School Holiday Programs in Gold Coast

Summer 2026-27 holiday dates for QLD, and real holiday programs with dates, ages and prices, each checked on the provider's own site.

QLD summer school holidays 2026-27

Saturday 12 December 2026 to Tuesday 26 January 2027

Government schools finish Term 4 on Friday 11 December 2026 and students go back on Wednesday 27 January 2027. Department lists the summer break as Sat 12 Dec 2026 to Tue 26 Jan 2027 (46 days). Independent and Catholic schools can differ, so check your school's calendar.

Source: Queensland Department of Education, checked October 2026.

Holiday programs in Gold Coast (21)

Every program here has published dates and was checked on the provider's own page. Where a provider has not published a price or age range, the entry says so rather than guessing.

Nature, animals and outdoors (10)

A&H Family forest bathing Tallebudgera (Tallebudgera): Sat 12 Dec 2026. All ages. $5, paid in cash on the day. A one-hour family forest bathing session in Schuster Park using the five elements to spark children's imagination and creative play. Open to all family members and friends, no experience or fitness level needed. Meet at the playground next to the carpark; bring enclosed clothing and shoes, a hat, bug spray and a small towel to sit on. 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM. Checked October 2026 on provider site
Summer Junior Holiday Camp 2026 (Gold Coast): Mon 14 Dec to Fri 18 Dec 2026. Ages 9 to 12. $360. A week-long residential holiday camp for children in Grades 4 to 6 at CYC's Gold Coast site. The page lists outdoor activities, games, daily devotionals and prayer; Bible studies are held daily and the camp is open to everyone. Campers must attend the full week and be dropped off and picked up on time. Monday to Friday residential camp. Checked October 2026 on provider site
NaturallyGC Kids - Become a Wildlife Vet (Currumbin): Thu 17 Dec 2026. Ages 4 to 8. Free. A free one-hour workshop where children examine blood samples under a microscope, study x-rays to diagnose wildlife patients, work through case studies and play a poo-identification game, then meet the centre's native animal residents. Only real veterinary examples are used; no live animals are used in the learning activities. Every child and supervising adult needs a ticket and children must be. Checked October 2026 on provider site
NaturallyGC Kids - Birds of Flight (Mudgeeraba): Thu 17 Dec 2026. Ages 7 to 12. Free. A one-hour indoor workshop where children learn where native birds live, what they eat, how to protect their habitats and how to recognise bird calls, and meet a Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, a Laughing Kookaburra and a Tawny Frogmouth. A ticket is needed for every child and supervising adult; large group and vacation care bookings are not accepted. 9:30-10:30am; indoor accessible venue in. Checked October 2026 on provider site
NaturallyGC Kids Rocky Shore Explore (Burleigh Heads): Fri 18 Dec 2026. Ages 6 and up. Free. A one-hour outdoor rock pool exploration led by marine biologists, where kids act as mini marine citizen scientists and learn to identify periwinkles, sea cucumbers, oysters and crabs. Reef shoes or sandals must be worn and times may change with the tide. A ticket is needed for every child and supervising adult. 8:30-9:30am; exact location in confirmation email. Checked October 2026 on provider site
Summer Days Holiday Camp 2027 (Gold Coast): Mon 11 Jan to Fri 15 Jan 2027. Ages 11 to 15. $388. A week-long residential holiday camp at CYC's Gold Coast site for students the page lists as Grade 6-9. Days include outdoor activities, daily devotionals, prayer and worship. Open to everyone; campers attend the full week. Monday to Friday residential camp. Checked October 2026 on provider site
Summer Sessions Holiday Camp 2027 (Gold Coast): Mon 11 Jan to Fri 15 Jan 2027. Ages 14 and up. $388. A week-long residential camp for Grades 9 to 12 at CYC's Gold Coast site with outdoor activities in the hinterland, daily devotions, prayer and worship. Open to everyone; Bible studies are held daily and campers attend the full week. Monday to Friday residential camp. Checked October 2026 on provider site
A&H Hidden gems nature exploration (Main Beach, Mudgeeraba, Hope Island, Runaway Bay) (Main Beach): Tue 12 Jan to Thu 21 Jan 2027. Ages 2 to 10. Free. A free one-hour mini nature adventure workshop held in a different park each session. Each session includes interactive story time, take-home craft activities and a guided nature walk. Registration is required as spaces are limited. 9:30-10:30am. 12 Jan Doug Jennings Park, Seaworld Drive, Main Beach; 14 Jan Hinterland Regional Park, Bertana Drive, Mudgeeraba; 19 Jan Sickle Park, 19 Sickle Avenue. Checked October 2026 on provider site
NaturallyGC Kids - Fascinating World of Sharks & Rays (Broadbeach): Tue 12 Jan 2027. Ages 5 to 9. Free. A free one-hour indoor workshop where children learn about the biology, ecology and conservation of sharks and rays through games and eco-friendly crafts. No live animals are present. Every child and supervising adult needs their own ticket. 9:15-10:15am; indoor accessible venue in Broadbeach, full address in confirmation email. Checked October 2026 on provider site
NaturallyGC Mini Wildlife Fest (Pimpama): Sat 16 Jan 2027. All ages. Free. A free two-hour family event with live native animal displays including reptiles, birds, giant insects, marine touch tanks, waterbugs and furry critters, plus children's face painting, wildlife presentations, community stalls and hands-on activities. Registration is required for every child and adult attending. 10am-12pm; full location sent in confirmation email. Checked October 2026 on provider site

Arts, craft and performance (8)

