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2025 Easter school holiday guide for Melbourne and Victoria
With the Easter school holidays kicking off in April, here’s a guide to the best budget and family-friendly events and things to do in Melbourne and Victoria.
Running from 5 - 21 April 2025, here’s the best things to see and do over the school holidays, from the best attractions, day trips and free activities, to ideas for a fun day at home.
RACV Members save more on a host of fun family experiences, including Puffing Billy, Sovereign Hill, SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium, Luna Park, Kryal Castle and more.
2025 Easter school holidays guide in Melbourne and Victoria
Family-friendly holiday activities in Melbourne
Spot marine creatures at SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium
Melbourne’s SEA LIFE Aquarium features over 10,000 underwater creatures to see and learn about, including sharks, penguins, crocodiles, and seahorses. These school holidays will be extra special, as the aquarium celebrates its 25th birthday. Pesto, the famous giant penguin, also celebrated his first birthday this year!
You can become a certified Turtle Rescuer these school holidays at SEA LIFE Melbourne's Turtle Rescue Station. You'll don a lab coat and participate in hands-on activities like identifying injuries, checking turtle x-rays, and releasing rescued turtle toys into the pool. Turtle Rescue is included with all general admission tickets during the April school holidays.
RACV Members save on SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium tickets.
Take a ride on Puffing Billy
The Dandenong Ranges make for a beautiful day immersed in nature. Take a hike, walk through the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden, and stay for lunch.
Best of all, ride on the historical steam train Puffing Billy and enjoy the amazing views of fern gullies and temperate rainforest. Young and old will love dangling their feet over the side of the carriage as the train chugs along the mountain track, which is more than 100 years old. RACV Members save on Puffing Billy Railway tickets. Make sure to book in advance to avoid disappointment.
See a blockbuster movie
The cinema is a great place to spend time with family and friends, no matter the season. The Easter break means there’s plenty of family-friendly movies on this school holidays, including:
- The Lost Tiger (G) - a plucky young tiger on an epic quest to save his homeland.
- Paddington in Peru (PG) - Paddington goes on a South American adventure with his family to find his Aunt Lucy and uncover secrets about his past.
- Moana 2 (PG) - Moana and Maui go on a new voyage to Oceania after receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors.
- Magic Beach (G) - a group of children and a dog enter a dreamy seaside world, bringing their imaginations to life.
- Snow White (PG) - a new live-action version of the classic Disney tale with original songs.
- Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up (CTC) - Porky Pig and Daffy Duck go on a sci-fi comedy adventure during an alien invasion.
- A Minecraft Movie (CTC) - the first-ever big screen, live-action adaptation of Minecraft, the best-selling video game of all time. Four misfits are pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination.
- Dog Man (G) - when a police dog and his human police officer owner are fused together, Dog Man must stop the evil plots of feline supervillain Petey the Cat.
RACV Members save up to 40 per cent* when pre-purchasing movie tickets for Hoyts, Village, Palace, IMAX, Moonlight and Event Cinemas.
Catch the latest family-friendly flick these school holidays. Image: Getty
Head to a theme park
Victoria is a state full of great theme parks for all ages; the hardest part will be choosing which one to go visit. RACV Members save on tickets to many theme parks in Victoria. Bookings are recommended over the Easter holidays.
The biggest Victorian theme parks are Gumbuya World in Tynong North, which features water rides, thrill rides, an animal park and explorer playground, and Adventure Park Geelong, which is home to the biggest water park in the state. Funfields is another amazing theme park in Whittlesea, complete with a heated wave pool and lazy river. If you’re in Melbourne, St Kilda’s Luna Park is an amusement park with a range of rides and attractions for all ages.
Strike a pose at ArtVo Docklands
Photo magic awaits at ArtVo, in Melbourne’s Docklands District activity hub for kids. In this immersive 3D gallery, trick imagery makes your photos appear as optical illusions and puts you at the centre of it all. You might find yourself sitting in a fairy jar, in the clutches of King Kong, saving someone on a broken bridge or going to sleep in a mermaid’s clam.
RACV Members save on tickets to ArtVo.
Play games at The Social Quarter, Chadstone
Roll up with the kids to Chadstone Shopping Centre's entertainment precinct, The Social Quarter, for a wealth of fun and games to enjoy with the whole family. Play through a creative mini golf course at Holey Moley, compete in immersive game rooms at Hijinx Hotel, or tackle arcade games at Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq. The onsite LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre offers LEGO®-themed rides, a 4D cinema, and plenty of LEGO® to play with.
Try a new activity
Do you have an experience you’ve always wanted to try but never found the time? School holidays offer the perfect opportunity to break up the routine and do something different. Why not try:
Catch some thrilling rides at a theme park near you these holidays. Image: Visit Victoria
Musicals and shows in Melbourne over the April school holidays
Melbourne is Australia’s cultural capital, with plenty of great shows and musicals that will entertain the family over the school holiday break.
