Easter school holiday activities

Published: 28 Mar 2023

Entertain the kids these Easter school holidays with the following activities across the region.

> Artspace Mackay

Superpowered on Tour

Saturday, April 1 to Thursday, April 6
Tuesday, April 11 to Sunday, April 16
Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 3pm

Superpowered on Tour is coming to Artspace Mackay during the April school holidays bringing creative activities for children, families and people of all ages and abilities. Created by the Children’s Art Centre in collaboration with four Australian artists – Kaylene Whiskey (Yankunytjatjara people), Tony Albert (Girramay/Yidinyji/Kuku Yalanji peoples), Gordon Hookey (Waanyi people) and Vincent Namatjira (Western Aranda people) – who use their voices and their art to empower Aboriginal people and create inspirational imagery for all children. The free and fun activities will focus on strong empowering messages and humour. Superpowered on Tour is brought to Artspace Mackay by Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) Children’s Art Centre.

> Aquatic facilities

Easter Pool Party

Sunday, April 9, 10am to 2pm
Pioneer Swim Centre, North Mackay

Join in the Pioneer Swim Centre’s Easter Pool Party. A day of fun, leisure activities including the blow up ‘croc drop’, Easter egg hunt, egg spoon races, sausage sizzle and more! $25 entry for families and $7.50 for single entry. Follow their Facebook page for more details.

Bluewater Lagoon

Open 7 days, from 9am to 5pm
River Street, Mackay

Cool down and splash around with the whole family at the free, three-tiered Bluewater Lagoon. Overlooking the picturesque Pioneer River in the heart of the Mackay City Centre, the facilities provide the ideal stinger-free environment for kids and adults alike. Kids will love the newly renovated and modern children’s play area! For more details visit mackay.qld.gov.au/bluewaterlagoon

> Greenmount Homestead

Greenmount Homestead tours

Monday to Wednesday and the last Sunday of each month
One-hour tours: 9am, 10am, 11am, noon
Greenmount Road, Walkerston

Take a step back in time and educate your children on the history of our region when you explore the iconic Greenmount Homestead. As one of Mackay’s most valued historic attractions, the grounds contain several buildings including a 1915 Queenslander homestead which houses a collection of more than 20,000 historical items. Admission fees: adults $7, concession $5, child (5-18) $3, child (under 5) free. Group discounts apply. Visit www.mackay.qld.gov.au/greenmount for more information.

> Libraries

Bookings for these activities, other than drop in days, are required via Eventbrite for all attendees.

Easter for Kids

Monday, April 3, 9.30am to 10.30am – Sarina Library
Tuesday, April 4, 9.30am to 10.30am – Walkerston Library
Tuesday, April 4, 2pm to 3pm – Mirani Library
Wednesday, April 5, 9.30am to 10.30am – Gordon White Library
Thursday, April 6, 11am to noon – Dudley Denny City Library

Children aged five to 12 years, hop into your local library for some egg-cellent Easter fun! Join us in creating Easter-themed craft for some-bunny special these school holidays. Bookings required.

Will Robots Take Over the World?

Monday, April 3, 11am to 12pm – Sarina Library
Tuesday, April 4, 11am to noon – Walkerston Library
Tuesday, April 4, 3pm to 4pm – Mirani Library
Wednesday, April 5, 11am to noon – Gordon White Library
Thursday, April 6, 2pm to 3pm – Dudley Denny City Library

Will Robots Take Over the World? Not if you know how to program them! Come check out the robots we have on hand at the library and have an overview of how you make them do what you want them to. This event is for young adults aged 12 to 18 years. Bookings required.

Puppets and Pyjamas Bedtime Stories

Thursday, April 6, 5pm to 6pm
Gordon White Library

Join Ros from Wild Puppets for an evening of family fun. This event is suitable for children aged two to ten years of age and their families. Don’t forget to wear your pyjamas! Bookings required.

DROP IN DAYS

Magformers

Monday, April 3, to Friday, April 14
Mirani Library

Click. Connect. Create.
Magformers are educational construction toys for children of all ages that allow you to build your own magnetic 3D structures. A world of exploration and discovery, limited only to your imagination. No bookings required.

Bamboo Construction

Monday, April 3, to Friday, April 14
Sarina Library

Engineer. Design. Build.
Children are encouraged to explore, investigate, develop ideas and find new ways of thinking, creating and building. No bookings required.

