Discover the best events and camps happening these Summer school holidays across the Central Coast region!

The summer school holidays will soon be here and we’ve started our search for the best-of-the-best school holiday camps 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 bookmark this page and keep checking back – we’ve only just begun to collate all the fun.

Plus, we’re giving away family passes to the Christmas Lights Spectacular at the Hunter Valley Gardens and to see Wind in the Willows at the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney! It’s our Christmas gift to you! Scroll down to enter.

Christmas Lights Spectacular, 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. 

Playing in Puddles visited! Check out our review here.

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.

WIN
WIN a Family Pass to the Christmas Lights Spectacular this Summer!

Want to win a family pass to the Christmas Lights Spectacular? Of course you do!

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 fabulous comp.

To view the competition terms and conditions, please visit our feature on the Christmas Lights Spectacular here.

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).

Want to know more? Check out Playing in Puddles’ full feature on Little Leaders here.

Summerfest Kids, Erina

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.

Ninja Kids Erina’s full-day school holiday camps

Get set for a fabulously fun summer with Ninja Kids Erina. In February, these guys will be celebrating their 1st birthday – and a fabulous year of running term-time kids classes, birthday parties and fun full-day school holiday camps!

Ninja Kid Erina is fitted out with myriad obstacle and parkour equipment – from warped walls and cargo nets to giant trampolines and spider walls. There are monkey bars to swing across, slack lines to balance on, salmon ladders to leap up and rock walls to clamber along. It’s a space guaranteed to show your child a whole lot of fun.

Plus, better yet for busy parents, the camps are running nearly every single week day of the holidays (including the extra days some private schools get)! Yep, you read that right: they’re running from Monday 16th December to Wednesday 5th February (8.30am-3pm), and you can sign your kids up for as many days as you like. This is so awesomely game-changing! We’ve never heard of anywhere offering this kind of flexibility and we’re totally all for it. We also know there aren’t many (if any) camps that run during the extra week of the private school holidays, so this is excellent news for those families – be sure to tell your friends.

At Ninja Kids Erina’s school holiday camps, kids will build strength and agility, develop new skills and increase self-confidence – all while having a heap of fun! The day will be broken up between tackling obstacles and learning parkour and gymnastics-style tumbling with other activities such as arts and crafts to give the kids’ hardworking hands and muscles a little rest. They’ll also join in team-based games and races, such as timed ninja courses and Beat The Wall competitions.

Want them to attend multiple days? Well, the great news is that the coaches will be putting the kids through different obstacles, skills and games, so no two days will be the same! They have sold out every single holiday since they launched, so don’t delay bagsing your spot.

Ninja Kids Erina’s holiday camps
Where: Ninja Kids Erina, 3/5 Bonnal Rd, Erina.
Full-day camps: Most Weekdays – Monday 16th December to Wednesday 5th February (check their website for the calendar). Full-day camps run 8:30am till 3.30pm. $70 for full day plus $5 per day for insurance if your child hasn’t attended Ninja Kids and completed insurance for 2024.
Age Group: Ages 5 to 13.
Contact: For more details, visit the Ninja Kids Erina website.
Creative Kids vouchers and Active Kids vouchers accepted.

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.

Playing in Puddles visited! Check out our review here.

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.

WIN
A Family Pass to see Wind in the Willows in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney this January!

Want to win a family pass to see Wind in the Willows? Of course you do!

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 fabulous comp.

To view the competition terms and conditions, please visit our feature on Wind in the Willows here.

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.

This feature was created in partnership with Hunter Valley Gardens, Little Leaders Australia and EV Church. 

To advertise your events or holiday camps on Playing in Puddles, click here.

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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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