Spring School Holidays in Kiama 2026: Things to Do with Kids
Two weeks. A lot of energy. And approximately 427 requests for snacks. School holidays are here.
Luckily, spring is a pretty good time to be a kid in Kiama.
If you’re looking for things to do in Kiama with kids these school holidays, you’ve landed in the right place. Spend the morning flying down a waterslide, learn how to catch a fish, disappear into the rainforest after dark, make something wonderfully messy, ride a miniature train or dance your way around the world without leaving Hindmarsh Park.
From free family events and kids’ workshops to outdoor adventures and rainy-day activities, there’s plenty happening in Kiama and surrounds over the NSW spring school holidays.
Kiama Culture Fest
Saturday 10 October | 11am–5pm | Hindmarsh Park | FREE (with some bookable experiences)
If there’s one date to circle these school holidays, make it Saturday 10 October.
Kiama Culture Fest is taking over Hindmarsh Park for a huge (and FREE!) celebration of the cultures that make our community what it is.
Catch live music and dance on the Orry Kelly Stage, get involved in hands-on workshops and activities, try flavours from around the world and settle in for an afternoon in the park.
For the kids, there’ll be plenty to get stuck into, from a colour foam fun run, naan bread making, puppet show, plus live performances including belly dancing, Brazilian samba and Bollywood.
Come for an hour or make a day of it. It’s a pretty good way to send off the spring school holidays in Kiama.
What’s on at Kiama & Gerringong Libraries
LEGO, green screens, graphic novels, watercolours, clay… our local libraries have packed a lot into two weeks. Pick your project.
Mon 28 Sep: Graphic Novel Style Portrait Workshop | Kiama | 10–11.30am | Ages 8–12 | $15
Tue 29 Sep: LEGO Skyscrapers | Gerringong | 10–11am & 11.30am–12.30pm | All ages | FREE
Wed 30 Sep: Build Your Own Block Town | Kiama | 10am–12pm & 1–3pm | Ages 5–10 | $8
Thu 1 Oct: Enjoy Snail Mail | Kiama | 10–11am & 12–1pm | Ages 5–12 | $8
Thu 1 Oct: Mini Greenhouse Drop-in | Gerringong | 10.30am–12.30pm | Ages 4+ | FREE
Tue 6 Oct: Watercolour Mixed Media | Gerringong | 10.30–11.30am | Ages 6–12 | $5
Tue 6 Oct: Camping Family LEGO Challenge | Kiama | 5–6.30pm | All ages | FREE
Thu 8 Oct: Green Screen Movie-Making | Gerringong | 10am & 11:30am | Ages 10+ | FREE
Thu 8 Oct: DIY Cricut Tote Bag | Kiama | 10am & 2pm | Ages 12+ | $10
Sat 10 Oct: Harmony Clay Cups | Gerringong | 10:30am & 11:30am | Ages 8–18 | $13
And on Saturday 10 October, the Library is heading outside for Kiama Culture Fest, with a story booth, folklore trail and bookish goodies in Hindmarsh Park from 11am–5pm. Bookings are required for most workshops. View the full Library school holiday program
Daisy Spring Festival
Thursday 1 – Wednesday 7 October | Old Fire Station, Joyce Wheatley Community Centre & Hindmarsh Park, Kiama | Free + ticketed activities
Back for its third year, Daisy Spring Festival is bringing a week of art and creativity to three venues around Kiama.
Pop into the Old Fire Station from 1–7 October for this year’s horse-themed exhibition and competition, vote for your favourite in the People’s Choice Award and see Daisy the Kiama Cow receive a fresh coat of paint.
Kids can get creative too, with Drop In Art Days at the Joyce Wheatley Community Centre from 1–6 October. There’s no need to book, all ages are welcome and canvases start from $10.
Over the long weekend, Hindmarsh Park will also come alive with free music and outdoor art. The ticketed Plein Air Watercolour workshops and evening Paint & Sip sessions are adults only, so there’s something for the grown-ups too (bookings required). Explore the Daisy Spring Festival program
Holiday Train Rides
Tue 29 Sep, Tue 6 Oct & Sun 11 Oct | Illawarra Light Railway Museum, Albion Park Rail
All aboard! Step back in time at the Illawarra Light Railway Museum for some classic railway fun, with train rides and plenty for little railway enthusiasts to explore.
Train-obsessed kids: your moment has arrived.
Ballet Camp
Tue 29 Sep | The Studio Kiama | Ages 3–9 | Bookings essential
Little dancers can swap the beach for the barre with The Studio Kiama’s school holiday Ballet Camp, featuring specialist classical training for young ballet students.
PRE-JNR (YRS 3-4 at school) – 9:00am – 1:15pm
JNR (YRS 5-6 at school) – 10:00am – 4:00pm
INT (YRS 7 – 9 at school) – 9:00am – 4:00pm
Jamberoo Action Park
From Sat 26 Sep | From 10am | Online tickets from $74 | Ages 3 and under FREE
Well, that’s one day sorted. Jamberoo Action Park kicks off its 2026–27 season on Saturday 26 September. Take on the water slides and thrill rides, cool off in the pools or find something gentler for smaller adventurers.
And yes, climbing all those stairs to the top of the waterslides absolutely counts as exercise.
