Cairns Regional Council is hosting a range of activities at Cairns Libraries and Tanks Arts Centre to keep the kids occupied these school holidays.
From workshops and learning sessions to creative experiences and craft activities, 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 diving into the mysterious world of underwater creatures to discovering the secret life nocturnal insects, learning about rocket building to creating monsters out of cereal boxes, provides activities for a range of ages and interests.
Running from Tuesday 2 April to Saturday 13 April, activities also include building a fort out of newspaper, creating glow-in-the-dark scorpions, flashlight art, and puppet making activities.
The Cairns Libraries school holiday program includes:
Make a Magical Item: Turn everyday items into something magical to take home, drawing inspiration from the captivating world of Harry Potter. At Earlville Library on Tuesday 2 April from 10am to 4pm; and Babinda Library on Thursday 11 April from 10am to 4pm.
Deep Great Barrier Reef Life: Delve into the mysteries of the deep sea with renowned scientist Robin Beaman from James Cook University. During 2020 and 2021, Rob led a series of expeditions to explore the deep Great Barrier Reef using the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s RV Falkor. At Smithfield Library on Friday 5 April from 9.50am to 11am.
Life in the Deep: Imagine and bring to life your very own creature from the deep, using cool facts about underwater survival. At Edmonton Library on Tuesday 2 April from 10.30am to 4pm; and Manunda Library on Monday from 10am to 4pm.
Drop in and Build – Newspaper Forts: Learn basic structural engineering as you design and assemble your towering creations using newspaper. At Smithfield Library on Tuesday 2 April from 10.30am to 4pm; Earlville Library on Saturday 6 April from 10am to 11.30am; Stratford Library on Wednesday 10 April from 10.30am to 4pm; and City Library on Saturday 13 April from 10am to 11.30am.
Build a Lego Creature: Construct a creature using LEGO bricks, then dive into the world of storytelling and weave a short tale about your creation and its adventures. At Stratford Library on Wednesday 3 April from 10am to midday.
Flashlight Art: Create a mysterious dark landscape and use a magic torch to reveal its hidden secrets. At Gordonvale Library on Wednesday 3 April from 10am to 4pm; Stratford Library on Friday 5 April from 10.30am to 11.30am; and City Library on Tuesday 9 April from 10am to 4pm.
Spheros in the Dark: Learn to harness the power of light and darkness to control your robot. In this workshop, children will work together and use block coding to create basic programs for the Sphero BOLT. (This workshop is recommended for children aged 8 years and over.) At Manunda Library on Wednesday 3 April from 2.30pm to 3.30pm.
Make a Glow Bracelet: Select from a palette of vibrant coloured string and beads to create a wearable piece of jewellery that lights up at night. At Manunda Library on Thursday 4 April from 10am to midday.
Drop in and Build – Light and Shadow Adventures: Use translucent blocks and light tables to create and learn about light, shadows and colour. At Babinda Library on Thursday 4 April from 10.30am to 4pm; and Gordonvale Library on Thursday 11 April from 10.30am to 4pm.
Nature’s Glowing Secrets: Learn about animals and plants that glow at night. Meet expert researchers from JCU who will share their insights and discoveries about these enchanting organisms. Afterwards, get hands-on with an illuminating craft. At City Library on Thursday 4 April from 10.30am to 11.30am.
Mysteries of the Deep: Dive into the depths and explore life in the deep with esteemed expert, marine geologist and ocean mapping scientist, Dr Rob Beauman. At Smithfield Library on Friday 5 April from 10am to 11am.
Blacklight Art: Use neon paper, tape and cardboard to create a unique piece that will shine under black light. At Gordonvale Library on Friday 5 April from 10.30am to 11.30apm.
The White Wizard: Get ready for a mesmerising magic show featuring the White Wizard. At City Library on Sunday 7 April from 10.30am to 11.30am.
Rockets 101: Embark on a rocket building adventure and gain insights into astronaut training from a NASA space camp graduate. At Smithfield Library on Monday 8 April from 9.50am to 11.30am.
Drop in and Build – Cereal Box Monsters: Armed with cereal boxes, scissors, paint and an assortment of craft supplies, transform ordinary packaging into extraordinary monster companions. At Edmonton Library on Monday 8 April from 10.30am to 4pm.
Lifesaver for a day: Get beach savvy and hands on with Surf Life Saving Queensland and find out fascinating facts about marine creatures, learn about rip currents and water safety. At Smithfield Library on Tuesday 9 April from 9.50am to 11am.
DnD and Board Games: Dungeons and Dragons is a game of storytelling where everything is your decision, from what you look like to how you act to what happens next – the dice just helps you along. At Earlville Library on Tuesday 9 April from 2pm to 4pm.
Youth Week – Loud in the Library: Enjoy an interactive showcase of beatboxing and hip-hop dancing as part of Youth Week. Unleash your creativity with blacklight art and enjoy a bite of pizza. At Manunda Library on Wednesday 10 April from 2pm to 4pm.
Discovering Stars and Planets: Explore stars and planets with STEM expert and astrophysicist, Emma Brown. Learn what makes a planet habitable and explore the possibility of extra-terrestrial life. At Earlville Library on Thursday 11 April from 9.50am to 11am.
The Glowing Dark: Learn about night creatures that bring the light to their dark worlds, then create glow-in-the-dark creatures of your own. See your creation glow and take part in scorpion races, while you learn about the amazing natural world. At Stratford Library on Friday 12 April from 10.30am to 11.30am.
Minibeasts at Night: Delve into the mysterious world of nocturnal insects and discover the fascinating lives of minibeasts that come alive at night. Get up close and personal with real live specimens and learn about their unique adaptations and behaviours. (Recommended for children aged five and over.) At Edmonton Library on Friday 12 April from 10.30am to 11.30am.
Dark Academia – Light Box and Puppet Making: Create a shadow puppet light show and bring the night to life through imaginative storytelling. (Recommended for ages 10 and over.) At Smithfield Library on Friday April 12 from 2pm to 3pm.
Check out the Cairns Libraries website () for details of all the events, activities and programs.
Tanks Arts Centre
An exhilarating week of discovery and creativity returns with Creative Life’s free School Holiday Program.
Designed specifically for young individuals aged 8 to 17, the engaging workshops offer a unique blend of hands-on learning and fun.
Registrations for the workshops are required. Visit for more details and registrations.
Workshops include:
at the Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre on Tuesday 2 April from 10am to 3pm.
Dive into the world of cinematography and explore diverse camera shots and their profound impact on storytelling. Learn the art of storyboarding, transforming your narrative into dynamic comic pages. This workshop will allow your imagination to soar and learn new techniques to develop the narrative of your comics.
at Tanks Arts Centre (Tank 5) on Wednesday 3 April from 10am to 2.30pm.
Immerse yourself in a vibrant, hands-on workshop where you and your fellow creatives will come together in small groups to craft sensational full-body stop-motion animations. This engaging experience empowers participants with animation techniques, storytelling skills, and audio integration, with a special focus on the dynamic world of green screen animation.
(Please note: The Green Screen Animation and Stop Motion Animation workshops are fully booked).
