The best 10 things to do in Brisbane over the autumn school holidays
From free museums featuring interactive kids’ activities to mini golf at Victoria Park, incredible live shows and more, there’s plenty of autumn fun on offer for Brisbane kids.
You only just turn your back on Christmas and summer and the April school holidays come crashing in on you to ensure that you are yet again faced with the juggle of managing kids and life and ensuring that it all runs smoothly for another two weeks.
Fret none! We have compiled a great list of the best 10 things to do this April school holidays in Brisbane that will have your kids working off those Easter chocolates and claiming to have had ‘the best holidays ever’.
Australian autumn school holiday dates 2024
NSW: 15 April to 26 April 2024
Victoria: 28 March to 14 April 2024
ACT: 13 April to 29 April 2024
Tasmania: 13 April to 28 April 2024
South Australia: 13 April to 27 April 2024
Western Australia: 29 March to 14 April 2024
Northern Territory: 6 April to 14 April 2024
Queensland: 2 April to 14 April 2024
Autumn school holiday ideas for Brisbane kids
1. Lord Mayor’s Children’s Program
Step into a world of wonder and excitement these holidays as Brisbane City Council presents the Lord Mayor’s Children’s Program, Curbside Carnies.
This free performance is produced by Sophie deLightful and will keep audience members entertained as they visit the curious world of circus and fun. Guests will be greeted with colour and sparkle at this not-to-be missed performance as roving performers guide audience members to their seats.
Keep an eye out for face-painting fairies who will work their magic on the audience as they wait for the show to start. This one-hour circus variety show will feature some of Brisbane’s best performers will feature in this one-hour circus variety show that will delight people of all ages from the young to the young at heart.
- Date and time: Thu 11 Apr 2024, 11:30am to 12:30pm and Thu 11 Apr 2024, 2:30pm to 3:30pm
- Ages: all ages
- Cost: FREE
- Venue: Main Auditorium, Brisbane City Hall, 64 Adelaide Street, Brisbane City
2. Museum of Brisbane
With a fun adventure available every single day of the week, there’s so much to see and do at MoB these April School Holidays.
- Gather up your little art lovers and go on a special tour of their exhibition Rearranged: Art of the Flower. Tailored exclusively for young, curious minds.
- Be inspired by Rearranged: Art of the Flower leadlight craftsman Julian Podmore as you make your very own light catcher to take home!
- Get crafty as you contribute to their beautiful textile healing garden with Artist in Residence, Hiromi Tango. A free drop-in making activity, everyday!
- Teens are invited to create plant inspired prints using the unique Gelli Plate technique.
- Unlock your inner detective with an exciting game of Little Artist’s Eye Spy and discover details you might otherwise have missed.
- Take in sweeping views of the city from the top of the Clock Tower with a tour.
Dates and session times vary, so please check individual activities for more details. Find out more about the Museum of Brisbane’s school holiday activities here.
3. Putt Putt at Victoria Park
Packed with an array of activities catering to every member of the family, Victoria Park is a day full of excitement and enjoyment. Challenge your skills on our exhilarating putt putt course, unleash your inner golfer at the driving range, and indulge in the delightful offerings of their Bistro with its inviting alfresco dining spaces and seasonal delicacies.
But the fun doesn’t end there! For Bistro patrons, delight your little ones with complimentary access to our on-site kids’ playground. Plus, on weekends, dive into a world of giant games including chess, Jenga, and badminton, all free of charge!
4. Visit Jurassic World by Brickman® at the Queensland Museum
An adventure 6 million LEGO® bricks in the making. If you have a LEGO® lover or a dinosaur lover in your midst, you’re going to want to add a visit to the Queensland Museum to your school holiday bucket list. The large-scale LEGO® brick dinosaurs roared into Queensland Museum when Jurassic World by Brickman® exhibition opened on 8 December 2023.
- Pricing: Adult – $29.50, Concession – $27, Child – $19.90, Family – $84
- Dates: until 14 July 2024
5. Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq
You know what they say! The family that slays (zombies) together, stays together. Take the kids for an epic, fun filled day (or night) out at Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq. With arcade games, bowling food and drinks on offer, this is one school holiday idea that will have the kids in the car (with their shoes on) before you can finish your sentence.
Our tip: Buy the hourly passes for maximum game action and book in bowling and a pizza at the end. Between the VR games and the dance mat, they will be happily exhausted on the car ride back home.
6. Take them to a show!
There are lots of kids shows every set of school holidays – but particularly this April! Our picks?
Try these ones:
- Brisbane Arts Theatre – Danny Champion of the World
- Powerhouse – Dinosaur Time Machine
- Brisbane Entertainment Centre – Marvel Universe Live
- The Wiggles Groove Tour – Fortitude Music Hall
7. Cross River Rail Experience Centre
Did you know, the Cross River Rail Experience Centre is open, and it is the perfect destination for curious minds of all ages. The Centre is fully interactive and immersive. Go and explore Brisbane, from the past to the future, and learn about the science behind a once-in-a-generation project that is Cross River Rail.
This April you can enjoy these hands-on experiences:
- Tessellations
- Bottlecap creation
- Lego City Build
- Stations Sculpture & more.
As well as the above events they have a VR Station and a Reality Theatre that has been created in partnership with the Queensland Museum, to ensure every experience is world-class, fun and informative. You can find the Experience Centre at 151 Elizabeth St, Brisbane. And exploring it should take about an hour or so. It is open weekdays from 10am – 4pm, and weekends 10am – 2pm. It is closed Tuesdays.
8. Do something for the whole family for under $50
We know that the cost of living is hurting right now, so take a look at these 25 things you can do across Brisbane (not just in the school holidays) for $50 or less for 2 adults and 2 kids. Some of our favourites are:
- Unleash your inner scientist at Sparklab at the Queensland Museum
- All aboard – head to the Ipswich Rail Museum
- Take in a show at the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium
- Cuddle a deer at the Lyell Deer Sanctuary
- If you’ve ‘goat’ time head over to the Naughty Little Kids for a goat farm tour
Find the full list of 25 family friendly activities for $50 or less here.
9. Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens
When was the last time you just went on a picnic with the kids and let them run around? April is the ideal time to just slow down and hang out as the weather is usually not stinking hot and often dry.
The Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens will take you on a horticultural world tour over 52 hectares, with Australian and tropical rainforests, a formal Japanese Garden and Bonsai House, lagoon, bamboo grove, and desert amongst your many stops. For the children there are a number of playgrounds and lawns to explore, but the highlight of their day will be the ‘Hide and Seek’ adventure trail. The Hide and Seek trail is a real head-turner with 17 secret objects hidden up, down, and all around, including musical bats, giant dragonflies and many more strange and wonderful creatures.
10. Ride the rides at Disneyland – no really!
Can’t go out!? No worries – there is plenty of fun to be had at home. Now you can experience the happiest place on earth, from your couch. OK, so you won’t be actually getting on a plane and going to Disneyland, but you can ride the rides virtually and trust me your kids will love it!
Along with virtual museum tours, there are so many different virtual rides you can take from your couch at home! From the spectacular Thunder Mountain roller coaster to the Seven Dwarfs mine train, there is a ride to take the fancy of everyone in the family. Who said staying at home sometimes during the school break isn’t fun!?
