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Easter school holiday guide for Melbourne and Victoria 2024
With the Easter school holidays kicking off on Good Friday, here’s a guide to the best budget and family-friendly events and things to do in Melbourne and Victoria.
Running from 29 March to 14 April 2024, 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.
Easter school holidays guide: things to do in Melbourne and Victoria
Family-friendly holiday activities in Melbourne
Try to avoid jail at Monopoly Dreams Melbourne
Melbourne CBD
Monopoly Dreams Melbourne is an immersive take on the popular board game, giving visitors the Chance to win Monopoly money, battle their way through a laser maze, explore Mr Monopoly’s mansion, experience a 4DX movie, and play games to get out of jail. Bookings are recommended over the Easter holidays.
RACV Members save on tickets to Monopoly Dreams Melbourne.
Take a ride on Puffing Billy
Belgrave
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.
Have a 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.
See a blockbuster movie
Around Melbourne and Victoria
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 Kung Fu Panda 4 and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
RACV Members save up to 40 per cent* when pre-purchasing movie tickets for Hoyts, Village, Palace, IMAX, Moonlight and Event Cinemas.
There's plenty of activities to keep the kids entertained at Gumbuya World. Image: Gumbuya World
Head to a theme park
Around Melbourne and Victoria
Victoria is a state full of great theme parks for all ages; the hardest part will be choosing which one to go visit.
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.
If you’re in Melbourne, St Kilda’s Luna Park is an amusement park with a range of rides and attractions for all ages, while Chadstone’s LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre is an indoor activity centre with rides, a 4D cinema and, of course, plenty of LEGO® to play with and keep children entertained.
RACV Members save on tickets to many theme parks in Victoria.
Strike a pose at ArtVo
Docklands
Great photo magic awaits at ArtVo, in Melbourne’s activity hub for kids, the Docklands.
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.
Have a fun day out with the family making photographic memories.
RACV Members save on tickets to ArtVo.
Come face to face with marine creatures at SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium
Melbourne CBD
Melbourne’s SEA LIFE Aquarium features over 10,000 underwater creatures to see and learn about, including sharks, penguins, crocodiles, and seahorses.
Their latest exhibit, Night on the Reef, takes visitors through an underwater wonderland in the newly renovated oceanarium for a fascinating journey below the sea.
RACV Members save on SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium tickets.
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:
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 Grease the Musical, the arena spectacular based on the popular film that starred Olivia Newton-John; Groundhog Day the Musical, the latest twist on the musical genre from Tim Minchin; and Wicked the Musical, the prequel to The Wizard of Oz.
RACV Members save on a range of entertainment experiences with Ticketek.
Best short stays for families around 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.
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.
Book a stay RACV Goldfields Resort so that you're close to the action.
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 are popular Victorian holiday destinations.
Take the family around the Phillip Island Nature Parks. See marsupials up close at the Koala Conservation Reserve, or head on a virtual trip to Antarctica at the Nobbies Centre. You can also interact with farm animals on Churchill Island, and visit the iconic penguin parade, where you’ll see members of the largest fairy penguin colony in the world waddling up to say hello.
See the sights and relax at nearby RACV Inverloch Resort.
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.
From a cuddle with a koala at the Moonlit Sanctuary to a roam around the Ashcombe Maze and Lavender Gardens in Mornington, there’s plenty for families to do just an hour or so out of Melbourne.
Experience the magic of medieval times at Kryal Castle. Image: Visit Victoria
Best day trips for families and kids around 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.
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 mist? 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, or this delicious hot cross buns recipe.
Mini bakers will have a blast at the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie in Healesville. Image: Visit Victoria
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 here.
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 the Melbourne Museum.
Victoria and Melbourne's best libraries offer families a 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.
