The best school holiday activities for under $25

With the school holidays upon us, keeping the children entertained can become an expensive enterprise.

Thankfully, plenty is happening around town that won’t break the bank this spring, from family-friendly festivals to fun performances to hands-on activities.

Quash any complaints of boredom with our round-up of the best free and cheap events around Sydney – with nothing costing over $25.

A Night at the Library

State Library of NSW, until October 1, $25, sl.nsw.gov.au

As part of the State Library of NSW’s 200th birthday celebrations, they have commissioned Bell Shakespeare’s A Night at the Library, written by Joanna Erskine, to take visitors on a jaunt around the institution. Attendees follow a young student, meeting historical figures and literary characters on an intimate look throughout the space and at the many unusual items in the library’s collection. Suitable for ages eight and up.

Big Ideas Factory

Tumbalong Park, October 3-4, free, darlingharbour.com

A new outdoor program targets STEM-loving youngsters with activities designed for all ages. Preschoolers can listen to science storytime, primary-aged kids can check out the construction zone or robotics workshop, or the whole family can help build a replica of the Pyrmont Bridge from recycled materials. Drop in any time between 11am and 3pm to partake in the educational fun, plus on Saturday, free family movies will screen afterwards with The Lego Movie at 3.30pm and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs at 5.30pm.

Darling Square Moon Festival

Darling Square, until October 4, free, darlingsq.com

Grab a gorgeous family snap in Haymarket where Darling Square is aglow with illuminated lanterns to celebrate the Moon Festival. A program of activities is underway with live vocalists performing Friday and Saturday evenings, family-friendly dance workshops on October 3 and 4, and eateries nearby will sell mooncakes for those who want a taste of the delicacy.

Ku-ring-gai Sculpture Trail

Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden, until October 5, free, krg.nsw.gov.au

Enjoy the natural beauty of spring by trekking along this annual art trail with a metallic waratah, a pair of lyrebirds and a vivid dragonfly among the sights. The works are crafted from upcycled materials, with salvaged items saved from landfill. This year’s overall winner, Nicole de Mestre’s Illusion, was constructed from disused fans and is among the 50-odd sculptures on display.

Wildlife Explorers

Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, September 28-October 8, $22, botanicgardens.org.au

Children aged five to 12 can get their hands dirty in the most delightful way possible at the botanic garden. They will tour the area, find underwater animals using a dip net, learn how gardens help local wildlife and receive their own native plant to take home. And for magically-minded youngsters, the garden is also hosting Tinkerbell and the Dream Fairies (until October 11) with tickets available for only $25 on off-peak days.

Lights Up Kids Fest

Flight Path Theatre, October 7-9, various prices, flightpaththeatre.org

A festival in Marrickville is encouraging youth to get in touch with their creativity. Attendees can check out the Inner West Talent Quest as entrants aged five to 12 show off their skills, or book a $20 hour-long workshop in drama, improv or comedy. The festival also includes the world premiere run of puppetry play Mooncake, with tickets only $25 per person under a family pass for four.

Into the Box

Riverside Theatres, October 7-10, free, riversideparramatta.com.au

As part of the Spot On Children’s Festival, a free program of school holiday activities titled Into the Box will take over the Riverside Theatres courtyard. Little ones can do colouring, get a balloon sculpture, listen to stories being read or get their face painted. It’s particularly good for parents of toddlers as most of the activities are suitable for ages one and up.

Hyde Park Barracks Family Fun Day

Hyde Park Barracks, October 9, free (bookings essential), mhnsw.au

Children, parents and grandparents are all welcome at the heritage-listed landmark to learn about Australia’s colonial past. A specially designed kids’ trail and an audio tour help to bring the stories of the era to life. There are also some truly unique activities, including 19th-century bricklaying, building a paper replica of the barracks and even temporary tattoos based on original convict designs.

