Discover the best-of-the-best summer school holiday camps, shows and events happening across the Central Coast and nearby region!
Read on to ensure your holidays are the best they can be.
Attractions to visit these summer school holidays
Meet life-sized dinosaurs at The Australian Reptile Park!
Get set for a Jurassic adventure of epic proportions: “live” dinosaurs are taking over the Australian Reptile Park these summer school holidays!
Yep, you read correct: life-sized, teeth-gnashing dinos are going to be stomping around the Reptile Park’s grounds. But don’t fret, they’re not all scary. In fact you can snap a selfie with a T-Rex, join them in a Dino Dance party, and wander through a prehistoric landscape filled with giant dinosaurs, including a pachycephalosaurus, raptor and, even a baby triceratops! Sooooo cute!
FREE with your zoo entry ticket, the Jurassic Zoo experience is happening these summer school holidays (21 Dec 2024 – 2 Feb 2025), and it’s guaranteed ROARsome fun.
Better still, along with meeting these prehistoric beasts, you’ll also come face-to-face with the Park’s year-round residents. The Australian Reptile Park is home to koalas, alligators, platypuses, echidnas, cassowaries, Galapagos tortoises, wombats, Komodo dragons, tawny frogmouths, eyelash vipers and soooo many more furry, scaly friends.
Want to learn more about these animals? Your entry ticket includes a terrific lineup of free animal shows, zookeeper talks, Elvis the croc feeds and animal walks where the keepers bring the animals out of their enclosures to meet you in the grounds.
Plus, visit this summer and you’ll be one of the first to walk through their BRAND NEW venom centre, where you can meet Australia’s deadliest snakes and explore the Park’s cutting-edge antivenom program.
Book online and save up to 22%. PLUS use our special promo code PUDDLES24 for an additional 5% off online tickets!
Where: Australian Reptile Park, Pacific Highway, Somersby.
When: The Australian Reptile Park is open every day. The Jurassic Zoo experience will be from 21 December 2024 – 2 February 2025. The Australian Reptile Park is open daily 9am-5pm (except Christmas Day). The Dino Dance Party is at 10.30am on the dates listed above.
Cost: The Jurassic Zoo experience is FREE with your zoo entry ticket. See Australian Reptile Park’s website for ticket options (tip: check out their annual passes, so you can attend multiple times for a fraction of the daily rate). Remember, if you book online you save up to 22%. PLUS use our special promo code PUDDLES24 for an additional 5% off online tickets!
Contact: For more details, visit their website or phone +612 4340 1022.
See the stunning Christmas Lights Spectacular at the Hunter Valley Gardens!
If you’re looking for a truly special way to celebrate Christmas, we can’t think of a more beautiful event than Hunter Valley Gardens’ Christmas Lights Spectacular. It was already the BIGGEST Christmas lights display in the southern hemisphere, but last year they well and truly secured that gong by upping their tally from 3 to 4 million lights! How lucky are we that this stunning event is just a hop, skip, jump from the Central Coast!
This year, the Christmas Lights Spectacular welcomes several new additions including a 13-metre tall Christmas tree, a 5m teddy bear seat and a new giant Mr & Mrs Claus standing over the much-photographed Big Red Chair. Photos with Santa will be available right up to Christmas Eve and kids can write a letter for Santa and post it in the special letterbox for express delivery to the North Pole!
Kids’ stage shows have made a return and the Gardens’ famous rides will be open every night throughout the event. There is an epic 35-metre-long Super Slide, an incredible Ferris Wheel for those who want to take it easy and take in the view, swing chairs, a traditional Venetian Carousel, and spinning teacups! For families wanting to visit on New Year’s Eve, there’ll be a fabulous fireworks display lighting up the sky at 9pm.
A visit to The Christmas Lights Spectacular is an annual tradition for our Playing in Puddles family. We absolutely love the beauty and magic of this event, and we just know that you’ll love it too.
When: Friday 1 November 2024 – Sunday 26 January 2025 (closed 25 December 2024).
Gardens open daily 9am-5pm; lights open 5.30pm-10.30pm (last entry 9.30pm). Rides are open from 6pm until 10pm.
Location: The Hunter Valley Gardens, 2090 Broke Road, Pokolbin.
Tickets and more info: Click here.
Price: Adult $40; Child (4-15 yrs) $30; Children 3 and under Free; Family Pass (2 Adults + 1 Child) $99; Family Pass (2 Adults + 2 Children) $122; Family Pass (1 Adult + 2 Children) $93; Extra Child on Family Pass (4-15 yrs) $27. Ride passes are an additional cost and are available at the Hunter Valley Gardens.
