The NSW school holidays in 2021 run from Monday 28 June – Friday 9 July. This period is known as winter vacation.

If winter is your jam, then the pop-up Winter Village will be right up your slope. From June 19 to September 12, the winter wonderland will be taking over Prince Alfred Square in Parramatta, setting up a giant ice-rink, a pop-up bar and kitchen that’ll serve everything from giant pretzels with chocolate fudge sauce, to plant-based burgers and lobster and prawn rolls, and no less than 20 very photogenic, private igloos.

Running from Saturday June 26 through Sunday July 11, the Dendy Disney Classics Festival is a celebration of the rich history of Disney animation, featuring ten classic Disney animated feature films. From Alice in Wonderland and Snow White, right through to The Lion King and the Emperor’s New Groove, there’s plenty to keep the kids entertained.

During the school holidays, Sydney City Farm in St Peters is operating two limited session family tours, where kids (and adults) can learn how organic farmers work with nature, and get up close to discover insect life around the farm. They’ll also learn how to pot up their own plants and harvest fresh greens before school returns. The tour is suitable for kids aged between 5-10, and all children must be accompanied by an adult. Only two sessions are available on Wednesday July 7, so bookings are essential, however there’s a range of other tours and activities operating during the school holidays.

Frozen Zoo runs everyday from Saturday June 26 through Sunday July 11. The all-ages experience is ideal for the whole family. Set against the backdrop of Taronga’s iconic heritage gates, Frozen Zoo is a mini winter wonderland that offers 45-minute skating sessions where newcomers can practice their skills while learning about penguins.

The Langham, Sydney’s first ever BarbieTM Dreamtopia Afternoon Tea is on weekdays from Monday June 28 to Friday July 9. The event is a morning (or afternoon) full of indulgence, where kids can dress up in whatever they like – from tutus to fairy wings – and enjoy treats like BarbieTM fairy bread, rainbow cupcakes and unicorn cake pops. To balance out the sugar, there’ll also be savoury treats like ham and cheese vol-au-vents and potato gems. There are three sessions per day throughout the winter school holidays. Tickets ($78.00 for kids and $98.00 for adults) are available from the Kitchens on Kent website.

Running from Monday July 5 until Friday July 9, the State Library of NSW is offering free walking adventures through the Mitchell Library, especially for kids. The tour includes a special visit to their new exhibition How’s Tricks? Magic in the Golden Age and brings to life some of the iconic personalities from their Paintings Gallery. Although free-of-charge, the tours do have limited spaces, so bookings are essential.

WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo is a great place for kids to learn about animals while having fun. The Ultimate Kids Pass offers access to 3 of Sydney’s most iconic attractions; SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo and Madame Tussauds Sydney. It also comes with a cool activity booklet, which will guide them (and you) around Darling Harbour.

Ideal for kids with a flair for the dramatic, and those who hold aspirations of one day performing in the world’s most famous Opera House, the Sydney Opera House Junior Adventure Tour gives children a chance to journey beneath the sails and learn what makes Sydney’s most iconic landmark special. It’s filled with interactive activities and games to inspire every little performer to become an expert on the Sydney Opera House. Tours are one hour long and run at 9.30am and 11.30am everyday during the school holidays. Pre-bookings are essential.

Led by the team at Bricks 4 Kidz, The Grounds of Alexandria’s LEGO building workshop is an ideal way to keep the kids entertained, while you relax with a coffee. They can let their imaginations run wild, and use the team’s extensive collection of LEGO pieces to build and create. Even better? They’ll take care of the cleaning up. The event is available in two sessions on Thursday July 8, head to the booking page for full details and tickets.

These school holidays, The Grounds of Alexandra is hosting a special live performance for kids, their parents and their teddy bears. Hosted by Perth-born musician and performer Jemma Armstrong, the experience features music, movement and audience participation, inspired by the much-loved children’s classic ‘We’re going on a bear hunt.’

The University of Sydney is encouraging kids to come to the Chau Chak Wing Museum to leave their mark on history these school holidays. They’ll learn how to write their name in hieroglyphs and add it to a block in the Museum’s pyramid. There’s plenty to learn, including why scarab beetles held such a sacred place in ancient Egyptian mythology. Kids will also have the chance to handle ancient Egyptian artefacts from the museum’s collection and ask the experts questions about all things Egyptian.