The best school holidays activities in Melbourne

Here's a Melbourne fun fact for you: our city is home to a flourishing herd of Asian elephants. You might have visited them at Melbourne Zoo, but with the birth of three new calves in recent years, the herd had outgrown their enclosure and were ready for bigger and better things. Luckily, the team at Zoos Victoria had planned for the growing elephant clan, with the construction of a big, world-class habitat at Werribee Open Range Zoo. You can now see the elephants up close – and during school holidays, kids under 16 can visit for free. Find out more here.

Address: K Rd, Werribee South

Time Out tip: Try the new Sunset Safari that allows you to explore the Waterhole and Elephant trails at dusk. 

Calling all grommets, this one's for you! This inland wave pool is the first full-sized surfing lagoon to use Wavegarden technology. If that all sounds like gibberish, let us explain: the pool uses technology to create long, man-made waves in a closed environment. According to Urbnsurf, it's able to pump out up to 1,000 perfect, two-metre-high ocean-like surfing waves every hour. Beginners can attend surfing lessons in the whitewash with friendly and talented surfing coaches. A café-restaurant by Three Blue Ducks is open to accommodate your post-surf hunger, too.  

Address: 309 Melrose Dr, Melbourne Airport

Time Out tip: It's open 7 days a week in summer, from 6am until late – and there's free parking.

The classic board game that we all have memories of (both the wholesome family fun and the table-flipping fights) now has a theme park wonderland in Melbourne, where you can relive all the fun. Monopoly Dreams celebrates the best-selling game with a one-of-a-kind immersive entertainment experience in the heart of the CBD. It's the world's largest Monopoly-themed attraction, and will take you on a nostalgic journey through the world of Mr. Monopoly, where reality and the game become one. 

Address: Lower Ground Floor Melbourne Central, Lonsdale St, Melbourne

Time Out tip: Enjoy discounted summer pricing until the end of February. Adults: $39; children: $29; family: $99

No childhood is complete without a walk through Mr Moon’s infamous giant mouth, transporting you inside St Kilda’s iconic Luna Park. These school holidays, the beloved attraction is open every day (except on Christmas Day), promising heaps of fun for everyone. Try old favourites like the The Great Scenic Railway, Ghost Train and Carousel or rides like the Power Surge, Sky Rider and Twin Dragon. 

Address: 18 Lower Esplanade, St Kilda 

Time Out tip: The Summer Season Pass gives you unlimited rides from December 4, 2025 until January 23, 2026 for $79.

Game Worlds at ACMI is a deep dive into over 50 years of videogaming. Their current season runs till the end of march 2026, giving gamers ample time to try more than 30 legendary titles – think Minecraft, The Sims and World of Warcraft, plus four new microgames made exclusively for ACMI by Australian developers. Whether you’re a die-hard gamer or just curious, this hands-on exhibition serves up pure fun and plenty of “just one more go” moments.

Address: Ground Floor ACMI, Federation Square

Time Out tip: Take advantage of extended hours during summer – Dec 27–30, 2025: 10am–8pm; Dec 31, 2025–Jan 26, 2026: 10am–6pm.

Sometimes, it helps to look at the world from a different angle – upside-down, perhaps? At this new experience that's opened  underneath the (now defunct) Melbourne Star, you'll certainly be able to see things from a different point of view. The inverted house experience, House Down Under, brings topsy-turvy fun to Docklands. From the outside, the house appears to have dropped from the sky, Wizard of Oz-style, while inside you can capture surreal photos.

Address: 101 Waterfront Way, Docklands

Time Out tip: Made for interaction and imagination, get upside down with gadgets and gizmos in the house for the full experience. 

This behind-the-scenes extravaganza will leave Potterheads spellbound. It features interactive recreations of famous film scenes, props and costumes from the Broadway production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a multimedia experience featuring the Whomping Willow, dementors, the Marauder's Map and the chance to conjure a Patronus charm. Budding witches and wizards will be sorted into Hogwarts houses and earn points as they explore the exhibition – it could be through a potions class, predicting the future à la Professor Trelawney in Divination or defeating a boggart in Defence Against the Dark Arts. There will also be opportunities to practice spell casting and Quidditch skills.

Address: Fever Exhibition Centre, 62 Dawson St, Brunswick

Time Out tip: Make sure to win those all-important golden snitch medallions.

As a kid, there's few things that are more fun than a huge playground. Flying across monkeybars, swinging up to the sky, diving down a slide — it's a kids paradise. Across the city and its suburbs, there are plenty of sites for kids to run amok and have a ball. Many of these playgrounds also offer picnic tables and barbecues, so you can pack a picnic or fire up the grill and spend the whole arvo soaking up some sunshine. 

