From eco activities to animal encounters and classes for budding chefs, there’s plenty on offer these school holidays around the Ipswich region.
Join the first Ipswich Eco-Hunt
Simply taking pictures of insects, animals and plants could win you a fantastic prize in Ipswich City Council’s inaugural Ipswich Eco-Hunt.
Just download the QuestaGame app on your smartphone, visit White Rock – Spring Mountain Conservation Estate, walk along the trails and snap as many pictures as you can of different birds, insects, animals and plants.
The prizes up for grabs in the Ipswich Eco-Hunt include two nights at Montville Country Cabins, Spicers Hidden Vale experiences, vouchers to outdoor supply retailers and handy field resources such as binoculars and local guidebooks.
Ipswich Eco-Hunt is open from 9 September to 7 October. Players will be required to stay on the trails while exploring White Rock – Spring Mountain Conservation Estate.
Download QuestaGame from your app store. For more information see questagame.com/ipswich
Join wildlife rangers at the Workshops
See mammals, marsupials, reptiles and more at The Workshops Rail Museum.
Get up close and personal to some of Australia’s favourite animals and learn about their day to day lives.
There’s a live show at 11am daily and a close-up experience at 11.30am.
Miniature train rides will also be held from September 21 to October 7 from 10am to 3pm. Cost is $3 per ride or four for $10.
Explore Bush Mechanics
An exhibition based on the popular ABC television series Bush Mechanics has opened at The Workshops Railway Museum.
The exhibition features a range of items from the series, including two original cars, clay figurines, specially commissioned artwork and interactive displays, it also provides broader insights into Aboriginal life and culture.
Visitors to the exhibition will be able to see original footage from the series and try their hand at some of the ingenious and resourceful nyurulypa, or tricks, by assembling the discarded parts that make up the exhibition’s ‘bush driving simulator’ and operating it.
Admission included with museum entry, runs all school holidays and into February 2020.
Decorate your own cookie
The Retro Diner will be holding cookie decorating on the Monday and Tuesdays during the school holidays from 9am to 10.30am.
There will also be make your own tacos sessions from 11am to 12.30pm.
Bookings include a drink. Cost is $8.
Enjoy animal encounters
Discover what goes into caring for local wildlife, meet and feed the barnyard animals, pet a reptile and learn about bilby conservation during an Animal Encounter at the Ipswich Nature Centre.
Animal Encounters are held Wednesdays and Fridays during school holidays at 9am and 11am, bookings essential.
Stroll through shady walkways and see the cute residents such as wombats, wallabies, emus, quolls, and a nocturnal bilby exhibit. A vibrant rainforest bird aviary is alive with colour and sound, and youngsters will have a ball in the barn which has calves, lambs, chickens and peacocks.
The Ipswich Nature Centre is open to the public seven days a week during school holidays from 9.30am.
Take part in a Japanese tea ceremony
Enjoy a guided tour of Nerima Gardens before a traditional cultural activity involving ceremonial preparation of matcha (powdered green tea) in the tea house.
Participate in the ceremony or observe. Light refreshments on conclusion. Suitable for school aged children, held on September 28, bookings essential.
Attend Little Humpty Children’s Day
Head to the Summer Land Camels farm for Little Humpty Children’s Day on September 25 from 9am to 2pm.
Cost is $10 per person, includes a kids farm tour (30 minutes), patting and cuddling the camels, story time, camel arts and crafts, face painting.
Camel rides, hot dogs, burgers, gelato, smoothies, face painting available. Book online.
Meet some farm animals
Haigslea Ewe Nique Hobby Farm will be open every day during the September school holidays, with a Shearing Day being held on September 29.
During the holidays you can come pat and feed the friendly animals including sheep, lambs, alpacas, goats, geese and chickens and enjoy the rural setting. They will also have some small fluffy animal visitors during the holidays.
Due to the warmer weather, the farm will open from 8am to noon. The coffee cart will be available selling an extensive range of hot and cold drinks and homemade morning tea items.
