Discover the best-of-the-best July school holiday camps, shows, winter festivals and events happening across the Central Coast and nearby region!
Read on to ensure your holidays are the best they can be. And be sure to book early, so you don’t miss out.
PS. We’re giving away a family ticket to see Tinkerbell and the Dream Fairies at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Scroll down to the bottom of our feature to enter.
The Listies are bringing their 110% Ready show to PACC!
If you’re looking for some ridiculous, gratuitous, hilarious fun with your school-aged kids these holidays, then we have found a show for you!
The Listies, Australia’s maestros of kidult comedy, are returning to New South Wales with their new show 110% Ready, and we 110% recommend you get tickets to see them!
Matt and Rick are two Melbourne comedians who are side-splittingly funny, and their double act as The Listies has seen them win a tonne of awards for their interactive, illogical and irreverent shows.
Our Playing in Puddles family has seen them five times! We have their DVD, their chapter books, and their CDs are our go-to listening in the car. Our boys LOVE them, and we’re super confident that your kids will love seeing them on the stage these school holidays too.
The Listies 110% Ready is a bonkers comedy extravaganza of epic proportions that sees The Listies tackle the joys of the morning routine: sleeping through the alarm, not having any milk, fishing dirty clothes from the laundry basket and burning the toast! The show is jam-packed with thigh-slapping skits that parents will knowingly relate to and kids will chuckle at.
They’re performing at the PACC (Performance Arts Culture Cessnock) these July school holidays! AND they’ve got a deal whereby every family gets 1 adult ticket completely FREE! How absolutely awesomely epically fabulous is that!
The Listies 110% Ready
Age recommendation: 4+ (adults, you’ll love this one too).
Show duration: 55 mins (no interval).
Where: PACC | Performance Arts Culture Cessnock, 198 – 202 Vincent Street, Cessnock.
Show times: Tuesday 8 July 2025 2PM. | Tuesday 8 July 2025 6PM.
Tickets: $25/person | 1 accompanying adult free per family (must obtain a ticket from the PACC Box Office). Child under 2 is free on the knee.
Phone: (02) 4993 4266
Email: [email protected]
Book the show here.
Visit the Snow Time festival at Hunter Valley Gardens!
Hold onto your beanies, Coastie families, the 45m ice luge is back as part of Snow Time – the Hunter Valley Gardens’ fabulous Snow Time winter festival!
That’s right, Snow Time at Hunter Valley Gardens has returned for the winter school holidays, and if your kids love a good adrenaline rush, the 45-metre-long ice slide is going to be their absolute fave. Grab a tube, hop on, and zoom down this slippery slope of frosty fun – then race back up to do it again and again and again (trust us, your kids will become obsessed by the tubing!).
And while the ice luge is the standout star (and totally worth the trip alone!), there’s snow much more on offer: build a snowman in the giant snow play zone, glide across not one but two ice skating rinks (one just for little learners – hooray!), and hunt for a frozen yeti hiding in the gardens.
There are also five permanent rides, tasty wintry eats from the food stalls, and endless photo ops to capture those rosy cheeks and happy squeals.
Forget packing the chains and driving ALL the way to the Snowy Mountains – this is your snowy school holiday fix, right here in the Hunter!
Snow Time at Hunter Valley Gardens is honestly one of the happiest and most entertaining events our Playing in Puddles family has attended with our kids. Our day was full of new experiences and enormous smiles… and as we looked around we saw other families clearly feeling the same.
Snow Time at Hunter Valley Gardens
When: Daily Saturday 28 June – Sunday 27 July 2025. Gardens open daily 9am-5pm. Snow Time activities daily 9:30am-4:30pm.
Age group: All ages.
Hot tip: Come prepared for the snow. We recommend wearing a waterproof jacket and waterproof pants, as well as gloves. Wear shoes with good grip to stop you slipping over on the snow too. If in doubt, it’s always handy to pack an extra set of clothes!
Entry cost: Adult (16+ yrs) $41. Children (4-15 yrs) $31. Children (3 yrs. & Under) FREE. Family (1ad+2ch) $96. Family (2ad+1ch) $102. Family (2ad+2ch) $126. Extra Child (4-15yrs) $28. Companion card FREE. You can get annual passes too; see website for details. Snow Time activities (ice skating, giant ice toboggan and snow play) are included in your entry.
Ride costs: One single use token is $6 or you can purchase a bonus six token pack for $30. Ride tokens can be purchased from the ticket booth located in the event area.
Where: Hunter Valley Gardens, 2090 Broke Road, Pokolbin.
