We have put together a list of Easter events and Autumn School Holiday Ideas for your children and family. Some incur a cost but many are free. Click the links for more information.
Want to add your business’ offering? Scroll to the bottom of the article to find out how you can add your summer holiday activity.
Good Friday Kruze for Kids in Sunbury: Enjoy family fun at the Kruze for Kids Car Show & Family Day. There will be markets, kids entertainment, music and much more. This event proudly supports the Good Friday Appeal.
Rotary Easter Egg Hunt (rescheduled): The annual Rotary Gisborne Community Easter Egg Hunt is now on Saturday 4 April.
Easter in Romsey: Join in an Easter Egg Hunt at Romsey Primary School from 9.15 am to 12.15 pm. Bookings are essential – use the QR code below.
Easter at Gisborne Village Shopping Centre: Meet the Easter Bunny on Saturday 4 April from 10am to 1pm.
Sunbury Square Easter activities: Bring the whole family and enjoy these free activities during the school holidays! Have a fun, personalised caricature protrait done on Wednesday 8 April from 10am to 1pm (suitable for all ages). Come for a interactive puppet show performance full of humour and colourful characters on Tuesday 14 April from 11am. (The show goes for 40 minutes). Enjoy a Magic Show (also 40 minutes long) on Thursday 16 April at 11am followed by a meet and greet. Browse creative stalls by young local makers on Friday 10 April from 12 noon until 5pm. All activities are FREE and no bookings are required.
Woodend Neighbourhood House: The beautiful Woodend Neighbourhood House has amazing activities on again these holidays. There’s Creative Yoga, a Drama Workshop, and Under the Sea Aquarium Workshop and Dolphin Drumming. For more information or to make a booking head to www.woodendnh.org.au or call 5427 1845.
Horsin’ Around: Applewood Equine has workshop on Wednesday 15 April these holidays in Tylden. The worskhop is a great way to learn life and social skills along with good horsepersonship skills. Sessions are in a small supportive group environment, outdoors in nature with horses. To book your child’s for this workshop or to arrange a customised session contact Mel via mel@applewoodequine.com.au or to find out more visit the website here.
Mindful Ponies: These holidays Applewood Equine is very excited to offer the new “Mindful Ponies” workshop. There is a special guest Sarah from Shanti Studios Kids Yoga. Kids can enjoy calm, connecting and confidence building with horses alongside practicing yoga and mindfulness. In this creative way they can build strength, focus and connection, outdoors in nature. Mindful Ponies Workshop is on Thursday 9 April in Tylden.
Contact Mel: mel@applewoodequine.com.au or to find out more go to
https://www.applewoodequine.com.au/sessionsandworkshops.
Family Fun at Hanging Rock: Want to have a family fun day out these holidays? Look no further. Shanti Studio has teamed up with Wild Daisies Face Painting and Mummy’s Lil Helper for a day of family fun. Book in for two hours of family yoga, face painting, a treasure hunt and bubble meditation at Hanging Rock. It’s on Saturday 11 April from 10am to 12 noon. Click here for prices and to book.
Arts and crafts with The Art Clubhouse: Want to get your kids being creative these holidays? The School Holiday Art Program at The Art Clubhouse is packed with colour, texture, imagination and FUN! Across two exciting weeks, kids will explore a range of guided art sessions. These include: Slime Lab, Clay Play, Texture & Messy Art and more. Sessions vary in length (from one to two hours depending on the age group and activity). Bookings are essential and places limited to keep sessions relaxed and supported. Book online via the QR code, or contact 0410 424 589 or email admin@theartclubhouse.com.au.
Ranges Studio Holiday Program Superstars: Ranges Studio is offering a creative school holiday program focused on confidence, communication and connection. The program will run in Macedon on 16 April and Riddells Creek on the 14 and 15 April. Places are limited to keep groups small and supportive. All drama classes for kids in the Macedon Ranges are led by an experienced, qualified speech and drama educator. Enquire or register via the QR code below or visit rangesstudio.com.au.
