Stuck for ideas on how to entertain the kids these school holidays? Then you’ve come to the right place.
Our holiday programs are jam-packed with fun activities to suit kids of every age - even the grown-up ones!
With museums spread across the state, we’ve got you covered with everything from free events to drop and leave programs to exciting exhibitions and so much more.
Our six locations include:
WA Museum Boola Bardip
- WA Museum Boola Bardip
- WA Maritime and WA Shipwrecks Museum
- Museum of Geraldton
- Museum of the Goldfields
- Museum of the Great Southern
To get you started, we’ve created a WA Museum School Holiday Activity Guide for each location, so you can plan your time with us. Scroll down to find out what's happenening at a museum near you!
To find out more about any listed activity or to make a booking, click on the headings to be redirected to the relevant webpages.
We hope to see you soon for some school holiday fun!
WA Museum Boola Bardip
Located in the heart of Perth, WA Museum Boola Bardip is our flagship museum, set in the cultural hub of Perth. With ample parking available, close to the train station and conveniently connected to bus routes, it makes getting there and home hassle-free.
Surrounded by eateries and in close vicinity to the Yagan Square Rooftop PlaySpace, it’s the perfect place to visit for a day out with the kids.
Entry to WA Museum Boola Bardip is free until 10 October 2022. We recommend booking a ticket in advance online or by calling 1300 134 081, especially during school holidays.
Some exhibitions and special events are ticketed.
WA Museum Boola Bardip
Perth Cultural Centre,
Perth, WA, 6000
Open daily from 9.30am to 5pm.
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS ACTIVITY GUIDE
Drop and Leave Programs
Half day and full day programs at Boola Bardip are available to children aged eight years and above through our popular drop and leave sessions.
Led by our experienced Learning and Education team, there are seven programs to choose from including:
- Board Game Designers - Tuesday 27 September & Tuesday 4 October |10am - 1pm
- Backyard Blockheads - Wednesday 28 September & Monday 3 October | 10am - 4pm
- Minecraft - Wednesday 28 September & Wednesday 5 October |10am- 4pm
- Augmented Reality Mario Kart - Thursday 29 September | 10am - 4pm
- Art V Science: Fossils - Thursday 29 September & Wednesday 5 October | 10am - 4pm
- 3D Dino Modelling - Friday 30 September | 10am - 4pm
- Coding Rockstars - Monday 3 October | 10am - 4pm
Special Events: Family Fun
Dinosaurs of Patagonia Exhibition
Saturday 2 July – Sunday 23 October | 9.30am – 5.00pm
*Quiet Hour: Thursday 6 October | 5.15pm – 6.15pm
These school holidays are your last chance to walk with the biggest dinosaurs to ever roam the Earth at this incredible exhibition. The whole family can experience the sheer size of these remarkable creatures, before they migrate.
Click here for tickets and further information.
Torchlight Dinosaur Disco
Friday 7 October | 5pm - 9.30pm
Young adventurers and budding palaeontologists have the chance to explore the Dinosaurs of Patagonia exhibition by torchlight, followed by dinner and a silent disco.
Click here for tickets and further information
Wednesday 5 - Saturday 8 October | 10am, 1.30pm & 6.30pm
Back by popular demand, Kids Flicks makes a return in the second week of the holidays, with movies inspired by the Dinosaurs of Patagonia exhibition. Feature films include The Good Dinosaur, Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaur and Night at the Museum.
Click here for tickets and further information
Codebreakers
Daily until 2pm
For families with problem-solving enthusiasts, this interactive tour is fun for the whole family with a unique experience which is part scavenger hunt, part escape room.
Cost: $10 per kit hire (four participants)
AWESOME Festival at WA Museum Boola Bardip
In partnership with AWESOME Arts Festival, four programs are available at Boola Bardip over the school holidays. This includes A Whale’s Tale, Hu木an – a sensory forest adventure, Dreamtime Creation Story with Mitchella Hutchins and Young Inventors.