Some family shows in April include:
- the Boy & the Ball (5 April) - designed for 3-4 year olds
- The (Very) Big Laugh Out (18 April) - a huge, all-ages day of comedy at Fed Square
- CIRCUS The Show (18-20 April) - a family circus spectacular
- KABOOM! (18-20 April) - an explosive science show
- Comedy Club for Kids (5-20 April) - suitable for kids 6 and over.
RACV Members save on a range of entertainment experiences with Ticketek.
There's always something fun to see at the theatre.
Best family getaways in Victoria over the school holidays
Go back in time to Ballarat
A great holiday hotspot full of activities for the kids, step back in time with a trip to Ballarat in Victoria’s Goldfields region. Book a stay RACV Goldfields Resort so that you're close to the action.
Pan for gold and visit a pantomime at Sovereign Hill, try axe throwing and view a jousting demonstration at Kryal Castle, visit native animals at Ballarat Wildlife Park or simply explore the great things to do with kids in the region.
Take a walk on the wild side in Phillip Island
Full of nature parks, animals, beaches and activities, there’s a reason Phillip Island and nearby Inverloch, where you can have a relaxing stay at RACV Inverloch Resort, are popular Victorian holiday destinations.
Take the family around the Phillip Island Nature Parks: see marsupials up close at the Koala Conservation Reserve, head on a virtual trip to Antarctica at the Nobbies Centre, interact with farm animals on Churchill Island, and visit the iconic Penguin Parade to see the largest fairy penguin colony in the world waddling up to say hello.
Get adventurous on the Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula is the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, while not travelling too far from Melbourne to feel that holiday vibe. It's also close to the RACV Cape Schanck Resort for convenient access to everything the peninsula has to offer.
From a cuddle with a koala at the Moonlit Sanctuary to a roam around the Ashcombe Maze and Lavender Gardens, riding the Arthurs Seat Eagle or snorkelling with sea dragons at Port Phillip Bay, there’s plenty for families to do just an hour or so out of Melbourne.
The Mornington Peninsula is full of beautiful beaches to explore. Image: Visit Victoria
Best day trips for families in Melbourne and Victoria
If you’re looking for a great day trip, from quirky offbeat towns to the best and most popular day trips from Melbourne, there are plenty of places to visit around Victoria.
Cruise down the Great Ocean Road to the iconic Bells Beach region in Torquay, or head to Queenscliff to see the dolphins and seals as they swim and dance across the sea. Or perhaps you’d prefer a day feeding kangaroos and visiting galleries and restaurants around Healesville and the Yarra Valley? You could also consider having a peaceful picnic in Daylesford or spend a day searching for dinosaur fossils in Inverloch.
Wherever you go, check the weather and be well-informed of any safety precautions. Ensure you have an emergency kit in the car, and check your emergency roadside assistance policy is up to date.
Mini bakers will have a blast at the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie in Healesville. Image: Visit Victoria
Free school holidays activities in Melbourne and Victoria
Explore a new playground
Enjoy the best playgrounds in regional Victoria and Melbourne. Whether your kids love playgrounds shaped like a pirate ship, exploring musical play equipment, tackling obstacles or an old-fashioned swing and slide, a playground is the perfect place for some free outdoor fun.
Have a family bake day
Do you have a budding sous chef in your midst? Spend time with your children in the kitchen and help them make their own marvellous creations. Try these child-friendly recipes from the RACV Club kitchen, including easy sausage roll recipe, the popular mini pancake cereal recipe, or this delicious hot cross buns recipe.
Go on a scenic hike
Make the most of the autumn season by exploring the best picturesque walks around Melbourne and Victoria. Whether you want to see colourful foliage, go on a family-friendly walk, discover a fun dog trail or enjoy a nature hike around the state, there's always somewhere new to explore on foot. And best of all – these experiences are free.
Get on your bikes and ride
Dust off the bikes and head on a family ride around your suburb. It’s free, fun and a healthy way to experience the great outdoors. Try one of these family-friendly bike routes and pedal past sculptures of our solar system along Port Phillip Bay, or ride through parklands and past the Melbourne Zoo on the Capital City Trail. Don’t forget to brush up on the latest cycling road rules.
Visit libraries, galleries, and museums
Did you know that many libraries, galleries and museums have free entry and activities over the school holidays? The NGV, ACMI and the Australian Music Vault all have free entry to selected exhibits, while kids under 12 are also free to visit The Heide Museum of Modern Art, Scienceworks, the Immigration Museum and Melbourne Museum.
Victoria and Melbourne's best libraries offer families another place to explore history and literature, while the best modern art galleries in Melbourne and regional Victoria offer the chance to see thought-provoking art.
Free day trip guides
Did you know there are ways to explore greater Victoria without breaking the budget? Check out our guides on how to have a fun, free day in the Yarra Valley, Ballarat, Mornington Peninsula and Geelong, as well as Melbourne.
