Are you keen to escape the city and get your kids out in nature this school holidays?

Don’t let the cooler temperatures keep you inside – The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan has some fabulous school holiday activities and programs to keep the kids busy and out of the house.

From Aboriginal weaving, holiday theatre and family picnics under the stars, The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan has a program for every family member.

Eco Art for Kids

Dates: Monday 8 and Thursday 18 July 2019, 1pm

Ages: 5 – 12 years

Cost: $22 per child (includes all art materials)

Where: The Bowden Centre

If your child loves plants and animals, is aged between 5 – 12 years and wants to explore their creative side, then this is the workshop for you. Children will play nature-based art games, working with a range of mediums and natural materials to make a series of works, which they can either leave on site or take home.

Click here for more information about the Eco Art for Kids program.

Weaving Class I and II

Dates: Tuesday 9 July 2019, 10am – 12pm (Level I) & 1pm – 3pm (Level II)

Ages: Adults and children aged 10 – 12 years

Cost: $25 per adult and $19 per child ($41 for 1 adult and 1 child per workshop)

Where: The Bowden Centre

The skills and knowledge of the art of weaving and basket making has been part of the Aboriginal culture for thousands of years.

Learn how to identify native plants and how they are utilised by Aboriginal people of Sydney. Join Shared Knowledge weavers and learn how to weave with grasses sourced from the local area.

Note: Children must be supervised by an adult.

For more information or to book your tickets, click here. 

Pizza Party in the Bush

Dates: Wednesday 10 and 17 July 2019, 10am – 12pm

Ages: Adults and children aged 5 – 12 years

Cost: $25 per adult and $19 per child ($41 for 1 adult and 1 child per workshop)

Where: The Bowden Centre

In this game-filled program, children will learn about native Australian plants and how they are used by the Aboriginal people. They’ll put ingredients together to create their own yummy pizzas from materials available in the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan.

Note: Children must be supervised by an adult.

Click here to book your child’s place in the Pizza Party in the Bush program. 

Aboriginal Art Class

Dates: Wednesday 10 and 17 July 2019, 1pm – 3pm

Ages: Adults and children aged 5 – 12 years

Cost: $25 per adult and $19 per child ($41 for 1 adult and 1 child per workshop)

Where: The Bowden Centre

Against the backdrop of the stunning Botanic Garden, adults and children alike can discover native art and culture through hands-on painting and storytelling.

Learn contemporary Aboriginal art techniques and culture and tap into creative talents to paint an Aboriginal art-style souvenir of your own, while gaining an understanding of local Aboriginal culture through the stories of traditional culture and customs.

Note: Children must be supervised by an adult.

Click here for more information.

King and Queen of Green – Holiday Theatre Fun

Dates: Thursday 11 July 2019, 10am – 11am

Ages: Suitable for 5+ years

Cost: $16 per child

Where: The Bowden Centre

Children of all ages will enjoy this fun and interactive outdoor theatre show.

The show explores the topic of landfill and the simple things we can all do at home to reduce the amount of waste. The King and Queen then lead a mini recycling workshop to turn junk into crowns and other royally fabulous jewellery.

The King & Queen of Green have travelled around Australia performing and giving workshops at schools, festivals and events educating audiences about reducing waste to landfill by using composting, recycling and worm farms.

Note: Children must be supervised by an adult.

To find out more and to book your tickets to the King and Queen of Green, click here.

Kids vs Wild: Survivor

Dates: Monday 8 July and Thursday 18 July 2019, 10am

Ages: 5 – 12 years

Cost: $22 per child

Where: The Bowden Centre

Great for getting your kids into the great outdoors, in this program children will join a team of Education Rangers for a morning of survival games, animal tracking and trail making. Kids will also get to create a mud map and follow the nature based treasure hunt whilst having an awesome time out in the Garden.

Book your child into the Kids vs Wild: Survivor program here. 

Science of Stick Engineering

Dates: Friday 19 July 2019, 10am and 1pm

Ages: 5 – 12 years

Cost: $22 per child

Where: The Bowden Centre

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) is an essential part of children’s learning to help them become creative and innovative leaders of our future. In this brand new program at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, kids will work in teams to solve engineering challenges using only sticks!

Who can build the tallest tower? Can you make a floating raft? Bring your kids along to find out.

For more information about the Science of Stick Engineering holiday program, click here. 

Seedlings Nature School

Dates: Winter Program (31 July, 7 August, 21 August, 28 August 2019), 9.30am – 11am

Ages: 2.5 – 5 years

Cost: $100 per term or $25 per taster

Where: The Bowden Centre

Join experienced Early Years Nature Educators from the Garden who will facilitate play-based activities and nature experiences with you and your little one. This special 5-week program aims to help children grow and develop with and in nature.

Children will climb, dig, explore, build, engage their senses, discover and play! Each week’s program is a combination of nature-based activities, games and stories, combined with supervised free-play time in the garden’s nature play area.

Click here book your little one into the Seedlings Nature School.

Science in the Wild: Dinosaurs vs Superpowers

Dates: Sunday 11 August 2019, 11am – 3pm

Ages: All families welcome

Cost: Free

Where: Lakeside Lawn

Batman, Spiderman, Wonder Woman, or Cat woman – we all know about their fantastic strength and abilities. But did you know you can find fantastic superpowers in the Australian Botanic Garden? Families are welcomed to join scientists at their stalls and they will show what amazing superpowers you find in nature. Super sight, super hearing, super strength and camouflage are only some of the capabilities you will discover. The incredible roving Dinosaur will be coming back as well and show you a bit of pre-historic fauna.

Be sure to put on your cape and dress up as your favourite superhero for this great event.

Click here for more information about Science in the Wild: Dinosaurs vs Superpowers.

Picnic under the Stars

Dates: Saturday 17 August 2019, 5pm – 7.30pm

Ages: 5+ years

Cost: $15 per person

Where: Lakeside Lawn

Join The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan for a family friendly “Picnic under the Stars” where the Macarthur Astronomical Society will set up their telescopes for you to peer into, and our local astronomers will explain what you can see in the wide sky over the our beautiful garden.

To book or for more information about this event, click here.