G’day, and happy almost Australia Day! If you’re like me, you love the idea of a public holiday but spend the week leading up to it trying to figure out how to keep the kids entertained without them bouncing off the walls. You want them to have fun, maybe learn a little something about why we celebrate, and most importantly, burn off enough energy so they crash at a reasonable hour.
I’ve been there. Staring at the calendar, realising that the BBQ doesn’t start for hours and the kids are already asking for screens. So, I’ve put together a list of 15 cracking Australia Day activities for kids that are actually doable. No overly complicated crafts that require a trip to a specialty store. Just good, old-fashioned Down Under fun.
Kick Off with Some Classic Crafty Fun
Let’s be honest, getting the craft supplies out is always a bit of a gamble. It could result in a masterpiece, or it could result in glitter permanently embedded in your floorboards. But for Australia Day, I’m willing to take the risk. These are my go-to, low-mess (okay, lower-mess) favourites.
1. Handprint Wreaths (The Ultimate Keepsake)
I love a good handprint craft because it captures them at that exact moment in time. For this one, you just need some paper plates (cut the centre out to make a ring), and some red, white, and blue paint.
Get the kids to paint their hands and stamp them all over the paper plate ring. Once it’s dry, you’ve got a wreath that’s uniquely theirs. I’ve still got a few of these from when my eldest was in preschool, and they’re pure gold. It’s way better than buying something plastic from the shop, IMO.
2. DIY Boomerang Decorations
Okay, so we aren’t throwing these inside the house (please, let’s not). Grab some thick cardboard, draw a simple boomerang shape, and cut it out. Then, let the kids go to town decorating them.
Grab some:
- Paint in traditional Aboriginal dot-painting styles (a great chance to talk about the significance of this art form).
- Textas for some vibrant, quick-drying colour.
- Glitter glue because, well, it’s Australia Day.
Once they’re done, you can stick them on the fence outside or tape them to the windows as decorations. They look way more personal than a tacky banner from the reject shop.
3. Googly Eye Gum Leaf Creatures
This one is pure silliness, and my kids absolutely love it. Next time you’re at the park, grab a handful of fallen gum leaves (the big, broad ones are best). When you get home, break out the glue and a pack of googly eyes.
Suddenly, those boring leaves become a family of wattle birds, kookaburras, or just weird little leaf monsters. It’s cheap, it gets them outside, and the results are always hilarious. Ever wondered why a googly eye makes everything instantly funnier? It’s a scientific fact. 😀
Get Them Moving with Outdoor Games
If your house is anything like mine, the real goal is to get the kids outside and running around. Here’s how we trick them into some active play.
4. The Great Vegemite Taste Test
This is less of a game and more of a hilarious social experiment. Grab some crackers and a few different spreads. You’ll need the star of the show, Vegemite, but also have some Promite and Marmite on hand if you can find them.
Get the kids (and willing adults) to do a blind taste test. Can they tell which is which? The faces they pull are absolutely priceless. Just have a glass of water ready. FYI, the results can be surprisingly divisive!
5. Backyard Obstacle Course
This is a classic for a reason. Use whatever you’ve got lying around to create an Aussie-themed obstacle course.
- The Billabong Jump: Lay out a blue blanket or a rope in a circle. They have to jump over the crocodile-infested billabong!
- The Tunnel of Doom: An old cardboard box or a chairs-and-blanket combo they have to crawl through.
- The Koala Climb: They have to climb over a big pile of couch cushions (the “gum trees”) to get to the other side.
Time them and see who can get the fastest lap. It’s a guaranteed way to burn off that morning tea energy.
6. Cricket on the Lawn
Let’s be real, is it even Australia Day without a game of backyard cricket? You don’t need proper gear. A plastic bat, a tennis ball, and some bins for wickets is all it takes.
The rules are simple: no LBW, “one hand, one bounce” is fair game, and if you hit the ball into the neighbour’s yard, you have to retrieve it. It’s tradition! This is the perfect activity to have running while the snags are on the BBQ.
Cool Down with Tasty Treats
January in Australia is hot. Like, “melt-a-chocolate-bar-on-the-dashboard” hot. So, we need activities that involve cooling down.
7. Make Your Own Lamingtons
I know, I know, turning the oven on in this heat seems insane. But you can cheat! Grab a store-bought plain sponge cake or even some pound cake from the supermarket. Cut it into squares.
Set up a “lamington station” with:
- A bowl of chocolate icing (just mix icing sugar, cocoa powder, and a bit of boiling water).
