Winter is undoubtedly the hardest season to try and entertain your kids, especially if you have any hope of keeping them from being glued to their screens for the duration of the school holidays.
When you know where to look though, the difficult task of keeping your kids busy on a dreary day becomes a lot simpler!
And you’ve made it this far, which means you’re looking in exactly the right place.
We’ve been in touch with the best local businesses offering school holiday activities in the Sutherland Shire and rounded up what’s on offer that your kids will love.
There’s go-karting, acrobatics, dancing, sports camps, cheerleading, makeup workshops, sewing, acting classes, craft and much more happening near you. Check out all the details below and don’t forget to tell them Mums of the Shire sent you!
SSCS Vacation Care
Book your Vacation Care early with Sutherland Shire Council to secure dates AND receive an early bird discount!
Rock climbing, woodworking, go-karting, a colour run and traditional fun including Ping Pong and a giant games day feature as part of Council’s Vacation Care program.
Vacancies currently available at their Burraneer Bay and Lucas Heights centres, open from 7am-6pm every day of the school holidays.
Use the live online booking system to enrol now: sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/VacationCare or call 9710 0466 for enquiries.
Ettingshausens
Ettingshausens are hosting a series of workshops and taster days these school holidays!
PRESCHOOL
If you have a preschooler, they are invited to trial a class in their preschool division – for free!
Thursday 1st July:
9.30am – 10.15am – READY SET DANCE & READY SET BALLET
10.15am – 11am – Ninja Stars & Acro Stars
ACRO WORKSHOPS
After the success of the Acro workshops last school holidays, Ettingshausens are so excited to be running them again! If you have a child in kindergarten or older, they’d love to see them join an Acro workshop on Tuesday 6th July for a day of fun learning new acro skills!
9am – 10am – Beginner (first timers/no experience needed), $20
10:15am – 11:45am – Intermediate (must be able to do cartwheels and push up into bridge), $25
12pm – 1:30pm – Advanced (must be able to do walkovers), $25
To book your child in a taster day or workshop, please call Ettingshausens on (02) 9545 3033 or email [email protected]. You can learn more about classes at Ettingshausens on their website here.
All students are welcome!
Motiv8sports
Super fun and engaging multi-sport day camps are the heart and soul of the Motiv8sports system. These daytime events are designed for kids from kindergarten to year six. They range from two to three-day events and occur between the hours of 8.30am to 3.30pm daily.
Motiv8sports design their sports events for all abilities and focus on energy and effort rather than a child’s sporting ability.
Kids who attend Motiv8sports Camps learn about teamwork and sportsmanship in an environment fuelled by great leadership and constant motivation. Just ask the kids who’ve been attending the camps for close to 16 years!
Motiv8sports campers are treated like superstars and the safety and supervision provided is second to none. They take sport and maximum participation to a new level with an innovative array of trademark sports. The details of their upcoming events are:
Camp 1 – JUL 1&2 – Caringbah High school
Camp 2 – JUL 8&9 – Jannali High school
Motiv8sports accept creative kids vouchers, and are offering a 10% discount to Mums of the Shire followers! Use discount code MOTS10.
Shire Elite Cheerleading
The super-popular Holiday Cheer Clinics are on again at Shire Elite these winter school holidays!
Children of all abilities are welcome to come and experience a fun-filled day of learning acrobatic stunts, dance, tumbling and playing games! ?
Week 1: Tue 29 Jun, Wed 30 Jun, Thu 1 Jul
Week 2: Tue 6 Jul, Wed 7 Jul, Thu 8 Jul
The workshops are suitable for kids aged 5-12 and run from 9am – 3pm ($50).
Bring: a nutritious lunch, a water bottle, and sneakers
Head to the Shire Elite website to book in! Capacity is limited and most days will book out so get in quickly to secure your spot! Call 1800 744 733 or email [email protected] for any other enquiries.
Indigo Kids Acting Studios
Indigo Kids Acting Studios will be running their super popular Green Screen Days these winter school holidays.
