Rain, hail, shine – or snow(!), we’ve got you covered for activities these school holidays in the Macedon Ranges and surrounds. Whether you take advantage of the warmer days for an outside activity, or want to shelter indoors on the cooler ones, there are plenty to choose from.
Activities so far in brief: Macedon Ranges Libraries / Woodend Neighbourhood House / Edgar’s Mission Kindness Club / Wild Action Workshops / Interval Art / Creative Writing Competition by Kat B Creative / Gentle Sensory Program / Sprout Theatre Company / Gisborne Village Shopping Centre / Sunbury Shopping Centre / Jumpin’ Joeys Playcentre and Cafe / Geo Wellness Mindful Play Workshops / Myths & Legends Fairy Storytime / Daylesford Spa Railway / Maze House / Kyneton and Gisborne Swim Intensive Program and Inflatable Fun / Hanging Rock Art Exhibition / Best Day Trips from the Ranges / Fresh Air Fun / Amazing Playgrounds / Indoor Excursions, Activities, Best Board Games, Treasure Hunt.
Macedon Ranges Libraries: Our libraries once again have a range of fun, free activities for your children to enjoy these holidays including: Animals in My Garden, Make a Poetry Zine, DIY Dino Fossils, the Great Book Swap, Museums Victoria Dinosaur Discovery, Minecraft Lab, After the Drain storytime, Decorate a Horseshoe, Dino Snow Globes, and Bloom and Buzz Craft Bar. Some activities are open across the holidays on a drop in basis but for the majority you need to book your child’s place. Click here for more information. As usual, the libraries are showing some ace kids’ movies: If (PG 6+)is screening Monday 23 September from 11 am to 12.45 at Gisborne Library. Inside Out 2 (PG 6+) is screening Thursday 26 September from 10.30 am to 12 noon at Romsey Library and on Monday 30 September from 11 am to 12.30 pm at the Gisborne Library. Finally, Spirited Away (PG 4+) is screening on Thursday 3 October from a.30 to 3 pm at the Romsey Library,
Woodend Neighbourhood House: There is loads of fun to be had at Woodend Neighbourhood House these holidays: a terrarium workshop, creative yoga, a banner workshop, calico bag decorating and yoga for teens and tweens. See the image below for days and times. Book at www.woodendnh.org.au or call 5427 1845.
Kindness Club: The wonderful Edgar’s Mission is running a program called Kindness Club these school holidays: a hands on, interactive experience for children aged 6 to 12 years old. The program is $25 per child and there will be two sessions per day on Saturdays, Thursdays and Fridays one in the morning (10 am to 12 noon) and one in the afternoon (2 pm to 4 pm), and morning sessions only on the Wednesdays. Each session is capped at 8 children to ensure a rich and engaging experience. Activities during the session will include arts and craft, engaging with some of the animals at the sanctuary, scavenger hunts, storytime and more! The program is led by a qualified teacher with the support of Edgar’s Mission volunteers. Bookings can be made here.
Chris Humfrey’s Awesome Australian Animals: School Holiday fun for everyone at Hanging Rock these upcoming school holidays on October 1st and 2nd. I’ll be presenting fun interactive wildlife shows. Click here to book– prices from $25. Visit the ‘Rock’ for the day, have a picnic and explore our stunning region.
Forme Pilates: Forme Pilates run weekly 45 minute Mums and Bubs Mat Pilates classes on Wednesdays and Fridays at 12 pm which are suitable for anyone returning to fitness or wanting to challenge their practice. You can bring children of all ages to the class – there is a cute play nook with lots of toys. Classes are $25 or $22.50 for a 10 Pack.
There is also a 5-7 year old Kids Pilatesclasses these school holidays at our Woodend studio and will be holding classes at the following times: Wednesday 25th September at 10am, Monday 30th September at 11am, Wednesday 2nd October at 10am. Classes are 30 minutes and are a fun, light way for the children to learn about posture awareness and mindfully move in a 30 minute session. Classes are $20 a class. Parents are welcome to attend the class or leave their child for the session. For more information and to make a booking, visit the Forme Pilates website.
Interval Art: Express your interest in the school holiday program via Interval Art’s website here.
Creative Writing Competition: Kat Buttigieg is unable to run workshops these holidays but has a creative writing competition for all those young writers (Grade 3s to Year 8s) in the Ranges and surrounds. It’s free to enter and there are prizes for the winners in each category. So if the weather is not great or the kids just want some downtime and a quiet activity, encourage them to write a short story or poem or two, for the competition which ends 31 October. Click here to see the details or visit the Kat Buttigieg Creative Facebook page.
