West Perth from their OG Northbridge home, it’s home to over 100 video game consoles dating all the way back to the 1970s, providing incredibly detailed histories for all of them. Most importantly, there’s an interactive area where you can play a bunch of old games like Mario Kart, Space Invaders, Pong and more – make sure to book ahead.

ART & CRAFT WORKSHOPS

Made to be messy 

Encourage your child to get as crafty and creative as they like, without having to clean up the mess after. This is Perth’s only dedicated messy play studio, so every splatter of paint or squish of clay and slime is not yours to worry about! Painting, tie dye, ice-cream, slime and playdough workshops are among some of the projects.

Faire and Co

Another studio with plenty of choice is Faire and Co, which runs in North Perth or Kalamunda. There are different themes each day and ideas for all age groups. Some activities include decorating Christmas ornaments, making Christmas tree slime, candy houses, lip balms, key rings and tree house collages.

Creative Kids Art Club 

Award winning Art Classes in Kingsley, Leederville, Nedlands, Mt Pleasant, Scarborough and East Victoria Park. A packed program over December and January, with painting, drawing, clay making and some pretty impressive 3D creations! 

Strength Heroes 

Strength Heroes is another great option for crafty creations, and the team also likes to focus on building your child’s resilience, self esteem and confidence through their programs. Perfect for kids aged 6-12 

Mini Giants

The lovely Rafaela from Mini Giants is so creative and is always coming up with new ways to keep the kids entertained. Painting, drawing, DIY butterfly wings and customised clothing and bag workshops are just some of the things on offer.

EDUCATIONAL PLAY 

TILT Art School & Play

If you’re heading to Goolugatup Heathcote over the holidays, don’t forget to check out ART PLAY | TILT Edition – a creative, sensory learning experience designed in collaboration with the exhibition to engage young creatives and little art lovers. Unpack a basket of materials and activities and work through at your own pace whilst exploring the gorgeous grounds of Goolugatup Heathcote. ART PLAY baskets cost $5 with a $10 deposit and are available from the Goolugatup Heathcote Gallery reception through the duration of the exhibit.

Code Camps

Programs for children to get creative with technology, with lessons in Minecraft, Roblox, animation, coding, robotics and graphic design. Holiday camps take place over 2-3 days and are perfect for children aged between 5 and 13 years old.

LEGO workshops 

Bricks4kidz offers fun and educational activities for children 5-12 years old. They’ll play various LEGO games and build unique models, designed by engineers and architects, with Manning, Karrinyup, West Perth and Southern River just some of the locations.

COOKING CLASSES 

Pasta in the Valley 

The “Mini Chef” experience at this Italian restaurant in the Swan Valley is available every day between 9-11am and 2-4pm, with no bookings needed. It takes about 15 minutes per child, and you’ll go home with some fresh pasta and an extra helper in the kitchen.

The Cooking Professor

Cooking classes in Mount Hawthorn, for children aged between 6-12. They’ll learn how to make sweet and savoury creations, including cupcakes, pizza, sushi and dumplings.

The Baking Club 

If it’s a sweet treat they’re after, keep an eye on The Baking Club classes, with a variety of different delights to be created. From themed cakes, to chocolate making and cupcake decorating.

For more school holiday suggestions, take a look at your local council website – they always have a variety of events on offer. Another handy site is Class Bento, where you can find art, craft, cooking, pottery and jewellery making classes by local makers.