Spring into school holiday fun
Boredom busters, your must-have guide to Council’s school holiday events, don’t miss out.
Schools out and adventure awaits on the Sunshine Coast, with our spring school holiday guide offering an exciting variety of experiences for youngsters.
Make these holidays one to remember and get out and about with one or many free or low-cost things to do.
With so much on offer, be sure to start planning now and remember, places are limited for some events, book early to avoid disappointment.
Sunshine Coast Council's spring school holiday guide
Framing nature
This spring, artists from across the country will be showcasing their exquisite botanical illustrations in Framing Nature, an exhibition by the Botanical Art Society of Australia.
Celebrating the biodiversity of Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve, the Blackall Range and South East Queensland region, Framing Nature is a 'must see' showcase for art and nature lovers.
When: September 14 – 29.
Where: The Rainforest Discovery Centre at 148 Mountain View Rd, Maleny.
Details: Visit Council’s Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve website.
Guided walks
These school holidays become a citizen scientist and contribute to understanding how climate change is affecting our environment.
Register via Eventbrite to secure your spot at one or more locations.
Where and when:
- Kawana Forest, 8.30–10am, Monday 16 September (Register via Eventbrite ).
- Currimundi Lake, 8.30–10.30am, Thursday 19 September (Register via Eventbrite ).
- Doonan Creek Environmental Reserve, 7.30–9am, Tuesday 24 September (Register via Eventbrite ).
Details: Visit Council’s website.
Bushland date claimers
Celebrate spring with these fun and creative activities at the Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Garden:
- September 17, Make a Clay Garden.
- September 18, Make a Flower Press.
- September 19, Spring Weaving.
- September 24, Spring Herbal Happiness.
- September 24, Koala Detectives.
- September 25, Spring Felt Flowers.
- September 27, Frog Habitat Lego.
Registration is $10 per person. Get in quick as these workshops will sell out.
When: September 17 – 27.
Where: Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Garden, Palm Creek Road, Tanawha.
Details: Visit eventbrite.
Clay fun and funky pet portraits
Slink out of bed and into this two-hour workshop where you will learn to create a quirky, colourful dog sculpture using your hands, a ball of clay and your wild imagination.
Award winning artist, Kalyanii Holden, will guide you through some very simple hand building techniques to make a furry friend of your own to take home.
If you're a Sunshine Coaster, the sculptures will be fired offsite to make your pet pooch last forever (as long as you look after it!) and if you're a visitor to the gallery, you will make yours from air-dried clay to take away with you on the day.
All materials supplied, please wear clothes suitable for working with clay.
Bring along a picture of your pet pooch if you have one and want to immortalise it, and if you don't have a pet pooch, use your imagination to make one up.
10am session suitable for ages 11-13 years. 1pm session suitable for ages 14 plus. Cost is $25 per person, limited places, bookings required.
When: Tuesday 17 September, 10am - 12pm and 1-3pm.
Where: Caloundra Regional Gallery, 22 Omrah Avenue, Caloundra.
Details: Visit Council’s Gallery website.
Welcome sporting heroes home
Dress the whole family in green and gold and come along to give our returning Olympic and Paralympic athletes a welcome home to remember.
Sunshine Coast Council and Noosa Council are proudly hosting the region’s official athletes welcome home celebration, don’t miss this special event.
When: Tuesday 17 September, 10.30am – 1pm.
Where: Foundation Square Park, next to the Sunshine Coast Council City Hall, 54 First Avenue, Maroochydore.
Emma Memma Boop and Twirl Tour
Emma Memma is heading back out on her big, bright, orange Butterfly Bus to tour around the country bringing the Boop and Twirl Tour to Aussie families far and wide. Sing, dance and sign with Emma Memma and her friends, Elvin Melvin, BB Butterfly, Waffles the Wombat and their favourite Memma Mates!
Families will be treated to a sprinkling of Emma Memma’s classic songs on the Boop and Twirl Tour as well as new favourites like ‘Pasta Necklace’, ‘Twirl Twirl with Emma’ and ‘Boop on the Nose’ and the new ‘Twirly Tunes’ album.
