Family-Friendly Activities for the Winter School Holidays

Wondering how to spend the winter school holidays on the Gold Coast? Our city has a packed schedule of events, activities and family-friendly adventures to ensure kids (and parents) have the best holidays ever! From whale watching and a winter wonderland, to inspiring street festivals and theme park fun, here’s where to go and what to do on the Gold Coast these school holidays.

Winterfest at Dreamworld

Get ready for an avalanche of frosty fun at Dreamworld’s annual celebration of the chilly season. Winterfest is the perfect school holiday activity and this year’s event is set to be bigger than ever. Get into the winter spirit by gliding around on a full-size ice skating rink, speeding down the Ice Slide on a tube toboggan and tucking into a special European-style menu of classic winter dishes. Little ones will love the Winterfest Quest  - follow clues around the park to solve puzzles and claim your prize. Entry to Winterfest is free with your Dreamworld ticket or Annual Pass and the event is runs from June 28th - July 20th.

DC Superheroes and Super-Villains at Warner Bros Movie World

From June 30th - July 20th you can witness the battle of Goodies vs Baddies at Warner Bros Movie World when the DC Superheroes and Super-Villains pack the park with action and entertainment. Enjoy an epic line-up of entertainment including dramatic street shows and character meet and greets from icons like Batman, Cat Woman, The Joker, Harley Quinn and The Flash. Grab your cape and mask and dress up as your favourite DC character. At 5pm, Main Street will come alive with the daily parade featuring light and laser shows - keep an eye out for Krypto the Superdog! This is alongside all the regular rides, rollercoasters and incredible experiences at Movie World.

SURFACE Festival

As far as school holiday fun goes on the Gold Coast, you can’t go past SURFACE Festival. This street art festival from June 29th - July 13th brings the suburb of Miami to life with colour and creativity. Walk, stroll, ride or roll around the streets following the Fence Line Exhibition with over 140 artworks displayed along suburban fences. Witness live mural paintings and don’t miss Slick Surfaces - an event especially for kids on Sunday June 29th. Get ready to shred, build, spin, and create with skateboard lessons, DJ workshops and urban art activities. All this for just $15 per kid (parents are free)! That’s a holiday win for everyone! 

 

Holiday Fun at HOTA

HOTA’s school holiday programs invites kids to explore creativity through many different mediums in wonderful workshops where they get to stretch their artistic wings. These school holidays budding creatives can design and decorate their own drum - a hands on, noisy and super fun way to expore art and sound. Or on Saturday July 12th, there's aa LEGO workshop where kids can create to their heart's content with clicking bricks, with Andrew & Damian from LEGO Masters as their inspiring guides. Tickers to these workshops are just $20.

There's also Anna Carey's Magic + Memory exhibition showing in the Children's Gallery, where kids can play house and let their imaginations run riot. Being creative is one of the best skills our kids can learn and HOTA (Home of the Arts) is providing all the inspiration they need.

Whale Watching

For a very special school holiday experience take the kids on a whale watching tour. Winter is whale season on the Gold Coast and more than 40,000 of the magnificent marine mammals travel past our city on their way to warmer waters up north. Some of the largest humpbacks are up to 16m long and seeing them breach is literally awe-inspiring. Mother humpbacks use the protected Gold Coast waters as a nursery to rest and play with their babies seeing newborn calves flop about as they learn to swim and breach will have children entranced. There’s a variety of whale watching tours to choose from  - take your pick for an amazing school holiday experience. 

Astra Lumina

Get bundled up for a night time winter adventure at Astra Lumina. This enchanting experience is a new offering from Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.  Once night has fallen, set out on a winding 1.5km trail through the rainforested gardens, illuminated by  magical lanterns, lasers and light installations. The immersive adventure includes soundscapes that echo through the bush and projections that dance across the canopy and floor, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

The self-led walk means you can stroll through the experience in your own time, linger longer at favourite installations, or hustle if you need to get hungry kids to dinner. The experience takes around an hour and is suitable for all ages. Astra Lumina is open from 5.30 - 9pm. Wednesday - Saturday.

Skatefest at Pacific Fair

Roll into Pacific Fair these holidays for a whole lot of skate-related fun at Skatefest from June 28th to July 6th. Sign kids up to beginner or intermediate skate lessons where they'll sharpen their skills and learn to skate with confidence. These classes are just $10 per child - bargain! (Bookings essential.) 

But that's not all! There's also epic demos by be pro skaters, a half pipe night, craft workshops where kids can create a cool tote bag and heaps of giveaways with over $5k in prizes to be won. You'll find Skatefest at the Blue Car Park on Level 2, above Target.

Circus Fun House at The Pink Flamingo Spiegel Club

The circus is coming to town! Pink Flamingo is Gold Coast's very own speigel club - usually a little risqué and for grown ups only, this school holidays they're putting on a fabulous kid-friendly show that will have littles ones spellbound one minute, and laughing with glee the next. Welcome to Circus Fun House!

With dazzling costumes, daring aerial stunts, breathtaking acrobatics, side-splitting comedy and state-of-the-art effects, this show truly has it all! Catch an 11am or 1opm show on Wednesday July 2nd, Thursday July 3rd and Saturday July 5th. Ticket prices start from $39 and include a kids' meal. Added bonus - adults can enjoy it too at kids prices. Don't miss out - spaces are strictly limited.

Illusions Magic Show with Matt Hollywood

For an unforgettable family-friendly holiday activity take the kids to witness the wonder and spectacle of the Illusions Magic Show with Matt Hollywood. After 30 years in the business, Matt is a master entertainer and performs the only full time magic show in Australia at his custom-built theatre in Cavill Lane, Surfers Paradise. The show features stunning Las Vegas style magic tricks and illusions including death-defying escapes, grand illusions, comedy and of course audience participation. 

Gold Coast Recreation Precinct