A&H Christmas hip hop workshop (Broadbeach and Labrador) (Mermaid Waters): Mon 14 Dec to Tue 15 Dec 2026. Ages 8 to 14. Price not published. A one-hour drop-off hip hop session led by Miss Ebony of Ebony Dance Company, where kids learn hip hop moves, play games and dance to festive music. No experience needed and there are best-dressed prizes. Parents do not stay, so children must be comfortable attending on their own. Mon 14 Dec 1-2pm at Broadbeach Cultural Centre, 61 Sunshine Boulevard, Mermaid Waters; Tue 15 Dec 2-3pm at Labrador. Checked October 2026 on provider site
A&H Music, Movement and Magic: Nia for Kids Carrara (Carrara): Tue 15 Dec 2026. Ages 4 to 8. Price not published. A music and movement class for children aged 4 to 8 that uses play and imagination to build coordination, creativity, confidence and focus. No experience needed. The listing shows multiple session dates starting 15 December. First session Tue 15 Dec 2:00 PM; the event page says 'Multiple dates' but the further dates were not visible on the page loaded. Confirm the remaining dates on Eventbrite. Checked October 2026 on provider site
The Greatest Christmas Show (Surfers Paradise): Thu 17 Dec 2026. $37.90 to $79.90. A family Christmas stage show with dancers, aerialists, singers, an illusionist and an appearance by Santa Claus. Two performances on the one day, running 1 hour 50 minutes including interval. The page lists strobe, haze and smoke machine warnings. Thursday 17 December, 4:00 pm and 7:30 pm. Checked October 2026 on provider site
Movies Under the Stars: Elf, Broadbeach (Broadbeach): Fri 18 Dec 2026. All ages. Free. A free outdoor family screening of Elf (PG, 97 minutes) in Kurrawa Park. Doors open at 6pm and the movie starts at 7pm. No ticket is required; attendees can optionally reserve a spot on Eventbrite for updates. Doors 6pm, movie 7pm. Checked October 2026 on provider site
NaturallyGC Kids - Nature Arts and Craft (Benowa): Fri 18 Dec 2026. Ages 5 to 11. Free. A free one-hour session in the Regional Botanic Gardens where children gather natural materials such as seed pods, leaves, twigs and fronds and combine them into their own art piece. A ticket is required for every child and supervising adult and children must be supervised at all times. 10:15-11:15am; exact location in confirmation email. Checked October 2026 on provider site
Movies Under the Stars: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants, Pimpama (Pimpama): Sat 9 Jan 2027. All ages. Free. A free outdoor family screening of The SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants (PG, 88 minutes) at Bim'bimba Park. Kids' activities, face painting and food trucks start at 5pm and the movie begins at 7pm. No ticket is required; a spot can be reserved on Eventbrite for updates. Activities from 5pm, movie 7pm. Checked October 2026 on provider site
Sleeping Beauty (Surfers Paradise): Tue 19 Jan 2027. All ages. $50.00 – $65.00. A youth ballet retelling of Sleeping Beauty following Princess Aurora into the Fairy Realm. Two performances on the one day, running 1 hour 42 minutes including interval. Listed as All Ages. 3:00 pm and 6:30 pm sessions. Checked October 2026 on provider site
K-POP NEON WARRIORS (Surfers Paradise): Sun 24 Jan to Mon 25 Jan 2027. All ages. $55.00 to $59.50. A family K-pop stage production with live vocals, dance, costumes and visual effects, following five characters called the Neon Warriors through themes of confidence, friendship and teamwork. Three performances over two days, each about 2 hours including interval. Listed as all ages. Sunday 24 January 4:00 pm; Monday 25 January 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm. Checked October 2026 on provider site

Sport and active (3)

A&H Water warriors (Upper Coomera and Nerang) (Upper Coomera): Mon 14 Dec 2026 to Wed 20 Jan 2027. Free. A free one-hour outdoor session of water-based games, relays and challenges designed to get kids moving and likely soaked. Open to everyone including parents. Bring a dry change of clothes. Mon 14 Dec 2026 9-10am at Tallowwood Park, Rose Valley Drive, Upper Coomera; Wed 20 Jan 2027 9-10am at Nerang Country Paradise Parklands, 231 Beaudesert Nerang Road, Nerang. Checked October 2026 on provider site
A&H Cricket and Volleyball (Coolangatta and Paradise Point) (Coolangatta): Wed 13 Jan to Wed 20 Jan 2027. Ages 5 to 12. Free. A free two-hour outdoor session where kids play a game combining cricket and volleyball, with tips from accredited coaches. Beginners and advanced players are welcome. Places are limited and registration is required. Wed 13 Jan at Queen Elizabeth Park, 60 Marine Parade, Coolangatta; Wed 20 Jan at Paradise Point Parklands, The Esplanade, Paradise Point; both 9-11am. Checked October 2026 on provider site
A&H Acrobatics workshop Nerang (Nerang): Fri 15 Jan 2027. Ages 7 to 13. Price not published. A one-hour in-person acrobatics workshop led by Ms Ebony covering new skills plus flexibility and strength work, with requested tunes played during the session. It is a drop-off activity. 1-2pm. Checked October 2026 on provider site

Questions parents ask

When are the QLD summer school holidays in 2026-27?

QLD government schools finish Term 4 on Friday 11 December 2026 and students return on Wednesday 27 January 2027, so the holidays run 12 December 2026 to 26 January 2027. Department lists the summer break as Sat 12 Dec 2026 to Tue 26 Jan 2027 (46 days). Independent and Catholic schools set their own dates.

How do we choose what goes on this page?

Only programs with published dates for the holidays, read on the provider's own website. Each entry shows the dates, ages and price the provider published, and links to that page. If a provider has not published its summer dates yet, it is not listed.

Do school holiday programs in Gold Coast need to be booked?

Day camps, workshops and zoo or museum sessions almost always do, and popular weeks sell out. Library and council drop-in sessions often do not. The link on each entry goes to the provider's own page where the current availability is shown.