Your child can spend the day pretending to be Harry Potter, Hermione, a Disney Princess or their favourite Superhero! Indigo Kids staff spend the day boosting their performance confidence through games and acting exercises to prepare them for the afternoon activity where they’ll film their scene in front of the Green Screen!!
Visit the Indigo Kids Acting Studios website for enquiries and book in early to secure your place.
Dress ups encouraged!!
Kareela Village
Sydney Sixers at Kareela Village: July 10th, 10am – 2pm
Kareela Village is super excited to bring the stars of KFC Big Bash League and the Rebel WBBL to you this winter holidays!
Legends from the SIXERS BBL will be at Kareela Village with their trophy for photos and autographs!
There’ll also be lots of fun activities on the day. Activities will include:
- Free face painting
- Free kids craft
- Free Balloon art
- 50 free haircuts at Billy’s Haircuts
- Free jumping castle
- 100 free sliders from Suzie Dukes Burger & Grill
- 100 free chicken and chip packs from El Portico Kareela
- Pop up shops
Como Jannali Junior Cricket Club will also be on-hand to sign up new players with prizes for registering on the day
Other Activities at Kareela Village :
Tie Dye Shire Workshop (Bookings essential), $15: 28th June & 8th July, 10am – 2pm
Sand Art, $5: 30th June, 10am – 2pm
Jewellery Making, Bracelet and Necklaces, $5: 5th July, 10am – 2pm
Kite and Airplane Making, $8: 6th July, 10am – 2pm
The Bridal Bar
The Bridal Bar’s holiday workshops are the perfect school holiday activity for any little glamour.
Your kids will learn age-appropriate makeup and skincare tips, as well as getting to experiment with makeup on themselves, whilst being guided by a professional makeup artist!
There are two different workshops available to cater for all ages:
Little Glams Mini Makeover Session (Ages 5-10 years) – $35pp for 1 hr
Tweens Makeup Session (Ages 11-13 years) – $45pp for 1hr 15 mins
The ever so popular colourful braids are also available as an add on for $35 per child attending the workshops!
Mums – don’t worry they haven’t forgotten about you! Why not treat yourself to a massage or facial while the workshop is on? Enjoy some ‘me time’ while the kids have fun!
Kids Inspired
Kids Inspired is an Allied Health and Creative Learning Centre centrally located in Kirrawee.
With a focus on sewing, contemporary handcrafts and visual arts, they offer an exciting range of creative classes, and their School Holiday Workshops are back by popular demand!
Their workshop themes are created to inspire projects that involve hand sewing, design and machine sewing in full day workshops. Book your child in to learn to sew a backpack, headphone case, scrunchies, tote bag, blanket, pyjamas, duffel bag and more.
They offer Half-Day Workshops ($50) and Full Day Workshops ($80), which include all materials. View the Kids Inspired website for the upcoming timetable and to book online.
South Village
Every Friday night during winter South Village will be screening a kids-only movie and adults can enjoy dinner in South Village’s dining precinct while the kids are entertained. The line-up includes Disney classics like Mary Poppins, The Lion King and Aladdin, and newer favourites like Toy Story 4 and Spies in Disguise. You can find the full kids’ movies schedule here.
Kids can be signed in from 6pm and will receive a comfy bean bag and noise-cancelling headphones to wear as they watch a classic kids’ flick, which will start at 6:30pm in the area near Tamping Ground.
Your kids will be supervised by skilled and experienced minders who have completed their Working With Children Checks and have current First Aid certificates so that you’re free to enjoy the company of your partner, or even other friends you’ve been meaning to catch up with, in one of South Village’s many quality restaurants.
Still searching for school holiday activities?
If you haven’t found what you’re looking for yet, head to our local business directory to view a full list of school holiday activities. You’ll find a whole range of swimming options to choose from, acrobatics, teen fitness, creative workshops and more. Keep checking back as listings will be updated over the coming weeks.
And if you’re looking for something to do as a family during the school holidays, check out our What’s On calendar for upcoming family-friendly events, and stay tuned for the best activities on offer during the school term. Until then, enjoy your holidays!