Lego

Monday, April 3, to Friday, April 14
Walkerston Library

Imagine. Connect. Construct.
Lego encourages children to explore, design, create and play. No bookings required.

> Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens

All activities are free and require adult supervision. For bookings or questions, call 4952 7300.

BOOKED ACTIVITIES

Children’s Photo Walkabout
Saturday, April 1, 10am to 11am

Learn the basics of photography from our Photo Walkabout guides. Suitable for ages 8 and up. Bookings required as spaces are limited. Phone 4952 7300 to book your spot.

DROP-IN ACTIVITIES: NO BOOKING NEEDED

Rock Painting
Wednesday, April 5, 9.30am to 11am
Wednesday, April 12, 9.30am to 11am

Join us on the Tropical Sun Lawn to paint a rock and find out some handy tips for rock hunting in the Botanic Gardens.

Eggs and Seeds
Tuesday, April 4, 10am to 3pm
Wednesday, April 5, 1pm to 4pm

Join Maya from Garden Friends in the Meeting Room to learn about different seeds and enjoy a ‘Plant a Seed, Grow and Mind’ activity.

SELF GUIDED ACTIVITIES: NO BOOKING NEEDED

Tibbles Word Search
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm *excluding public holidays

Tibbles the friendly garden gnome is adventuring through the Tropical Shade Garden during the holidays. Find all the hidden gnomes to discover the secret code. Suitable for kids aged 5-12 years.

Seed Detectives
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm *excluding public holidays

Get your senses working by guessing which seeds from the Botanic Gardens are in the mystery boxes. Suitable for kids aged 5-12 years.

Any day or time
Additional self-guided print your own activity resources can be found here.

REGULAR EVENTS

Free Friday Guided Walks
Every Friday starting April 14, 10am to 11am       
Meet at the Botanic Gardens Visitor Information Centre
Starting April 14, discover the Botanic Gardens with your guide on a free guided walk. Find what’s flowering, some of our rare and special plants and perhaps some wildlife spotting. To book your spot, phone the Botanic Gardens on 4952 7300. Group bookings are welcome and available upon request.

Bocce in the Gardens
Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm (except public holidays)
Malta Garden’s Bocce Court
$5 for hire of bocce set
Did you know that bocce is one of the most popular and oldest games throughout European countries? Test your skills at our bocce court in the Malta Garden. Bocce sets are available to hire ($5 per set) from Botanic Gardens Visitor Information Centre. Bookings are not required.

Mackay Park Run
Every Saturday, 7am to 8am       
Meet at Tamarind Carpark (near playground)
A 5km run/jog/walk put on by the community for the community every Saturday morning for all ages. Come together to enjoy our beautiful natural environment and get physically active in the process. Register at www.parkrun.com.au.

Falun Gong Classes
Saturdays, 9am to 11am       
Tropical Sun Lawn
Falun Gong offers relaxation, meditation, inner peace and health through movement. Come along and experience a session in the beautiful surroundings of the Botanic Gardens. Free activity with no bookings required. Meet under the Mango tree (near café) on the Tropical Sun Lawn. All you need is a yoga mat or blanket and water bottle. For more information, email capcam@bigpond.com

Native Plant Sales
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (except public holidays)
Sundays, 9am to noon

Botanic Gardens Visitor Information Centre
Come along and see what native plants we have for sale. The plants available are suited to the Mackay region, with many species local to the area. They include tree, shrub, climbers and herbaceous species and range in price from $3 to $5. The plants are propagated and grown by NPQ SGAP Mackay branch in the Botanic Gardens nursery. We welcome the return of pots.

Lagoons Gallery Exhibition – “RAW” by Kylie Ferriday
Wednesday to Friday, 9am to 2pm (except public holidays)
Weekends, 8am to 3pm

Easter closure: Wednesday, April 5, reopening Wednesday, April 12.
Lagoons Gallery and Café
Kylie has always noticed every fine detail on our beautiful Australian native flora and fauna. She sees patterns in bark, on the gum leaves, the shapes of the bottlebrush and the crest of a cockatoo. Kylie sees our world in shapes, colour and patterns, then paints those inspirations from her mind’s eye.

