I know you’re probably still basking in the post-Christmas glow. Your tummies (and fridge) are full of Christmas food, the kids are busying themselves with their new toys, you might even have a few days off work to just relax… life is good.
But I’m going to have to burst your bubble.
Those new toys can only occupy your kids for so long and it will be replaced by the dreaded question… “what are we doing today???”. It might seem like an innocent enough question but it’s often loaded with the suggestion that perhaps we should leave the comfortable cave that is home, and go out for something different.
This is normally when I harangue friends with kids for playdates. Playdates at playgrounds are great because it’s FREE and means you can expend all that energy and not feel guilty about plonking the kids down for screen time later in the afternoon. However, playdates can be especially hard to organise because of differing work schedules – especially if you’re a stay at home mum like me and most of your friends work during the weekdays.
So if you’re looking for something different on the days you have to be self-sufficient… here are some ideas for you!
Fringe
Movies
Outdoor Movies
Free entry at WA Museums
Funmantle
It’s our favourite time of year! Fringe is back and is running from 17th January – 16th February.
What we love about Fringe is that there’s something for EVERYONE, including the littlies! In fact, Fringe has been steadily increasing their family-friendly offerings. There are princesses and bubbles, science and magic… even a scavenger hunt this year!
Unsure of what to pick? Check out these returning acts that caught our eye last year:
Bubble Laboratory – returning this year with a different title
Check out all the family friendly events here
Movies
While we love the Summer holidays, we also know that we’ll need to brace ourselves for the odd 40 degree day… or 5 🥵️
Thankfully, Summer is also the season of kids movies! So if your aircon isn’t working, bundle up the kids and head into the cinemas for some cool comfort. Check out the following movies that are due to be released this school holidays:
Moana 2 – now showing
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – now showing
Mufasa: The Lion King – now showing
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 – 26th December
Paddington in Peru – 1st January
In addition to this, Luna Palace and Perth Festival have teamed up to bring Cine Wonders – a children’s film festival featuring some of the world’s finest family cinema. On top of some delightful offerings, Luna Palace and Perth Festival are working with Sensorium Theatre to host relaxed and inclusive sessions that feature low lighting, lower volume, free movement and sensory items for children to play with.
Outdoor Movies
Our pick is Telethon Community Cinemas . Originally started as Movies by Burswood 22 years ago, it has since raised almost THIRTEEN MILLION dollars for charity! It has now grown to include 4 different venues, making it easy for families to support such a worthy cause this holiday season. If you feel like splurging, make sure you check out South 32 La Grassiere at their Burswood venue – think Gold Class but with food and drinks included in the price tag! For a very reasonable $55 per adult and $30 per child, you are covered for admission, bean bag lounge hire, pizza, popcorn, ice cream and drinks.
Life Boat – FREE movies on Fridays and Saturdays
FREE entry at all WA Museums
No matter where you are in WA, our museums have something planned to keep your curious kids engaged, this school holidays. And the best part? General admission is FREE until 31st March!
In addition to this, entry to Empress Josephine’s Garden exhibition at WA Maritime Museum will be free throughout the free general admission period. However, due to strict capacity limits, make sure your book your entry to this exhibition.
Check out the school holiday program here.
Funmantle (13th – 19th January)
Are you ready for a week of carnival fun? Then head down to Fremantle fort his year’s Funmantle!
Running from 1pm – 7pm daily, soak up the festivities of a traditional fairground with rides, sideshows and games to excite and entertain. There’s also an adventure trail map to discover.. and potentially win $100 Toyworld gift vouchers from.