The Blue Mountains Winter School Holidays Guide is back and packed with so many fun things to do this July!
NSW school holidays are fast approaching! Our kids will take a well earned break from Monday 3 July to Friday 14 July 2023 and in this 4th edition of the Blue Mountains Winter School Holidays Guide, we have a huge bunch of exciting activities to enjoy in and around the Blue Mountains.
We hope it inspires you to enjoy our amazing local area these holidays!
If you would like to tell us about another school holiday activity happening in the Blue Mountains, please email team@bluemountainsmums.com to add it to our guide.
- Stargaze in Wentworth Falls with the award winning Blue Mountains Stargazing – Winter is the best time of year to stargaze and it’s Milky Way season!
- Laugh out loud with The Listies’ hilarious Hamlet: Prince of Skidmark at The Joan. Hilarious fun for the whole family!
- Make art, get messy, and have fun at Penrith Performing & Visual Arts – From clay workshops, family garland making, paint, collage and more!
- Take off on a galactic space adventure at LMAP Holiday Club! Four fun mornings of games, creative craft workshops and bible discovery.
- Exciting workshops with Glenbrook Panthers – Join circus, slime making and painting workshops these school holidays!
- Ride the historic Steam Tram at the Blue Mountains Steam Fest!
- Get creative with Blue Mountains Library School Holiday Art & Craft Workshops.
- Blue Mountains snow fun – If it snows in the Blue Mountains this Winter, here’s where to play!
- Head out on a beautiful family friendly Blue Mountains bushwalk this Winter.
- Hone your navigation skills with an orienteering Junior Ranger program in Blackheath.
- Pack a picnic and ride the miniature trains of Wascoe Siding.
- Aboriginal games for kids in Blackheath.
- Celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, heritage and history in Penrith for NAIDOC Week 2023 with workshops, stalls, a free BBQ and more!
- Immerse yourself in Winter at the Bathurst Winter Festival
Blue Mountains Stargazing
AWARD WINNING WINTER STARGAZING EXPERIENCES LED BY AN ASTRONOMER!
Stargazing tours with telescope and binoculars in the Wentworth Falls picnic area (90 minutes)
- Naked-eye Astronomy,
- Tips and hacks on how to identify stars and constellation storytelling,
- Introduction to the celestial dance of planets, satellites, navigation, the Universe, our home Galaxy and beyond…
- Observations through the professional-grade telescope objects such as (depending on the time of year and night):
– The Moon and its craters and seas
– Saturn’s rings
– The moons of Jupiter
– Mars & Venus
– The Orion Nebula
– Star clusters
– Double & triple stars
– Deep space objects such as galaxies and our fabulous Milky Way
– Shooting stars
Indoor planetarium astronomy tours (inflatable dome and powerful projector) in Sinofield, Leura (90 minutes). This journey will include:
– Tips and hacks on how to identify stars,
– Introduction to the celestial dance of planets, satellites, navigation, the Universe, our home Galaxy and beyond…
– Astronomy from different cultures around the world,
– Constellation storytelling and star signs,
– Q&A with our astronomer.
Blue Mountains Stargazing is such a fun, educational, immersive experience these Winter school holidays (outdoor or indoor depending on the weather).
SUITED FOR: From 4 years old
COST: Adults $85; Children (4 – 15 years) $55; Family 2 Adults + 2 Children $230 ($50 discount); Family 2 Adults + 3 Children $285 ($50 discount); Children under 3 are free.
CONTACT: Caroline at hello@bluemountainsstargazing.com.au
WEBSITE
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook, Instagram
The Listies’ Hamlet: Prince of Skidmark at The Joan
HILARIOUS FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
Don’t miss the maestros of children’s comedy, The Listies, as they head to The Joan for the first time these Winter School Holidays to bring you their multi award-winning, side-splitting ‘badaptation’ of Shakespeare’s classic play.
Cheeky, clever and utterly irreverent, this is the Bard as you never imagined possible! In true Listies style, the hilarious duo has pulled apart Hamlet and glued it back together with hilarious costumes, supersonic storytelling, gags, silliness and plenty of interactivity!
Image Credit: Andrew Wuttke
WHEN: Thursday 13 July at 6pm and Friday 14 July at 10am & 1pm
WHERE: Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, 597 High Street, Penrith, NSW, 2750 (View Map).
SUITED FOR: Ages 5+ and their families.
COST: Standard Ticket $25; Family of 4 Pass $90. A booking fee of $5 applies. How to Book: Book via The Joan’s website here or call Box Office at (02) 4723 7600.