Phone: 02 4998 4000.
Hunter Valley Gardens Snow Time Website
Book into Australian Warrior Fitness’s 2-hour school holiday training sessions!
If your child’s energy levels could power a small city, this is their moment. These July school holidays, let them swing, climb and lache their way through an epic workshop at Australian Warrior Fitness – a purpose-built ninja training centre in Gosford.
Designed for kids aged 7–12, these 2-hour Ninja Warrior Training Sessions are fast-paced, high-energy and packed with obstacles inspired by the TV show: think ropes, rings, monkey bars, warped walls and more.
Led by AWF’s accredited coaches (some of whom compete on the national ninja circuit!), the sessions are designed to build confidence, sharpen obstacle skills and deliver serious holiday fun.
Each session ends with a friendly mini comp, giving kids the chance to test their moves, cheer on their mates, and maybe even score a podium prize. It’s all about challenging them to be the very best ninja legend they can be.
Parents are welcome to drop ‘n run or stay ‘n chill – there’s even an upstairs viewing area with power outlets if you want to squeeze in some work or life admin while the kids are entertained.
Australian Warrior Fitness
Location: 34 Glennie St W, Gosford.
Dates: 9:30am – 11:30am, Tues 8 July, Thurs 10 July, Tues 15 July, Thurs 17 July 2025.
Cost: $35.
Age Group: Children aged 7-12.
Contact: 0431776147or [email protected]
Australian Warrior Fitness’s website
See Wolfgang in the Stars at The Art House
We’ve been to LOTS of kids’ shows over the years and Wolfgang would have to be one of our all-time favourites. After being lucky enough to see it when it came to town back in 2018, we came away in awe of the whole performance – to quote the little girl who was sitting behind us – it was “absolutely unbelievable!”
That’s why we’re utterly delighted to see that Circa’s bringing all the movement, magic, and physicality of Wolfgang back to The Art House stage again this winter, in a new version that includes intergalactic space adventure!
To give you an idea of what to expect – imagine Charlie Chaplin performing acrobatics. We mean side-splitting, laugh-out-loud manoeuvres that’ll have the audience watching in disbelief at some of the stunts on show.
You’ll see a man get dressed while riding a bike, a dancer stand on her toes in ballet point shoes while holding a man on her shoulders (ouch), and a performer do a one-hand push-up on a chair that stood on another chair that stood on 4 Champagne bottles on a table! Think about that for a second! That’s ridiculous!
This show is all about mischief, mayhem and music! It tells the story of Mozart (Wolfgang) and it feels (and looks) like a giant party! Expect tumbles and crashes, cool acrobatics, daredevil artists, dancing space dinosaurs, zany aliens and an accordionist! It’s definitely a treat for the ears and the eyes, and you might even learn a thing or two about the man behind some of the world’s most famous music.
Wolfgang in the Stars
Age group: Kids 3+ (and their adults).
Show duration: 45 min, no interval (perfect for little ones with short attention spans).
Dates: Wed 9 Jul 2025 – 10AM and 6PM.
Tickets: Adult $20, Encore member $15, Child under 12 $15, Family of four (2A 2C / 1A 3C) $56.
Where: The Art House, 19-21 Margaret Street, Wyong.
Contact details: 4335 1485.
Website: https://www.thearthousewyong.com.au/whats-on/wolfgang-in-the-stars
Book into Ninja Kids Erina’s full-day school holiday camps!
Visit the Winter Wonderland at Australian Reptile Park!
This July, the Australian Reptile Park is turning up the fun (and the frost!) with a whole flurry of winter school holiday activities – and they’re all included with your regular entry ticket!
From 5–20 July 2025, families can step into the Snowball Zone for some real-snow action! You can build snowmen, toss snowballs and giggle your way through this frosty winter pop up. Then, bounce over to the giant jumping castle, strike a pose inside the life-size inflatable snow globe, and get your Elsa on with free winter face painting (10am–2pm).
And, did you hear? Chilli the dingo had puppies, and for a very limited time you can do a Dingo Puppy Meet & Greet! These gorgeous fluffballs are growing fast, so if you want to meet them while they’re still pint-sized and cuddly, now’s the time. (Note: This experience is an additional cost.)
Plus, did you know you can get behind the glass? Their Kids 2 Keeper program offers wildlife fans the chance to step behind the scenes and experience a day in the life of a real zookeeper. It’s hands-on, super fun, and one of the park’s most popular holiday offerings, and they have experiences for all abilities and ages (3+). Participants get to feed animals, prep food, clean enclosures and meet some seriously cool creatures. Even better? You can use your NSW Active Kids voucher towards the cost. Spots fill fast, so book quickly!
