Keeping the kids entertained during the long summer school holidays can be tough, especially if you have to work.
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Luckily, there are plenty of workshops and fun things to do in the Illawarra to keep kids busy.
Whether your child is artistic, into science, a budding circus performer or loves sport, there is something for everyone.
Wollongong Art Gallery
Wollongong Art Gallery provides workshops and activities for children aged 5-14 years during the school holidays.
Artist-run activities include experimentation and investigation of various media in a casual and fun environment.
The Summer School Holiday Workshop Program will run Tuesday, January 10-13, and there are six options to choose from.
Tuesday, January 10: Decorate a kite (mixed media), ages 5-8. Artist and educator Richard Lee will show you how to make and decorate your own flying fish kite using traditional materials.10am-noon, $22 plus booking fee. Book here
Tuesday, January 10: Pet Portraits (painting), ages 5-8. Artist and educator Richard Lee shows how to create a hand-painted portrait of your pet. Pet portraits will be drawn from memory or from photographs brought from home. The drawings will then be transformed into a coloured painting to take home. 1pm- 3pm, $22 plus booking fee. Book here
Wednesday, January 11: Space Galaxy Art, full-day workshop, ages 9-14. Artist and educator Skye Zaracostas will lead you as you blast off into outer space in this space galaxy art workshop. You will start by painting a galaxy scene onto a canvas board. The later part of the day will be dedicated to creating a space themed mixed media artwork. Use a combination of watercolour paints and coloured pencils to draw elements and create a space collage. 10am-3pm, $55 plus booking fee. Students must bring their own morning tea and lunch. Book here.
Thursday, January 12: Wild animal drawings, full-day workshop, ages 9-14. Artist and educator Skye Zaracostas will teach basic skills of drawing your chosen animal. Start off with a simplified form and then build more complex forms on top. This workshop is great for beginners.10am-3pm, $55 plus booking fee. Book here
Friday, January 13: Aerial beach scene (painting), ages 5-8. Artist and educator Skye Zaracostas helps you feel those summer vibes in this aerial beach scene painting workshop. Students will be led through a step-by-step demonstration to create a beach scene painting to take home.10am-noon, $22 plus booking fee. Book here
Friday, January 13: Funny Faces (collage and mixed media), ages 5-8. Get kooky by composing a funny face artwork using collage techniques. Students will use magazine cut-outs as well as their own drawings to create a funny face artwork in this workshop led by artist and educator Skye Zaracostas.1pm-3pm, $22 plus booking fee. Book here
Wollongong University Science Space
Wollongong University Science Space is the only dedicated immersive science experience in NSW and aims to advocate for and foster science literacy.
Science Space offers an amazing summer school holiday program, which includes its popular STEM camps.
The camps will be running for one week during the summer holidays from Monday, January 9, to Friday, January 13.
This year's program includes:
Monday, January 9: LEGO Filmmaking. Use classic filmmaking techniques to create your very own movie using LEGO and other materials. Bring your stop motion creations to life as you learn about storyboards, camera angles and more.
Tuesday, January 10, and Wednesday, January 11: Game Designers. Aspiring video game developers can explore the science behind digital animation as you design and animate a character for a game then create a playable platform game prototype using Bloxels.
Thursday, January 12 and Friday, January 13: Flight Academy. Junior aviators can explore the amazing effects of air and wind in a day of flight-tastic fun by inventing a flying machine to test in a vertical wind tunnel, designing the ultimate paper plane and launching your very own rocket outside.
Each session runs from 9am-3pm and is open to a maximum of 24 children. The camps are suitable for children aged 6-12 who are in years 1-6 at school. BYO morning tea, lunch, water bottle and a hat.
Cost is $100. Book here
Gravity Gym
Kid-friendly Gravity Gym at Warrawong is hosting Summer School Holiday Activities for children aged 3-13.
Gravity Gym says keeping the kids busy in the holidays does not need to be hard, thanks to its range of programs that suit all needs, ages and abilities.
Best of all, you don't need to be a registered member of the gym or have any previous experience to come along.
The Morning Preschool Program for children aged 3-5 runs will run weekdays between January 9-25 from 9.30am-noon. Children will have fun playing games and activities as well as doing craft.