Click here for more information on dates, times and ticketing information on these events.
Free Activities
These school holidays, if you’re looking for fun ideas that won’t hit you in the hip pocket, make the most of your time with us and join in on our FREE activities.
Storytime sessions
Fridays and Sundays | 10:30am
Watch your little ones’ faces light up as they listen to stories in the stunning Museum gallery.
Cost: Free
Ultimate Dino Drop-in Zone
Saturday 24 September - Sunday 9 October: Daily | 10am - 4pm
Drop into the Ultimate Dino Zone where you can excavate your very own dinosaur tooth, help piece together a giant 3D dinosaur puzzle, operate our robot dinosaur and so much more. This activity is fun for all ages!
Cost: Free
Dino Dig
Every Saturday until 22 October 11.30am - 1pm
Suited to pre-school and primary school-aged child, Dino Dig is a fun and interactive activity allowing children to explore and search for evidence of dinosaur life.
Cost: Free
WA MUSEUM BOOLA BARDIP: SCHOOL HOLIDAYS ACTIVITY SNAPSHOT
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ACTIVITY |
DATES |
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Drop and Leave programs:
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Wed 28 September & Mon 3 October | 10am - 4pm Wed 28 September & Wed 5 October |10am- 4pm Thursday 29 September | 10am - 4pm Thurs 29 September & Wed 5 October | 10am - 4pm Friday 30 September | 10am - 4pm Monday 3 October | 10am - 4pm |
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Saturday 2 July – Sunday 23 October | 9.30am – 5pm *Quiet Hour: Thursday 6 October | 5.15pm – 6.15pm |
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Friday 7 October | 5pm - 9.30pm |
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Wednesday 5 - Saturday 8 October | 10am, 1.30pm & 6.30pm
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Daily until 2pm
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Fridays and Sundays | 10:30am
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Saturday 24 September - Sunday 9 October: Daily | 10am - 4pm |
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Every Saturday until 22 October 11.30am - 1pm
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WA Maritime Museum and WA Shipwrecks Museum
Just a short 30-minutes from Perth City, our Martime and Shipwrecks Museums are both located in the dynamic Port City of Fremantle.
Close to the main café strip, the Maritime Museum is nestled close to vibrant streets filled with buskers, museums, arts centres and heaps of historical sites for the whole family to enjoy.
A relaxing eight-minute walk from the Maritime Museum will see you arrive at the Shipwrecks Museum, set along Fremantle’s bustling port. With fantastic playgrounds nearby and some of the best fish and chips, Fremantle has so much to offer and is a great place to spend the whole day.
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WA MARITIME MUSEUM |
WA SHIPWRECKS MUSEUM |
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Victoria Quay Road, Fremantle, WA, 6160 Open daily, 9.30am – 5pm
Entry fees Child (0 - 15years): Free Concession*: $7.50 Family (2 Adult + 2 Children): $30.00 Carer^: Free
*Concession applies to students, seniors and health care card holders. ^Must present a valid WA Companion card. |
Cliff Street, Fremantle WA 6160 Open daily, 9.30am – 5pm
Entry is free with paid entry to WA Maritime Museum, otherwise donations welcomed.
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SCHOOL HOLIDAYS ACTIVITY GUIDE
Free Activities
WA Maritime Museum
General entry fees into the museum will include access to a range of school holiday activities and events.
Freo Fever
Saturday 24 September – Sunday 9 October | 10am – 2pm
The kids can get crafty by creating their own extravagantly personalised Freo headpieces! Footy fans can also decorate their own take-home mini-kites to fly with colours from Dockers or Eagles.
Cost: Included with paid entry
Walk and Watch Challenge
Saturday 24 September – Sunday 9 October | 10am – 2pm
Grab the family and join in the fun of our Fremantle Past & Present walking trail activity. Take the walk-and-watch challenge and explore how Fremantle has changed over time.
