Your guide to winter school holiday fun in Maitland

Looking for ways to beat the winter blues? Maitland has you covered with a packed program of creative workshops, science fun and hands-on activities from Monday 7 to Saturday 19 July.

Across our libraries, pool, art gallery and The Levee, you’ll find a mix of free and bookable events to suit kids of all ages from painting and sculpture to rocket launches and storytime sessions.

Maitland Aquatic Centre
Make a splash these school holidays with Maitland Aquatic Centre’s Learn to Swim intensive program, running from Monday 7 to Friday 18 July. Designed to build water confidence and improve stroke technique, the program packs a term’s worth of lessons into just 10 days.

Lessons run for 30 minutes each morning between 9am and 12pm in the heated indoor pool. Book now at mait.city/LearnToSwim.

Maitland libraries 
Maitland libraries are full of winter fun, with activities at East Maitland, Rutherford, Maitland and Thornton branches. Highlights include teen light painting photography workshops and a cosy Crafty Cinema night.

Young writers can join author Karen Hughes to hone their storytelling skills and Tolkien fans won’t want to miss the Hobbit Walking Book Club. Bookings are essential at maitlandlibrary.com.au/whats-on/school-holidays.

Maitland Regional Art Gallery (MRAG)
Keep the creativity flowing these holidays with free drop-in art activities inspired by the Sticks and Stones exhibition and Kaylene Whiskey’s animation. Budding artists can also book into hands-on workshops in landscape painting, sculpture, animation (for kids and teens) and a special water catchment workshop led by Council’s Environment team.

All workshops are beginner-friendly and include materials. See the full program at mrag.org.au/whats-on.

The Levee
Wrap up the school holidays with a bang at Kids Big Day Out on Saturday 19 July from 10am to 2pm at The Levee Central Maitland.

This free, family-friendly event features hands-on entertainment, including live science shows by the University of Newcastle’s SMART team with exciting experiments like rocket launches and liquid nitrogen demonstrations. Find out more at thelevee.com.au/school-holiday-activities.