Discover all the 2023 Summer School Holiday Fun in and around the Gold Coast. Fun Things for Toddlers has the ultimate guide to school holiday family fun all in one place.
Colour Your Imagination at the HOTA Children’s Gallery
From the imagination of beloved Gold Coast artist Victoria Reichelt, HOTA has created a colourful world of books for you to explore in the Children’s Gallery. For Victoria, libraries and their treasured contents provide endless inspiration for her stunning realist paintings.
Colour Your Imagination – Just add books invites you to (re)discover the wonder and beauty of books. Surprises await on the bookshelves and unexpected things can be found if you look beyond the book cover. HOTA’s playbook of imaginative family fun is ready for you to open until the 28th January.
Open daily from 10am to 4pm. Entry is Free and no bookings required.
Discover Gold Coast Christmas Activities and Events
Looking for some festive fun for the whole family?
Fun Things for Toddlers have you covered with our list of upcoming Christmas Events and Activities in and around the Gold Coast. 🎅🎄🤶
City of Gold Coast FREE Bike Workshops for Kids
The City of Gold Coast offers a series of free cycle workshops for all ages and abilities to help you get on your bike and enjoy the many benefits cycling can provide. From training wheels to two wheels, adult bike skills and bike maintenance – there’s something for everybody!
All workshops are led by accredited instructors and cover tips to make you a safer, more confident cyclist.
Bookings are essential and booking early is encouraged!
NaturallyGC Holiday Programs
Get the kids discovering nature with free and low cost activities from NaturallyGC and their partners, these summer school holidays.
With wildlife shows, tree plantings, indigenous culture, marine excursions and opportunities to explore the Gold Coast’s natural environment, there is something for everyone.
Bookings open Monday, 27th November at 8am. Be quick, as they book out fast!
Get Festive at a Gold Coast Christmas Carols Event
Gather your toddler, family and friends a head to one of these great Christmas Carol events in and around the Gold Coast and enjoy some yuletide cheer.
Check out Fun Things for Toddler’s guide to 2023 Christmas Carols in and around the Gold Coast.
Active & Healthy Summer Holiday Program
Your summer holidays on the Gold Coast are officially sorted with free and low-cost activities right across the City. It’s the season filled with sunshine, exploration, memory-making, splashing and laughter all with a healthy dose of salty air.
Active & Healthy Gold Coast’s holiday line-up ensures that every moment is fun, so gather your loved ones, pack a picnic basket, and indulge yourselves in a cool range of activities that the kids will love including Bubble disco dance party, Engaging nature and craft experiences, Silent scavenger disco hunt, African drumming and dancing and much more!
Catch a Movie Under the Stars
What better way to spend an evening than outdoors watching a movie under the stars!
The City of Gold Coast Movies under the Stars program is free, family-friendly fun on offer from September 2022 through to April 2023 right across the city.
Discover what’s playing near you these summer school holidays using the link below.
Visit Broadwater Parklands
The Broadwater Parklands is a world-class community and cultural parkland, loved by Gold Coast residents and tourists alike.
Use awesome FREE facilities like The Rockpools Water Play, Swimming Enclosure, Washington Waters Playground and Bouncy Pillow and the new play space, the Peninsula Playground.
Plus the Broadwater Parklands have an year round calendar of activation and events many free or very low cost and family friendly.
Summer Reading Club @ Gold Coast Libraries
Summer Reading Club is back and bigger than ever! It’s a fantastic way to encourage kids to keep reading over the long summer holidays and have some fun.
Over the summer break, kids can experience what’s known as the ‘summer slide’. This often results in a loss of learning retention and reading skills, which can impact academic levels in the new school year. Encouraging kids to read books that they enjoy and are able to comprehend is a great way to keep their brain stimulated over summer.
This year’s Summer Reading Club is all about celebrating the people, places and stories that make up ‘Our Place’. Kids aged 12 and under can sign up from 1 December to 31 January. All participants can take part in a fun weekly challenge. Each completed challenge gives kids a chance to win an amazing book pack or a family pass to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. Visit your local libary from 1 December and set your child up for reading and learning success in 2024!
