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Winter school holidays guide 2026: what's on in Melbourne and Victoria
A guide to the best and most budget-friendly activities to do over the winter school holidays in Melbourne and Victoria.
The winter school holidays offer families time for fun adventures, activities, road trips and entertainment. The Victorian school holidays run from 27 June to 12 July 2026, and there are plenty of ways to stay warm and beat the chill.
Here are the best things to do with your family over the holidays, from free activities to ideas for a fun day at home.
RACV Members can manage products and services, and save on attractions all over Melbourne and Victoria with the RACV App.
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Family-friendly winter holiday activities in Melbourne
Meet marine life at SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium
Melbourne's SEA LIFE Aquarium features more than 10,000 marine creatures, including sharks, crocodiles, and seahorses. Meet Melbourne's only saltwater crocodile Coowonga, explore the new rockpool exhibit Rocky Shores, and much more.
RACV Members save on SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium tickets.
Enter a world of creativity at LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre
LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre is Australia's first indoor LEGO® playground, specifically designed for kids aged 3 to 10 years old. With more than two million LEGO® bricks, interactive rides, a 4D cinema and much more, your children will get plenty of hands-on time discovering and constructing whatever their imagination desires. It's perfect for a wet-weather day out.
LEGOLAND® is perfect for a wet-weather day out with the family. Image: Supplied
Thrilling rides at Luna Park
There's no such thing as winter at Luna Park - it's a 'hot' destination year-round. These school holidays the kids can enjoy real-life animal encounters, thrilling rides and fun food, like dagwood dogs, hot jam donuts, churros and hot chocolate. After a spectacular restoration, the Dodgems have returned to their historic home inside the all-new Luna Palace Penny Arcade. Don't forget to try the iconic, over 112-year-old Great Scenic Railway, which offers breathtaking views of Melbourne's Port Phillip Bay.
Luna Park is the perfect destination for families, offering a wide range of attractions suitable for both kids and adults. It's guaranteed to be a great day. It's open every day during the school holidays (27 June to 12 July), 11am to 6pm Sunday to Wednesday, and 11am to 7pm on Friday and Saturday.
RACV Members save on tickets to Luna Park.
New heights at Melbourne Skydeck
Take family fun to new heights this winter at Melbourne Skydeck. After zooming up 88 levels in the Southern Hemisphere’s fastest lifts, kids can marvel at Melbourne from nearly 300m above the street.
Play eye spy, with Flinders Street Station, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and the Royal Botanic Gardens among the landmarks to be spotted. Or watch trains and trams weave through the city, and see the skyline stretch far into the distance.
It’s an exciting way for the whole family to experience Melbourne from a whole new perspective.
RACV Members save on tickets to Skydeck.
Immersive light experience
Lightscape returns to the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne this winter, transforming the gardens into a magical after-dark wonderland.
With brand-new installations by leading international, Australian and First Peoples artists, the award-winning immersive experience is a dazzling school holiday outing for all ages.
Warm up along the glowing trail with mulled wine, hot chocolate and delicious snacks on offer. The light show is on until 2 August 2026.
Luna Park is open every day throughout the school holidays. Image: Visit Victoria
Family-friendly winter holiday activities and things to do around Victoria
See penguins, koalas and seals
Rug up and discover Phillip Island Nature Parks, where families can enjoy wildlife, easy walks and a touch of history, with fewer crowds to contend with in winter. The star attraction is the world-famous Penguin Parade, where little penguins waddle ashore from the ocean to their burrows each evening. With the end of daylight saving and earlier winter sunsets, families won’t have to keep children up as late to enjoy this attraction.
There’s more to explore across the island, too. Stroll the clifftop boardwalks at The Nobbies for coastal views. Take binoculars to zoom in on fur seals lollying around on Seal Rocks, and to spy migrating whales in winter. At the Koala Conservation Reserve, treetop boardwalks offer a way to see koalas in their natural habitat, while Churchill Island combines a heritage farm, historic cottages and peaceful coastal scenery. Together, they offer a holiday packed with nature and adventure.
RACV Members save on Phillip Island Nature Parks.
Enjoy a blockbuster movie
The cinema can be a great place to stay warm and relax, with family movies released especially for the school holidays. New releases include:
- Toy Story 5 (CTC) - toys meet tech as Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of the toys go head to head with this new threat to playtime.
- Minions & Monsters (CTC) - how the Minions became movie stars, unleashed monsters onto the world, then banded together to try and save the planet.
- Moana (CTC) - Disney's live-action adaptation of the beloved animated movie Moana, where young Moana voyages with demigod Maui on a journey to restore prosperity to her people.
RACV Members can save when pre-purchasing movie tickets for Hoyts, Village, Palace, Event and Reading Cinemas, plus local independents. Download the RACV App for an easy and convenient way to buy tickets.
Pan for gold at Sovereign Hill
Sovereign Hill comes alive once more with dazzling sound and light projections, foam snow, and over 18km of fairy lights during Winter Wonderlights: a gorgeous wintertime celebration.