> Mackay City and Waterfront

Free Outdoor Movie Night – Celebrating Queensland Youth Week

Friday, April 14, 6pm to 8pm
5 Wood Street (Wood Street Park), Mackay

Check out the youth created paste-up wall, then grab some free popcorn and catch a screening of ‘Back to the Future’. Bring a picnic rug and friends to celebrate the great contribution youth make to our society. Food and drinks will be available for sale from surrounding businesses. Follow the event on Facebook @mackayyouthconnections

Parts: Of the Mind & Self Art Exhibition - Opening Night

Friday, April 14, 5pm to 9pm
75 Victoria Street, Mackay

The exhibition will feature over 75 original pieces of work by local artists, with the theme of 'Improving Mental Health' and sharing lived experiences. Featuring work by Cynthia Gregg, Buttercup Robertson, Dominique Vardanega and Dave Conway, the opening night will include FREE entry, live music, refreshments, a large interactive sculpture for all to get involved and talks by an ambassador from Real Mates Talk. Running from April 19, to April 30, the exhibition will then be open for viewing by the public Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 2pm. This project is supported by Mackay City and Waterfront Make Your Pace Placemaking Grant. To find out more, following the event on Facebook.

> Sarina Sugar Shed

EGGciting Easter Afternoon!

Tuesday, April 4, 1.30pm to 3pm
Come join in an afternoon filled with fun Easter activities including decorating your own Easter basket and cookie, Easter egg hunt, colouring-in activities, pin the tail on the rabbit and Easter bingo. Every child also gets to take home a serve of Sarina Sugar Shed’s fairy floss. Children aged 3-17 cost $7.90. Adults and infants under 3 are free. Bookings required.

Special kids tours of the Sarina Sugar Shed

10.30am every day of the school holidays
Normal tours run 9.30am, 11am, 12.30pm and 2pm
Cost: Adults at children’s prices $13.30 (bookings essential)

This fun, interactive session focuses on the kids, with the added bonus of adults being welcome at kids' prices!

During the 45-minute tour, the kids will discover the growing and harvesting of the sugar cane and complete a hunt for the critters that live in our sugar cane patch. They’ll enter our miniature sugar mill to see how sugar cane is crushed, and sample deliciously sweet sugar cane juice straight from our miniature mill, 'Bill the Mill Junior’.

Special stickers help the kids to understand the machines that work in the process from turning juice into sugar – they can touch and feel the different stages of the production from the bagasse to the sugar and taste the molasses! They’ll also receive a free information sheet at the end and a quick, fun quiz. Finally, everyone gets to a chance to taste our non-alcoholic ginger beer brewed onsite, and freshly spun fairy floss.

For more information or to book a tour online visit sarinasugarshed.com.au.

> Sarina Youth Centre

A variety of school holiday activities are on offer for youth aged ten to 21 years. Bookings are required with 12 spaces available per program. Contact Sarina Youth Centre on 4961 9277 or email sarinayouthcentre@mackay.qld.gov.au.  Keep up to date, follow them on Facebook.

Monday, April 3, 10am to 2pm: Get to know your PLO - Indigenous Police Liaison Officers are coming to hang out at SYC

Tuesday, April 4, 10am to 2pm: Games Day – Verse friends in PC, X-box and board games.

Wednesday, April 5, 10am to 2pm: Swimming – Free entry to Sarina Swim Centre.

Thursday, April 6, 10am to 2pm: Easter Party – Easter egg hunt, baking hot cross buns and more.

Friday, April 7: Centre closed (Good Friday)

Monday, April 10: Centre closed (Good Monday)

Tuesday, April 11, 10am to 2pm: Movie Day

Wednesday, April 12, 10am to 2pm: Convos about Health - QLD Health are ready to answer your questions about all things health

Thursday, April 13, 10am to 2pm: Pool Tournament - Compete to be King or Queen of the table. Prizes up for grabs!

Friday, April 14, 10am to 2pm: Youth Week Event in Mackay. Closed for normal programming. Transport provided to the young people who participated in the collage workshop.

> Ken Burgess Orchid House

Monday to Friday, 10am to 11am and 2pm to 3pm
Sunday, 10am to 2pm
Closed Good Friday, April 7, reopening Wednesday, April 12

Queens Park, Goldsmith Street, Mackay
Kids and adults alike will love the beautiful and rare orchids on display at the Ken Burgess Display House within the beautiful Queens Park. Stroll through the display, which houses an astounding variety of orchids, all flowering at different times of the year.