Easter school holiday activities
There’s something for everyone these Easter school holidays across the region.
Younger kids will enjoy loads of art and craft, mini workshops, an interactive strolling story winding through the botanic gardens as well as facepainting and fun activities at River Wharves and in the city for April’s City Heart Friday.
No excuse for the older kids not to get out of the house with the library team hitting the road with a roadshow just for teens, free yoga sessions, a mini terrarium workshop and a range of activities at the Sarina Youth Centre including baking and making wearable art!
Make sure to check out all the activities and follow the Facebook pages of the facilities for more information and updates.
> Aquatic facilities
Bluewater Lagoon
Open 7 days, from 9am to 6pm
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
> Libraries
Bookings for these activities, other than drop-in days, are required via Eventbrite for all attendees.
Strolling Stories
Until Monday, April 22
Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens
Experience Berky and local book ‘Birds Don’t Have Birthdays’ as you have never seen before. Enjoy a stroll in the beautiful Botanic Gardens and read the book panels as you walk. Scan the QR code on the panels to activate the interactive panels. This experience is suitable for all ages and abilities.
Drop-in Days
Tuesday, April 2, to Friday, April 12
Mirani, Sarina and Walkerston libraries
Imagine, construct and create.
Children aged five to 12 years are invited to drop in during library open hours and discover the range of construction resources.
Holiday Craft for Kids
Tuesday, April 2, 9.30am to 10.30am – Walkerston Library
Tuesday, April 2, 2pm to 3pm – Mirani Library
Wednesday, April 3, 9.30am to 10.30 – Gordon White Library
Thursday, April 4, 10.30am to 11.30m – Dudley Denny City Library
Friday, April 5, 9.30am to 10.30am – Sarina Library
Join us for a fun morning of string shenanigans as we unravel the secrets of basket weaving and master the art of crafting fabulous friendship bands. This activity is suitable for school aged children from five to 12 years of age. Bookings required.
Bedtime Stories
Thursday, April 4, 5pm to 6pm
Gordon White Library
A fun evening for children from birth to eight years of age and their families. This session features rhymes, stories, songs and a craft activity. Don’t forget to wear your pyjamas! Bookings required.
Movie Matinee
Friday, April 5, 2pm to 4pm
Gordon White Library
Join us for an afternoon movie and popcorn. This event is for children aged five to 12 years old. Bookings required.
Drop-In Craft
Monday, April 8, to Wednesday, April 10
All library branches
Snip, stick and create.
Children aged five to 12 years are invited to drop in during library open hours work on collage creations.
Libraries Out and About - Kids Fun at River Wharves
Wednesday, April 10, 9am to 11am
River Wharves, River Street, Mackay
Join us for some school holiday fun at the River Wharves, together with our friends from Active Squirtz and Carlie’s Fascinating Faces. Learn what Libraries have to offer, engage in an interactive Story Time with songs, rhymes and dance and explore a range of resources which support children’s physical development.
Library of Things
Monday, April 8, 2pm to 3pm – Sarina Library
Tuesday, April 9, 10am to 11am – Walkerston Library
Tuesday, April 9, 2pm to 3pm – Mirani Library
Wednesday, April 10, 2pm to 3pm – Gordon White Library
Thursday, April 11, 2pm to 3pm – Dudley Denny City Library
A roadshow for teens aged 12 to 18 years where we'll showcase STEAM kits, ukeleles, 3D printers, Lego, boardgames and much more!
> Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens
All activities are free and require adult supervision. For bookings or questions, call 4952 7300.
BOOKED ACTIVITIES
Children's Mini Painting Workshop with Kate Kennedy Art (BOOKED OUT)
Friday, April 5, 10am to 11am
This popular workshop with local artist Kate Kennedy is already booked out.
Kids' Mini Terrarium Workshop
Wednesday, April 10, 10am to 11am
Botanic Gardens Meeting Room
Cost: $5
Make a mini terrarium with the Botanic Gardens team! All materials are provided. Suitable for kids aged 10-16 years. Bookings required, phone the gardens on (07) 4952 7300. Payment is required at time of booking to confirm your spot.
Yoga in the gardens with Karla (partnered with the Libraries team)
Friday, April 12, 9am to 10am
Tropical Sun Lawn
Join us on the lawn in front of the café, bring your own mat or borrow one of ours. This basic session is for beginners of all ages with no prior experience required. Delivered by Mackay Meditation. Bookings are essential for this FREE activity via Eventbrite.
DROP-IN ACTIVITIES: NO BOOKING NEEDED
Evolution of plants and plant fossils display and craft activities
Wednesday, April 3, and Thursday, April 4, 10am to 3pm
Botanic Gardens Meeting Room
Come along to this FREE drop-in session with the Garden Friends in the Meeting Room to step back in time and look at some plant fossils, find out some of the plants that were around when dinosaurs roamed and create your plant fossil to take home. A guided walk in the Coal Garden will be offered to see some of the prehistoric ancestors on display and find out more about plants through time.
