Overview
The school holidays are upon us once again, which means parents, guardians and eager aunts, uncles and pals are likely on the lookout for ways to entertain the kids in your life. Sometimes the best approach is to leverage the expertise of blue card-wielding professionals, keeping the activity calendar full and the kids away from their screens.
Over the next two weeks, Sydney Olympic Park is hosting a huge lineup of activities encouraging kids to get active — whether they're looking to work on their existing skills or learn new ones under the guidance of some of Sydney's best coaches and professional athletes. Read on to find out more about the venue's stacked school holiday program.
FOR SPORTY KIDS
If you're dealing with a kid who loves to keep active, make a beeline to the Quaycentre. Over the next two weeks it has a jam-packed sports program for kids of any experience level.
Reckon your kid has what it takes to become a football superstar (or just looking for something to kick)? Book them a spot in the two-day Wanderers in the Park, where seasoned coaches will help participants develop their football skills with a focus on technique and game knowledge. They'll also get their own Western Sydney Wanderers training jersey to take home so they can look the part as they keep practicing their skills.
On the indoor courts, Australian Diamonds star and NSW Swifts co-captain Paige Hadley will be running a session for budding netballers of all skill levels. Over on the basketball court, NBL legend Bruce Bolden will put budding ballers through their paces on a two-day workshop for beginners and advanced players through skill development, drills and mini-games.
Meanwhile, professional coaches from Volleyball NSW will lead a fun and educational day for boys and girls aged between 8–14. The afternoon-long program will see little diggers develop their individual skills as well as their team skills via gameplay.
Got a kid who wants to try their hand at a bit of everything? Book them a spot in the all-day multi-sports camp where they can have a go at table tennis, soccer, basketball, netball, gymnastics and more, all under the one roof.
FOR WATER BABIES
Sydney Olympic Park is home to one of the city's premier aquatic centres which is offering up a bunch of activities for kids who can't get enough of the pool.
If they're a natural in the water, book them in for a water polo clinic. Over this 90-minute session, instructors will guide participants through a range of drills like water polo swimming, jumping and defending. They'll also learn the rules through some game-time with their newly acquired skills.
For the kid with no fear, the Aquatic Centre will also host diving workshops these school holidays. These regular sessions will give participants the chance to learn the fundamentals of acrobatics, stretching, safe diving and more from an experienced coach, as they take the plunge off the centre's world-class diving tower.
FOR CURIOUS KIDS
Are the children in your life always outsmarting you? Sydney Olympic Park also has a range of activities to please even the most strategic of kids these school holidays.
The Young Archers sessions are tailor-made for kids aged 7–9. The hour-long sessions cover the basics of the bow-and-arrow sport under the watchful eyes of skilled instructors, and include practice rounds and gameplay. Sounds like something the whole family can get involved in? Kids, parents, grandparents and everyone in between can sign up to the all-ages Sharp Shooters session, which'll be a surefire way to add some friendly family rivalry to the school holidays.
For kids looking to get a little more active, Sydney Olympic Park is home to an excellent outdoor laser tag battlefield. Kids can join forces with their mates and duck and weave behind blockade bunkers and walls as they try to outsmart the opposition with laser tag weapons and props. These fully supervised sessions have different challenges and games to keep participants entertained throughout.
If your little one is looking to have fun and learn new skills in a non-competitive environment, sign them up to a circus arts or flying trapeze workshop. At these immersive classes held on the expansive outdoor grounds of Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, kids will get to try their hand at activities including juggling, pyramids, low aerials, hula hooping and tight-wire. They'll also get to test their above-ground skills on the flying trapeze.
Sydney Olympic Park has a jam-packed program of fun activities for kids to take part in these school holidays, from circus arts to creative writing and more. For the full lineup and to book, head to the website.