The first term has flown and Easter and the Autumn school holidays are just around the corner. Finding fun activities for the kids in this changeable and increasingly chilly weather (hello, Macedon Ranges!) can be tricky, so we have put a list together for you.
Kruze4Kids Good Friday Appeal: This fundraiser is a show and family day from 10 am at the Sunbury United Football Club. There will be market stalls, good and coffee vans, kids animal petting zoo and more.
Easter Family Fun: The Anglican Parish of Lancefield with Romsey is hosting a free family fun day at St Paul’s Anglican Church on Saturday 8 April between 11 am and 1 pm with a petting zoo, face painting, BBQ and Easter Egg Hunt. Contact them via Facebook.
Fallen Freight Easter Fun: Fallen Freight in Gisborne is hosting a special Easter event on Saturday 8 April, with an Easter Hunt starting at 10.30 am, Easter Bunny meet up at 11 am, Hop the movie playing from 12 noon, and an all day Easter menu.
Gisborne Village Shopping Centre: Under 12s can enjoy a range of activities for free. From Saturday 1 April to Sunday 24 April grab a trail sheet and find the eggs to spell out the mystery word. On Saturday 8 April between 11 am and 2 pm come and meet the Easter Bunny! On Wednesday 12 April there is a Stained Glass Foam Eggs activity; on Friday 14 April, Easter Mask making; on Tuesday 18 April, Easter Card Decorating; on Thursday 20 April, Easter Puppets; and on Friday 21 April, Easter Plaster Shapes.
Myths and Legends Storytime and Arts and Crafts: On Thursday 13 April from 10.30 to 11.30 am is Storytime for children of any age and includes stories, face painting, games, fairy treats and wishes. On Thursday 20 April for school age children is a 3 hour arts and crafts session from 1 pm which includes afternoon tea. Bookings must be made via phone only on: 5428 4802.
Daylesford Spa Railway: Daylesford’s popular school holiday train rides are back on both Wednesday 12 April 2023 and Wednesday 19 April 2023. Trains depart Daylesford at 10:30 am, 11:45 am, 1:15 pm and 2:30 pm. Bookings are now available online.
Maze House: Have some amazing fun at Maze House, which is located in between Creswick and Daylesford. Find the clues in the maze to win the prize. There are also various old carnival games to try out. Be sure to book to secure your place.
Goldfields Libraries Activities: Macedon Ranges Libraries has a range of amazing sessions running over the school holidays for your kids. Crack the library’s secret hieroglyphic code. Create some sparkly craft bling. Have some creative fun with crackly autumn leaves. Discover how a green screen works. Learn about awesome forces and other scientific stuff. Learn how to draw manga faces and comic panelling. And for the littlies, 3 to 6 year olds, enjoy fairytales and dress ups. There are also movies being shown at the Gisborne Library. Puss in boots: The Last Wish is on Wednesday 12 April from 11 am to 12.45 pm and The Amazing Maurice is on Wednesday 19 April from 11 am to 12.45 pm. For more details on sessions and where to book, visit: www.ncgrl.vic.gov.au/holidayprogram.
Autumn Festival: The festival is on for all of April and has plenty of family friendly events. If your family loves their food, check out the Pie and Tart Trail and Edgy Veg Trail. View the stunning autumn colours in Honour Avenue in Macedon, as well as in nearby gardens like Forest Glade. Don’t forget all the regular farmers’ markets are running across April with all your favourite fresh local produce, hand-made goodies, live music and delicious hot food stalls.
Kyneton and Gisborne Aquatic Centre Inflatable Fun: Inflatable fun is back for the school holidays at the pool. Enjoy a swim and a play at the same time on alternating weekdays. See the image below for which centre has inflatable fun on which day.
Trentham Neighbourhood Centre: Create Shrink Art Bag Tags on Thursday 13 April at 2 pm for $5 or come and watch Minions: The Rise of Gru at 10.30 am on Wednesday 18 April for $10. Book via their website www.trentham.org.au. (Activities are for children aged 6 and over – younger children must be accompanied by an adult).
Kyneton Community House: There are still some places available for arts and crafts activities at Kyneton Community House these holidays. Book through their website www.kynetoncommunityhouse.org.au.
Paynes Orchard: Picking your own fruit to eat is a wonderful experience for kids. Get them out in the fresh air, learning more about where their food comes from, and of course, having fun. Once you have picked and bought your apples, you can further the activity by taking them home to make a fruit platter, apple sauce or apple pie. Yum! Paynes Orchard is located at 372 Bacchus Marsh Road, Bacchus Marsh.
School’s Out Holiday Program: School’s Out have host of fantastically fun holiday programs. Book your kids in for a fun excursion while you work, run errands or relax! There are exciting programs such as a Sports Carnival and Birthday Party! Head to School’s OUT! Outside Of School Hours Care (schoolsout.net.au) and under “Holiday Care” select your relevant site, for example, the Gisborne Program to view the full program and pricing.
Applewood Workshops: Applewood Equine Assisted Learning workshops are on again these holidays. They are a great way for your kids to have fun with horses and grow better life skills, in a safe group environment outdoors in nature. Dates include: Wednesday 19th April (ideal for 7-11 year olds) and Friday 14th April (for the 5-6 year olds). Held at Tylden in the Macedon Ranges they are 10 minutes away from Woodend, Kyneton and Trentham. The workshops includes fun activities with horses that help with life skills such as regulation, anxiety, confidence, movement, social interaction and more. The workshop begins with teachings in calm, awareness, boundaries, horse knowledge and safety, communication and positive thinking we move into facing obstacles and small challenges. There will be exercises with horses such as meeting them, communicating with them, grooming, leading and ending in a mounted riding experience. To book, contact mel@applewoodequine.com.au or go to applewoodequine.com.au and use the book a session form.
Best day or weekend trips from the Ranges: If you are after a full day out of fun, check out our blog on our favourite destinations outside of the Macedon Ranges. Head to Castlemaine, Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong, Melbourne and the Bellarine. We have a list of activities for you to choose from when you get there.
Fresh Air Fun Destinations: We have reviewed many amazing local walks and landmarks. From mountains and rocks to waterfalls and watering holes, we have you covered for your local Fresh Air Fun.
Amazing Playgrounds: We are spoilt with first class playgrounds in the Ranges and surrounds. Kyneton, Taradale, Gisborne, Woodend, Riddell, Romsey and many more, offer lush grassy areas, flying foxes, ropes courses, climbing frames and multi-directional swings.
Have we missed a great school holiday activity or destination or program run by your business or association? Get in touch. Email Kat at kbuttigieg@macedonrangeswriters.com