WEBSITE: Click here
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook, Instagram, #TheJoan
Get creative these school holidays at Penrith Regional Gallery
ART WORKSHOPS FOR
AGES 5 – 16
Make art, get messy, and have fun at the Gallery these holidays. Kids and teens can explore our current exhibitions before getting stuck into their own art collage, painting, paper sculpture, or polymer clay project.
Week 1 programs are all about the intricate collages by beloved children’s author Jeannie Baker. Week 2 is inspired by a new exhibition by contemporary artist Abdullah M.I Syed.
WORKSHOPS
Polymer Clay
For ages 12 – 16 Tuesday 4 July, 10am – 12pm
Artist Books
For ages 9 – 12 on Wednesday 5 July, 10am – 12pm
Paint and Collage
For ages 5 – 8 on Thursday 6 July, 10am – 12pm
Family Garlands
For ages 5 – 8 on Tuesday 11 July, 10am – 12pm
Woven Paintings
For ages 9 – 12 on Wednesday 12 July, 10am – 12pm
WHERE: Penrith Regional Gallery, Home of The Lewers Bequest, 86 River Road, Emu Plains, NSW, 2750 (View map).
COST: $35 per workshop
HOW TO BOOK: Book via the Gallery’s website here or call (02) 4735 1100
WEBSITE
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook; Instagram; #PenrithRegionalGallery
LMAP Holiday Club
FOUR MORNINGS OF ADVENTURE THAT’S MORE AMAZING THAN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE!
Holiday Club is four mornings of games, craft workshops and exciting engagement with God’s story from the bible. Join us as we blast off on a galactic adventure more amazing than the entire universe!
There will also be FREE parenting seminars and cafe space to enjoy.
SUITABLE FOR: Anyone in Kindergarten – Year 6
LIFT OFF: 9AM on 11th, 12th, 13th & 14th July (finish 12:30PM)
DESTINATION: Lower Mountains Anglican Parish, Corner of Wascoe St & Raymond St, Glenbrook (View map).
COST: $10 per day or $35 for four days
HOW TO BOOK: Register online; Call the Office on (02) 4739 1316 for more information; admin@lmap.org.au
WEBSITE
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook
Glenbrook Panthers
JOIN EXCITING CIRCUS, SLIME & PAINTING WORKSHOPS THESE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS!
CIRCUS WORKSHOP
Your kids are set to be AMAZED these school holidays! Join us for a one-and-a-half-hour workshop where your child will be entertained by a crazy performer and play with circus props including diablo, devil sticks, juggling balls and scarves, spinning plates, hula hoops, and more!
The workshop includes free play, along with circus games to help build kids’ circus skills. To finish off the workshop, the children will be entertained with a circus performance delivered by the performers! This is a great social and functional event perfect for all children who enjoy performing arts.
SLIME WORKSHOP
Your kids are set to GET SLIMED these school holidays! This is a one-and-a-half-hour workshop where your child will get to learn or practice their slime-making skills.
The workshop takes the kids step-by-step on how to make soft stretchy slime and participate in exciting group activities and games. At the end of the workshop, the kids get to take home a bunch of their very own slime to enjoy at home. This is a great social and functional event for children ages 6 and above.
PAINTING WORKSHOP WITH PAINT AND SIP STUDIOS
Is your child the next Picasso and a Mario Kart fan? This painting workshop will be hosted by the popular Paint & Sip Studios, where their talented mentors will be painting step-by-step an artwork masterpiece that is Mario Kart themed with the kids on the day to reach their inner Picasso!
It is the perfect event for those talented little artists and those who haven’t had much experience painting before. All the materials that are required on the day will be provided by Paint and Sip Studios.
WHEN: Circus: Thursday 6 July 2023
Slime: Friday 7 July 2023
Painting: Monday 10 July 2023
WHERE: Glenbrook Panthers, 1 Hare Street, Glenbrook NSW 2773 (View map).
SUITED FOR: Kids 6 years +
COST: Circus: $25; Slime: $25; Painting: $40
Kids’ Meal Deal: Pre-purchase a kid’s meal deal for only $13.90 with your school holiday activities. Choose a meal from our kid’s menu which includes a scoop of ice cream and kid’s soft drink!
HOW TO BOOK: Online: Circus workshop; Slime workshop; Painting workshop
WEBSITE
Blue Mountains Steam FunFest
RIDE THE HISTORIC STEAM TRAM & STEAM TRAIN AT THIS SPECIAL EVENT!