When: The Park is open every day (except Christmas), 9am-5pm. The Winter Wonderland runs daily from 5-20 July 2025.
Where: The Australian Reptile Park, Pacific Highway, Somersby.
Tickets: Entry from $35 per person with a Family Day Pass. Kids under 3 are free | Dingo Puppy Meet & Greet $90 | Kids to Keeper Program from $67 | Book online and save!
Book online and save: https://www.reptilepark.com.au/winter-wonderland
Escape Reality – Escape Rooms Central Coast
Looking for a fun, indoor activity that’ll entertain a family or group of friends of multiple ages these holidays? We’ve found just the ticket. Escape Reality – Escape Rooms Central Coast in Tuggerah is an escape room facility with four experiences, including a family-friendly room that caters to kids as young as six!
But what is an escape room you may be asking! Well, it’s a little like being inside a board game where you and your friends have just 60 minutes to solve a series of puzzles and challenges to escape from a movie-inspired set! Sounds pretty awesome, right? And it is.
Our Playing in Puddles family visited to experience their family-friendly room, and all of us – from the age of 6 to 41 – had a tonne of fun. We don’t want to say too much as that would clearly ruin the experience for any would-be detectives, but we will say this, “DO IT!”.
If you like cracking puzzles, reading detective novels, doing Rubik’s cubes, coding, Sudoku or anything else that gives your brain a little tease and makes you think outside the box, DO IT. It was fascinating to see how our kids’ brains ticked, how they worked through problems, how they worked together as a team, who took the lead and who was happy to follow. More interesting still was the realisation that us adults were not much better at working through the problems – we all genuinely had to work together to crack the codes.
This activity is fun. It’s different. It’s challenging. It’s something your whole family can do together and – importantly – equally enjoy. And that in our books is absolutely awesome. Get there these holidays and have a blast!
Open: Thursday and Friday 1pm to 9pm; Saturday and Sunday 9am to 10pm.
Website: www.escapereality.com/centralcoast
Phone: 0480 488 338
Email:[email protected]
Address: 4/15 Anzac Road, Tuggerah, NSW.
Orange Picking at Cedar Farm, Dooralong
Looking for a fun, affordable – and totally tasty – activity these winter school holidays? Head to Cedar Farm in Dooralong for a wholesome, farm-friendly orange-picking adventure the kids (and you) will love.
Set across 15 acres of orchards in the beautiful foothills of Wyong State Forest, this spot is open for navel orange picking throughout winter, with Valencia oranges ready to harvest in spring.
But there’s more than citrus to enjoy – Cedar Farm’s offerings have recently expanded. As well as wandering the orchards and picking juicy oranges straight from the trees, kids can now feed the resident sheep and cows, take pony rides and – brand new this year – ride a model train! (If your kids love the mini trains at Narara, these will be a hit too.)
You’re welcome to pack a picnic and make a day of it, but keep an eye out for the Rotary sausage sizzles happening on-site some days too.
This is such a wholesome way to spend a day with family or friends. We recommend you grab your gumboots and get set for a memorable day of farm and orange-picking fun!
When: The farm will be open the weekend of the 28th-29th June and then every day throughout the school holidays (5-21 July 2025) from 10am-4pm. After the holidays they will continue to be open each weekend until the season ends. Pony rides are from 10.30am-2.30pm daily except Mondays.
Where: 48 Dittons Road, Dooralong.
Age Group: All ages will have fun at Cedar Farm!
Cost: Oranges are $2.50 a kilo. Train rides through the orchard are $3/person. Pony rides $10. There is no entry fee.
Tip and Contact: Please ALWAYS check their Facebook page – Pick your own oranges Dooralong – before heading to the farm to be sure they are open. BYO fruit ,veggies or bread if you’d like to feed the sheep and cows.
Book into Roundabout Circus!
They have loads of options from full-day school holiday camps to 1-hour workshops!
Ever thought about fire twirling? How about juggling, unicycling or trapeze? If you want your child to pick up some awe-inspiring skills, sign them up to a Roundabout Circus workshop these holidays!
This Autumn they have an epic line-up of activities on offer, such as aerial and acrobatics, tumbling, juggling, silks and even family circus where your whole tribe is invited to join in the fun.
Have a professional in the family? They’ll be running teens and experienced youth ‘level up camps’ in which students will be exposed to fire-spinning, specialty apparatus and more challenging skills.