Queensland STEM School Holiday Programs
ATTN: Queensland Parents & Carers.
If you’re looking activities to keep your kids engaged over the school holidays, check out the long list of school holiday programs and clubs available across our state! With programs ranging from aerospace to coding, there’s sure to be something entertaining and rewarding for everyone. Click the link below to start searching!
DIY Invasion Fun School Holiday Workshops
Fun School Holiday Kids Workshops are now live and listed! Secure a spot for your little ones in our interactive sessions filled with creativity and joy. Limited spots available. Parents, if you’re searching for engaging activities these school holidays, look no further!
Various dates, times and activities. Check the DIY Invasion website using link below for the details!
Dendy Southport Family Fun Preview Screening of The Jungle Bunch
Go bananas for our family fun preview! Secure your seats now and be the first to see the long-awaited sequel of everyone’s favourite Jungle Bunch on Sunday 3rd December at Dendy Southport
Join them for kids activity stations from 10am before the film begins at 10.30am.
Sparky Do Dah Summer Holiday Program
Here is Sparky Do Dah’s Summer Holiday Program – and It Is Packed!!
7 Dec – Bunnings Christmas Tweed
9 Dec – Christmas in the Park Molendinar
9 Dec – Alicia Street Christmas Fair
10 Dec – Broadwater Parklands Pop-Up Play
11 Dec – Park Games in Southport
14 Dec – Park Games in Coolangatta
16 Dec – Pacific Pines Carols
19 Dec – Park Games in Pacific Pines
20 Dec – Currumbin Carols
21 Dec – Park Games in Oxenford
22 Dec – Broadwater Parklands Pop-Up
27 Dec – Broadwater Parklands Frisbee Golf
The Wiggles Live at Dreamworld
Ready… steady… WIGGLE! The Wiggles are coming BACK to Dreamworld! on Friday 8 December performing two LIVE shows, which you can enjoy FREE with your Annual Pass entry!
Sing and dance along to your favourite Wiggles songs at 10:30am and 12:30pm. There’s no need to book, but it’s encouragde you arrive nice and early to secure your spot as the performances will allow entry on a first-in, best-dressed basis inside the air-conditioned Dreamworld Exhibition Centre!
You can secure your spot at the front with an Early Access Ticket add-on from $35* and enjoy early entry plus a drink & snack.
Purple Colour Run for Domestic & Family Violence Awareness!
Join in a vibrant splash of purple as we stand together against domestic and family violence on Saturday, 9th December from 9am. If you believe in fostering a safe community for all, then this event is for you!
🔹 Event Highlights:
> A thrilling Purple Colour Run that symbolizes our collective stand against domestic violence.
> A family fun day with exciting activities designed for both kids and parents.
> Fantastic freebies and generous giveaways that you won’t want to miss.
> A heartwarming sense of community as we come together for a significant cause.
🔹 Details:
Who: Everyone! Kids, adults, and all in between are cordially invited.
Cost: Completely FREE!
🔹 Why Attend?
Domestic and family violence is an issue that affects many, and by attending this event, you’re making a statement: that you believe in a world where every individual is treated with respect and love.
This event is hosted by The Meeting Place: Oxenford/Coomera Community & Youth Centre (25 Leo Graham way, Oxenford).
Fam Jam 2023 in Eagleby
Eagleby Tavern welcome you all back for our annual Fam Jam Event on Saturday December 9th, 2023 from 1pm to 9pm.
This is an outdoor, Family Friendly Event for all to enjoy and it’s Free*!
Offering Family Vibes and good Times. It’s a great way to start the school holidays!
Silent Disco Under the Stars – Miami
Back for another fabulous Silent Disco Under the Stars in Ed Hardy Park Miami on Saturday 9th December, for 2 funtastaic hours of music and dancing.
Proudly presented by Lights Out And Dance and Best Silent Disco. Join a another fabulous night of dancing fun under the stars and full moon! Invite your friends, family, or someone special and ask them to join you for a dance under the stars, Très Romantique 🖤
WHERE & WHEN:
✨ Ed Hardy Park, Miami – Saturday, 9th December 2023. 7 – 9PM
TICKETS:
⭐️ $20 Early Bird – 10 Available
⭐️ $25 General Admission (adults & kids 15+)
⭐️ $125 Group Booking – perfect for a girls’ night out – buy 5, get one free!