Be a part of history and join us as we present the very first Blue Mountains Steam FunFest.
See displays of unique steam machinery provided by the Campbelltown Steam & Machinery Museum. Members of the Model T Ford Club will showcase some of their prize vintage cars.
Ride the historic Steam Tram and Steam Train both of which will be in operation at the same time for the first time. All this plus all the Museum’s usual exhibits and displays add up to a day full of Steam Fun!
Refreshments will be available to purchase on the day through the Museum Cafe or bring a Family Picnic to enjoy in the Museum’s Picnic Grounds.
WHEN: Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th July 2023.
WHERE: Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum, 17b Tusculum Road, Valley Heights, NSW 2777 (View map).
SUITED FOR: All welcome
COST: Adults: $25; Concession: $17
Children (aged 4 – 17 incl.): $17; Children (1 – 3): FREE entry
HOW TO BOOK: Online. Pre-booked tickets only. Secure your preferred Ride times at the time of booking.
WEBSITE
Blue Mountains Library
Winter School Holiday Workshops
ART AND CRAFT WORKSHOPS FOR STUDENTS AGED 5 TO 18
Blue Mountains City Library is excited to offer workshops for kids during the July school holidays! Your kids can try their hand at drawing workshops, Rube Goldberg inventions and more! View the workshops here.
WHEN & WHERE: Katoomba, Springwood and Blaxland Libraries
SUITED FOR: Students from Kindergarten to 18 years
COST: $6 per session or free
HOW TO BOOK: Online
CONTACT: bmlibrary@bmcc.nsw.gov.au
WEBSITE
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook, Twitter
Snow Play In The Blue Mountains
DISCOVER THE BEST SPOTS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY TO ENJOY SNOW PLAY THIS WINTER
Snow play in the Blue Mountains is becoming a very popular pastime for families near and far during Winter. Most Winters, the Blue Mountains transform into a majestic wonderland and families are keen to experience this rare and amazing occurrence.
Find out some of the places to enjoy snow play this Winter and read our essential safety tips. View Oberon’s live weather cams here and here!
WHEN: Check the forecast at the Bureau of Meteorology for predicted snow for the Blue Mountains (Katoomba), Lithgow and Oberon during the July Winter School Holidays.
WHERE: Upper Blue Mountains, Lithgow and Oberon regions.
SUITED FOR: All families (please ensure that you read the safety information and tips for your adventure).
COST: Most parks and recreational areas for snow play are free to enter.
HOW TO BOOK: No bookings are required for snow play unless you need accommodation – it is best to book Blue Mountains accommodation in advance.
READ THE ARTICLE
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Blue Mountains Family Friendly Bushwalks
DISCOVER THE BEST OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS ON ONE OF THESE AMAZING BUSHWALKS
Winter is a wonderful time of year to head out with the whole family for a spectacular bushwalk. Out of the hundreds of tracks to explore, we have selected a few of our favourite bushwalks for kids in the Blue Mountains.
Bushwalks for kids in the Blue Mountains are fantastic but can require a different level of preparation. Before you head out, please read our tips for keeping children safe on bushwalks. It’s also a good idea to also download the NSW National Parks app and check out the Think before you TREK advice on the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
DISCOVER OUR FAVOURITE FAMILY BUSHWALKS
Become a Junior Ranger!
A FUN NAVIGATION TOUR IN BLACKHEATH
Become a Junior Ranger this school holidays, on this fun orienteering tour at Blackheath. You’ll learn some useful navigation skills along the way.
Come along on this two hour exploratory adventure at the heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park.
Walking alongside an NPWS Discovery Ranger, you’ll navigate the picturesque Grose Wilderness, while learning some important bushwalking skills, like how to read a map and how to use a compass.
Once we’ve mastered the basics, your ranger will put your skills to the test!
WHEN: Wednesday 5 July and Tuesday 11 July 2023, 10am to 12pm. Meet at 9.45am.
WHERE: Blue Mountains Heritage Centre, Blackheath, 270 Govett’s Leap Road, Blackheath NSW 2785 (View Map).
SUITED FOR: A medium grade guided class. Recommended for children 8 to 14 years old. You will go on a short hike with some stairs and uneven ground.
COST: Child $20 per person. Adults free.
HOW TO BOOK: Bookings are required. Phone 1300 072 757 for more information or book online.
WEBSITE
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
Wascoe Siding
RIDE A MINIATURE TRAIN ON JULY 2!
