What’s on for kids over the winter school holiday

A full program of winter school holiday activities will be offered by Central Coast Council between Monday, June 28, and Friday, July 9.

Council’s Director of Community and Recreation Services, Julie Vaughan, said the program included a wide range of online and face-to-face activities to keep young minds entertained and bodies moving throughout the winter break.

“Families can head to the School Holidays What’s On page on the council’s website to see everything that’s taking place,” Vaughan said.

“From live entertainment, arts and crafts and skills training to sports challenges, robotics and DJ workshops, there’s something on offer for all ages, interests and abilities.”

The fun starts on Monday, June 28, with an online family trivia challenge celebrating children’s book favourites between 11am and noon.

Participants are encouraged to dress up as their favourite book character and join the challenge via Zoom or Kahoot.

This activity is suitable for children aged six or over but those under the age of 12 must be supervised by an adult throughout.

Children from across the Coast are being encouraged by Star 104.5FM and the Gosford Regional Gallery to pick up their coloured pencils and create an artwork that can be dropped off at the gallery throughout the holidays.

Entry is free and on Sunday, July 11, at 3.30pm all the entries will be judged and two lucky entrants will win a $100 gift voucher for their efforts.

The Peninsula Leisure Centre is also offering an intensive school holiday learn-to-swim program, 9am-12.30pm each weekday across the two weeks while a basketball clinic commences at Niagara Park Stadium on the first Monday of the holidays and runs from 3.30pm-5pm on June 28 and 29 and July 5 and 6.

The instructor-led program suitable for aged seven to 12 will introduce participants to the skills of basketball and help them transition towards joining a team.

(Bookings are essential and can be made by calling 4325 8199).

The popular “Get Your Game On” program will also return to Erina Library each weekday during the holidays from 9.30am-3.30pm.

Families can visit the library and challenge each other to a board game including Uno, Jenga, Connect 4 and chess.

The online Great Recycle Maker Challenge is another way to keep children aged six to 12 occupied during the winter school holiday.

Children’s design and engineering skills will be put to the test as they use recycled materials to solve the challenge.

Elsewhere, children are encouraged to bring a parent or grandparent along to the Yarn Bombing activity to take place at Kincumber Library from 11am to 1pm on Wednesday, June 30.

They will learn how to use wool in all kinds of ways from wrapping to knitting and crocheting to decorate a tree in the library’s courtyard into a colourful piece of fibre art.

This activity is for children aged six and up.

At Kariong Library, a Dungeon and Dragons role playing game session will be held for ages 12 to 17 on Thursday, July 1, from 11am-3pm.

The session will use pre-made characters to introduce new players to the game with the view to commence a regular meeting following the school holidays.

A Healthy Gamer Workshop will be held at the Hub, Erina on Thursday, July 1, from noon- 4pm, while

Erina Library will focus on China in a Read Around the World event on Friday, July 2, from 10am-11am.

A special guest will be reading stories in Chinese and English suitable for ages four up to eight.

Kincumber Neighbourhood Centre and the Council’s youth services team are hosting a day of creative fund for 10 to 17-year-olds who like creative arts on Tuesday, July 6, from 11am to 3pm.

Tickets to the art program including refreshments are $10 per workshop and places are limited so register via the Kincumber Neighbourhood Centre website.

The Street Art on Canvas workshop will run from 11am-1pm and will be an introduction to layering, stencil art, spray art and patterns.

A Manga drawing with Manga artist Matthew Lin will take place from 1.30pm-3pm focusing on step-by-step Manga/anime, comic creation and general cartooning.

Participants can also pre-register for a free one to one bite sized DJ taster session (held around the workshop program) where Podgirl will teach the basic functions of a DJ controller and how to mix two songs.

Those who love to skate and want to learn more skate skills can sign up for the free Umina session of the Bowl Groms Skate Skills School Holiday Workshop on Tuesday, July 6, from 11am-noon.

A Hogwarts Wizard Tournament tabletop gaming event will be held at Erina Library from 11am-1pm on Tuesday, July 6, for ages 12 to 17.

Kariong Library will host a Rangers of Shadowdeep tabletop game session for ages nine to adult from 11am-1pm.

The finale of the holiday program will be the 2021 Youth In Performing Arts (YIPA) Presentation Night at Laycock Street Theatre on Friday, July 9, at 7.30pm showcasing the talent of youth performers from across the Central Coast.

More information is available about all events included in the Central Coast Council’s school holiday program via the events section of its website.

Bookings are essential for most events along with adult supervision for children under 12 and numbers are limited for in-person events due to COVID19.

Bookings can be made via the council website or through a library branch or the activity venue.

Source:
Central Coast Council website