Learn to surf at Seven Mile Beach
Seven Mile Beach, Gerroa | Ages 6+ | Group packages from $225 | Private lessons from $150 | Bookings essential
Swap dry land for a surfboard with Surf Camp Australia at Gerroa. Beginner-to-intermediate lessons cover paddling, standing up, ocean safety and surf etiquette, with boards and wetsuits included.
Falling off is, of course, all part of the experience.
Give SUP a go
Lake Illawarra | 1 hour | Ages 8+ | Bookings essential
Prefer your board with a paddle? SUP Shellharbour runs one-hour private and small-group lessons on the calm waters of Lake Illawarra, with all the essential gear included.
Explore Minnamurra Rainforest
Tuesday 29 September – Tuesday 6 October | Minnamurra Rainforest, Budderoo National Park | Ages 5+ | Bookings essential for guided activities
There are two very different ways for little explorers to experience Minnamurra Rainforest these holidays.
By day, Junior Ranger sessions on Friday 2 and Tuesday 6 October take kids aged 5–15 into the rainforest with a NSW National Parks guide to learn bush skills, navigation and how to identify animal tracks. Sessions run from 10am–12pm and cost $18 per child, with one accompanying adult free. Park entry fees apply.
Or come back after dark for Rainforest by Torchlight on Tuesday 29 September and Thursday 1 October from 6–7.45pm. Explore the Lyrebird Loop after the gates close, when the sounds, smells and wildlife take on a completely different feel.
Torchlight tours cost $25 for adults, $21 concession and $18 for children, with park entry included. Bring sturdy shoes, something warm and, importantly, a torch.
Go fishing with a local
Tuesday 29 September & Wednesday 7 October | 9–11am | Seven Mile Beach, Gerroa | Ages 8–15 | $80 per child, siblings $40
Swap screen time for reel time with a two-hour fishing session at Seven Mile Beach.
Kids will learn how to set up a rod and reel, tie basic knots, cast, bait up and safely land a fish, with rod, bait and equipment all provided.
Go whale watching
Daily | Shellharbour Marina | 1.5 hours | Adults $79, concession $74, children 2–14 $49
Spring happens to coincide with one of the best shows happening off our coastline.
Jump aboard Shellharbour Wild in search of humpback whales making their way south, with a chance of spotting mothers travelling with their calves.
Cruises depart Monday–Friday at 11am and Saturday–Sunday at 10am, 12pm and 2pm.
Try your luck at FootGolf
Daily from 2pm | Jamberoo Golf Club | Bookings essential
Football skills? Handy. Golf skills? Also handy. Neither? You’ll probably still have a very good time.
FootGolf swaps golf balls and clubs for soccer balls and oversized holes. The aim? Get around the course in as few kicks as possible.
A little friendly family competition never hurt anyone.
Take to the treetops
Daily | 9.30am–4.30pm | Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures, Knights Hill | Treetop Walk from $20
Walk high above the rainforest canopy, climb the 45-metre Spiral Tower or dial things up with a Zipline Tour.
The Treetop Walk is suitable for all ages, while Zipline + Treetop Walk tickets start from $90 for juniors aged 5–17.
Just getting there, high on the escarpment above Kiama, feels like part of the adventure.
Gym, Fun & Swim
28 & 30 September; 2, 7 & 9 October | 11am–3pm | Kiama Leisure Centre | Ages 5–12 | $34.50
Four hours of inflatable pool toys, gymnastics and games.
Translation: four hours of burning school-holiday energy.
Kids need to complete a swim test before using the inflatable pool toy, and an optional $7.50 lunch meal deal can be added when booking.
Bookings essential.
Get bead-crazy in Gerringong
26 September – 9 October | 11am & 2pm daily | The Bead Shack, Gerringong | Ages 3+ | $30
Necklaces, bracelets, keychains, beaded animals, weaving and hanging decorations. Pick a project and settle in for a one-hour workshop.
Tiny beads + tiny hands + someone else supervising the activity? Sounds like a holiday win.
Bookings essential. An adult must stay with children under five.
Kids’ art classes with Sea and Still
From Wednesday 7 October | 4.30pm | Joyce Wheatley Community Centre, Kiama | Bookings essential
Got a little artist in the family? Sea and Still Experiences is kicking off a six-week kids’ art program during the holidays, with a different creative project each week and the chance for kids to develop something of their own.
Make your own giant chocolate freckle
Thursday 1 & Wednesday 7 October | 10am, 11.30am, 1.30pm & 3pm | The Treat Factory, Berry | Ages 5+ | $39
Finally, a school holiday activity you can eat.
Step inside the working chocolate room to create your own giant Belgian chocolate freckle, load it up with toppings and enjoy a guided chocolate tasting while your masterpiece sets.
Whether it actually makes it home is another question.
Bookings essential. Sessions run for approximately 45 minutes.
And now, the important part: snacks
All that sliding, surfing, painting, paddling and general holidaying is hungry work.
Whether you need breakfast before the day’s adventures, something quick between activities, takeaway for a beach picnic or an early dinner with tired little travellers, there are plenty of family-friendly places to eat around Kiama. Explore our Local Dining Guide
Still hearing “what are we doing today?”
We’ve barely scratched the surface. Markets, live music, workshops, exhibitions and family-friendly events are happening right across Kiama throughout the spring school holidays, with new things being added all the time. See what’s on in Kiama
Belinda Williams
