Melbourne School Holidays Covered with Winter Wonderlands, free Shopping Centre Activities and more.

The Big Freeze Festival kicks off at Cranbourne Racecourse Saturday 2nd July. This will be Melbourne’s first ever winter festival aimed at families and it comes with real snow! Families can enjoy the fun of the snow at this unique event but without the stress of ensuring they have all the right snow gear, snow chains and pick the right day. This nine-day festival will give kids, young and old, hours of icy fun, including:
– Build a snowman in the snow pit
– Enjoy the thrill of a real snowball toss
– A winter inflatable slide and igloo
– Let your imagination run wild in the snow village & forest
– Give snowboarding a go
– Get the chance to meet real snow dogs
– Superhero Training
– A huge variety of workshops
– Craft activities galore
Find out more here: www.thebigfreezefestival.com.au

Giant Ice Slide:
The heart of Southbank will be transformed into an action packed winter wonderland for the July school holidays this year, when Eureka Skydeck launch the giant Variety Ice Slide for kids, parents and the whole of Melbourne to enjoy. From June 25 – July 17, a thrilling 40-metre long, four-metre high ice slide will be set up alongside Southbank’s waterfront, allowing passers-by to experience the thrill of riding an inflatable tube on the exhilarating journey down the slide. School holiday-goers will not go hungry after sweating it out on the Variety Ice Slide, with The Food Truck Park setting up from 11am to offer hot, fresh and tasty food. Variety Ice Slide sponsor, Fuze Tea, will provide a free Fuze Iced Tea to every slider. In the spirit of winter, all patrons of the ice slide will be offered discounted admission at both Eureka Skydeck and for a spin at Federation Square’s ice-skating rink. Open daily from 10am until late, with prices starting at $10 for three ice slides, the Variety Ice Slide is sure to delight all ages and suit all budgets. www.eurekaskydeck.com.au/events/the-variety-ice-slide/

National Sports Museum – Celebrating the Olympics
With Rio just on the horizon, the Olympics come to life at the National Sports Museum this school holidays! Kids will able to meet Australian Olympians as well as test their skills in a range of Olympic pursuits in the interactive Game On! section. Adding to the fun, there will also be cartoon drawing sessions with top cartoonists, an artefact investigators program, soccer skills sessions and much more!
Located at the spectacular MCG in Victoria, family passes are just $55.

Snowing in South Wharf:
Winter will come alive these school holidays when South Wharf’s Dukes Walk gives way to 10 days of cascading artificial snow, coloured lighting effects and special winter meals and discount deals for the whole family to enjoy. From July 1 – 10, the intimate alleyway that is Dukes Walk will be adorned with 12 faux snow making machines and large ornamental fir trees supplied by the Mornington Peninsula Christmas Tree Farm. Every evening, between 5pm – 8pm, the snow machines will shoot out small flurries of continuous snowflakes, gently falling over the walkway and buildings and creating a winter wonderland sensory experience and play activity for children walking through. Dukes Walk will also be alight with the installation of seven swivelling special effect light towers shimmering bright and beaming all night as snowflakes fall to the ground. Before treating the kids to some outdoor winter fun, mums and dads alike can enjoy some shopping at DFO South Wharf with its big brands and big discounts.

southwharfpromenade.com.au/its-snowing/

Winter Treasure Hunt @ M.A.D.E.

Get out of the cold and experience a museum in a fun and kid-friendly way with a winter treasure hunt. Then become a curator by learning to make snowflakes and adding to the exhibition space in M.A.D. E’s Kid Curated Corner. You can also experience the 19th Century Bling Goldfields Jewellery exhibition until 4th July. During the school holidays, M.A.D.E is offering FREE entry for children to the museum which includes the school holiday program. Adult entry is only $12.
Find put more at www.made.org/whats-on/

 

 

Melbourne Shopping Centre School Holiday Activities
There is not much better than heading out of the cold to your local shopping centre to take advantage of the free or gold coin donation activities on for children these holidays. Here are some of the school holiday activities available at shopping centres around Melbourne.

‘Wild Things’ is taking over Woodgrove Shopping Centre to create an interactive zoo experience for kids of all ages. It will bring the world’s most endangered species to life to provide an ‘edu-tainment’ experience for four weeks from 20 June – 17 July. Included in the event is the Animal Adventure Animatronic Display, Get Craft Wild, Zoology Tours, Threatened and Endangered Species Live Show and Melton City Library Animal Tales.

WHEN: Monday 20 June – Sunday 17 July (see website for specific activity dates)
TIME: Centre trading hours
COST: Free! (gold coin donation to Zoos Victoria requested for Zoology Tours)

Angry Birds at Pacific Werribee & Pacific Epping

The Centre’s school holidays schedule includes everything from live acts to craft, which celebrate the newest kid’s movie to hit the screens, Angry Birds. Live Angry Birds shows will kick off throughout the two week break, and what’s more, characters Bomb, Chuck and Red will be roaming the centre for meet and greets daily at 12pm.
Popping up at both Pacific Werribee and Pacific Epping during the holidays will also be an Angry Birds Activity Centre with crafting projects taking place daily from 11am – 2pm.
For more information, head to www.pacificwerribee.com.au

 

Minion mayhem to take over Pran Central these School Holidays.
This month, Pran Central are hosting their School Holiday Program and minions are crashing the party! From Wednesday June 29 to Friday July 1, children can visit Pran Central Shopping Centre and paint their very own minion sculpture to take home.

Minion mayhem will run daily, with the action really gearing up when the minions themselves come and join in on the fun for a meet and great on Friday 1st July. Cost for the program is just a gold coin donation and all funds raised from the School Holiday Program will go towards Prahran Mission’s Winter Appeal.
To book a spot or for more information, please visit http://www.prancentral.com.au/whats-on/Minions#.V2s6U7h97IU