Gisborne Autumn Chalk Walk: Bring the kids along for a colourful autumn adventure these school holidays on Wednesday 15 April! Help create the 2026 Gisborne Autumn Chalk Walk—a fun, free, hands-on chalk-art experience for children of all ages. Six giant chalkboards featuring the beautiful autumn design by local artist Chris Roy Taylor will transform the Aitken Street Laneway. Colour in the large-scale chalk murals (chalk supplied). Meet magical roaming fairies from Myths & Legends who will offer a dash of colourful face painting for children. Enjoy tasty refreshments from 3 Little Pigs and Kaffeine Bar. This event is free and no bookings are required. Just come along on the day. Can’t make it on the day? The chalkboards will remain in place, so families can keep adding colour in the days that follow.
Bring your friends, your creativity, and your imagination—we’d love to see you there! Check out the other amazing Autumn Festival events here.
Afternoon Retreat: This one is for the parents who need time to rest and reflect before school goes back. End the school holidays busy-ness with a few rejuvenating hours to yourself. Enjoy nourishing food and drink, peaceful Yoga Nidra and mindful journalling in beautiful Newham.
Goldfields Libraries Summer Program: Choose from at our local libraries: Gisborne, Woodend, Kyneton and Romsey. Make an Autumn Festival mask or a colourful leaf mobile. Pen and watercolour insects, build a bug and learn about dung beetles. Learn how to make a circuit via the Discover Science and Technology Centre. Watch Carp Productions’ in person show about talking to the animals. Learn how to draw a diptrotodon and other megafauna.
Visit the Gisborne Library on Tuesday 7 April or Tuesday 14 April from 1.30 pm or at Romsey Library on Thursday 9 April and Friday 17 April from 2.30 pm to watch a new release family feature film. To find out the film titles, ask library staff. Click here to check out the whole program for more information and to book.
Macedon Ranges Shire Council programs: Click here to see further details. There is the usual Intensive Swimming Programs, Inflatable Fun at your local indoor pool. There are teen gym fitness sessions and sports & dance at the Macedon Ranges Sports Centre Precinct. For the creatives: see Andy Griffiths at the Kyneton Town Hall, or join Creative Kids at the Bluestone Theatre.
Go fruit picking! Get the kids out in the fresh air these school holidays. Do something practical and fun which will encourage them to eat their fruit. Check out Payne’s Orchards and Naturipe in Bacchus Marsh. Keep up to date on what is ripe for picking where. Delicious fun!
Picnic at a playground: Pack a picnic and head to some of the best parks in the Ranges. We love Gisborne Adventure Playground and Kyneton Community Park which are next to beautiful botanic gardens. Woodend Children’s Park, Riddells Creek Lions Park, Ash Wednesday Memorial Park and Romsey Ecotherapy Park are other local faves.
Or further afield there is the amazing Taradale Mineral Springs Reserve Playground and Galaxy Park in Sunbury. Click on the playground names above for more information.
Best bushwalks: Make the most of these sunny days by heading out for a family excursion in the great outdoors. Some of our favourite longer walks are Hanging Rock, Black Hill Reserve, Sanitorium Lake and Conglomerate Gully Walking Track. Our favourite shorter walks (best for littlies) include Camel’s Hump, Mount Macedon Memorial Cross, The Cascades and Trentham Falls. Click on the playground names above for more information.
For wet weather days: Stay dry and head indoors. Head to Readings Cinemas in Sunbury, local play centres like Jumpin’ Joey’s in Gisborne or McDougall Playhouse Cafe in Sunbury. Visit kid friendly cafes, Dromkeen Homestead in Riddells Creek, your local library, and local aquatic centres. For more details on these, click here.
Bike rides: Get the kids on their bikes. Try the Domino Trail in Trentham – great for mountain biking. Lake Daylesford and Kyneton’s Campaspe River Walk have a solid path which is great for kids’ bikes, scooters and prams.
Day or weekend trips: Head out for the day to Castlemaine, Anakie, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, the Bellarine, and Melbourne. Click the heading link to read more.
Did we miss your summer holiday option? Get in touch with Kat at kbuttigieg@macedonrangeswriters.com
There is a small $20 administration fee for businesses to add their offering. If you are a not for profit, please let us know when you email.
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