Visit Bambino’s Cafe and Eastcoast Beverages orchard and factory, Kulnura
Did you know that Eastcoast Beverages has thrown open their orchard gates and factory doors?
This third-generation, family-owned fruit juice and spring water company started their orchard on the Coast in 1965. Previously you could only do factory tours and fruit pickings during rare events, but now they’ve opened a cafe on-site and are inviting people to discover what goes on behind the scenes every week!
Bambino’s Cafe is located just next to the orchard and sells citrusy-inspired treats, such as lemon myrtle brownies, a candied citrus and custard Danish and the most heavenly Lentini lemon gelato (served in a lemon peel). Lunch makes the menu too: think delicious panini, toasties, pastries and Shhmoakesy’s famous homemade pies.
The cafe has a playground tractor, over-sized backyard games and plenty of lawn for the kids to run about. It even has a peddle-powered smoothie maker! When we visited, the cafe staff kindly provided a blender brimming with fruit and our kids very happily Jumped on the bike to provide the power. Moments later they had a healthy smoothie which they devoured.
Interested to know how citrus is grown, squeezed and bottled into fruit juice that’s distributed across Australia? Join a factory tour and get a sneak peek of Eastcoast Beverages full facility. The tour gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how Eastcoast’s locally grown oranges move from twig to factory to bottle to shop. You’ll see huge machines at work and many locals too. We did a tour last month and even Playing in Puddles’ littlest reviewers (aged 2 and 4) loved getting this rare glimpse of a factory floor.
Keep an eye on their socials as they announce all of the school holiday activities they’ll be hosting this summer. Plus, we have a secret to share: they’re hosting a Kids Day Out on Saturday 18 January! See below for details, plus follow their Insta and Facebook for updates.
Bambino’s Cafe: Open Wednesday-Friday 7am-2pm, Saturday-Sunday 8am-2pm.
Factory Tours: Thursdays at 10am. Factory tours have a maximum group of 12. For larger groups or, to book a tour and lunch package at Cafe Bambinos please email [email protected]
Book your factory tour here.
Where: 993 George Downes Dr, Kulnura.
Contact: 0243 763 200
Website: https://eastcoastbeverages.com.au/
School holiday camps on the Central Coast – book these summer school holidays
Little Leaders school holiday camps, Central Coast
Little Leaders’ Broken Bay Overnight Summer Camp
We have BIG news! This summer, Little Leaders is launching a brand-new camp for tweens and young teens! It’s a 3-day 2-night camp for 10-15 year olds at Broken Bay! Yep, it’s an overnight camp – just like you’ve seen in all those Disney movies – and we think kids are going to be super hyped for it.
Over the course of three days, your teens will go kayaking, fishing, bushwalking, orienteering, and enjoy an Inflatable water slide, beach/water games, archery, team challenges, survival skills and sporting games.
This is more than just a holiday – it’s a rite of passage for teens ready to challenge themselves, step out of their comfort zone and develop the skills they need to lead with confidence. It’s also a fabulous way to cement lifelong friendships.
This new camp will take place at Broken Bay Sport and Recreation Camp in the Hawkesbury River. Nestled on 650 hectares of unspoilt bushland between isolated headlands and the beach, this site is abundant in native wildlife and has spectacular views of Barrenjoey Lighthouse and Lion Island.
Inclusions: 2 nights’ accommodation in air-conditioned rooms, meals and snacks, all activities, ferry/boat transfer to Broken Bay Sport and Recreation Camp*.
Age Group: 10-15 year olds.
When: Monday 6 January to Wednesday 8 January 2025
Cost: $450 +GST (payment plans available). Creative Kids vouchers and Active Kids vouchers accepted.
Little Leaders Christmas Fun Day Out
Given the festive season, they’re also once again hosting their much-loved Little Leaders Christmas Day Out! This is a one-day camp that celebrates the joy of Christmas with festive games, holiday cheer and Chrissy crafts. And Santa will be pooping by for a visit too.
- Monday 23 December | Kincumber High School | $85 +GST (payment plans available) | Primary school children plus kids starting kindy in 2025.
January day camps for primary school kids plus kids starting kindy in 2025
And, of course, they’re bringing back their fabulous day camps. Little Leaders’ full-day camps involve a heap of fun and varied activities – from inflatable waterslides and colour runs to journalling and slime making.