Gentle Sensory Holiday Program: Gentle Sensory is running September holiday social sessions on Monday 23rd September & 30th September from 1 pm to 3 pm at the Ross Watt Children’s Hall. Activities include Lego building, arts & crafts, board games and movement with the purpose to explore social relationships with the support of a Gentle Sensory clinician. The cost is $60 per session. To enrol, email admin@gentlesensory.com or DM them via their Facebook page.
The Addams Family – A New Musical: Do you have a young performer in your house? Audition bookings are now open for 22 September. Places are limited so get in fast. Click here for more information.
Dromkeen Cartooning Workshop and Storytime: On Saturday the 5 October there will be the usual monthly storytime at Dromkeen at 2 pm with a craft activity. Why not have a bite to eat at the cafe while you are there, or stroll through the beautiful gardens? There is also a Cartooning Workshop on Tuesday 1 October with Brett Cardwell. See image below for times, prices and booking details.
Gisborne Village Shopping Centre: Head to Gisborne Village Shopping Centre these school holidays for FREE Science Lab workshops. All activities start from 10 am and are for children aged 12 and under. Weel One: Monday 23 September is Slime Making, Tuesday 24 September is Mad Scientist Entertainer, Wednesday 25 September is DIY Bath Bombs. Week Two: Tuesday 1 October is Slime Making, Wednesday 2 October is Face Painting, Friday 4 October is DIY Bath Bombs.
Sunbury Shopping Centre: Enjoy September School Holiday Crafts at Sunbury Square for FREE between 11 am and 2 pm in front of Toyworld with no bookings required. On Tuesday 24 September is Grass Heads Crafts, Wednesday 25 September is Bird Seed Ornament Making, Tuesday 1 October Face Painting.
Jumpin’ Joeys Indoor Playcentre and Cafe: Open 10 am to 4 pm each day, bring the kids for a slide, jump and play in New Gisborne. The cafe is open for healthy meals and coffee for the adults. During the school holidays, the day is split into three sessions: 10 am to 11.45 am, 12 noon to 1.45 pm and 2 pm to 3.45 pm. Adults and children under a year old are free, children 1 to 2 years old are $13.90 and 3 to 14 years old are $15.90. Walk ins are welcome but it is recommended you book in advance.
Geo Wellness: If you are seeking a school holiday program that will not only be fun but help your child learn some valuable skills to build on their resilience, check out Mindful Play by Geo Wellness. There are two sessions available (each one is unique) that incorporates yoga, meditation and creative play. Thursday 26th September 10am and Tuesday 1st October 10am. Bookings are essential. Contact 0400 668 832 to secure your child’s mat.
Myths and Legends Storytime: Join the fairies for storytime (all ages) from 10.30 to 11.30 am and/or art and crafts (school aged children) from 1 pm to 4 pm on Thursday 26 September and Thursday 3 October. The cost for storytime is $30 per child. One parent per child may attend for free or fly away for the hour. The cost of arts and crafts is $70 per child and parents are unable to stay, Bookings can be made via phone only and there are limited spaces available. Book on 5428 4802.
Daylesford Spa Railway: Daylesford Spa Railways’ train rides are running every Wednesday, Saturday and usual Sundays of the school holidays. Enjoy a fun family day out, especially if you have little ones who love trains. A family ticket (2 adults and 3 children is $50) or you can buy single adult or concession/child tickets. Children under 5 are free. The railway is also dog friendly. Train times and booking details can be found here. Online bookings close at 9.30 am on the day of operation – any remaining tickets can be purchased at the station. Trains depart from Daylesford at 10.30 am, 11.45 am, 1.15 pm and 2.45 pm.
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.
Kyneton and Gisborne Aquatic Centre Swim Intensive Programs and Inflatable Fun: Book your child in for a swim intensive program these school holidays. Inflatable fun is also returning to both Kyneton and Gisborne Aquatic Centres. Enjoy a swim and a play at the same time. Click here to see the links and details for both programs, including times for inflatable fun at each centre.
Hanging Rock Art Exhibition: Head to Ngannelong/Hanging Rock these holidays, there is so much to do there! Check out the art exhibition in the Discovery Centre (open 9 am to 5 pm), walk the Rock, have a picnic or a kick of the footy on the lawn, play at the playground, and have a bite at the lovely Hanging Rock Cafe.
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. Rug up in this wintery weather and wear sturdy shoes.
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. Once again, dress for the weather and we suggest taking an old towel to dry down any wet equipment.
Play inside or at home: We have a list of inside excursions for wet and cold days, wet weather activities for at home, our favourite boardgames and a DIY treasure hunt for those days you want to stay inside.
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
Leave a Reply