September School Holidays

Catch our free outdoor film festival for kids and families, with a selection of green-themed animations and documentaries. The program includes the 2024 documentary about the power of youth-led climate action, Future Council; animated musical-fantasy FernGully: The Last Rainforest; Oscar-winning animated feature Flow; and the original fairytale-with-a-difference, Shrek.

A drop-in activity and installation for kids and adults. Participants will get muddy, playing with cob – an ancient, reusable building material – to create a metropolis made of mudbricks. For all ages!

Legendary performance artists Betty Grumble and Dandrogyny lead a workshop and performance experience in the Test Garden for kids and their grown-ups, encouraging empathy, curiosity, and wonder about the natural world.

A self-directed creative activity, inspiring kids to learn all about butterflies. Pick up an activity sheet from The Atrium and follow the map to the Test Garden on top of Fed Square’s car park. Kids will search for butterflies among the blooming spring flowers and learn about the different species common to our urban environment, and what their markings mean.

Drop by the Atrium to experience interactive displays, musical plants, hands-on activities, workshops and discussions for all ages, celebrating 60 years of protecting nature with the Australian Conservation Foundation. Write a love letter to nature, join an artist-led drawing workshop where you can draw one of Australia’s threatened species, or compose a tune on some playable plants.

Bring your kids to the Test Garden for an indigo dye workshop with Heather Thomas. In this fun, drop-in workshop, create your own beautifully patterned indigo textile to take home.

Television presenter dirtgirl and everyone’s favourite gardener Costa Georgadis (aka Costa the Garden Gnome) host this year’s Big Toy Swap. At this free community event, you can refresh your child’s toy box with new-to-them alternatives. Designed with zero waste principles, The Big Toy Swap encourages reusing before binning, getting those toys destined for landfill into the hands of kids who will love them.

Presented with Zero Waste Victoria .

Presented as part of Power Move for Melbourne Fringe Festival, ‘The Square’ is a fun, live, participation event hosted by young people. Part performance, part social survey, ‘The Square’ invites you to physically respond to ongoing statements by stepping into the zones marked “Yes”, “No”, “Maybe”. The pop-up, interactive Power Move stage will be open to the public throughout the festival (30 September–19 October), with lots of different events planned each day, so be sure to check out the full program.

Throughout the school holidays, ACMI will be screening a series of popular, family-friendly Studio Ghibli films, including Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, My Neighbour Totoro, Ponyo and Porco Rosso.

This free and interactive exhibition at ACMI features playable videogames, movie sets, iconic costumes and props, travelling across time and cultures to explore the screen-based art, film, TV and videogames that changed the world.

Spanning over 50 years of play, Game Worlds features more than 30 videogames from the 1970s to today, with 44 playable moments alongside original builds, rare design materials and hands-on prototypes you won’t find anywhere else.

Led by Tricia Van Der-Kuyp (Wiradjuri), kids will work side-by-side with a First Peoples artist who encourages breaking the rules of art. Each kid will have a blank skateboard deck on which to create their own mixed media artwork. Tricia will demonstrate a range of skills and techniques for explore their own style. Registrations are required, places are limited.

Join Tricia Van Der-Kuyp (Wiradjuri) in a collaborative artistic project creating a paper quilt. Referencing traditional quilting block designs as well as personal symbols, Tricia will guide child and adult pairs in contributing to a larger design. People will have access to collage, drawing, painting and more to create their piece of the quilt. Registrations are required, places are limited.

With the pending deadline for entries into the Koorie Art Show for Young Mob, KHT invites young First Peoples creatives to come along to make an artwork for the exhibition, with support from dedicated and experienced artists and many materials provided. Registrations are required, places are limited.

Join Sammy Trist for a beautiful session of crafting a mini coolamon, furnished with real possum fur. A coolamon is a First Peoples vessel with curved sides sometimes used to carry babies. Possum fur is very significant in South East culture, as a material which provided warmth and culture identity.

Join Sammy Trist for a session of painting with natural ochre. You’ll have the opportunity to paint with a variety of ground ochre on different natural items including gum leaves and paperbark.

Join Donna Blackall (Yorta Yorta) in this free workshop to learn the craft of traditional coil weaving with natural materials, such as New Zealand Flax, to create a small basket or object. This workshop is part of our monthly weaving sessions, and we welcome those participants who have attended previously as well as beginners.

This workshop is booked out, but you can join the waitlist.

Join Aunty Glenda Nicholls (Waddi Waddi, Ngarrindjeri and Yorta Yorta) and Emma Salmon (Nyikina and Celtic) for a two part workshop for kids all about string!

KHT invites you to join Aunty Glenda Nicholls (Waddi Waddi, Ngarrindjeri and Yorta Yorta) in a very special and exclusive opportunity to learn the art of pine needle weaving. Learn about the cultural significance of this craft, material and the importance of Country.

This workshop is booked out, but you can join the waitlist.

Are you working on your art folio at school or perhaps you enjoy drawing in your free-time? Sharpen up your observational drawing skills with artist Lily Mae Martin in these drop-by drawing sessions just for teens.