Cost: Included with paid entry.
WA Shipwrecks Museum
Shipwrecked
Saturday 24 September – Sunday 9 October | 10am – 2pm
This activity is fun for the whole family! Imagine you have been shipwrecked on Traitor’s Island. As one of the lucky survivors your only hope is to follow the trail clues which will lead you to safety. Take the Shipwrecked trail around the Museum to find your way out! The kids will also love designing and making their own treasure island map to take home.
Cost: Included with donation or paid entry to WA Maritime Museum
Family Fun Events
WA Maritime Museum
Fremantle Then & Now: Historical Panoramas
Friday 23 September 2022 – Sunday 19 February 2023
Explore Fremantle through sweeping panoramas with photos taken from the 1800s to the modern day. This interactive exhibition offers more than just photographs.
Cost: Entry is included with general admission to WA Maritime Museum
Sunday 25 September & Sunday 27 November | 2pm – 3pm
Legendary Fremantle storyteller and historian Mike Lefroy (Museums Without Walls) brings stories to life from the Fremantle Then & Now: Historical Panoramas exhibition.
Cost: Included with general admission to WA Maritime Museum.
Freo, from filthy to fabulous: Performance tours
Sunday 2 October – Sunday 9 October | 11am & 1pm
If your family loves a good belly laugh and interactive performances, this performance is not to be missed! You will be entertained, listening to Doris as she paints a hilarious picture of how Freo has evolved from a filthy old town to a fabulous City!
Cost: Included with general admission to WA Maritime Museum
Shark workshop for kids
Saturday 1 October | 10am –11am, 11.15am – 12.15pm
The kids will be engrossed as shark biologist Amanda Elizabeth, host of Discovery Channel’s Shark Soup presents a fascinating workshop exploring the underwater world of these creatures.
Cost: $10 per participant
Explore Early Photography with Richard Rennie
Tuesday 4 October | 10.30am – 12.30pm, 1.30pm – 3.30pm
This hands-on workshop with Richard Rennie explores the magic of photography and provides insights and techniques that early photographers used to make their images. Plus, kids get to make a mini camera obscura (with a working lens) to take home.
Cost: $12 per participant; $10 for members
Drop and Leave Program
WA Shipwrecks Museum
These school holidays, the WA Shipwrecks Museum is offering a drop and leave program for children aged 6 years and above.
Junior Watercolour Painting Classes
Monday 3 October - Friday 7 October | 10.00am - 11.30am
Spark your children’s imagination and creativity with watercolour painting classes. They will explore, experiment and play with experienced artists from the Watercolor Society of Western Australia.
Cost: $10
WA MARITIME AND WA SHIPWRECKS MUSEUM: SCHOOL HOLIDAYS ACTIVITY SNAPSHOT
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ACTIVITY |
DATES |
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Saturday 24 September – Sunday 9 October | 10am – 2pm |
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Saturday 24 September – Sunday 9 October | 10am – 2pm |
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Saturday 24 September – Sunday 9 October | 10am – 2pm |
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Friday 23 September 2022 – Sunday 12 February 2023 |
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Sunday 25 September & Sunday 27 November | 2pm – 3pm |
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Sunday 2 October – Sunday 9 October | 11am & 1pm |
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Saturday 1 October | 10am –11am, 11.15am – 12.15pm |
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Tuesday 4 October | 10.30am – 12.30pm, 1.30pm – 3.30pm |
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Monday 3 October - Friday 7 October | 10.00am - 11.30am |
Museum of Geraldton
2 Museum Place,
Batavia Coast Marina, Geraldton, WA, 6530
Open daily, 9.30am – 3pm
Entry is free, donations are welcome.
Overlooking the Indian Ocean, the Museum of Geraldton celebrates the rich heritage of the land, sea and people of WA’s mid-west region.
