School Holidays for Kids with Disability, Winter 2026

Last Updated: 07 July 2026, Hits: 64702

School holidays are nearly here again. As winter 2026 is upon us, we search for activities for kids with disability to keep them busy, learning and having fun. Once again, we have a budget-friendly roundup. And bring to you Australia-wide content. From sensory-friendly to online activities, vacation care programs to therapy based activities, outdoor lovers to chess and LEGO enthusiasts, there really is something for everyone. -

Quick Links to Budget-Friendly | Australia Wide | NSW | ACT | WA | NT | QLD | SA | TAS | VIC |

Please check your local regulations and with the event directly to confirm. Of course, we have virtual and online events here to help you out.

Budget-Friendly and Stay-at-Home Ideas.

Your local park, skate park, beach, mountain bike trail or the pump track is a great place to play when the weather is sunny. Pack a picnic and some snacks to avoid a dash to the shops with hungry children in tow. A thermos of hot Milo or your kids' favourite warming drink will be a welcome addition.

For the little ones, have a picnic/ tea party at home. Invite dolls, teddys, and keep the food simple but fun. Fairy bread, mini muffins and a few nice biscuits. Imaginative play is the key here. Set the table, pick a few flowers for a vase and put on some relaxing background music.

Board games and card games can while away hours.

If it's raining, pull out the train set, trains and track and take over the lounge room. You can internet stream Thomas the Tank Engine and play the day away! This also works with Lego and shows like Lego masters.

Kids often love to bake, we have some really simple and fun recipes to cook right here on the ideas website. Bliss Balls, Quick Mini Quiches can be a fun place to start and make for an easy snack.

Check your local nursery or garden centre, ask about simple seeds to grow like alfalfa, mung beans, lentils and grow using water and a jar. Check also for small terracotta pots, grab some paints, a smock, newspaper (to make cleanup easier) and paint away. Children can choose a small plant to grow in their pot (once the paint is dry of course).

On cooler or rainy days places like Museums, Galleries, Libraries, can be great places for activities, and some will have holiday programs or activities in your area too. Libraries may be delivering books in areas where restrictions apply. You can check directly with your local library.

For more budget-friendly fun things at home have a read of our blog designed for staying at home play in What to do in isolation in the School holidays. For a huge collection of activities online, we brought you a list of ideas in Tips to get you through a Stay-cation or Isolation.

Australia Wide

Australian Camps Association Wilderness Escape Outdoor Adventures, Theatrecraft Youth Winter Camps, School Holiday Residential Stays.

Class Bento have deliverable kits with online classes, some run regularly and others you can choose your own time. See Class Bento for the complete online workshop listing.

Virtual Classes Include:
Botanical Bath Bombs
Watercolour for Absolute Beginners
Stained Glass Painting
Beginners Kintsugi
Furniture Chalk Painting
Pasta Making at home
Modern Calligraphy

Learn more about Class Bento and the NDIS .

Early Start Australia (was Skills for Kids.) Therapy services are offered in clinics and school holiday group programs and camps.

Eventbrite - Search for online events that interest you and meet your accessibility needs.

Playgroup Australia runs COVID-Safe Programs through Playgroup at Home. Link to your state or territory through Playgroup Australia on Facebook to find local sessions. PlayConnect Playgroups are designed for families of children aged 0-6 years who have unique needs associated with having an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or autism-like characteristics in communication, behaviour or social skills.

Vision Australia for fun games and leisure activities for children who are blind or have low vision. Find things like

Educational games – tactile and braille options
Jumbo Print Crosswords
Large-Print Sudoku
Talking puzzles with braille
Sudoku braille cubes
Tactile puzzles
Basketball Kit with Buzzer for the rim
or audible cricket and rugby balls.

Other ideas in larger centres are Ten Pin Bowling, Lazer Tag, Botanical Gardens, Cinemas, Bushwalking, check out your local guides to what is on.

NSW

Budget-Friendly

Clever Patch – is budget-friendly if you use your creative kid's voucher. Sand art, Tie Dye, Macrame, STEM and STEAM, Marbling, Papercraft and so much more.
Share our Space in Participating NSW Public Schools. Offer local communities safe green and play spaces during school holiday breaks.

Is your local library delivering books? Some will do so!

Active OT

Holiday Intensive programs – an intensive program of a specific therapy. They also run Camp "Reset". A camp with specialised services for children (and their parents/carers) who present with childhood trauma.

Art Gallery of NSW

Children's Trails for children aged 6-12. Available online and at the gallery with printed free booklets.

Australian Museum – Autism and Sensory Friendly Morning -

SOLD OUT – Join waitlist available.

Visit the Museum in a reduced sensory, relaxed and supportive atmosphere.

Early Birds: Access Mornings provide a reduced sensory, relaxed and supportive environment prior to the Museum opening to the public for the day. This can make visiting the Museum easier for visitors on the autism spectrum or those who have other access requirements, together with their family and friends.
Features:

A supportive environment with limited visitors prior to the Museum opening at 10 am
A designated quiet area for those needing to take a break
A Visual Story with more details on what to expect.
Staff trained in autism awareness and disability
A kiosk for an early morning beverage or snack. The main café will open at 10 am
After 10 am Early Birds are welcome to stay for the remainder of the day

Australian National Maritime Museum

Sensory Friendly Sundays

Enjoy a comfortable environment for kids and adults with a variety of sensory differences. New exhibitions and activity areas will be open extra early and modified for a quieter experience to suit people on the autism spectrum and with a range of differing abilities.