⭐️ $75 family – 2 adults, 3 children
⭐️ $10 for each additional child & NDIS carers
WHAT YOU GET:
As part of your booking, we provide headsets & three fun, high-energy channels/playlists for you to choose from, so if you don’t like a song, you can simply change the channel! Each channel has its own colour, so you’ll be able to see who is vibing to the same music as you! If you want to attend but are financially unable, please reach out to event organisers.
Dendy Southport Family Fun Preview Screening of Disney musical adventure WISH
One WISH can change everything 🌟
Be the FIRST to experience the magic of Disney’s next animated adventure WISH at Dendy Southport’s Family Fun Preview Screening on Sunday 10th December.
Join them for kids activity stations from 10:30 am before the film begins at 11am.
Lord Mayor’s Children’s Program – FiZZ!
Lord Mayor’s Children’s Program presents Opera Qld bringing the magic of opera, in creative collaboration with shake & stir theatre co.
Opera Queensland brings the magic of opera to our youngest fans with the whacky, weird and wonderful production FiZZ! to Brisbane City Hall on Tuesday, 12th December. Pre-book your FREE tickets via Eventbrite using the link below.
Based on the classic comic opera The Elixir of Love by Donizetti and reimagined for young audiences, FiZZ! follows a teenage love triangle between Nemorino, an awkward textbook nerd, Adina, his obsession and great beauty and Benny, the spoilt son of a supermarket tycoon. With the help of a magic love potion, this coming-of-age story has at its heart the message that goodness can prevail. Filled with twists, FiZZtastic music and a cast of excellent young performers, FiZZ! is designed to delight and entertain children new to opera.
The Great Beach Adventure @ SkyPoint
Enjoy a “side-splittingly funny family outing you won’t soon forget!” included FREE with your entry to SkyPoint
Two best friends get ready to go out on their big adventure to the beach. But what will they need? Swimmers, so they can get in the water? Sunscreen for slipping, slopping and slapping? Maybe there will be pirates at the beach so they of course need to bring their swords. They will need some help to get ready for their big beach adventure so come ready to help out! The whole family will be screaming and shouting for more. Who knows, maybe after the show YOU will be ready for your very own Great Beach Adventure.
The Great Beach Adventure at SkyPoint. Daily 30min shows at 1pm ad 3pm between the 18th to the 23rd December 2023.
Childcare Cinema @ Hyperdome
Childcare Cinema returns to Hyperdome for the festive season! Kids are invited to enjoy the new Trolls Band Together at Event Cinemas on 19 & 20 December – 10am drop off.
Children must be between 4 (minimum) -13 (maximum) years of age in order to attend. Children who attend are required to be toilet trained. Please note parents are not able to attend the screening, this is a child-minding service only.
Drop the kids off for a movie while you can enjoy some kid-free shopping & dining for just $5 (per child). Limited tickets available, so make sure to get in quick!
Lego in the Vale – Free Christmas School Holiday Event
BRICKS 4 KIDZ® return to Helensvale Library and Cultural Centre this Christmas holidays, to provide a festive & fun LEGO® experience for children aged between 6 – 12 years old on Wednesday, 20th December.
Children will complete Christmas themed LEGO® building activities using LEGO® Technic Project Kits, Mosaic and Colour Builds, and enjoy copious amounts of Free Play LEGO®.
Please come dressed in your most jolly holiday outfit. Prizes will be awarded for best dressed.
Two session times: 10am – 12pm and 1pm – 3pm
Children will need to be signed in to, and out from the event by a known adult. They will not be required to stay for the full 2 hours, but will need to be collected by the end of their session.
Maximum of 40 participants per session. Click the ‘reserve a spot’ button to secure your spot. Walk-ins are welcome on the day but cannot be guaranteed a spot.
The sessions will be held upstairs in the Auditorium at Helensvale Library and Cultural Centre.