As well as the regular attractions like panning for gold, pantomimes, shows and candle making, the Winter Wonderlights also provides the opportunity for photos with St Nicholas (Santa), hands-on arts and crafts sessions, Christmas Carols played by the old-fashioned brass ensemble, and more.
RACV Members save on tickets to Sovereign Hill. Book a stay RACV Goldfields Resort so you're nice and close to the action.
Head to Geelong for adventure
Adventure Park Geelong's Winter Glow Festival is back for its sixth year in 2026, bringing plenty of family fun these winter school holidays.
Kids can race down the new Ice Toboggan, brave the towering Drop Zone, and enjoy unlimited rides on nine theme park attractions. Along with providing Victoria’s biggest indoor snow zone, children can wander through a dazzling 2.5km trail featuring 3.3 million lights and more than 1,000 installations.
Running from 20 June to 29 August 2026, tickets are free for children under 90cm and start from $42 for everyone else.
Visit during a family holiday at Torquay or before a road trip along the Great Ocean Road.
Winter Wonderlights at Sovereign Hill is a beautiful event over the winter school holidays. Image: Visit Victoria
Free winter school holiday activities and things to do in Victoria
Explore a new playground
We've rounded up some of the best playgrounds around Melbourne. Whether your kids love playgrounds shaped like a pirate ship, exploring musical play equipment, challenging obstacles or just a fun play on the good old swing and slide, a playground is the perfect place for some free outdoor fun in the sun.
Have a family bake day
Got a budding sous chef in your midst? Get the kids together for a play in the kitchen and let budding hands make some of their own marvellous creations. Let them experiment with these child friendly recipes from the RACV Club kitchen, including salted caramel choc-chip cookie recipe, mini pancake cereal, or a chocolate mousse cake recipe.
Go on a scenic hike
Hiking is one way to stay warm, and Victoria's rainforests and waterfalls look their best in winter. Whether you want to go chasing waterfalls, or you’re looking for family friendly walks, fun dog trails or nature hikes around the state, there’s always somewhere new to explore on foot. Best of all – these experiences are free to do.
Get on your bikes and ride
Children usually have energy to burn, so don't let the colder weather put you off going for a family ride around your suburb. It’s free, fun, and a healthy way to explore the great outdoors. If you want to explore a new region, you can head on one of these family-friendly bike routes, from a trip taking in the solar system exhibit along Port Phillip Bay, to the Capital City Trail, which goes past the zoo and through parklands.
Brush up on the latest cycling road rules here.
Visit the libraries, galleries and museums
Did you know that there are many libraries, galleries and museums with free entry and activities over the school holidays? The NGV, ACMI, the Australian Music Vault, The Immigration Museum and The Australian Sports Museum all have free entry, while kids under 12 are also free to visit The Heide Museum of Modern Art, Scienceworks, and The Melbourne Museum.
We've put together a list of our favourite libraries and their facilities here, along with the best modern art galleries in Melbourne and regional Victoria.
Free day trip guides to regional areas
Did you know there are ways to explore greater Victoria without breaking the budget? There are plenty of things to do in the Melbourne school holidays without spending much at all. Check out our guides for how to have a fun, free day out in the Yarra Valley, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Mornington Peninsula and even right here in Melbourne.
Winter is no barrier to children having fun at playgrounds across Victoria.
Winter getaways in Victoria
Hit the ski slopes at alpine resorts
This makes the winter school holidays the perfect time to pack the car and hit the slopes for some snowy fun. Whether it's a day trip to toboggan, or a longer stay, there's plenty of fun to be had in the mountain regions of Victoria. One of the closest places from Melbourne to see snow is Lake Mountain, and the drive is one of Victoria’s most scenic.
Break up the journey with a meal or stay at Healesville Country Club & Resort, then drove along Black Spur Drive for spectacular views of towering mountain ash trees.
Be sure to check out our guide to driving in snow before you head off so you know what safety precautions to take.
Spot whales around Victoria's coastlines
Winter means plenty of whales frolicking in the water off Victoria's coastlines. Two of the best place to spot whales include Phillip Island and Wilson's Promontory - both of which have great whale watching cruises.
Or, why not take a road trip along the Great Ocean Road, make some great pit stops along the way, and finish in Warrnambool to watch the southern right whales and their calves? Head down to the viewing platform at Logan’s Beach for your best chance to see them.
The Great Ocean Road is also a foodie's paradise, with fresh lobster, handmade cheese and ice-cream, local gin and whiskey, as well as orchards where children can pick fruit. Book in a night or two at RACV Torquay Resort at the start or end of your road trip for an experience the family will remember for years to come.
Go on a day trip
If you'd prefer to break up the school holidays with a day trip, there are plenty of great day trip destinations around Victoria. Enjoy a thermal bath at Daylesford, take the kids to a petting zoo or farm, head on a chocolate lover's tour or admire Australia's biggest outdoor gallery on the Silo Art Trail.