Sunday 19 July 8.30–11.30 am
Sunday 16 August 8.30–11.30 am

Cost
Adult/child: $12
Children under 4 and members: Free
* Min height 90cm for entry to Action Stations and vessels

The City of Sydney - Art and Maker Classes Online

Online tutorials. Feature Auslan interpreting and closed captions in the videos. Videos are step-by-step and presented by experienced artists and makers. Projects for beginners aged 15 years and over. Classes available include -

Making Origami Lampshades
Self-Portrait drawing
Building a Robotic Hand
Still-life drawing.
Downloadable PDF Instructions, materials list and templates are available.

Cerebral Palsy Alliance

CPA run activities through selected NDIS fund categories.

Occupational therapy cooking programs
Multi-sports camps
Pre-writing and handwriting skills
Teen Winter Ski Camp
Young adult getaways.

Coastlink

Central Coast Weekend Club, After School Hanging Out and Holiday programs. Includes trips to Sydney and Newcastle.

Macarthur Disability Services

In the Campbelltown area. For children and young people with a mild to moderate disability aged (7 – 17 years.)

New South Wales Rail Museum Thirlmere.

Steam Train Rides on weekends. On an online activity page, Thomas and Friends share storytime videos and activity sheets.

Northern Beaches Council

A long-day care program. Fun environmental settings, art exhibitions, swimming lessons, theatre programs and library programs.

Playgroup NSW

Budget-friendly option. Explore play, with Baby and Parent Resources the playgroup NSW site, is a wealth of fun play to do at home for both toddlers and babies.

Snowy Valleys

MTB Shuttle days, Sewing, Boot camps, Felting classes, Library workshops, Make and Bake, Weaving, are just some of the activities across the Snowy Valleys Shire.

State Library

A "Kids at the Library" Series.

Audio Guides
Kids Activity Trails
Storytime
Art Club
Creative Kids Boxes and
Young Writers Club.

St George and Sutherland Community College

Tutoring classes for school-aged children.

Sunnyfield

Programs and Hubs. For children and youth Including The Learning Tree and Hang Out Hubs.

Taronga Zoo and Taronga Western Plains

School holiday activities.

Thinklum Robotics School

Popular online and in-house School Holidays Coding Camps. Roblox and real coding.

What's On

Sydney – A trove of online possibilities to select from; check with individual events about access options and prices.

ACT

Canberra Potters
2026 Winter School. Clay and the environment

Spend five days with Ceramic Artist, Julie Bartholomew this June/July. Immerse yourself in the tactility of clay by exploring the relationship between humankind and the natural world.

Canberra Glassworks
School Holiday Program

Unleash your imagination in glass. Under the guidance of some of Australia’s most acclaimed glass artists, you will learn introductory techniques in glassmaking to create your own masterpiece.

Glass Mosaic
Glass Fusing
Glass Blowing
Scratch Board Etching
Engraving
Glass Casting

Christmas In July

The whole event is wheelchair accessible, with accessible parking out the front of the event. There will be 2 disabled access toilets on site.

Please note: The event does not have any audio descriptions or a hearing loop.

Communities @Work
School Holiday Programs

Have school Holiday Programs across Canberra. Fun and a new adventure every day. Daily programs are available for locations across the ACT.

Questacon

Timed ticketed sessions run hourly from 9 am each day. The last session starts at 3 pm. Questacon closes at 5 pm; pre-booked tickets are essential. For accessibility information visit Access at Questacon.

YMCA

Programs in Bungendore, Queanbeyan, and Canberra.

WA

Helping Minds

Each Helping Minds workshop is filled with fun and exciting activities designed for children who are at risk of developing a mental health issue, or who are supporting a family member or friend with mental health challenges.

Places are limited and bookings are essential. To register, or for more information, visit our website or call us on 9427 7100.

NT

Active Activities

A great roundup of what you can do in the school holidays in the Northern Territory. Art, Museums, Ceramics, Entertainment and Arts and Crafts.

QLD

Bazilgrumble

Brisbane and Southeast Queensland. Creative Arts Experiences for a wide range of ages and abilities. It includes

Children's Drama classes
Pottery and Adventure Walk
Hungry Hungry Caterpillars
Early childhood development classes
Birthday party entertainment
Clay animation.

Camp Cooby

For ages 6 to 13. Fun, innovative outdoor explorations and active learning experiences. Leadership camps for ages 12 to 16. Opportunities for teens to challenge themselves. Camp Cooby also run ASD & Social Skills Camps, part of Mindware Psychology Adventure Program (MAP). Helping children discover their compass of life'. The camp builds participants' self-confidence, resilience, and independence in a group setting. Participants will challenge themselves each day. Therapy supports are available to help them with their growth.

Chessmates

Holiday Programs and Tournaments, Chess Lessons, Online Tournaments and courses. An NDIS Registered Provider.

Colour My Pot

Transform an article of pottery into a work of art. 2 hours sessions, Book ahead.

The Workshops Rail Museum, Ipswich

A sensory Friendly Day out with Thomas for children with sensory processing difficulties.

Date: Wednesday 30 June 2021
Time: 8:30am - 11am
Where: The Workshops Rail Museum, North Street, North Ipswich
Cost: Usual general museum entry applies. Bookings are essential!

Meet Thomas & The Fat Controller. Get hands-on in the Thomas Playpit. Find Thomas on the huge model railway. And let off some steam in the indoor adventure playground and expansive grounds.

For this very special morning, the sound will be down in the fun space that children with sensory processing difficulties can share with their families and carers. There will be a tailored performance by The Fat Controller at 9:15 am.

SA

Chesslife

School Holiday Activities at Campbelltown and Mount Barker.

Kids in Adelaide.

July School Holidays 2026. This site lists loads of activities, including free and low-cost options. Programs, Events, Tours, Sports, Drama, Circus Activities, Mini Golf, Tree Climbs, Outdoors Adventures and more.