Sounds like fun, right? And it is. But what the kids don’t realise is that behind these purpose-selected activities, there’s a heap of learning too. They do challenges where one child has to lead a blindfolded child along an obstacle course – teaching them about teamwork, trust and cooperation. They do craft activities that help kids express themselves and find calm in their creativity. They do journaling to help encourage kids to foster emotional growth, reflect on their day and create a positive mindset.
As well as the life-long benefits, Little Leaders also get a heap of things right that mean you’ll love and appreciate them as an easy-breezy camp option, too:
- Their camps are flexible and run from 8.30am-3.30pm, so they’re great for busy parents. You can enrol in one day, two days, three or four. If you enrol in multiple days, you get a little discount, too.
- They have two Central Coast locations – Kincumber and Erina!
- They provide lunch! Happy dance! Time off from packing lunch boxes.
Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 January 2025 | Kincumber High School |one day is $79.99 +GST and two days is $149.99 +GST (payment plans available).
Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 January 2025 | Central Coast Adventist School, Erina | one day is $84.99 +GST and two days is $149.99 +GST (payment plans available).
Celebrate Summerfest at Erina these holidays
Looking for fun and affordable activities your kids and teens can do during the Summer holidays? The 2025 January Summerfest Holiday Program at Erina is jam-packed with excitement and promises water fun, games, challenges, sports, performances, music, Bible stories, friendships, and a lot of fun for kids of all ages!
Primary school-aged kids will be kept well entertained throughout the week (Monday 6 January – Friday 10 January) with group activities that are split according to age group, which is great as you know they’ll be among their peers and taking part in activities that are guaranteed to engage.
They haven’t forgotten the littlies either! There are a bunch of activities they can join in – from preschooler farm adventures involving games, songs, crafts, and puppets to a fun play-based program for toddlers and the younger tots.
If you have a bub, you’re welcome to bring them to the onsite Summerfest Cafe. This will be open each morning of the Summerfest Kids program. Parents can pop in to enjoy great coffee, tasty treats, meet with friends and listen to a bunch of helpful pop-up talks.
When: Monday 6 January – Friday 10 January 2025, 9am-11.30am.
Who: Kids aged 18 months to year 6. (For teens, see our write up on Summerfest Nights below).
Cost: $8/child per day or $15/family per day. Wow right! Registration opens 1 December 2024.
Where: EV Church, 331 Terrigal Drive Erina.
Contact: Call 4367 2100 or email [email protected].
Website: Visit the Summerfest website for more information.
Central Coast teenagers – get along to Summerfest Nights at Erina this January
It can always be a little tricky finding great, affordable events that your older kids will enjoy during the school holiday break but if anything can tick all the tween/teen boxes, it’s Summerfest Nights! This great event features music, a late-night cafe, water games, a food festival, Bible talks, and more! And don’t miss Friday night’s Pulp – a big finale celebration night with a DJ!
Plus it’s only $3 for entry (or $5 for PULP on Friday night) so it won’t break the bank.
When: Monday 6 January – Friday 10 January 2025 7pm-9.30pm
Who: Kids in years 7-12. (got younger kids? See our write up above on Summerfest)
Cost: $3 entry Mon-Thurs | $5 for PULP on Friday night. No need to register – just turn up.
Where: EV Church, 331 Terrigal Drive Erina.
Contact: Call 4367 2100 or email [email protected].
Website: Visit the Summerfest website for more information.
Book into Ninja Kids Erina’s full-day school holiday camps
Book into Raw Challenge’s summer school holiday events, Doyalson
Does your child love getting messy, conquering obstacles and having a great laugh? Get them to Raw Challenge: this is, in one kid’s words, “one of the funnest, bestest, coolest holiday camps on the planet”.
And not only is it fun, but super flexible too. Raw Challenge’s school holiday program gives parents three options:
+ Drop your kids and run.
+ Stay ‘n’ play and join in on the fun.
+ Walk, watch and cheer from the sideline.
How awesome is that!
Across 3.5 fun-filled hours, your kids will conquer 25-30 EPIC obstacles on the Raw Challenge course. They’ll climb net rope bridges, balance across beams, crawl through tunnels, slip down slides and wade through mud pools. They will get muddy. They will get messy. They will have an ABSOLUTE BLAST! And, the best part is, you can choose to jump in there and do it with them too.
These summer holidays, Raw Challenge is hosting four awesome days – two for teens/tweens and two for kids of all school grades (plus their adults)! Parents, this is winning as it’ll save you petrol, sanity and that feeling of simply being a taxi running here there everywhere.