- A bowl of desiccated coconut.
Give the kids forks or skewers to dip the cake squares in the chocolate, then toss them in the coconut. It’s messy, it’s delicious, and it’s a true blue Aussie icon. Pop them in the fridge to set for a perfect cool treat.
8. Fairy Bread Frenzy
This isn’t so much an activity as it is a requirement. If you have kids and you’re celebrating Australia Day, there must be fairy bread. Full stop.
The rules are strict:
- It must be made on soft, white bread.
- It must be spread with margarine or butter (real butter is best!).
- It must be covered entirely with hundreds and thousands (the round, coloured sprinkles, not the long ones).
Let the kids make their own. They’ll eat half the sprinkles before they even hit the bread, but that’s part of the fun.
9. DIY Fruit Flag Platter
This one makes them feel like they’re helping with the party food, and it gets some fruit into them. Win-win.
On a large rectangular platter, help them arrange:
- Strawberries (halved) in the top left corner for the Union Jack.
- Blueberries next to the strawberries for the blue background.
- Sliced bananas or cheddar cheese cut into stars for the Southern Cross.
Arrange the rest of the platter with sliced mango, watermelon, and kiwifruit. It looks amazing and is surprisingly easy for little hands to help with.
Quiet Time Indoor Activities
There comes a point in the afternoon where the sugar rush from the fairy bread hits, peaks, and then crashes. This is when you need calm.
10. Story Time with Aussie Classics
Head to the library beforehand or dig through your own book collection. Read some of the best Australian picture books.
Our family favourites include:
- Possum Magic by Mem Fox
- Wombat Stew by Marcia K. Vaughan
- Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French
Snuggle up on the couch in the air conditioning and read about all the wonderful Aussie animals. It’s a lovely way to connect the day back to our unique wildlife.
11. Paper Plate Wombats
Since you’ve already got the paper plates out from the wreath activity, put them to good use again. A plain paper plate is the perfect shape for a wombat’s face.
Grab some grey or brown paint, some googly eyes (always!), and some small circles of black paper for the nose. Glue them on, and you’ve got a whole mob of adorable, chubby-cheeked wombats staring back at you. So much cuter than the ones that dig up your lawn, right? :/
12. Colouring Sheets Featuring Australian Icons
Sometimes you just need something simple. A quick Google search for “Australia Day colouring pages” will give you hundreds of free printables.
Look for sheets featuring:
- The Australian flag
- The Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House
- Native animals like kangaroos, koalas, and echidnas
Put some pencils out on the table, put on some ABC Kids listen, and give yourself a moment to drink your coffee while it’s still hot. You deserve it.
A Bit of Learning and Music
We want them to have fun, but it’s also nice to weave in a little bit of culture and history.
13. Have a Family Trivia Session
This one works best for slightly older kids. Come up with a list of easy, fun questions about Australia.
Some ideas to get you started:
- What is the capital city of Australia? (Trick question! It’s Canberra.)
- What animal is on our 50c coin? (The echidna.)
- Name three animals that have a pouch.
You can do it for prizes, or just for the fun of knowing stuff. It’s a sneaky way to educate them without them realising they’re learning.
14. Create Your Own Playlist
Music is the soundtrack to any good party. Get the kids involved in building the ultimate Australia Day playlist.
Our playlist must-haves include:
- “Down Under” by Men at Work (obviously!)
- “You’re the Voice” by John Farnham
- Some classic Aussie kids’ music like The Wiggles or Justine Clarke
- A bit of Crowded House for good measure
Crank it up and have a family dance-off in the lounge room. It’s impossible to be in a bad mood when “Down Under” is playing.
End the Day with Something Special
As the sun starts to go down and the day winds up, this is one of my favourite moments.
15. Glow Stick Magic and Sparklers
You can’t have a winter bonfire night in January, but you can have a glow stick party. Once it gets dark, hand out glow sticks and bracelets. The kids can run around the backyard looking like little aliens.
And if your kids are old enough and you’re in a place where it’s legal and safe, sitting with a sparkler (with very close supervision, of course) is a magical way to end the day. Watching them trace shapes in the air as the light fades is a pretty perfect way to cap off celebrating this great country of ours.
So, there you have it. Fifteen ways to fill your Australia Day with fun, food, and a little bit of chaos. Pick a few, go with the flow, and remember that the best-laid plans often go out the window when kids are involved. And that’s okay.
Have a ripper Australia Day, and enjoy the public holiday!