Fancy running away to the circus yourself? Check out their adult classes these holidays! You’ll learn aerial, acro and mixed circus skills, and all levels of experience are welcome.
Roundabout offers 1-hour, 2-hour, half-day and full-day workshops! AND if you book multiple days or workshops they offer a discount. They also accept Creative Kids and Active Kids vouchers for school holiday programs (see website for details).
Roundabout Circus holiday camps
When: Multiple workshops operate across multiple days throughout the holidays. See their website for the timetable.
Where: Roundabout Circus, 96 Showground Rd, Gosford.
Cost: Different costs – see website for details.
Age Group: Family Circus is for children who are walking/18 months+ through to adults | Camps are for ages 5 yrs -13 yrs+ | Level up camp is for ages 8 yrs -17 yrs+.
Contact: 0243 117 133, roundaboutcircus.com
Creative and Active Kids vouchers accepted.
WIN a family pass to Tinkerbell in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney during the Spring school holidays!
We have four tickets to give away to “Tinkerbell and the Dream Fairies” show on Saturday 27 September 2025 at 1.30pm.
To be in with a chance to win, simply subscribe to our free newsletter by entering your details below*. Already a subscriber? just add your details below so we know you want to enter this comp.
*COMPETITION TERMS & CONDITIONS
PRIZE: We are giving away a family pass (4 tickets). Valid for the performance on Saturday 27 September 2025 at 1.30pm.
COMPETITION OPENS: 13 June 2025.
COMPETITION CLOSES: 15 September 2025.
ENTRY TERMS: By entering, we’ll email future issues of Playing in Puddles’ weekly newsletter free to your inbox (you may unsubscribe at any time). Entry email addresses will not be shared with anyone outside Playing in Puddles. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with, Instagram or Facebook. Click here for extended terms.
PRIZE TERMS: This prize is valid for the performance on Saturday 27 September 2025 at 1.30pm only. The winner will be notified by email. The Winner has 3 days to reply to redeem their prize. If the winner does not reply in that time, Playing in Puddles reserves the right to choose another winner. Prize is not redeemable for cash and not transferable. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram or Facebook. Click here for extended terms.
TINKERBELL AND THE DREAM FAIRIES
Venue: Royal Botanic Garden Sydney – Performance Located at Pioneer Garden (Entry via the Morshead Gate, Palace Gate or Conservatorium Gate).
Dates: 27 September – 12 October 2025. Multiple times – see website for more.
Prices: From $25/person. Book 4 tickets get $10 off.
Bookings: www.shakespeareaustralia.com.au or call 02 9011 7704.
Running Time: Approximately 1 Hour and 15 minutes (No interval)
More Activities to Enjoy these School Holidays
Have you visited the Central Coast’s 66 Attractions?
Be a tourist in your own town! We have animal and adventure parks, farms to visit, go-karting, laser tag, family entertainment centres and more. Start planning your visit! Check everything out here.
Indoor Adventures on the Central Coast
Escape the cold! Find fun play centres, trampoline parks, and indoor adventures here.
Discover a NEW Playground Today
We have more than 100 playground reviews on Playing in Puddles. Click here to discover a new playground near you.
Art and Digital School Holiday Camps on the Central Coast
Central Coast Creative Hub
What: One-day art camps (full days and half days available). From Water bead Puffy Slime and Picasso Mixed Media wall hangings to Clay pot Fairy Houses.
Where: Point Clare.
Ages: 4.5 years old – 15 years old.
Luna and Co art classes
What: One-day art camps. From air-dry sculpture to acrylic painting.
Where: Niagara Park.
Ages: Different ages across different classes.
Coding camps
There are multiple businesses that run online and in-person digital camps – from coding and website building to DJ and youtube workshops. These businesses sometimes run camps in person on the Central Coast. Check their websites for details.
CIY Club
Code Camp
Sport School Holiday Camps on the Central Coast
Motiv8Sports Central Coast
What: Two- and three-day sport camps plus 4-on-4 football tournaments.
Where: Multiple locations across the Coast. These can vary so check website for details, but generally Erina and Warnervale.
Ages: 5-15 years old.
MVP Football school holiday soccer clinics
What: One- to three-day soccer camps.
Where: Umina.
Ages: Under 6s+.
Brazilian Soccer Schools, Central Coast
What: Three-day soccer camps (half day and full day available).
Where: Tuggerah.
Ages: 5-16 years old.
Dean Heffernan and Central Coast United soccer camps
What: one- and two-day soccer camps (half day).
Where: Tuggerah.
Ages: Under 8s – Under 16s.
