How to entertain your kids on the Gold Coast these school holidays

You’d be forgiven for not being as excited as your kids for the upcoming school holidays, but the break is a golden opportunity to indulge in some quality family time…and explore your local Gold Coast neighbourhood. 

While you might not be a local yet, our latest Mater Prize Home lottery No. 309 is situated in the stunning waterfront secure gated estate of Serenity Waters in Helensvale and places you in a prime position to enjoy the best of the Gold Coast.

With so many amazing activities to keep your kids entertained over the school holidays, it doesn’t get much easier than entertaining your children on the Gold Coast. These are just some of the best kid-friendly activities on the Gold Coast during the Spring 2023 school holidays.

Face Painting, Fairies and Fun in the Sun at Surfers Paradise

Beach days at Surfers Paradise are even more action packed these school holidays with Cavill Avenue’s special line-up of activities and performances for the kids. From 12pm to 2pm on September 16, 17, 23 and 24, Surfers Paradise’s iconic street will be buzzing with bubble and balloon artists, face painters and fairies, superhero characters, and live performances. That gives you plenty of time to chill on the beach in the morning, check out the kids activities at lunch time, then venture back to the beach in the afternoon for another round of surf, sand and sun.

Workshops and Mini Markets at HOTA

Offering both indoor and outdoor activities for the entire family, the HOTA Precinct is all about the kids over the school break. The Kids Take Over program is a mini fest dedicated to inspiring little minds to follow their creative talents in whichever direction that might take them. They can learn to write like an author, draw like an artist, or mix cool beats like a DJ. Or simply pack a picnic and enjoy a day full of free live music on the beautiful lawns during the three-day line-up of Picnic Parties from Thursday 28 September to Saturday 30 September. Another must-visit event during the school holidays at HOTA is the Mini Marketeers day on Sunday 1 October. Kids can put their entrepreneurial skills into action by hosting their own market stall—or just come along and support these budding business owners by buying their homemade lemonade, custom made jewellery and more.

Petting Zoos and Showbags at Dreamworld

Not that your kids need an excuse to visit any of the Gold Coast’s theme parks over the school holidays, but Dreamworld is giving you plenty of reasons to put your annual pass (a must if you win our latest Mater Prize Home—it’s only 15 minutes from home!) to good use. Hosting a Spring County Fair schedule of events during the September school holidays, there will be a petting zoo for animal lovers, American-style smokehouse eats to feast on, live music and entertainment for an unmissable atmosphere, and showbags, too. And that’s on top of the usual rides, water park fun, and wildlife they already love at Dreamworld.

Dig, Putt and Swing from the Treetops at Thunderbird Park

Surrounded by stunning nature and with so many kid-approved activities to choose from, a visit (or few!) to Thunderbird Park over the school holidays is always a good idea. They can climb and zipline amongst the treetops, go thunderegg fossicking, play putt putt, battle it out during a round of outdoor laser skirmish, get dirty in the mini excavator park specifically designed for kids, or get their adrenalin pumping with a 4WD buggy experience.

Soak up the Sunshine on South Stradbroke Island

With the beautiful spring weather on your side, outdoor adventures are a must these school holidays. And what better way to enjoy the sunshine than with an island getaway. South Stradbroke Island is just a couple of kilometres off the coastline from Runaway Bay where you can catch a ferry (or better yet, get there faster with your own Sea Fox 228 Commander Boat, included in the prize lottery!). On the island you can snorkel, surf, camp, fish, hike and more, all without crowds, cars or a care in the world!

Ready to take the stress out of school holiday planning? Buy your tickets today to win this Mater Prize Home lottery and enjoy all the kid-friendly activities the Gold Coast has to offer on a daily basis. Plus, for every ticket you purchase you’re helping support the life-changing medical research and patient care at Mater.

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