Lego Star Wars: the Exhibition at Melbourne Museum comes from revered Lego genius Ryan 'Brickman' McNaught, who's back with his latest mind-boggling project of massive Star Wars brick creations – some standing at a whopping four metres tall. There are Lego replicas of many of the iconic characters, fan favourite scenes, spacecraft and more, from both the classic films and newer releases. Plus, the exhibition includes interactive brick-based activities for all ages. 

Address: 11 Nicholson St, Carlton

Time Out tip: This exhibition must end on January 26, 2026, so this is your final chance to see it.

Science during the school holidays? When it's as interactive and interesting as the stuff they've got in Scienceworks, it's a great day out. Their summer holiday offerings allow kids to blast into space with a new Planetarium show, catch a free live science performance in the amphitheatre or join a workshop — from rocket making for little ones to a Sphero robot Mars Rover challenge for older kids. Let your children explore the interactive Tinkertown exhibition, tackle a solar system scavenger hunt, and round out your visit with the thrilling Lightning Theatre show.

Address: 2 Booker St, Spotswood 

Time Out tip: The Planetarium is holding the Dome Under Film Festival from January 30 to February 1, 2026. 

Having undergone a multi-million dollar redevelopment in 2021, there's no denying this high-altitude attraction remains one of the best ways to discover the city from a dizzying height. Melbourne Skydeck now boasts a massive virtual reality theatre where visitors can embark on an 11-minute immersive journey across the state, and you can get an even closer look at the city with the augmented reality 3D model of Melbourne built to a 1:1100 scale. And of course, the Edge is still terrifying all those who dare to enter this transparent cube that's suspended almost 300 metres above the street.

Need something to do these school hols that will make everyone in your family smile? Grazeland has you covered. Aside from the epic line-up of food and drink vendors that operate at the huge food precict on the reg, from September 21 to October 6 you'll also discover a family-friendly program of performers and activities to dial the fun up a notch. The holidays will be filled with roving entertainers, including dazzling stilt walkers and glowing LED angels. Little ones can also get their faces painted and meet their favourite characters like Mickey and Minnie Mouse. 

Keeping the kids entertained and occupied throughout the school holidays is a Herculean task, so what better place to keep your sanity than an all-in-one adventure park? The first Australian SuperPark has opened in Melbourne's western suburbs at Highpoint Shopping Centre. Here, kids can run, climb and jump across a whopping 2,300 metres and choose from 17 movement-based activities in the Adventure Area, Games Arena and Freestyle Zone. SuperPark activities include an indoor pedal car track, a ninja track obstacle course, an interactive trampoline game, ten-pin bowling, a digital basketball game and a world-first footy game where kids can test their AFL skills. 

Put your putt-putt skills to the test on the two-level, 18-hole mini-golf course or head to the old school arcade and grab a joystick, pretend it's 1985 and play classic games like Space Invaders and Pacman. For those uninterested in a blast from the past, there's also a new school arcade boasting an ever-evolving collection of contemporary games and immersive experiences. Sing your favourite song at one of Funderdome's private and spacious box-style karaoke lounges, or head to the Clubhouse for some competitive sports like cornhole, shuffleboard, pool, air hockey, foosball and more.

This brick-filled play centre will delight little and big Lego fans. The space is packed with more than two million Lego bricks and features attractions including Miniland Melbourne, where the city's best-known landmarks have been recreated out of thousands of Lego bricks, as well as play zones for the kids and Lego-themed rides. There is also a 4D cinema (it’s a sensory cinematic adventure – the wind will actually blow in your hair) so you can rewatch your favourite Lego movies on the big screen, a Lego factory tour and heaps more. 

Did you know that children aged 16 or younger can get free entry to the Melbourne Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary and Werribee Open Range Zoo over the school holidays? Plan a visit to check out your favourite creatures, including giraffes, koalas, monkeys and so much more. To be eligible for free entry, children must be accompanied by an adult. 

MoPA is a children’s museum, a place where kids can engage with fun, immersive exhibits created in line with childhood education guidelines. While all children develop at different rates, the exhibits at MoPA are designed for tots aged one to nine. Kids can suss out their fine motor skills in the soft play area, build and race in the Zoom Room, climb up to Sunset City for a sweet view of the museum and get creative at the MoPA Art Car.

Catch some thrills in the air at an indoor trampoline park. On top of being super fun, it's also a form of exercise in disguise – it's a great workout for building strength, coordination and balance.