Autumn adventures: Ultimate guide to Sunshine Coast school holiday events
It’s time to plan your Autumn 2023 school holiday activities with Sunshine Coast Council – from workshops to events, and take-home activities to fun days out – there is plenty on offer to keep the kids busy.
Connect with nature and learn bushcraft
Celebrate Autumn at the Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Garden with the Bushland Holiday Program! Children and families will love these seasonally inspired workshops led by Sunshine Coast’s leading nature play facilitators and held in the beautiful bushland.
Learn to whittle, make paint from the earth, weave a basked plus lots more – but get in quick! Spaces are limited and these workshops will sell out. Registration essential.
WHEN: various times, Monday, April 11 – Thursday, April 13
WHERE: Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Garden, 33 Palm Creek Rd, Tanawha
COST: $10 per child. Payment is required to secure your spot.
SUITABILITY: Workshops are age specific. Children must be accompanied by an adult. No registration required for caregiver.
TO BOOK: Bushland Holiday Program
Bushland Holiday Program book here
First Nations Family Fun Day at Bankfoot House
Don't miss this unique celebration of First Nations culture at the First Nations Family Fun Day at Bankfoot House. Join activities and workshops presented by our First Nations community, including cultural education, art, storytelling, weaving, painting, corroboree, dance, and digeridoo playing.
Bring a picnic or order bush tucker, coffee and drinks from the food van, while enjoying spectacular views of the Glass House Mountains from the 2-acre grounds.
Remember Bankfoot House is free and open to the public Wednesday to Sunday 10am-3pm, so you can come and visit as often as you like.
WHEN: 10–2pm, Saturday, April 15, 2023.
WHERE: Bankfoot House Heritage Precinct, 1998 Old Gympie Road, Glass House Mountains
COST: Free
SUITABILITY: All ages.
DETAILS: www.heritage.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Programs-and-Events/First-Nations-Family-Fun-Day
Have some FUN-GI at Mary Cairncross
The whole family will enjoy the Fungi for Life exhibition. Explore the larger-than-life fungi models, discover which fungus wins the stinky award, create your own fungi forest or borrow a junior ranger kit to observe fungi on the track.
WHEN: Open 9.30am-3.30pm daily.
WHERE: Rainforest Discovery Centre at the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve, 148 Mountain View Rd, Maleny QLD 4552.
DETAILS: mary-cairncross.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/See-and-do/Fungi-for-life
Mary Cairncross Fungi for Life details
Grab your Library holiday pack
Build and decorate your own mini ring toss games. Perfect for hours of fun on a road or camping trip.
Registration essential (Registrations open Friday, March 31 at 4pm)
WHERE: Available at all Sunshine Coast Library during the school holidays.
COST: Free
SUITABILITY: Ages 6-12 years.
DETAILS: https://library.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/whats-on/for-kids
Go hopping mad for Easter Crafts
Create or decorate your own boxes, Easter hats, cards or bunnies at multiple Sunshine Coast Library locations during the school holidays.
No bookings required
WHERE: Multiple Sunshine Coast Library locations during the school holidays.
COST: Free
SUITABILITY: All ages.
DETAILS: https://library.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/whats-on/for-kids
Get your game on
Challenge your family and friends with a wide range of board and life-size games. Who will be the champion?
WHERE: Multiple Sunshine Coast Library locations during the school holidays.
COST: Free
SUITABILITY: Ages 5+. No bookings required.
DETAILS: https://library.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/whats-on/for-kids
Library Life Size Board Games details
Think creatively at drop in engineering
Create masterpieces with a huge range of magnetic tiles.
WHERE: Multiple Sunshine Coast Library locations during the school holidays.
COST: Free
SUITABILITY: All ages. No bookings required.
DETAILS: https://library.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/whats-on/for-kids
Grab your wheels for Beerwah Youth Week Jam
All ages can enter the scooter and skate competition at the Beerwah Youth Week Jam Skate Competition, as well as get the chance to learn more with skateboard and scooter lessons. Visit the Beerwah Skate Park from 9am and be sure to register for a lesson or to enter the competition.
WHEN: Tuesday, April 11, 9am – 5pm
WHERE: Beerwah Skate Park, 32 Sportsground Drive, Beerwah
COST: FREE
SUITABILITY: All ages.
