Eight unexpected ways to entertain the whole family at Sydney Opera House

Take your curious little ones behind the scenes of this legendary building. The Junior Adventure Tour is run by a team of expert guides, and is jam-packed with interactive activities, fun games and cool stories. There’s even the chance for kids to dress up in costume and pose with props – who knows, the experience may even inspire your budding performer to one day pursue a career on the hallowed stage. Tours go for one hour and will depart at 11.45am during the September school holidays. To secure your tickets, head here.

Performed by Wiradjuri woman Emily Flannery, Bulnuruwanha, meaning 'Taking Flight' is a new Indigenous dance performance and workshop for kids aged five and above, as well as their parents. Explore the Wiradjuri Dreamtime stories of four different birds of the Central Coast: Magpie, Willy Wagtail, Kookaburra and Cockatoo, with the audience asked to respond with reflections on birds of their own country afterwards. 

This immersive and dreamlike audio installation and workshop is for all kids and families. Narrated by a group of children living far into the future, they tell us about their life on the water and the tending of the great kelp forests of the sea. Calm, magical and all about hope, you can draw, make sea creatures and write together using their imaginations, conversations, and reflections.

This three-hour long school holiday workshop is all about finding a baby alien that was left behind at the Opera House. Kids will join theatre artist Alison Bennett on an interactive quest through the Opera House. This one-day only event is good for 5 to 9 year-olds, and will be kicking off on Wednesday, October 5 at the Centre for Creativity, and tickets cost $50. 

Dubbed a 'trick or treat for the eyes', this spooky kids craft workshop will involve kids creating a fluro wearable skeleton arm or leg out of cardboard and glow in the dark pens, a game of 'musical zombies' and learning bone names. This ones for seven to eleven-year-olds and their families, and there will be two sessions running on Sunday, October 23 at the Centre for Creativity. 

For one day on October 6, all young dancers can rejoice with a dance explosion of ballet, hip-hop and contemporary moves. Dance fans can come together to collaborate, design and perform their own work in costumes to live music. 

Tired of singing the same old nursery rhymes over and over again? Then it’s time to take your teeniest tots to the Kids Music Café. This interactive workshop provides your toddler with the ideal introduction to live music and instruments. Talented musicians from the Sydney Youth Orchestra will be on hand to perform child-friendly classics, and (best of all) each adult ticket also includes coffee and a slice of cake – what more could you want? The Kids Music Café season only goes for 35 minutes and kicks off on March 18 until June 3. You can book your place here.

Settle those grumbling tummies with a lunch at Opera Kitchen. There are kid-friendly options for the little ones and sandwiches, pasta and more for the grown-ups. Book a Junior Day Pack for a package that includes lunch at Opera Kitchen, a fun kids tour of the Opera House and tickets to Edward the Emu.