Kids' outdoor games with the Libraries team
Wednesday, April 3, 10am to 12 noon
Tropical Sun Lawn
Join the MRC Libraries team with FREE outdoor games on the beautiful Tropical Sun Lawn. No bookings necessary, just turn up and enjoy!
SELF GUIDED ACTIVITIES: NO BOOKING NEEDED
Strolling Story Trail - "Birds Don't Have Birthdays"
Friday, March 22, to Monday, April 22
Featuring 14 panels over a 350m looped route, starting just past the Malta Garden and bocce court, visitors to the gardens can follow Berky the brush turkey on his travels around the Mackay Region.
Prehistoric plant "I Spy"
Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm (excluding public holidays)
Find some of the living ancestors of plants on display in the botanic gardens. Available Monday to Friday when the Botanic Garden Visitor Information Centre is open. Suitable for kids aged four to eight years.
Tibbles Hunt
Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm (excluding public holidays)
Tropical Shade Garden
Drop into the Botanic Gardens Visitor Information Centre to collect the free self-guided kids' activity sheet. Suitable for kids aged five to ten years.
Any day or time
Additional self-guided print your own activity resources can be found here.
REGULAR EVENTS
Free Guided Walks
Wednesdays, 9am to 4pm (commencing April 3 until end of June)
Fridays, 10am to 11am (commencing April 5 until end of October)
Meet at the Botanic Gardens Visitor Information Centre
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
Lagoons Gallery Exhibition – ‘Through Our Child’s Eyes’ by Kylie Ferriday
Wednesday, April 3, to Sunday, April 28 (except public holidays)
Weekdays, 9am to 2pm and weekends, 8am to 3pm
Lagoons Gallery and Café
Throughout life our imagination and creativity tend to harden. We see a tree as a tree. A bird as a bird. ‘Through Our Child’s Eyes’ is a series of painting by children artists showcasing how they see the birdlife around us. Celebrating the uniqueness of how our brains see, process, and then express our creativity is fascinating. Let’s take a look at our own bird life through ‘our child’s eyes.’ Kylie Ferriday.
> Mackay City and Waterfront
City Heart Friday - FREE kids activities
Friday, April 5, 4.30pm to 5.30pm
Wood Street near Fifth Lane entrance
Join in the FREE school holiday fun for the kids with facepainting, kids games and live music! Stay in the city afterwards for dinner and shout the family ice-cream.
Yoga for Youth
Thursday, April 4, 4.15pm to 5.15pm
Thursday, April 11, 4.15pm to 5.15pm
Rivers Wharves, River Street, Mackay
Join in FREE yoga sessions for teens aged 11 - 18 years at the new River Wharves precinct along the river. The class will be a 60 minute Vinyasa (flowing) Yoga Class exclusively for teens. This class is suitable for beginners through to advanced yoga students and is safe and supportive space for teens to explore the many benefits of yoga, to connect with other teens and more importantly, themselves. You do not need to be flexible or even 'enjoy' exercise to reap the many benefits of yoga - this class is about mindful movement, working our body in a different way, finding calm in the chaos of busy minds and connecting with ourselves. This class is delivered by Rebecca Cooper, an experienced secondary health and physical education teacher, fitness instructor, personal trainer and yoga teacher, with a passion for youth health and wellbeing. Bookings are essential. Limited spaces so book today!
Kids Fun @ River Wharves
Wednesday, April 10, 9am to 11am
Rivers Wharves, River Street, Mackay
Don't miss the FREE kids' fun at River Wharves these school holidays with...
9am to 11am - Facepainting
9.15am to 10am - Active Squirtz
10am to 1.30am - Mackay Regional Council Libraries 'Storytime'
10.45am to 11am - Mackay Regional Council Libraries 'Playtime'
For more information, visit Mackay City and Waterfront's Facebook page.
> Sarina Sugar Shed
Mad Hatters Tea Party (BOOKED OUT)
Thursday, April 4, 2pm to 4pm
Follow the white rabbit down the rabbit hole to a Mad Hatter Tea Party! This year we are sending everyone through to an epic tea party, Easter egg hunt, craft activities, face painting, balloon twisting and of course, make your own fairy floss!
Special kids tours of the Sarina Sugar Shed
10.30am every day of the school holidays except Good Friday (March 29)
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.
WEEK ONE
Monday, April 1 - Closed
Tuesday, April 2 - Chillax: Enjoy the start to the holidays
Wednesday, April 3 - Baking: Make and eat delicious treats
Thursday, April 4 - Wearable Art: Bring a piece of clothing to decorate
Friday, April 5 - Water fight!
WEEK TWO
Monday, April 8 - Game Zone: Verse friends in PC, X-Box and board games
Tuesday, April 9 - Taco Tuesday
Wednesday, April 10 - Youth Week Art Workshop (limited spaces)
Thursday, April 11 - Deadly Choices Community Day: Join us at the junior rugby league grounds
Friday, April 12 - Youth Fest 2024 : Celebrate Youth Week in Mackay. Transport provided to the 10 youth who participate in the Art Workshop.
Contact: Mackay Regional Council
Phone: 1300 MACKAY (622 529)
Email: council@mackay.qld.gov.au