Families looking for affordable Sydney school holiday activities have been offered a wide-ranging programme of free and low-cost events, with nothing on the list costing more than $25. The options include festivals, performances, museum trails, creative workshops and outdoor adventures running across the city and beyond.
At the State Library of NSW, visitors aged eight and over can join A Night at the Library until October 1. Commissioned for the library’s 200th birthday, the Bell Shakespeare production follows a young student through the building, where historical figures and literary characters bring its collections to life. Tickets cost $25.
Children with an interest in science and technology can visit Tumbalong Park on October 3 and 4 for Big Ideas Factory. The free programme includes science storytime, a construction zone, robotics and a family project to build a replica of Pyrmont Bridge from recycled materials. Saturday’s programme will be followed by screenings of The Lego Movie and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
Darling Square’s Moon Festival continues until October 4, with illuminated lanterns, live vocal performances and family dance workshops scheduled for October 3 and 4. Mooncakes will also be available from nearby eateries.
For an outdoor day, the Ku-ring-gai Sculpture Trail at Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden is free until October 5. Around 50 sculptures made from upcycled materials are displayed along the route, including Nicole de Mestre’s winning work, Illusion, which was constructed from disused fans.
Free and low-cost Sydney school holiday activities
The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney is running Wildlife Explorers from September 28 to October 8 for children aged five to 12. The $22 activity includes a tour, pond dipping to find underwater animals, lessons about supporting local wildlife and a native plant to take home.
The garden is also hosting Tinkerbell and the Dream Fairies until October 11, with tickets priced at $25 on off-peak days. In Marrickville, the Light Up Kids Festival will offer drama, improv and comedy workshops from October 7 to 9, including hour-long sessions costing $20.
The Marrickville festival also features the Inner West Talent Quest for performers aged five to 12 and a run of the puppetry production Mooncake. Tickets for the show are $25 per person when bought through a family pass for four.
Riverside Theatres in Parramatta will host the free Into the Box programme from October 7 to 10 as part of the Spot On Children’s Festival. The courtyard activities include colouring, balloon sculptures, storytelling and face painting, with most suitable for children aged one and over.
Hyde Park Barracks will hold a free family day on October 9, although bookings are required. Children, parents and grandparents can follow a specially designed trail, try 19th-century bricklaying, make a paper model of the barracks and choose temporary tattoos based on original convict designs.
A pop-up farm will arrive at Moore Park South from September 28 to October 9. The free attraction will give children the chance to meet farm animals, while traditional outdoor games including hopscotch will be available for visitors.
At the Sydney Opera House, the new Wild Things festival runs until October 11. The free elements include a nine-metre swing, giant inflatable rocks, Taiwanese circus performance Puzzle, roaming puppets and a Dreamtime story presented through living sculptures.
Families visiting Bondi Pavilion can take part in I See You Like This, an interactive project for children aged six to 12. The styling and photography sessions cost $25, or $20, from September 27 to 30, while the resulting exhibition is free from October 2 to 11. A free family weekend on October 10 and 11 will allow visitors to use the props for their own photographs.
The Australian National Maritime Museum is offering free access to a selection of school holiday activities until October 11. Children can follow a treasure trail, handle Viking tools, make paper flowers or weave an angelfish, while the educational Slippery Cephalopod Science Circus will be staged on selected dates.
Sydney Fringe’s Fringe Kids programme continues at venues across the city until October 11. Among the shows priced below $25 are the circus performance Ben’s Magical Friends, the interactive Captain Adventure Man and Mr Snotbottom’s Stinky Silly Show.
At the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, the free Paper Daisy Spring Festival continues until October 11. The gardens are open daily, while weekends bring children’s crafts, live music and lawn games. Food trucks, a pop-up florist and flower-inspired face painting, priced at $5, will also be available.
The Australian Museum’s Bloodsuckers exhibition remains open until October 11, with a two-for-one ticket offer. Visitors can explore interactive displays including a mosquito swarm simulator and microscopes, while the 2026 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year exhibition is free to enter.
Carriageworks will host Shipwreck Odyssey from September 26 to October 18, with free entry on weekdays and tickets priced at $5 at weekends. The immersive installation uses projected images and technology to tell the story of the 1850 wreck of the Jenny Lind and the waters of the Great Barrier Reef.
Also at Carriageworks, Erth’s Shark Dive: Live on Stage runs until October 3, with tickets costing $25. The puppetry production follows a girl who encounters an injured baby shark.
Finally, Little Sydney Lives at Customs House displays photographs taken by children aged five to 12. Twenty finalists from more than 450 entries are featured in the free exhibition, which opens from September 25 and remains on display for a year.