This event is proudly supported by City of Gold Coast.
Kids Night Out @ Robina Events Cinemas
The Smeds and the Smoos Live in Brisbane
Soar into space with this exciting adaptation of the award-winning book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler (also seen in the TV animation on ABC Kids). On a far-off planet, Smeds and Smoos can’t be friends. So when a young Smed and Smoo fall in love and zoom off into space together, how will their families get them back?
Music, laughs and interplanetary adventures for everyone aged 3 and up, from the team that brought you The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom live on stage.
Hudson Circus @ Broadwater Parklands
Hudsons Circus presents a 2 hour traditional style Circus with a modern twist featuring ‘edge of your seat’ daredevils, hilarious clowns, and aerial acrobatics in a fast paced show for the whole family!
1pm, 4pm & 7.30pm showtimes from 29 December 2023 to the 21 January 2024.
Bluey’s Big Play @ Playhouse, QPAC
Grab the sticky geckos, break out the duck cakes, and alert the grannies! 🐾
Bluey, Bingo, Bandit and Chilli are coming back to Brisbane for a return season of Bluey’s Big Play after performing all over North America! The story you know and love is returning to QPAC’s Playhouse where it first premiered in December 2020. We saw it in January 2021 and LOVED IT!
Bluey’s Big Play is a theatrical adaptation of the Emmy® award‑winning children’s television series. Join the Heelers in a live theatre show made just for you, featuring brilliantly created puppets and iconic sets. This is Bluey brought to real life.
Bluey’s Big Play, the stage show is on at Playhouse, QPAC from 30 December 2023 to the 20 January 2024.
The Ginger Bread Man Puppet Show in Main Beach
These school holidays the Queensland Theatre of Puppetry (QTOP) are presenting “The Ginger Bread Man” an amazing story , certainly a show not to be missed.
See the show from 8th Jan through until 19th Jan 2024, week day shows only. Two shows daily at 9.30am and 11am. For this production the 11am shows on Tues 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th will be occupied with OHSC children, so it is encouraged others attend the 9-30am shows on these four days .
Tickets are ONLY $6 per person and under 2 are FREE. No prior booking needed, pay cash or tap and go at the door. All proceeds are donated to the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation to purchase equipment for their Children’s Wards.
The Theatre is in Macintosh Park. cnr Gold coast Hwy and Admiralty Drive in Main Beach, it’s fully air conditioned, and Macintosh Island Park is wonderful for a play before or after the show.
Summer Splash @ Paradise Point Parklands
Join the Summer Splash FUN, a morning of FREE family fun at Paradise Point Parklands on Saturday 13 January from 9am to 12pm, with…
💦 Inflatable water slides
🎉 DJ party
🌈 Bubbles
✨ Face painting
🏃🏼♂️ Sportstacular workshop
💤 Chill out zone
🍧 Snow cones
🌭 Sausage sizzle
Lord Mayor’s Children’s Program – I Like to Movie, Movie
Lord Mayor’s Children’s Program presents I Like to Movie, Movie by The Little Red Company.
All your favourite musical movie moments rolled into a high energy show perfect for a family singalong! See it at Brisbane City Hall on Tuesday, 16th January. Pre-book your FREE tickets via Eventbrite using the link below.
Featuring your favourite songs from iconic family classics such as Trolls, The Lion King, Shrek, Matilda, Aladdin, Frozen, The Greatest Showman, The Sound of Music, Hairspray, Madagascar and more, this is the ultimate party playlist performed live onstage.
With a talented cast of Australia’s finest music theatre performers, I Like to Movie, Movie will deliver hit after hit from your family’s favourite films.
FREE Back to School Craft FUN! at Benowa Village
FREE Back to School Craft FUN! at Benowa Village from Wednesday 17 to Saturday 20 January 2024, 10am to 1pm daily.
Craft Workshops
Wednesday 17th – Design your own Library Bag
Thursday 18th – Design a Pencil Case
Friday 19th – Design a Bookmark
Saturday 20th – Design your own Pencil Holder
Located outside Coles. No Bookings required.
