Let’s not kid ourselves – the school holidays can be stressful. You've got the pain of having to keep little ones entertained (sorry, children), as well as having to figure out how to manage the mounting expenses that come with all the activities. Sydney's cultural institutions have come to the rescue – they deal with both pain points, by delivering some very cool activities for zero dollars.
Here are our top free picks, across five different Sydney centres:
- Paper, Scissors, Shadows (Art Gallery of NSW): Get hands-on with this free shadow-puppet theatre workshop for children ages eight and up. Youngsters can create their own story through drawings, paper cutting and shadow puppetry, which will then be staged as a performance at the end of the day.
- Dinosaur Festival (Australian Museum): Travel back in time to the Jurassic Period with this annual dinosaur festival from October 3-8. Two free highlights from the program include daily T.rex autopsies and roaming Erth puppets.
- Draw the House (Sydney Opera House): Kids love birthday parties, so have them join the Opera House’s 50th-anniversary celebrations with this free monthly walking and drawing tour. On October 29, they can join artist Catherine O'Donnell to explore drawing techniques and perspectives inspired by Sydney’s most spectacular house.
- Hyde Park Barracks Kids Audioguide and Trail (Museums of History NSW): Take your kids on an adventure through time with this interactive audio guide and activity trail. They’ll hear fascinating stories narrated by our most notorious convicts and immigrants, while solving clues and playing games along the way.
Oh, and the Museum of History NSW is offering free entry to 13 of its museums, historic houses and other sites. Nice.