Cheap (and free) boredom-busting fun around Brisbane these school holidays
Cast your mind back to being a kid, when the sweet countdown to every glorious stretch of school holidays was usually swiftly overtaken with boredom a couple of days in. Heck, there are only so many hours of Fortnite you can play before you crave a change of pace (and maybe even some sunshine). If you’ve got little ones of your own, have been saddled with babysitting duties or are just looking to score some brownie points with your nieces and nephews, we’ve got just the thing – we’ve teamed up with our pals at Brisbane City Council to round up some rad school holiday activities that are totally wallet friendly.
Youth culture
Folks, make sure you block out April 3–14 in your school holidays calendar this year – it’s Brisbane Youth Week and there is a whole bunch of free goodness going down to celebrate. Young-guns can take advantage of more than 60 free activities that have been carefully curated to both celebrate and champion young people in our community – think skateboarding clinics, pool parties, music festivals, dance parties, soccer tournaments and film workshops. Youth Week also coincides with the annual QUBE Effect live music showcase and competition, so be sure to check it out and throw your support behind your favourite act.
Max relaxin’
If your kids could use a break from the couch this school holidays, there are loads of outdoorsy activities and cool cultural things for them to take advantage of. Right across the city, our community halls, parks, libraries and facilities come alive with free and low-cost ways to stay entertained – from adventure-seeking options like rock climbing and BMX workshops through to more artsy stuff like live music performances and recording workshops, there’s something for everyone.
Read all about it
It’s not just about the books, people – Brisbane’s libraries come alive with a hive of activity around the school holidays. Whether you’ve got primary school kids or are looking to entertain some teens, there’s a plethora of free fun to take advantage of across our city’s 33 Council libraries. The younger members of your troop can get amongst quirky kindy science workshops, while those who are a little older can take advantage of comedy shows, public speaking workshops and even learning how to brew their own herbal and floral concoctions like cordial and iced tea.
To the moon and back
For an out-of-this-world experience these school holidays, the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium is the place to go. This amazing facility has been educating and entertaining visitors since the late 70s, with shows and fun facts you can marvel at. This school holidays, give your brood a one-of-a-kind experience by taking them to catch any of the special 12 sessions running for children – take a look at Secret of the Cardboard Rocket, Perfect Little Planet, The Little Star That Could or Tycho to the Moon.
This is just the beginning – Brisbane City Council is creating more to see and do with over 200 activities happening over the Easter holidays (with most being either free of charge or less than the cost of a movie ticket). To see everything on offer, head to the Brisbane City Council website.
To find out more about what’s on in Brisbane, head to our Event Guide.
