Cairns Regional Council is hosting a range of activities to keep the kids occupied these school holidays.
From workshops to reading activities, traversing walking tracks and learning about our native flora and fauna, there are a host of facilities and activities to keep the whole family occupied.
Here are a few ideas for parents these school holidays.
Cairns Libraries
From tips on special effects makeup to Lego constructions, and boredom busting arts and crafts to yoga and mindfulness sessions, the Cairns Libraries school holiday program provides activities for a range of ages and interests.
Running from 24 June to 8 July, activities also include circus skill classes, watercolour art sessions, and puppet building activities.
The Cairns Libraries school holiday program includes:
Art Scavenger Hunt: At Smithfield Library from Saturday 24 June to Thursday 29 June; at Babinda Library from Tuesday 4 July to Saturday 8 July. Discover and explore artistic works and creations at the libraries and view them in augmented reality on an iPad.
Drop in and build with Lego: At Gordonvale Library from Saturday 24 June; Edmonton Library from Monday 3 July. Children can design and construct a superhero creation using their imagination and creativity.
Craft a puppet: At the City Library on Sunday 25 June from 9am; and Gordonvale Library from 9am on Wednesday 5 July. Craft puppets using artwork and templates created by local artist Hayley Gillespie.
Build a fairy house: At Stratford Library from 9am on Monday 26 June; Earlville Library from 9am on Wednesday 28 June. A self-guided activity, children can create a fairy house with paper.
Special FX makeup: At Manunda Library from 2pm to 3pm on Monday 26 June. Learn from an expert the tips and tricks for special effects makeup.
Mini notebook keyring: At Babinda Library from 9am on Tuesday 27 June; and Edmonton Library from 9am on Thursday 6 July. Paper craft a tiny notebook keyring.
Yoga and mindful art: At City Library from 10am to 11am on Tuesday 27 June; Stratford Library from 10am to 11am on Thursday 29 June. An energetic session that encourages children to express themselves through yoga poses, active movement and activities such as partner / group yoga. The session will end with a mindful art activity.
Join the circus: At Smithfield Library from 10am to 11am on Wednesday 28 June. Explore the interactive play stations and learn different types of circus skills with the Cycas Circus Crew.
Watercolour art: At Babinda Library from 9am on Friday 30 June; and Stratford Library from 9am on Friday 7 July. An opportunity for children to unleash their inner artist and explore their imagination through colour and drawing.
Drop in and STEAM: At Smithfield Library from 9am on Saturday 1 July; and Manunda Library from 9am on Saturday 8 July. Activities ideal for growing mind and fostering interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.
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Music, dance and animation at Tanks Art Centre
Free Flame.Arts Holiday Program
Tanks Arts Centre is hosting the free Flame.Arts Holiday program for the young creatives.
From laying down hip hop tracks, a contemporary dance class and learning the finer points of stop motion, there is something to keep the kids occupied these holidays.
Workshops are free, but registration is essential. More details below.
Make a hip hop track in a day: 26 June
Morganics is an award-winning hip hop artist who has performed and taught from New York to Tanzania. An MC, beatboxer, producer and Bboy, Morganics has shared the stage with KRS One, Mos Def, Run DMC and many more. In this workshop, learn the history of hip hop culture, choose samples, make a beat, freestyle, write a rhyme, learn how to beatbox, learn the basics of Bboying/Bgirling and leave with your own original song – all in one day. More details and registration at
Contemporary dance workshop: 27 June
Patricia Wood is a contemporary dancer, choreographer, and teacher with the Sydney Dance Company. In this workshop, dancers will build strength, flexibility and artistry through incorporating different movement modalities and body conditioning methods. Throughout the workshop, dancers will be encouraged to explore their creativity through improvisation and self-reflection, developing themselves as dancers and artists. More details:
Story animation: 28 June
This hands-on workshop immerses teens in the world of stop-motion animation. Participants work in pairs to craft a storyboard, design backgrounds, create unique characters, and shoot still frames using iPads. With added sound and special effects, their imaginative stories come to life, enhancing their creativity, critical thinking, and tech skills in an engaging way. More details:
Esplanade and Lagoon
There is always lots to do and see for .
Swim at the Lagoon, , have a barbecue or enjoy live music – there a lot for youngsters to do at the Cairns Esplanade.
Lifeguards are on duty while the , and toilets and showers are located in the amenities block alongside the aquatic facility.
The Lagoon will be open every day from 6am to 9pm, including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The Lagoon is closed every Wednesday from 6am to midday for regular cleaning and maintenance.
Cairns Botanic Gardens and Cattana Wetlands
Explore the beauty of tropical plant life at Cairns Botanic Gardens and Cattana Wetlands.
Renowned as one of the best exhibitions of tropical plants in Australia, .
Discover more about the plants and animals with a tour. The Friends of the Botanic Gardens conduct free guided tours of Flecker Gardens or take advantage of the series of audio tours and become your own tour guide.
Children will also love the Nature Playground, located at Freshwater Lake on Greenslopes St (near the Zhanjiang Friendship Garden).
Integrating creative play elements with the natural lakeside environment, the Nature Playground encourages children to interact with nature, to explore and learn about their surroundings.
There are dinosaur bones to uncover, ropes to climb, play huts to build, a fairy garden, rope climb, tunnels, balance logs, a digging patch and plants known for their bright colours, smells and textures to encourage sensory play.
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Each one takes you on a different experience with interpretive signage provided along the way that informs you of the special features, plants and animals at the site.
Bird hides, viewing decks, a board walk, picnic areas, BBQs, shelters and bubblers are all provided to enhance your experience.