Where: Raw Challenge, 110 Pacific Hwy, Doyalson.
Inclusions: Lunch (sausage sandwich and a soft drink).
Cost: $49.50/person (plus small booking fee).
Contact: For more details, visit the Raw Challenge website.
+ 25+ obstacles Raw Challenge camp – recommended for kids aged 5-10 years old, but any child aged between 5 and 17 can join this program (and their adults).
Please note, the cut-off age for these dates is not 10 years of age: they just recommend the 10-17 year old program for older kids as it includes some additional more challenging obstacles that older kids will likely enjoy.
Dates: Thursday 9 January | Wednesday 22 January 2024.
Times: 9.30am-1pm (drop off 9.15-9.25am).
30+ obstacles Raw Challenge camp – for kids aged 10-17 years old (and their adults).
Dates: Friday 10 January | Tuesday 22 January 2024.
Times: 9.30am-1pm (drop off 9.15-9.25am).
Roundabout Circus school holiday program – 1 hour to full-day 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 summer they have an epic line-up of activities on offer, such as acro balance, tumbling and contortion, 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).
Plus, they’ll be hosting an Open Day in January. Keep an eye on their Facebook for details.
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 | acro workshops are for 8yrs+ | Camps are for ages 5 yrs -13 yrs+ | Level up camp is for ages 8 yrs -17 yrs+.
Contact: 0243 117 133, roundaboutcircus.com.au
Creative and Active Kids vouchers accepted.
Get tickets to these wonderful kids’ theatre shows these summer school holidays
See The Grumpy Princess at Laycock Street Community Theatre, Wyoming
Here’s a fun performance for the young and young at heart: The Grumpy Princess is a brand-new kids’ musical come pantomime about a princess who’s grumpy and bored with all things princessy. She decides that princess life isn’t for her, leaves Princess school and heads to the Central Coast with her loyal house-ogre, Lobo. Not long after, though, her friend Sleeping Beauty arrives. Sleeping Beauty shares that Rapunzel has been princess-napped by the wicked witch Malpractice. The two must embark on a quest to save their friend!
Featuring original songs and four fabulous local actors, this play will appeal to princess lovers, mini detectives and pantomime fans who’ll relish jumping to their feet and doing the “grumpy dance” with the cast.
One show has already sold out, so don’t delay snapping up tickets.
Age group: Kids 2-102 (and their adults).
Show duration: 45 min, no interval (perfect for little ones with short attention spans).
Where: Laycock Street Community Theatre, 5 Laycock Street, Wyoming. This performance is taking place in the Don Craig Studio (an intimate theatre limited to 100 people only).
Dates: Thursday 23 January – 11.30am and 1pm | Friday 24 January – 10am and 11.30am.
Tickets: Adult $25, Child $20, Vacation Care Group $18, Family (2A 2C / 1A 3C) $75.
Phone: 02 4323 3233
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://laycockstreettheatre.com/event/the-grumpy-princess/
See Big Beanie Boogie (The Beanies) at The Art House, Wyong
Get set for a dance party! The Beanies – much-loved on ABC Kids – are jumping out of your TV and onto The Art House stage this summer!
Bringing big energy, smiles and laughter to the stage, The Beanies trio (Laura, Michael and Mim) are an ARIA-nominated, TOP-10 ABC Kids sensation with millions of streams.
The Beanies are, as they promise, “sincerely silly”. They sing songs about Topsy Turvy zoos with elecorns (part unicorn, part elephant) and octolopes (you guessed it, part octopus, part antelope). They sing about bubbles “floating in your nose” and their love of spaghetti: “Use it as a moustache, use it as hair. Put it in your pockets and save it for later”. It’s fun, silly and refreshingly innocent.
Parents, you’ll love the classic nostalgia these guys also bring to the stage. Their epic ’80s denim, white lace ups and flat brim remind us of childhood parties. Even the classic jellybean gets a look in: you don’t see those sweets topping the lolly charts these days! It makes us smile and remember simpler days.
With The Beanies performing their mega hits “Groovy Train” and “Power”, plus their brand new, soon-to-be hit “Funky Feet”, this concert is sure to get adults feet a-tappin’ and little bodies groovin’.
Special note: Be sure to get to the show early! The Art House is hosting free pre-show colouring in and, appropriately for The Beanies, a jellybean guessing competition.
Age group: Kids 3-8 years (and their adults).