The Gym Fun Camp for ages 5-13 runs weekdays between January 9-25, from 8am-5.30pm each day and offers a full day of fun, games and gymnastics. Grip socks are required.
There is also a Ninja Camp for children aged 6-13, which runs Monday to Friday between January 9-25, from 9am-3pm. The day is based around learning 'Free G' elements, plus building the strength/co-ordination needed to conquer the gym's Ninja course. Grip socks are required.
Full day Gym Fun/Ninja Camp will run Monday, December 19, to Thursday, December 22.
Boys' strength classes will run weekdays on January 10-24 from 5pm-6.30pm, while Boys' holiday training will take place on Mondays and Fridays from January 9-23, from 4pm-6pm.
Details/bookings here.
Treetops Adventure Nowra
While not offering workshops as such, Treetops Adventure Nowra is open every day of the school holidays from 9am to 5pm, except for Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
It offers various junior courses for children aged 3-7, as well as tree ropes courses for various skill levels in children aged 3-17.
There is also a KidZip course for children aged 8-12.
Prices vary. Details here
Robo Camps
Project Bucephalus is a robotics group which has been running robotics activities for children in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven with support from TAFE NSW and the University of Wollongong.
Its January 2023 Robo Camps will be held over four days and feature workshops in Wollongong and Nowra.
The Introduction to Robotics is great for novice students while advanced workshops will feature a re-imagining of the popular Siege activity.
Siege students will be challenged to design their own robotic solutions to overcome castle defences. Come prepared for creativity and and knocking down of towers.
The Robo Camps run thanks to the support of TAFE NSW and the University of Wollongong.
Introduction to Robotics workshops will run January 3-4 at UOW Shoalhaven Campus and January 5-6 at TAFE Campus (Wollongong). Cost is $140.
Siege workshops will run on the the same days and locations, and costs $170.
Book here
Green Connect Farm
Green Connect Farm at Warrawong will host holiday farm play on three consecutive Thursdays on January 5, 12 and 19 from 9am-11am.
Green Connect Farm is a special place to connect with nature, play and burn some energy in the fresh air.
The 11-acre award-winning urban farm follows organic farming and permaculture principles to produce vegetables, fruit, herbs, nuts, eggs, honey and free-range meat.
The school holiday program is open to children of all ages who are welcome to explore the gardens and creek and learn about growing 'fair food'.
Children can feed the pigs, goats, sheep and alpacas, pat chooks and help collect eggs. They can also visit the children's garden, play in the mud kitchen or enjoy the sustainable craft space.
Or they can go wild in a giant loose-parts play space courtesy of Junkyard Rascals.
Details/bookings here
Treetops Arts
Treetops Arts at Helensburgh will host a school holiday program for kids aged 5-16 from January 9-13, and January 16-20.
Choose from half-day and full-day programs.
The day starts at 10am with warm-up and introductions. Children then take part in 45 minutes of activities, and will rotate between four; gymnastics, aerials, parkour and swimming, with recess and lunch in between.
Children can leave at 1pm or stay for lunch and do one more activity before enjoying some free time until 3pm.
Cost is $50 (half-day) or $65 (full-day). Sibling discounts apply and early drop=off or late pick-up is available for an extra fee.
Details/bookings here
Circus Monoxide
Circus Monoxide will be running its school holiday program over two weeks, which will culminate in two mini shows.
The program will run from 9am-4pm each day from Monday, January 9, to Friday, January 13, and again from Monday, January 17, to Friday, January 20.
A mini show will be held at 3.45pm on each Friday so parents can marvel at their children's new-found skills.
Each day starts with 30 minutes of free play followed by a 30-minute warm-up and two-hour structured class with a small break.
After lunch there is another 30-minute warm-up followed by another two-hour structured class, which includes a break.
They day ends with a half hour of free time.
Book here
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Merryn Porter
Journalist with more than 25 years' experience in print and digital media who has covered most news rounds, including health, education, politics (local, state and federal), police and courts, with a special interest in women's and family matters. Highly-skilled interviewer and storyteller.
Journalist with more than 25 years' experience in print and digital media who has covered most news rounds, including health, education, politics (local, state and federal), police and courts, with a special interest in women's and family matters. Highly-skilled interviewer and storyteller.
