The summer school holidays are here!

We're on the cusp of a six-week break but with many working parents and carers getting – at most – four weeks of holiday leave, we are all wondering what to do with our kids.

So, here are some of the best indoor and outdoor options, hand-picked by Illawarra parents to keep young minds engaged, bodies active and spirits high during the summer break.

• Indoor School Holiday Activities

• Wollongong Art Gallery's School Holiday Workshops offer a creative haven for children aged 5 to 14 in January, providing diverse artist-run activities such as abstracted observational drawing, watercolour abstracts, paper bug construction, landscape painting, crafty ice creams, and egg carton faces, fostering exploration and experimentation in a lively and enjoyable environment. Be sure to secure your spot early, as these popular workshops sell out quickly.
• Treetop Arts' Summer School Holiday program, in collaboration with Crawchies Swim School, is offering two weeks of fun in January. There'll be water play, games and free-swim sessions in the first week, then engaging drama and yoga sessions in the second week. The day camps let kids flip, fly and wind down in a structured schedule from 9am to 3pm.

• Circus Monoxide School Holiday Program offers a lively and supervised 7-hour daily adventure, Monday to Friday, throughout December 2023 and January 2024, providing primary school-aged children (5-12) with an opportunity to learn various circus skills from trapeze to tumbling, tight-wire to juggling. Lessons aim to foster physical activity, confidence-building, friendship and creativity in a fun and supportive environment.

• Tabatinga Dapto runs from December 20th with extended opening hours from Tuesday to Sunday (9.30am-2.30pm). It promises a festive lineup of activities for Tinga-Toddlers, featuring Letters to Santa, Masterpieces & Milkshakes, Reptile Mobile Zoo, Fairy Party, Free Facepainting and more, with exclusive member pricing for Dapto Leagues Club members and the option to become a VIP member.

• Ma Petite Cherie Kids School Holiday Workshops in Kiama offers a delightful array of activities for children, including paint and pamper workshops, movie nights, hair braiding and nail painting, jewellery making and cupcake decorating. Workshops will be a blend of creativity, relaxation and fun for various ages.

• Wollongong City Libraries School holiday programs provide a range of free activities, including movie screenings, craft sessions, stop-motion animation workshops, pet rock creation and Taylor Swift-themed events. Secure your spot through Eventbrite for these engaging sessions, which will take place at libraries around the city from December 4 until January 17, 2024.

• Early Start Discovery Space has an engaging Summer School Holidays program from December 20 to January 28, 2024. There will be daily activities such as hands-on art experiences in creARTivity, Discovery Activities promoting science and engineering thinking, Storytime sessions and Pop-Up Play programs that respond to the visiting children's interests throughout the day, creating a dynamic environment for ages 0-10.

Outdoor School Holiday Activities

• Illawarra Surf Academy's Vacation Care is an all-day program at Corrimal Beach. It includes surfing lessons, bodyboarding, beach activities and ocean pool swimming, with a coach-to-student ratio of 1:6, ensuring an exciting day filled with learning and adventure, complemented by healthy snacks. For ages 5 to 12.
• The Tops Summer Day Camps in December and January offer an exciting opportunity for kids in school years 3 to 8 to engage in action-packed, supervised adventure activities from 8:30am to 4:30pm, at a cost of $80 per day. Day camps offer an enjoyable escape with experienced outdoor guides and the flexibility to attend for one or multiple days.
• Otford Farm Holiday Camp presents an immersive and popular five-day horse riding program filled with adventure, activities and life lessons, fostering a deep connection with nature and farm life in a beautiful rural setting.
• Bush Magic Adventures' School Holiday Program is for ages 5 to 14 at Mt Keira Girl Guides Camp and Dapto's Don’s Farm every school holidays from 9am-3pm. Kids will have the chance to learn archery, woodwork (including safe use of tools like knife, axe, saw), leather work, creek play, tug of war, shelter building, knots, bushwalking and flora/fauna hunting. Experienced teachers and outdoor educators ensure a safe and magical experience with the emphasis on unstructured play in nature.
• Complete Tennis Holiday Camps provide ANZ Hot Shots programs for ages 4 to 14, led by fully qualified Tennis Australia Coaches, featuring a range of activities, modified equipment and end-of-clinic presentations, with clinics offered in Wollongong during the summer holidays.
• Wollongong Wolves Football Club offers school holiday clinics, high-performance camps, and goalkeeper development camps. Led by experienced coaches, the clinics are for ages 11 to 18 to enhance their football skills, boost confidence and enjoy the world's game, with a focus on game intelligence, technique improvement and specialised training opportunities.
• Motiv8sports' Splash City Summer Camp is set to be a thrilling two days at Wollongong University, featuring water sports and wet and wild activities. On January 22 and 23, this camp is an energetic and inclusive environment for children from Kindy to Year 6, promising non-stop fun, engaging coaching, innovative sports and creative outlets.
• Essential Surf School offers lessons year round at Coledale and McCauley's beaches for everyone from groms to grown-ups. Lessons are run by Stanwell Park local Fiona Hunt, of Essential Surf store in Helensburgh. 
• Stand-up paddle boarding is an easy watersport to learn with Bec Dunning and the team at Stand Up Paddle Boarding Shellharbour. After you've found your balance, find location inspiration in this article about the top 7 spots in the Illawarra.
• Junior Keeper Camp at Symbio Wildlife Park in Helensburgh lets kids follow in the footsteps of a zookeeper as they learn about wildlife, feed various animals and make new friends along the way. It's for ages 7 to 12, from 9am-3.15pm in the summer holidays. Cost: $149. 

Have we missed any summer holiday activities? Share your tips with our readers.