Wascoe Siding Miniature Railway, Blaxland, is a Blue Mountains school holiday classic. Riding the miniature trains at Wascoe Siding is a fun and unique family activity in the lower Blue Mountains, suitable for all ages. Learn about steam engines from local miniature railway experts and create wonderful memories at the historic Wascoe Siding Minature Railway.
WHEN: Sunday 2 July, 2023. Wascoe Siding miniature-railway runs on the first Sunday of the month from February to December, 10.00 AM – 3.00 PM
WHERE: 15 Grahame Street, Blaxland NSW 2774 (View map).
SUITED FOR: Primary aged children aged 5 – 12 years
COST: Park entry fees: $5 per Adult (17+), $2.50 per Child (Ages 4 to 16),
3 and under are free.
Each train ride is $4 per person, per ride (ages 2 and under free with a paying ticket holder). Tickets are available on the day from the ticket office.
Book a picnic table for $30. Bookings are not required.
HOW TO BOOK:Bookings are not required. Contact: wascoesiding@gmail.com
WEBSITE: infobluemountains.net.au
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook
Aboriginal Games For Kids
FUN ABORIGINAL GAMES FOR
CHILDREN 7 – 11 YEARS
Looking for a fun-filled kids’ activity these school holidays? Learn to play a range of Aboriginal games at the Blue Mountains Heritage Centre, near Blackheath.
WHEN: Wednesday 12 July 2023, 10am to 12pm. Meet at 9.45am.
WHERE: Blue Mountains Heritage Centre, Blackheath, 270 Govett’s Leap Road, Blackheath NSW 2785 (View Map).
SUITED FOR: Recommended for children 7 to 11 years.
COST: Child $20 per person. Accompanying adults free.
HOW TO BOOK: Bookings are required. Phone 1300 072 757 for more information or book online.
WEBSITE
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
NAIDOC Week Celebrations 2023
PERFORMANCES, WORKSHOPS, STALLS, FREE BBQ AND MORE!
Penrith City Council will celebrate NAIDOC Week 2023 ‘For Our Elders’ with a program of community activities and events taking place across the City from Sunday 2 to Sunday 9 July 2023.
NAIDOC Week is an opportunity to celebrate the significance of our Aboriginal heritage and the important contribution Penrith’s Aboriginal population make in our community and across our vibrant City.
The program of events will celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, history and heritage; as well as embrace the NAIDOC 2023 theme, ‘For Our Elders’, a homage to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and their ongoing contributions to communities across the country.
This fun and inclusive event will feature performances from First Nations artists, workshops, stalls, a free BBQ and more. Come along and enjoy a great day celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, heritage and history!
WHEN: Main community event from 10am to 3pm on Friday 7 July 2023
WHERE: Jamison Park, South Penrith (View map).
SUITED FOR: All welcome
COST: Free entry
WEBSITE
SOCIAL MEDIA: View event on Facebook
Bathurst Winter Festival
ILLUMINATIONS, LIVE ENTERTAINMENT, MARKETS, ICE SKATING FROM JULY 1 – 16
The Bathurst Winter Festival delivers 16 days of fun for all ages, across the two weeks of the NSW Winter school holidays.
Wander through the enchanted forest, explore mesmerising light installations, get up close with wildlife, boogie at the silent disco or play at the Mad Hatter’s tea party, all for FREE… and that’s just the beginning!
Plus, there are two whole days dedicated to kids packed with free activities and entertainment. Check out the Kids Days brought to you by Bathurst City Centre.
The festival is held across Kings Parade and Machattie Park in the heart of Bathurst’s CBD.
Expect stunning light shows on historic Bathurst buildings, the outdoor McDonald’s Bathurst Ice Rink, show rides in the Winter Playground, a world of flavours at our signature food events, live music and more!
WHEN: 9 am – 9 pm, 1 – 16 July 2023.
WHERE: 158 Russell Street, Bathurst NSW 2795 (View map).
SUITED FOR: Everyone of all ages. Accessibility information can be found here.
COST: Free entry to Winter Playground. Ice skating, show rides, market stall produce, food, drinks, etc all at your own cost.
Ice skating: Adult (15 years and over) $15.00 per person
Children (6 – 14 years) $12.00 per person
Toddler (3 – 5 years) $8.00 per person
Skating Aid is $8.00 per person
HOW TO BOOK: No need to book for the festival.
WEBSITE
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook, Instagram
We hope that this edition of the Blue Mountains Winter School Holidays Activities Guide has helped to inspire you and your family to plan some exciting activities these holidays.
Happy holidays!
