School holidays arrive all at once. Suddenly the calendar is clear, the kids are home and you’re looking for things to do.
The good news? You don’t need a big budget to keep everyone entertained. There are plenty of free things to do with kids in the Tweed, from beaches and creek swims to playgrounds, art and bike rides.
Here are six easy school holiday activities in the Tweed to put on your list these holidays.
1. Get creative at Tweed Regional Gallery
If you’re looking for something to do when the weather isn’t playing along, head to Tweed Regional Gallery for Art Play: Playful Portraits.
Artist facilitator Shari Sobotnicki will be in the Gallery Foyer helping kids create their own portraits using fun materials and different creative techniques.
It’s free, family friendly and materials are provided, so all you need to do is turn up ready to make something.
Art Play: Playful Portraits is running:
Wednesday 30 September, 11am–1pm
Friday 2 October, 11am–1pm
Wednesday 7 October, 11am–1pm
Friday 9 October, 11am–1pm
Children need to be accompanied by an adult.
It’s a nice option for a rainy day, or simply when everyone needs a break from the beach.
2. Let them dance it out
Sometimes the easiest school holiday activity is one where someone else does the entertaining.
Shorty the Clown is bringing a kids’ disco to Pottsville Beach Sports Club on Saturday 3 October from 5.30–7pm.
Entry is free, with full details still to come, so check the organiser’s updates before heading along.
A free kids’ disco? We’re calling that a win.
3. Surf, swim or explore the rock pools at Hastings Point
If you’re looking for free things to do with kids in the Tweed, a morning at Hastings Point is hard to beat.
You don’t need an organised activity to have a great school holiday day out.
Take the boards and catch a few waves, explore the shoreline, or make your way to the rock pools for a swim and a bit of exploring. You can easily turn it into a whole morning by the water without spending a cent.
If the kids are younger, choose the conditions that suit their confidence and experience and keep a close eye on them around the water and rocks.
And, as always with any beach or water outing, check the conditions before you go and swim between the flags where lifeguarded beaches are operating.
4. Go creek exploring
There’s something about a creek day that makes an ordinary school holiday feel like an adventure.
Pack swimmers, towels, a picnic and plenty of water, then find a local spot where the conditions are suitable for a paddle or swim.
For tidal waterways around the Tweed, it’s worth checking the tide before you head out. Around the first weekend of the holidays, predicted high tides on the Tweed River are approximately:
Friday 2 October: 11.52am
Saturday 3 October: 1.04pm
Sunday 4 October: 2.23pm
Tides can vary between locations, and tide times aren’t a substitute for checking the conditions at the actual swimming spot. Always assess the water, weather and current conditions before getting in.
But if your kids are anything like ours, give them a stretch of water, a towel and a few hours of freedom and you’ve probably got the afternoon sorted.
5. Make a playground day of it
Sometimes the best family activities in the Tweed are the simplest ones.
The Tweed has some great playgrounds for letting the kids burn off energy, and two worth putting on your holiday list are Kings Forest and Livvi’s Place at Goorimahbah.
Kings Forest Playground
The Kings Forest community park includes a large playground, climbing and play equipment, a pump track, basketball and netball courts, picnic areas and walking and cycling paths.
It’s a good option if you have kids of different ages who want to do different things.
Livvi’s Place at Goorimahbah – Place of Stories
Over at Jack Evans Boat Harbour in Tweed Heads, Livvi’s Place at Goorimahbah – Place of Stories is a fully inclusive playspace designed for children of different ages and abilities.
There are climbing towers, slides, swings, a double flying fox, water and sand play, musical elements and plenty of space around the playground for a picnic or a wander.
The play space also incorporates Bundjalung stories and the Indigenous Seasons Calendar into its design.
It’s the sort of place where you can easily turn a quick playground stop into a couple of hours.
6. BYOB to the Northern Rivers Rail Trail
No, not that kind of BYOB.
Bring Your Own Bike.
If you’re looking for free kids activities in the Tweed that get everyone outdoors, bring your own bikes and explore a section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail.
The Murwillumbah to Crabbes Creek section is 24km through the Tweed Valley, passing through places including Stokers Siding, Burringbar, Mooball and Crabbes Creek.
The trail has a mix of sealed and compacted-gravel surfaces and is open for walkers, cyclists and other trail users.
You don’t have to tackle the whole 24km, either.
Pick a section that suits your family, pack some snacks and make the ride itself the adventure. The trail is relatively gentle compared with many dedicated mountain-bike trails, although there are some steeper short sections and conditions can vary.
Before you head off, check the current trail alerts and conditions, particularly after wet weather.
The best things to do with kids in the Tweed don’t always cost anything
A school holiday day out can be as simple as jumping in the creek, catching a few waves, exploring the rock pools, riding a section of the Rail Trail or spending an afternoon at the park.
And perhaps that’s one of the nicest things about living here.
We don’t always need to book something, buy something or travel somewhere to make the holidays feel special.
Sometimes the best days are the ones that start with, “Grab your swimmers,” and end whenever everyone is tired enough to go home.
Save this list for the school holidays and share it with another Tweed family who might need a few ideas.
