At WA Museum Boola Bardip, the blockbuster exhibition Terracotta Warriors: Legacy of the First Emperor sets the scene, while holiday activities add layers of creative adventure.
The free Ancient China Activity Zone is open daily, where kids can try calligraphy painting, puzzle out dynasties and experiment with the sounds of Chinese instruments. Inspired by the warriors, Adventures in Archaeology will have kids carefully excavating and reconstructing artefacts before curating their own mini-Museum displays.
Families looking for a splash of colour can try Ink and Inspiration to learn about the beauty and symbolism of traditional Chinese screen-printing as the Creative Makers Workshop inspires big ideas and bold designs, creating unique lanterns and wearable art inspired by Chinese culture. Meanwhile, Deadly Day Out with Derek encourages kids to experience Nyoongar culture, art and storytelling with local legend Derek Nannup.
If the kids still have energy to burn, Audioplay: Bamboo Bandits will turn them into red panda heroes in an audio adventure that plays out as they move.
In Fremantle, the WA Maritime Museum celebrates stories, food and film. From Nonna with Love: Stories of tradition and triumph honours the Italian women who helped shape WA’s cultural identity, and the holiday program invites families to join in.
In Viva l’talia, kids can decorate their own family trees, craft fancy picture frames using Nonna-inspired trinkets, and play Italian games. Cook like a Nonna welcomes beloved Perth Nonna’s into the kitchen to share recipes, tips and tastings. While the Nonnas Showcase highlights the incredible talents these Nonna's have built over their lifetime.
For a different kind of storytelling, the Under the Dome Cinema Experience has daily screenings of films that explore the wonders of our state, or families can head outside for a guided tour of the HMAS Ovens submarine.
Just around the corner, the WA Shipwrecks Museum turns visitors into cargo collectors with Stowaway – solving clues, decorating a message-in-a-bottle and testing balancing skills in the Story Seas challenge. The hunt continues with Adventures in Port City: A Totally Lit Trail which sends families through Fremantle on a literary adventure.
At the Museum of Geraldton, the focus is on our natural world. Kids can creep, crawl and create with bug-themed activities – making their own Buggy Headbands, Origami Butterfly Bookmarks and Build-A-Bugs, or setting off on a scavenger hunt in the Creepy Crawly Collector Trail. Future entomologists can also drop-into Science Hour: Minibeasts, zooming in on the extraordinary details hidden in the smallest creatures.
Meanwhile, families can also explore the breathtaking exhibition Walking with Colour: Cinematic Nature by Michael Haluwana where prints, projections and multimedia capture WA’s landscapes in all their colourful detail.
Over at the Museum of the Goldfields, kids can become Eco-Explorers! Adventure through the Museum's galleries on The Great Animal Hunt, spotting hidden native creatures and learning interesting facts along the way. There may even be prizes... Then stop at the interactive Activity Stations and follow step-by-step instructions to create something really cool!
Don’t forget to stop past Belong: Language connecting feeling, culture, country to learn about the strength of Aboriginal languages before the exhibition closes on 12 October!
In Albany, The Museum of the Great Southern turns the tide toward the ocean. The Discovery Centre: Whale Tails and Mermaid Scales is filled with fun and interactive drop-in activities designed to inspire a lifelong love of the ocean. Learn how colour can be used as camouflage against predators by painting sea life plasters, brighten the windows with stained glass art creations, decorate pot plants with personalised ocean-themed plant stakes or take a closer look at marine specimens with the digital Micro-eye!
Visitors can also enjoy a dose of nostalgia in Reception this way: Motels – a sentimental journey with Tim Ross, celebrating Aussie road-trips and mid-century motels that might spark memories of their own school holidays!
Whatever you choose, these holidays are made for making – so come and see what you’ll make of them: https://visit.museum.wa.gov.au/school-holidays