Children will get to take home complimentary seedlings, costs $5 per person, animal feed buckets $3 each or 4 for $10.
A special line up will be held for the annual shearing day which will be split up into two sessions, session 1 at 8.30am to 10am and session 2 at 10.30am to noon.
Shane Bird, a Queensland shearer from Kingaroy with over 20 years of experience, will demonstrate how the sheep and alpacas are freed from their winter woollies.
On the day you can also meet, pat and feed the friendly animals, see sheep and alpaca shearing, touch and feel the sheep and alpaca fleece.
The coffee cart will be available as well as a sausage sizzle.
See Spot
Spot is one of the most loved dogs in the world, and he’s coming to Ipswich.
Spot and his friends are off on a new adventure to visit Spot’s dad on the farm and meet the farm animals. But when they arrive, all the animals are lost. Can Spot and his friends find them all? They might need a little help from their new friends in the audience.
Eric Hill’s beloved puppy comes to life on stage with puppetry, songs, and puzzles for children aged 18 months to seven and their adults. See Spot on September 23 from 1pm to 2pm.
Have fun at Orion
Dora Activation Zone
A free Dora Explorer Activation Zone will run from September 21 to October 6 from 10am to 2pm. Kids can get busy with backpack decorating, bug catching and dig for gold.
Dora the Explorer movie child minding
Jungle fever will hit Orion these school holidays, part of the fun will be a Dora the Explorer Child Minding movie session.
Enjoy some child-free time while they look after your kids at a Child Minding Movie Session with qualified carers from Westside Community Care. Cost is $5 per child for a screening of the new release, Dora the Explorer.
Registration opens 6pm, movie screening starts at 6.30pm, movie ends 8pm. One ticket per child required. Children must be primary school age or older. Parents must remain on site at Orion Springfield Central and must provide a contact number.
Held on September 26 at 6pm to 8:15pm. Cost is $5 ticket. Bookings available online.
Grill’d Masterclass
Learn to make healthy burgers and eat them too at Grill’d Springfield’s Kids Masterclasses. The team will teach your little ones the tricks of the trade and show them how to make their famous burgers from the bun up.
In a 45 minute class they will turn your master-eater into a master maker. Their ticket includes a burger, chips, drink and a take-home gift. Runs September 23 to October 2 from 10am to 10.45am
Cost is $12, bookings available online.
Coffee Club Kids Painting Class
Keep the kids occupied with a painting class at the Coffee Club. Runs September 24 and Octobcer 1. Cost is $22. Online booking required – payment made in-store.
Gelatissimo Jungle Sundae Decorating
Gelatissimo Orion is holding Kids Sundae Decorating workshops, decorate your very own sundae. Create a delicious masterpiece using an array of toppings and your favourite gelato flavours… then share and eat your masterpiece.
Runs from 23 September to 4 October (weekdays) at 11.30am and 2:30pm for one hour. Cost: $8 ticket.
Bookings available online.
Bakers Delight Finger Bun Decorating
Get creative and decorate a finger bun before enjoying your creation.
Runs from 23 September to 4 October (weekdays) at 11.30am and 2.30pm for one hour.
Cost: $8 ticket. Bookings available online.
Kids Yoga Class
A free kids yoga class will be held on September 25.
Two sessions 9am and 10am, runs for about 30 minutes.
For more information see the Orion Springfield Central events page.
Keep busy at Riverlink
Angry Birds 2 Craft Village
Enjoy the themed craft village where you will be given your very own Angry Birds paddle bat and ball to decorate and then master the skills of coordination. Plus, you’ll have the chance for a special meet and greet with Red.
This runs from October 1 to 5.
Dora’s Dance Party
Come along to Dora the Explorer’s new stage show, Dora’s Dance Party.
Play along and learn with Dora as she embarks on a new dance filled adventure. Dora will have audiences marching like ants, wiggling like spiders and slithering like snakes in this highly interactive live show.
After your special meet and greet with Dora you’ll have the chance to decorate your very own Paper Mache Treasure Chest.
Runs from September 24 to 28.