Families are encouraged to dress in Emma Memma and Elvin Melvin’s favourite colours: orange, pink and green.
When: Tuesday 17 September, 10am and 12pm.
Where: Venue 114, 114 Sportsman Parade, Bokarina.
Details: Visit the Venue 114 website.
Shorebird Festival
The whole family is invited to welcome migratory shorebirds back to the Sunshine Coast these school holidays.
Celebrate their arrival with two free family-friendly events that will be jam-packed with fun activities for everyone.
Learn about the amazing journey migratory shorebirds take to return to their summer home and the threats to survival they face.
Secure your free tickets to the shorebird festival at events.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au by searching “shorebirds”.
When: Saturday 21 September, 8am – 12pm (Golden Beach) and Sunday 22 September, 8am – 12pm (Maroochydore).
Where: Fraser Park, Golden Beach and Cotton Tree Park, Maroochydore.
Details: Visit eventbrite.
Live music outdoors
Set amongst the spring flowers and the grandeur of gum trees, Seasonal Sessions is like a big community picnic with songwriters intimately serenading the sunset.
Creative activities for the kids and plenty of space to play make this a fun family event.
This iteration features an all-female line-up, including: Tess Fapani duo, Demi Casha and Lizzy Lamborn.
When: Saturday 21 September, 2.30-6.30pm.
Where: Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Garden, Palm Creek Road, Tanawha.
Details: Visit eventbrite.
Printmaking with the sun
Create fun and funky pictures for your wall with 2024 Sunshine Coast National Art Prize finalist, Kalyanii Holden.
Capture the energy of the sun and print images of found objects and nature onto paper.
Watch images form before your eyes creating fun and funky pictures for your wall.
10am session suitable for ages 11-13 years. 1pm session suitable for ages 14 plus. Cost is $25 per person, limited places, bookings required.
When: Tuesday 24 September, 10am - 12pm and 1-3pm.
Where: Caloundra Regional Gallery, 22 Omrah Avenue, Caloundra.
Details: Visit Council’s Gallery website.
Teen nature photography
Come for a walk and learn how to capture the magnificence of the Maroochy Wetlands Sanctuary with eco trail-blazer Spencer Hitchen. Suitable for ages 10 plus years. Registrations essential, cost is $10 per person.
When: Thursday 26 September, 9–11am.
Where: Maroochy Wetland Sanctuary, Sports Road Bli Bli.
Details: Visit eventbrite.
Attention young artists
Wild HeART celebrates biodiversity and connection to nature through young creative excellence.
In 2024, the much-anticipated natural illustration competition is keeping it local and heading into the field.
Children and young people aged 5 – 18 years old, who live in the Sunshine Coast or surrounding local government areas are invited to enter original artworks that capture our beautiful native species and the places they belong.
We want you to connect with your local environment, to learn about the plants, animals and fungi that you see and reflect that incredible biodiversity and sense of place in a creative piece.
Finalists will share in a $500 prize pool and be exhibited throughout the summer holidays at Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Garden.
Entries close October 7 and must be submitted online.
When: Until October 7.
Where: Sunshine Coast or surrounding local government areas.
Details: Visit Council’s Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Garden website.
Museum Mystery Madness
Museum Mystery Madness offers a great family day out as you crack codes and solve clues at eight local museums across the region.
Throughout September, simply visit a participating museum and complete the quiz for a chance to win one of five $50 school or office vouchers. Plus, there’s a Lucky Dip prize during the school holidays.
Each museum has its own intriguing collection and its own individual mystery quiz. You can take part in one or visit them all.
To explore further, download the Sunshine Coast Discovery Guide - your ultimate guide to our region’s incredible cultural heritage.
When: September.
Where: Museum’s throughout the Sunshine Coast.
Details: Visit Council’s Heritage website.
Sunshine Coast Libraries
Prepare for a splendiferous Roald Dahl themed adventure at Sunshine Coast Libraries these school holidays.
Explore the library and take on a challenge of Dahl-tastic proportions, search the library for hidden images in a scavenger hunt, or get hands on making your own bookish badges using literary quotes and images or make your own wondercrump design. Compete against friends and family in a board game extravaganza.
