Sydney School Holidays Activities

Sydney school holiday activities need to fill several days without repeating themselves. This page groups them by what the kids actually want to do: meet animals, burn off energy, play something clever, or head out on the harbour. Each option below is a real day out you can book, from zoo tickets and treetop courses to indoor skydiving and escape games.

Zoos and wildlife parks for school holiday days out

Taronga Zoo has harbour views, keeper presentations and the Free Flight Birds and Seals for the Wild shows, and the Taronga Zoo entry and return ferry combo makes the trip across the water part of the day. WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo in Darling Harbour covers the Aussie Big 5 of koala, kangaroo, platypus, crocodile and wombat, with daily keeper talks.

Symbio Wildlife Park at Helensburgh suits a full day. Kids can feed kangaroos, meet koalas, catch the daily animal presentations, and then cool off at the splash park or use the playground. For a koala start to the day, Breakfast with the Koalas is a 7:15am buffet on the WILD LIFE rooftop. More options are on the Sydney zoos and aquariums page.

Active school holiday activities in Sydney

TreeTop Adventure Park Sydney in the Western Sydney Parklands has over 100 individual challenges, flying foxes and a mix of easy and tougher courses, over a 2.5 hour session. The iFLY indoor skydiving in Penrith gives you a wind tunnel flight with a suit, helmet, goggles and an instructor beside you, and a family flight option is available.

On the water, the Sydney Harbour jet boat ride is a 30 minute thrill ride from Circular Quay with 270 degree spins, power brake stops and fish tails past the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. For something steadier, the Blue Mountains Scenic World pass covers the Skyway, Railway, Cableway and Walkway in Katoomba, including the Scenic Railway down into the rainforest.

Indoor games, museums and mini golf

The Immersive Gamebox in Darling Harbour puts two to six players inside a real-life video game, using your body as the controller instead of a headset. Quiz Room Sydney turns trivia and music questions into a game show set, and the Museum of Illusions has over 60 optical illusions, including the Tilted Room and Vortex Tunnel.

For something competitive, Holey Moley mini golf runs themed holes across several Sydney venues, and Archie Brothers in Alexandria mixes arcade games and bowling in a carnival style space. The Madame Tussauds in Darling Harbour has six themed zones of lifelike wax figures.

Harbour and city days out

The afternoon tall ship discovery cruise lets kids get hands on aboard an authentic 1850s tall ship for 1.5 hours from Campbell's Cove in The Rocks. The Australian National Maritime Museum has six permanent galleries and a collection of historic vessels, and the Sydney Tower Eye gives 360 degree views from 250 metres above the street, with the Sydney Tower Skywalk above it for a bigger thrill.

Attractions passes for several days in a row

When the holidays stretch across a fortnight, the Sydney attractions passes let you combine WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Tower Eye and Madame Tussauds, which sit within walking distance of each other. The Ultimate Sydney Experience Pass adds the Sydney Tower Skywalk.

Frequently asked questions

What can kids do in Sydney on a rainy school holiday day?

The Museum of Illusions operates in all weather conditions, and Archie Brothers in Alexandria is an indoor playground with arcade games and bowling. Immersive Gamebox, Quiz Room Sydney and DigiPark are other options, and the Sydney rainy day activities page has more.

Is TreeTop Adventure Park Sydney suitable for younger children?

Yes. TreeTop Adventure Park Sydney welcomes children from age 3, with flying foxes and easier courses as well as tougher challenges for older kids and adults. Each session runs for 2.5 hours.

Is there something for teenagers during the Sydney school holidays?

Yes. Teens can try iFLY indoor skydiving in Penrith, the Sydney Harbour jet boat ride from Circular Quay, or the tougher courses at TreeTop Adventure Park in the Western Sydney Parklands.

Local tip: Four family attractions share a Darling Harbour address, so pair a morning at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo with an afternoon at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and keep the second day for something outdoors.

Mix a zoo day, a treetop course and a rainy day backup and the holidays take care of themselves. All good days are waiting.