Rose Football Academy
What: Half-day soccer camps.
Where: Killarney Vale.
Ages: Kids aged 5-12.
Mighty Mariners Holiday Clinics, Central Coast
What: Three- and two-day soccer + activity camps (half day only).
Where: Tuggerah.
Ages: 6-14 years old.
Newcastle Jets community soccer clinics and Mini Olympic clinics
What: One- and two-day camps (half day only).
Where: Speers Point, New Lambton, Lochinvar, Maitland, Adamstown, Belmont.
Ages: 6-12 years old.
Skateboard, Scooter, BMX and Rollerskating school holiday camps at Slam Factory
What: One- and three-day camps in specific disciplines: skateboarding, rollerskating, BMX or scootering.
Where: Slam Factory, Tuggerah.
Ages: Kids aged 5+.
Horse riding and Animal School Holiday Camps on the Central Coast
The Outlook Riding Academy horse riding holiday camps, Terrigal
What: One-, two- and three-day horse riding and activity camps (full day only).
Where: Terrigal.
Ages: 5-16 years old.
Glenworth Valley Horseriding camps
What: Half-day junior beginner horseriding camp and full-day level 1 beginner horseriding camp. (This is a 1-day camp)
Where: Glenworth Valley.
Ages: 5-16 years – different ages for different camps.
The Australian Reptile Park’s Little Kids to Keeper, Big Kids to Keeper and Inclusive Kids to Keeper experiences
What: One-day experience. A fully escorted workshop offering exclusive behind-the-scenes access and hands-on animal experiences.
Where: The Australian Reptile Park, Somersby.
Ages: Little Kids 2 Keeper: ages 7-12 years. Big Kids 2 Keeper: ages 13-18 years. Inclusive Kids 2 Keeper: ages 7-18 years.
Adventure and Active School Holiday Camps on the Central Coast
Glenworth Valley Adventure Max School Holiday Camp
What: One-day adventure camp. Activities vary depending on the season, but may include horseriding, quad biking, laser tag, kayaking, abseiling and team games (full day only).
Where: Glenworth Valley.
Ages: 7-16 years old.
Roundabout Circus school holiday camps
What: One-day, half-day and 1.5-2 hour camps are available in everything from aerial silks, trapeze and lyra to tumbling, juggling and hula hooping.
Where: Wyoming.
Ages: All ages. Different ages across different classes.
School Holiday Workshops (camps that run for just a couple of hours)
The following venues run school holiday workshops that kids can attend for a couple of hours. It’s a great way to give kids the opportunity to learn a new skill or gauge their curiosity in a different activity.
Ice skating at Erina Ice Arena: 1.5-hour ice skating workshops for children aged 7-15 years old | Erina.
Ninja classes at Australian Warrior Fitness: 1.5-hours of “Australian Ninja Warrior”-style obstacle training for children aged 6-12 (split into age groups) | North Gosford.
Ninja classes at Obstacle Course Racing School: 30-45 minute classes of “Australian Ninja Warrior”-style obstacle training for people aged 3-14+ (split into age groups) | Tuggerah.
Art classes at Gosford Regional Gallery: 2-hour art classes in everything from jewellery making to expressive drawing. Different classes for different age groups from ages 6-adult | East Gosford.
Roundabout Circus: 2-hour classes in anything from silks and trapeze to tumbling and juggling. All ages (classes are split into different age groups) | Wyoming
Other Central Coast school holiday camps to look out for!
From time to time the following venues run school holiday camps and workshops. Check their website for dates.
Marine Discovery Centre
Charmy Indoor Sports
NSW School Holiday Dates for 2025.
We know it’s tricky to plan vacations in advance and to get school holiday camps sorted so parents can continue to work. To make it that little bit easier, here are the school holiday dates for NSW public schools in 2025.
2025 NSW school holiday dates and terms
- Winter 2025 school holidays – Monday 7 July 2025 to Friday 18 July 2025.
- Spring 2025 school holidays – Monday 29 September 2025 to Friday 10 October 2025.
- Summer 2025 school holidays (Eastern division, Central Coast) – Monday 22 December 2025 to Monday 26 January 2026.
- Summer 2025 school holidays (Western division) – Monday 22 December to Monday 2 February 2026.
To advertise your events or holiday camps on Playing in Puddles, click here.
Written By: KATIE STOKES
Founder & Editor
After working in print and online media for more than a decade, Katie launched Playing in Puddles in 2017. A mum of three young boys and local of the Central Coast, Katie loves discovering and sharing all that’s happening in our region.
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