Get all the details via the Library website https://library.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/whats-on/holiday-activities
Bibliophile badges
Make your own badge using literary quotes, images or create your own wondercrump design. For ages six plus, no registration required.
- Caloundra Library, Monday 16 September, 10-11.30am
- Maroochydore Library, Tuesday 17 September, 10-11.30am
- Coolum Library, Wednesday 18 September, 10-11.30am
- Beerwah Library, Thursday 19 September, 10-11.30am
- Nambour Library, Monday 23 September, 10-11.30am
- Kawana Library, Wednesday 25 September, 10.30am-12pm
Biffsquiggling Scavenger Hunt
Search the library for all the hidden images. Can you find them all? For all ages, no registration required.
When: From September 14 – September 28 during open hours.
Where: Beerwah, Caloundra, Coolum, Kawana, Kenilworth, Maleny, Maroochydore and Nambour Libraries.
The plexicated, phiz-whizzing, inky-booky library challenge
Calling all human beans! Can you complete the plexicated, razztwizzler, inky-booky library challenge during your visit to the library? Find the games card in your local library and complete all the challenges. For all ages, no registration required.
When: From September 14 – September 28 during open hours.
Where: Beerwah, Caloundra, Coolum, Kawana, Kenilworth, Maleny, Maroochydore and Nambour Libraries.
Splendiferous activity station
Think you know Roald Dahl? Visit your local branch on an activity day for quizzes, word finds and colour ins. For all ages, no registration required.
Where and when:
- Maroochydore - Monday 16 September
- Nambour - Tuesday 17 September
- Caloundra - Tuesday 17 September
- Maleny - Wednesday 18 September
- Kawana - Thursday 19 September
- Kenilworth - Friday 20 September
- Maroochydore - Monday 23 September
- Caloundra - Tuesday 24 September
- Coolum - Tuesday 24 September
- Beerwah - Wednesday 25 September
(All available during open hours on these days).
Games day
Challenge your family and friends to a games day extravaganza! Choose from a wide range of board games at your local library. Who will be the champion? For all ages, no registration required.
When: From 14 September – 28 September during open hours.
Where: Beerwah, Caloundra, Coolum, Kawana, Kenilworth, Maleny, Maroochydore and Nambour Libraries.
Kids holiday pack
Get hands on and explore the wonders of art and creativity by building a DrawBot.
For ages six - 12 plus years. Register for a pack via the libraries website. Collect from your branch from Saturday 14 September.
Kids holiday pack contains:
- DrawBot.
- All necessary parts and tools.
You will need to supply two AA batteries for the kit to work.
Adventure Sunshine Coast
Looking to get outdoors with the family these school holidays?
For more than 250 walking, running, paddling, cycling, mountain biking and horse riding trails on the Sunshine Coast, visit Council’s Adventure Sunshine Coast website and choose your next adventure.
Need even more school holiday inspo?
Why not pack a picnic and visit one (or many!) of Council’s marvellous parks and gardens, make a splash at a Council aquatic centre, hone your skills at a Council skate and bmx park, or snap a selfie along Council’s scenic Coastal Pathway.
Planning a trip to the beach?
Wherever you’re heading, make your visit memorable for the right reasons with the BeachSafe app.
You’ll find the latest information about every Australian beach on the go, learn how to spot a rip, find beach patrol times and locations as well as beach conditions and hazards.
Add it to your homescreen and remember to always swim between the red and yellow flags.
National Art Prize exhibition and activities
Visit Caloundra Regional Gallery to enjoy the Sunshine Coast National Art Prize exhibition.
Vote for your favourite artwork for a chance to win, try your hand at the self-guided printmaking activity in the Artroom or grab a clipboard and follow the kids’ art trail.
Free entry and activities, open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am.
Cheap travel
Rethink the way you travel for the school holidays! Could you drive there for 50 cents? Reach your favourite destinations with Translink’s 50 cent public transport fares across Queensland.
Visit Translink’s website to find out more and to plan your route. Top tip, you’ll need a go-card, which you can get from bus and train stations.
When: From August 5 for six months.
Where: Sunshine Coast bus stops and train stations.
Details: Visit Translink’s website.