DETAILS: https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Living-and-Community/Community-Support/Youth-and-Young-People
Free Beerwah Skate Board and Scooter lessons
Celebrate being young at Kings Beach Youth Fest
A day of fun and heaps of activities to keep all entertained – there will be youth markets, yoga, live music, mindful art, a sausage sizzle and so much more, all for free!
WHEN: Wednesday, April 12, 10am – 2pm
WHERE: Kings Beach Amphitheatre, Kings Beach
COST: FREE
SUITABILITY: All ages.
DETAILS: https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Living-and-Community/Community-Support/Youth-and-Young-People
Kings Beach Youth Fest event details
Grab the popcorn for a movie night in Beerwah
Pop along for an afternoon of fun with food and drinks provided.
WHEN: Thursday, April 13, 2pm – 5pm
WHERE: Beerwah Community Hall, 5 Peachester Road, Beerwah
COST: FREE
SUITABILITY: All ages.
DETAILS: https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Living-and-Community/Community-Support/Youth-and-Young-People
Beerwah free movie night details
Caloundra Regional Gallery presents the Local Student Art Prize 2023 Exhibition
If you’ve got an art lover at home, they’ll love seeing works by their peers exhibited in the Local Student Art Prize Exhibition 2023.
There are three categories, under 8, under 13 and under 18 celebrating our region’s budding artists and offering an inspiring glimpse into the creative future of the Sunshine Coast.
Plus, the Artroom will be set up as a self-guided activity space where children are invited to create a postcard of their favourite Sunshine Coast place or activity. Then either keep it as a souvenir or add it to the display.
Presented by Friends Regional Gallery Caloundra Inc. and Caloundra Regional Gallery.
WHEN: March 24 – May 7, open Tuesday – Friday 10 – 4 and weekends 10 – 2
WHERE: 1998 Old Gympie Rd, Glass House Mountains QLD.
COST: FREE
Egg-stravaganza at Landsborough Museum
From Wednesday to Sunday, head to the museum where the kids can make an Easter egg basket before searching the museum for hidden eggs. Mark the location of the eggs on the map and win a prize.
WHEN: April 1–16, 10am – 3pm
WHERE: 4 Maleny St, Landsborough QLD.
COST: FREE
DETAILS: heritage.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au
Landsborough Museum Easter Egg Hunt details
Try the great botanic race
If you’ve got older kids, head to the Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Garden to try the great botanic race. Grab a map at the front entrance and explore the gardens on this self-guided orienteering challenge. Kids will need to find mapped points to solve the puzzle along the way. Great for ages 10 years and older. The garden is open from 7am to 5pm, seven days a week.
WHERE: Maroochy Bushland Botanic Garden, 51 Palm Creek Rd, Tanawha QLD 4554
DETAILS: Grab a map at the entrance to the gardens.
Try a new trail on Adventure Sunshine Coast
Adventure Sunshine Coast has more than 200 free adventures covering walking, cycling, paddling and riding trails right across the region! From exploring a community playground loop with your toddler to discovering a hidden hinterland trail with an adventurous tween-ager – find your next adventure at adventure.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au today.
DETAILS: adventure.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au.
Try the ClimateWatch Trail at the Maroochy Wetlands Sanctuary
Become a citizen scientist at the Maroochy Wetlands Sanctuary and contribute to understanding how climate change is affecting our environment. To get started:
- Download the free ClimateWatch app
- Grab a ClimateWatch field guide highlighting the wetland’s indicator species.
- Look for indicator species along your walk
- Using the app, take photos and note seasonal behaviours
- Return your field guide for reuse.
Visit the ClimateWatch website for details. Don’t forget mosquito repellent!
DETAILS: https://www.climatewatch.org.au/trails/queensland/sunshine-coast-maroochy-wetlands-qld.
Unleash your creativity and enter the WildHeART art prize
Draw an Aussie animal or plant and submit your art to WildHeART – the competition for native Australian flora and fauna art for a chance to win a share of $3000. The WildHeART Student Art prize is a children’s art exhibition with three age categories.
Entries close July 16.
DETAILS: https://botanic-garden.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/see-and-do/wild-heart-student-art-prize