The best school holidays activities in Melbourne

This year’s Melbourne Royal Show is set to be bigger and better than ever, running from September 25 until October 5. It will feature everything from escape artists and FMX stunts to DJ sets and an exclusive Lego playzone. The animals have long been the stars of the show, and this year you can get up close with cows, sheep, poultry, dogs and even alpacas. There will also be pony rides, showjumping competitions and working dog demonstrations, plus plenty of family-fun farm experiences at the rural pavilion. And the good times won't stop after the sun sets, with a jam-packed after-dark program featuring fireworks and the incredible Night of the Horse arena show.

Here's a Melbourne fun fact for you: our city is home to a flourishing herd of Asian elephants. You might have paid them a visit at Melbourne Zoo over the years, 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 ginormous, world-class habitat at Werribee Open Range Zoo. It's been a long time coming, but the elephants are now ready for visitors at their impressive new digs. You can now see them up close – and during school holidays, kids under 16 can visit for free. 

This spring, head to CherryHill Orchards in Wandin East for a magical floral experience. You'll have the opportunity to wander through rows of gorgeous cherry blossom trees in all their pastel-coloured glory, sip on cherry-based drinks, enjoy delicious cherry ice cream, listen to live music and participate in fun activities for the whole family – including a special kids hub with workshops, face painting and fairy fun. BYO a picnic and find a lovely little spot among the blossoms to enjoy your spread. The on-site food caravans (they are bright pink – you can't miss them) will also have plenty of treats to keep you fed and watered.

ACMI's incredible new exhibition, Game Worlds, is a blockbuster celebration of video games that will transport you into the worlds of more than 30 iconic titles, including Final Fantasy XIV Online, Minecraft, Doom and Stardew Valley. Also featured are classics like Maze War and Zork, fan faves with cult followings like The Elder Scrolls Online, and new releases like Guardian Maia. There are 44 fully playable experiences (think Celeste speedruns on two huge screens), and four new microgames by emerging and established Aussie game developers have been specially commissioned for the exhibition. 

Now in its 70th year, the bloomin' good festival has become a must-visit event, attracting around 100,000 visitors each season. More than a million blooms will transform the fields into a vibrant kaleidoscope of colour, with everything from traditional buds to rare and exotic varieties on show. Beyond the floral displays, the festival will feature an array of activities, delicious food options and entertainment to delight attendees. Learn about Turkish, Irish and Dutch culture across three dedicated weekends; treat the tots to a fun day out during the school holidays; and enjoy live music across the jazz and rock'n'roll weekends.

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'll be 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 will include interactive brick-based activities inclusive of all ages. And don't forget to stop for a bite to eat at Australia's first official Star Wars café. Blue milk, anyone?

RESET Festival is all about starting fresh, exploring sustainability in creative ways and feeling inspired to take on new ways of living. It's about reinventing little parts of our lives to make big changes in the world. The program features activations, markets, activities, film screenings, talks and workshops, all focused on minimising negative impacts on the environment and increasing positive impact. There's fun to be had almost every weekend for the month, especially for the little ones during school holidays. 

Looking for something to warm your heart this winter? We've got just the answer: beloved musical Annie is returning to Melbourne after a smash-hit run in Sydney. With a knock-out cast that includes Anthony Warlow as Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks, Debora Krizak as Miss Hannigan and Greg Page (aka the OG Yellow Wiggle) as President Franklin D. Roosevelt, this tale of hope, family and friendship is one you won't want to miss. Annie is showing at the Princess Theatre from July 8. Now, who's ready to belt out 'It’s the Hard-Knock Life'?

This behind-the-scenes extravaganza will leave Potterheads spellbound, and 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, plus win golden snitch medallions to become a model student.

This year, Bendigo Bloom is celebrating its 22nd anniversary, bathing the town in colour with more than 100 events, activations and experiences throughout the season. From idyllic gardens and cultural tours to food feasts and after-dark events, there's so much to explore during the festival. An annual favourite is the breathtaking tulip display, with more than 43,000 tulips painting a rainbow across Bendigo’s historic Pall Mall and Conservatory Gardens. After the sun sets, the flowers are transformed into a kaleidoscopic light walk called Bloom After Dark (September 26 - October 5). The Bendigo Bloom program is absolutely jam-packed with fun for the whole family. 

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.  

The classic board game that we all have memories of (both the wholesome family fun and table-flipping fights) now has a theme park wonderland in Melbourne, where you can relive all the fun – minus the sibling rivalry. Monopoly Dreams will celebrate 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. The attraction is running special activities just for the school holidays.

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 are hosting special kid-friendly activities, with circus performances and an Easter egg hunt to win an annual park pass and chocolate hamper. 

Sometimes, it helps to look at the world from a different perspective – upside-down, perhaps? At this new photo experience opening 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, will bring topsy-turvy fun to Docklands. From the outside, the house appears to have dropped from the sky, Wizard of Oz style, and inside you can capture surreal and creative photos.

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. 

This interactive science and technology museum is geared towards getting children excited about science through first-hand experiences. The museum runs stacks of school holidays programs, exploring various phenomena of the world. Plus, the Planetarium dome will be screening family-friendly films on the huge overhead screen. 

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.