Farm animals

Moore Park South, September 28-October 9, free (bookings essential), greatersydneyparklands.nsw.gov.au

In a nod to its history, Moore Park, which was once part of Sydney Common and used for grazing animals, will put on a pop-up petting zoo full of friendly farm critters for kids to get close to. The park will also encourage outdoor play with a selection of playground favourites, such as hopscotch, set up for visitors to enjoy in the spring sunshine.

Wild Things

Sydney Opera House, September 26-October 11, free, sydneyoperahouse.com

Sydney Opera House has debuted its new international kids’ festival and turned its famous forecourt into an outdoor playground. While the program does feature ticketed shows, there is also an impressive program of free events. These enticing drop-in activities include a nine-metre-tall swing, an installation of giant inflatable rocks, Taiwanese circus performance Puzzle, puppet creatures roaming the space and a Dreamtime story depicted in Living Sculptures.

I See You Like This

Bondi Pavilion, September 27-October 11, $25/$20 and free, bondipavilion.com.au

Jessica Wilson’s ticketed interactive project I See You Like This asks children aged six to 12 to style their parents using whimsical props at a studio session (from September 27-30) before the result is professionally photographed. Then from October 2-11, there will be a free exhibition of the images, before the event wraps up with a free weekend on October 10-11 where families can snap their own photographs using the props available.

Maritime Museum school holiday activities

Australian National Maritime Museum, September 27-October 11, free, sea.museum

While some exhibitions are paid entry, visitors can still enter the maritime museum for free and access many holiday activities. Kids can get busy on a treasure trail, touch Viking tools at the cabinet of curiosities or drop by the book nook to make paper flowers or weave an angelfish. Also worth seeing is the free educational show Slippery Cephalopod Science Circus, which is only on selected dates.

Fringe Kids

Various locations, until October 11, various prices, sydneyfringe.com

Sydney Fringe Festival’s children’s program runs throughout the school holidays and has a variety of outlandish shows to suit all budgets. Some of the performances that come in at under $25 a ticket for families are the circus experience Ben’s Magical Friends, the interactive and swashbuckling Captain Adventure Man and, for fans of toilet humour, the award-winning Mr Snotbottom’s Stinky Silly Show.

Paper Daisy Spring Festival

Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, until October 11, free, botanicgardens.org.au

Western Sydney has a new floral festival with a six-week long celebration of colourful blooms. They’re available to view daily and there’s a lovely playground on site situated next door to the garden’s cafe, but weekends will be even more bustling with free children’s craft activities, live music performances and lawn games. There are also food trucks, a pop-up florist and flower-inspired face painting available for $5 per person.

Bloodsuckers: Nature’s Vampires

Australian Museum, until October 11, various prices, australian.museum

Before it wraps up, the museum is running a two-for-one special on tickets to their marquee exhibition, Bloodsuckers, which is an informative look at the science of these creepy creatures. Visitors can take part in interactive elements like a mosquito swarm simulator and microscopes for an even closer look. Also at the museum are the incredible images on show at the 2026 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year exhibition, which opened earlier this month and is free entry.

Shipwreck Odyssey

Carriageworks, September 26-October 18, free on weekdays and $5 on weekends, carriageworks.com.au

Creative collective Box of Birds make immersive spaces that spectacularly blend storytelling with technology, where kids can actually interact with the projected images on the wall. Their latest, Shipwreck Odyssey, draws inspiration from the 1850 wreck of the Jenny Lind sailboat to take a journey through the waters of the Great Barrier Reef. Also at Carriageworks is Erth’s Shark Dive: Live on Stage (until October 3), which uses life-sized puppets to tell the story of a girl who meets an injured baby shark, with tickets $25 each.

Little Sydney Lives

Customs House, from September 25, free, cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

The annual Little Sydney Lives photography competition invites shutterbugs aged five to 12 to train a lens on their world with both beautiful and surprising results. From 2026’s more than 450 entries, 20 finalists have been chosen and their shots have just gone on display for a year to the general public. Fingers crossed it will leave young attendees feeling inspired to pick up a camera or phone to capture their own friends and family.

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