Show duration: 45 min, no interval (perfect for little ones with short attention spans).
Dates: Thursday 16 January – 10.30am | Friday 17 January – 10.30amz.
Tickets: Adult $20, Encore member $15, Child under 12 $15, Vacation Care Group $15, Family of four (2A 2C / 1A 3C) $60. This performance will take place in the Studio, which is general admission un-assigned seating.
Where: The Art House, 19-21 Margaret Street, Wyong.
Contact details: 4335 1485 | For Vacation Care booking inquiries please email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.thearthousewyong.com.au/whats-on
See Trinket the Robot at The Art House, Wyong
If you have a soft spot for ET and Wall-E, you’re going to fall in love with Trinket the Robot.
This enthralling tale is about a little robot who longs to become real. It’s based on Pinocchio, and just as the little puppet in that much-loved classic discovered that being human can be tricky, so too does Trinket, the robot.
When Inventor Dr Doovalacky creates Trinket, he allows him to have feelings. Trinket learns that to become human is not only to feel wonder and joy, but also to feel anger, fear and the sadness of having to say goodbye to someone. Feelings are big for our little people (heck, they’re big for our big people), and this gorgeous, interactive show offers ways for children to explore and understand those emotions.
This is a lively, funny and interactive solo show created and performed by the clever creatives and puppeteers at Little Wing Puppets. No matter your kids age, we recommend you gather them up and get along to this truly gorgeous show, because you’re never too old to better get a better grasp on feelings.
Special note: Join the Little Wing Puppets team for a Recycled Robots Workshop. Kids will make their very own robot friend to take home. This is available as a workshop + show package only.
Age group: Kids 3+ (and their adults).
Show duration: 40 min, no interval.
Show Dates: Monday 20 January – 6pm | Tuesday 21 January 10am | Tuesday 21 January 1pm | Wednesday 22 January 10am. Workshop Dates: Tuesday 21 January and Wednesday 22 January – 11:15am
Tickets: Adult $15, Encore member $12, Child under 12 $12, Vacation Care $10, Family of four (2A 2C / 1A 3C) $50. Workshop + show package $22. This performance will take place in the Studio, which is general admission un-assigned seating.
Where: The Art House, 19-21 Margaret Street, Wyong.
Contact details: 4335 1485 | For Vacation Care booking inquiries please email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.thearthousewyong.com.au/whats-on
See Wind in the Willows at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
There’s something truly special about outdoor theatre productions! And we couldn’t think of a more perfect production to see in the Royal Botanic Gardens than Wind in the Willows. This classic tale has been told for countless generations, and now The Australian Shakespeare Company are bringing Kenneth Grahame’s story of life on the riverbank to Sydney’s stunning Royal Botanic Garden from 4 to 25 January 2025.
Watching theatre unfold outside in the stunning surrounds of the Royal Botanic Gardens is such a delight and a really beautiful way to instil a love for theatre and the arts in your cherubs.
Where: Royal Botanic Garden Sydney | Near the Main Pond
When: 4 to 25 January 2025. Different times – see website.
Running time: 1 hour 30 minutes with interval.
Prices: Tickets $30 each. Family pass (4 tickets) $110.
Bookings: www.willowslive.com.au or 02 9011 7704. Tickets can be purchased on site one hour before show time, subject to availability.
More Activities to Enjoy these School Holidays
Have you visited the Central Coast’s 68 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
All Sports Days at Kincumber Indoor Sports
What: One-day sports camp. They’ll get to play a whole heap of ball games including dodgeball, soccer, bull rush, volleyball, and more. They’ll even get to do rock climbing!
Where: Kincumber Indoor Sports.
Ages: 5-14 years old.
To learn more: Check out our feature here to learn more (please note that the dates listed are not current). For current dates and to sign up, email [email protected] or call 4368 3197.
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+.
Horseriding and Animal School Holiday Camps on the Central Coast
The Outlook Riding Academy horseriding holiday camps, Terrigal
What: One-, two- and three-day horseriding 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 2024 and 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 2024 and 2025.
2024 NSW school holiday dates and terms
- Summer 2024 school holidays (Eastern division; Central Coast) – Monday 23 December 2024 to Thursday 30 January 2025.
- Summer 2024 school holidays (Western division) – Monday 23 December 2024 to Thursday 6 February 2025.
2025 NSW school holiday dates and terms
- Autumn 2025 school holidays – Monday 14 April 2025 to Thursday 24 April 2025.
- 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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