UPDATED SPRING 2026
School holidays are back. Which means two weeks of kids asking what’s happening, what’s for lunch and whether they can have another snack approximately seven minutes after finishing the last one.
Fortunately, there is plenty happening around Wollongong and the Illawarra these school holidays, from tennis and CrossFit to LEGO engineering, science, wildlife and some genuinely good free activities.
This is our regularly updated guide to school holiday activities in Wollongong and the Illawarra, so bookmark it and come back each school holidays for the latest local ideas.
For NSW public schools, the Spring 2026 school holidays officially run from Monday 28 September to Friday 9 October. Monday 12 October is a school development day, with students returning for Term 4 on Tuesday 13 October. (NSW Education)
Young Engineers LEGO, STEM and Robotics Camps
If your child is the sort who would happily pull something apart just to work out how it works, Young Engineers Illawarra is worth a look.
Their Spring Holiday Camps combine LEGO building with engineering, robotics and problem-solving, with full-day programs being held at Wollongong Public School, Thirroul Community Centre, Dapto Ribbonwood Centre and Tarrawanna Public School during the holidays.
Kids build different motorised models throughout the day while exploring the engineering ideas behind them, so it manages to sneak a decent amount of STEM learning into something that still feels like school holiday fun.
The camps run from 9am to 3.30pm and are suitable for children in Years 1–7.
Read our full Young Engineers Spring School Holiday Camps guide.
Nareena Hills Tennis School Holiday Clinics
For kids who need to burn off some energy, Nareena Hills Tennis Club is running three days of school holiday tennis clinics on Tuesday 6, Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 October.
The clinics run from 9am–2pm and include tennis, games, matchplay, prizes and coaching for different skill levels.
It’s $70 per day or $190 for the three-day pass, and – possibly just as importantly from a kid’s point of view – a Subway sandwich lunch is included.
There are also early drop-off and late pick-up options for an extra $10, which could be particularly handy for working parents.
And for kids who still haven’t had enough tennis after five hours on court, there’s a Pizza Matchplay Night on Thursday 8 October from 4pm–7.30pm for $60, including pizza.
Contact via Facebook for more information or booking.
Symbio Junior Keeper Camp
For a bigger school holiday treat, Symbio Wildlife Park is running its Junior Keeper Camp throughout the September/October holidays.
The six-hour program is for children aged 7–12 and includes hands-on animal experiences, feeding animals, keeper duties, educational presentations and creating enrichment activities.
The camp runs from 9am–3.15pm, costs $149, and Creative & Active Kids vouchers can be used. Dates are available across both weeks of the school holidays. (Symbio Wildlife Park)
Definitely not the budget option, but for a kid who is animal-mad, this is a pretty memorable day out.
Save Some Money Eating Out With EatClub
School holidays have a sneaky habit of becoming expensive. One activity turns into lunch, lunch turns into ice cream and suddenly your “cheap day out” has set you back $150.
Before heading out for breakfast, lunch or dinner, it’s worth checking the EatClub app.
Participating Wollongong restaurants and cafes offer discounted dining periods through the app, which means you can sometimes eat at places you were already planning to visit for considerably less.
We recently tested EatClub ourselves and saved $10 on two breakfasts and two coffees, and that was during one of the smaller discount windows.
With teenagers in particular, finding a cheaper way to eat out during the holidays is no small victory.
Science Space Wollongong
UOW Science Space is always a solid rainy-day option, but there’s extra programming running over the spring holidays.
Science Space is running a Minibeasts pop-up play space daily, along with its regular interactive exhibitions, live science shows and planetarium sessions. The spring planetarium program includes Solar System Expedition, Tycho Goes to Mars and Dinosaurs: A Story of Survival. (sciencespace.com.au)
During the NSW school holidays, Science Space is open daily from 9.30am–4pm.
A good one to keep tucked away for the inevitable day the weather refuses to cooperate.
Early Start Discovery Space
For younger kids, Early Start Discovery Space (Building 21) at UOW is another reliable holiday option.
The Spring School Holiday program has a nature theme, with activities including leaf and bark rubbings, stick insects, insect scavenger hunts, weaving with natural materials, nature-inspired paints, races and movement activities. (earlystartdiscoveryspace.edu.au)
During the school holidays the Discovery Space is generally open 9am–3.30pm daily, although it will be closed on the Labour Day public holiday on Monday 5 October. (earlystartdiscoveryspace.edu.au)
UniActive School Holiday Sport Program
For an easy full-day option, UniActive is running its School Holiday Sport Program across both weeks.
The program combines different sports and activities and runs from Monday 28 September to Thursday 1 October, then again from Tuesday 6 October to Friday 9 October.
Regular pricing is $50 per child per day, and Active Kids vouchers are accepted. (UniActive)
This could be a particularly handy one if you need something that occupies more than 47 minutes of the day.
Free Wollongong School Holiday Activities
Not every school holiday activity needs to involve handing over your credit card.
Wollongong City Council has a big program running across local libraries, Wollongong Art Gallery, Wollongong Botanic Garden and other community spaces, with many activities either free or low-cost.
This spring’s program includes kids’ craft sessions, storytimes, Aboriginal craft workshops, movies, drama workshops, teen art activities, bushcraft, wildlife walks and art workshops. There are activities spread across Wollongong, Corrimal, Thirroul, Dapto, Warrawong, Helensburgh and Unanderra. (Wollongong City Council)
Some of the free workshops do require bookings, so this is one where it’s worth getting organised before the holidays actually start.
CrossFit Reclaim School Holiday Sessions
Got an older kid who isn’t particularly interested in craft tables or another trip to the playground?
CrossFit Reclaim Wollongong in Unanderra is running school holiday sessions as part of its Pre-Teen and Teen program.
The Pre-Teen program is aimed at ages 9–11, with the Teen program for ages 12+, and focuses on learning fundamental strength and conditioning movements, challenging themselves through workouts and having a bit of fun along the way.
Holiday sessions are being held on 29 September, 1 October, 6 October and 8 October at 4.30pm.
Current members can contact CrossFit Reclaim to secure a place, while new families can book a free first session.
Cheap and Easy School Holiday Ideas Around the Illawarra
And when you’ve spent enough money for one school holidays, remember that we live in a pretty handy part of the world for entertaining kids without actually booking anything.
Pack some food and hit one of the local beaches or rock pools, ride part of the Wollongong cycleway, visit the Botanic Garden, find a playground you haven’t tried before, wander around Wollongong Harbour or head up to Mount Keira.
Wollongong City Council also recommends local beaches and pools, playgrounds, skate parks, bike riding, Wollongong Botanic Garden and Mount Keira Summit Park as free holiday options. (Wollongong City Council)
Sometimes the simple days end up being the good ones anyway.
What’s On These School Holidays in Wollongong?
We’ll keep updating this guide before each NSW school holiday period with new camps, events, activities and local deals from around Wollongong, Shellharbour and the wider Illawarra.
If you’re a local business running a school holiday program that you think Illawarra families should know about, get in touch with The List Illawarra.
And parents – bookmark this page. You’ll need it again in approximately ten weeks.