The archaeological riches from four Dutch shipwrecks - Batavia, Gilt Dragon, Zuytdorp, and Zeewijk, are revealed in the Shipwrecks Gallery. Visitors can join a guided highlights tour available daily at 11.30am.
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS ACTIVITY GUIDE
Family Fun Activities
Brickwrecks: Sunken Ships in LEGO Bricks
24 September - 9 October | 9.30am & 3pm
This incredible exhibition has arrived just in time for the school holidays! Your kids will be wowed by the stories of extraordinary shipwrecks, revealed in impressive LEGO model detail.
Click here for tickets and further information
24 September - 9 October | 10am - 3pm
See if you can spot the hidden LEGO minifigs! Collect your trail and explore the Museum galleries as you search for our minifig maritime archaeologists. Marty and Mary encounter curious creatures, sunken treasures and precious cargo in this all-ages activity.
Cost: $1
Free Activities
Living Histories: Batavia and RMS Titanic
Tuesday 4 - Thursday 6 October | 1pm & 2pm
The kids will be swept away as shipwreck stories are bought to life through an immersive performance. Online bookings essential for this free experience as places are limited.
Cost: Free
Ship and Bricks Activity Corner
24 September - 9 October | 9.30am & 3pm
Let your kids’ imagination run free at Ships and Bricks Activity Corner as they build their own boardgames or craft a unique LEGO creation in the Activity Corner. As a standalone activity or following the Brickwrecks: Sunken Ships in LEGO Bricks exhibition, this is a great place to explore at the museum!
Cost: Free
MUSEUM OF GERALDTON SCHOOL HOLIDAY ACTIVITY SNAPSHOT:
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ACTIVITY |
DATES |
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24 September - 9 October | 9.30am & 3pm |
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24 September - 9 October | 10am - 3pm |
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Tuesday 4 - Thursday 6 October | 1pm & 2pm
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24 September - 9 October | 9.30am & 3pm |
Museum of the Goldfields
17 Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie, WA, 6430
Open daily, 10.00am – 3.00pm
Entry is free, donations are welcome.
The Museum of the Goldfields showcases the rich history of the Eastern Goldfields and the city’s mining heritage.
Explore the largest display of the State’s collection of gold bars and nuggets, step back in time to see how prospectors searched for this precious metal and learn about the life and hardships faced by mining families during the early 1900s.
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS ACTIVITY GUIDE
Free Activities
Free events are a plenty at the Museum of the Goldfields these school holidays! Check out our guide below to see what’s happening.
It was this THEN, what is it NOW?
24 September - 9 October | 10am - 3pm
Are your kids the adventurous type? This fun family-friendly trail asks you to find the 12 clues inside the museum and challenges you to identify what they are now! Plus, there are prizes to be won!
Cost: Free
Junior Scavenger Hunt
24 September - 9 October | 10am - 3pm
Get your kids involved in a scavenger hunt that takes them on a journey around the museum! Successfully find all 11 pictures to be awarded with a prize at the end.
Cost: Free
Go Nuts: Free Trails
24 September - 9 October, Monday to Friday | 10am - 12.30pm
If you’re looking for crafty activities these school holidays, then this is for you! Kids can get creative, using our stash of tree nuts and craft materials to create a piece of art.
Cost: Free
Bush Mechanic: Build your own Tin Truck
Thursday 29 September 2022 | 10.30am - 12.30pm
Keep your kids entertained as they tinker with moving parts and understand more about what makes an object move.
Cost: Free
Recycled Bush Mechanics
Wednesday 5 October 2022 | 10.30am - 12.30pm
Discover the ingenuity of outback mechanics when you visit this exhibition during the school holidays. This creative exhibition is based on the incredibly popular ABC television series of the same name, co-created by David Batty and Francis Jupurrurla Kelly. Bookings are essential.
Cost: Free
Cars, Cars, Cars and more Cars!
24 September - 9 October | 10am - 3pm
Enjoy a heap of car activities, or rest in the quiet corner with a book and puzzles from the Goldfields Toy Library collection.
Cost: Free
Get Back on Your Bike
Friday 30 September 2022 | 10.30am - 12.30pm
Join the Y as they teach your kids handy skills about how to build and repair their bikes these school holidays.
Cost: Free
Star Gazing
Thursday 6 October 2022 | 6.30pm - 8.30pm
Bring your blankets and telescope (if you have one) to the Museum and discover the wonders of the night sky. Join us from 6.45pm to hear the Seven Sister's story. This Aboriginal Dreamtime story is a songline that stretches across Australia.
Cost: Free
Pandemic Portfolio 2 Workshop with Linda Rae and Art with Ashley Altes
Tuesday 4 – Thursday 6 October | 10.30am – 12.30pm
Arts and crafts for all ages are happening at the Museum of the Goldfields these school holidays. Kids can join in at the free Pandemic Portfolio 2 Workshop with the Linda Rae mask making event or create a cardboard cut-out car at Art with Ashley Altes.
Cost: Free
MUSEUM OF THE GOLDFIELDS HOLIDAY ACTIVITY SNAPSHOT:
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ACTIVITY |
DATES |
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24 September - 9 October | 10am - 3pm |
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24 September - 9 October | 10am - 3pm |
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24 September - 9 October, Monday to Friday | 10am - 12.30pm |
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Thursday 29 September 2022 | 10.30am - 12.30pm |
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Wednesday 5 October 2022 | 10.30am - 12.30pm |
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24 September - 9 October | 10am - 3pm |
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Friday 30 September 2022 | 10.30am - 12.30pm |
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Thursday 6 October 2022 | 6.30pm - 8.30pm |
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Tuesday 4 October 2022 | 10.30am - 12.30pm |
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Thursday 6 October 2022 | 10.30am – 12.30pm |
Museum of the Great Southern
Residency Road, Albany, WA, 6330
Open daily, 10am – 4pm
Entry is free, donations are welcome.
The Museum of the Great Southern provides exhibitions, public programs, educational programs and information on the unique natural and social history of the region.
The Museum shares the stories of the Menang Noongar people and the influence of Mokare, a young Noongar warrior, as well as the stories of the early settlers and convicts, and explores the region's unique natural landscape, flora and fauna.
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS ACTIVITY GUIDE
Free Activities
Prehistoric Arts & Craft
24 September – 9 October | 10am – 4pm
The family will love discovering amazing animals from the past and present and witnessing the scale of these amazing creatures. From creating a dinosaur mask in the Discovery Centre, to measuring yourself against the leg of a T-Rex and reconstructing a mystery animal from a bag of bones: whatever the activity, your kids will be spoiled for choice with the wide range of immersive, hands-on activities these school holidays.
Cost: Free - $4
The Bone Yard
24 September – 9 October | 10am – 4pm
Get cosy with your little learners as they explore our range of dinosaur storybooks and toys. If they are looking for more hands-on fun, they can reconstruct an ancient creature using our bag of bones or challenge their minds with one of our puzzles.
Cost: Free
Fossil Hunters
Wednesday 28-Friday 30 September & Monday 3 - Friday 7 October |10.30am, 11.30am, 1.30pm & 2.30pm
Join in the fun of Fossil Hunters, a series of demonstrations and hands-on activities themed around dinosaurs, fossilisation and excavation! Great for all ages.
Cost: Free
MUSEUM OF THE GREAT SOUTHERN HOLIDAY ACTIVITY SNAPSHOT:
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ACTIVITY |
DATES |
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24 September – 9 October | 10am – 4pm |
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24 September – 9 October | 10am – 4pm |
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Wednesday 28-Friday 30 September & Monday 3 - Friday 7 October |10.30am, 11.30am, 1.30pm & 2.30pm |
