16 Sep Spring school holidays in Western Australia 2026: What’s on and things to do with kids
Looking for things to do with the kids these Spring school holidays? Western Australia has wildflowers, tulips, island adventures, science, museums and plenty of outdoor family fun.
WA public school holidays run from Saturday 26 September to Sunday 11 October 2026, with Term 4 beginning on Monday 12 October.
Spring is one of the best times to explore WA, particularly around Perth and the Southwest. Wildflowers are blooming, the days are getting warmer and several of the state’s biggest family attractions have special holiday programs.
Spring festivals and special events
See WA’s wildflowers at Kings Park
Kings Park, Perth | until 4 October
The Everlasting Kings Park Festival is one of Perth’s big Spring attractions, with thousands of wildflowers and more than 3,000 Western Australian plant species on display.
The festival runs from 18 September to 4 October, overlapping with the first week of the school holidays. Many activities are free, including displays, walks and family activities. During the holidays there are also nature-play activities, children’s watercolour sessions, fairy-garden workshops, storytime and other bookable programs.
There’s also a free self-guided Stay Wild Nature Journal activity running right through to 11 October.
Everlasting Kings Park Festival
FREE AND PAID ACTIVITIES | WILDFLOWERS | FAMILY PROGRAM
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Wander through 250,000 tulips at Araluen
Roleystone | 4 September–18 October
Spring is the perfect time to visit Araluen Botanic Park, where the annual Yates Springtime Tulip Festival features around 250,000 tulips plus another 50,000 Spring bulbs.
The 59-hectare garden also has lawns, creeks and plenty of room for a family wander or picnic. Weekend entertainment continues across the school holiday period.
Araluen Springtime Tulip Festival
PAID | SPRING FLOWERS | PICNIC
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Adventure World opens for the holidays
Bibra Lake | from 26 September
WA’s major theme and water park begins its 2026–27 season on the first day of the Spring school holidays.
Adventure World combines rollercoasters and family rides with waterslides and splash areas, making it particularly good for families with older children or mixed age groups.
The park is scheduled to open seven days a week during the school holidays, although outdoor operations can change in poor weather.
PAID | BOOK AHEAD | ALL-DAY OUTING
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Outdoor adventures and nature
Spend a Spring day on Rottnest Island
Wadjemup / Rottnest Island | holiday program 27 September–9 October
Rottnest remains one of WA’s standout family outings, but Spring gives families a little more than beaches and quokkas.
The Rottnest Voluntary Guides Spring School Holiday Program runs from 27 September to 9 October with free activities and guided tours exploring the island’s wildlife, natural environment and history.
Spring also brings wildflowers, including the island’s Wadjemup Daisy, along with quokka joeys. Most holiday activities are free and run for about an hour.
Rottnest Spring school holiday program
FREE ACTIVITIES AFTER TRAVEL COSTS | WILDLIFE | DAY TRIP
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Take the train out over Busselton Jetty
Busselton
For a South West day out, families can ride the solar-powered jetty train 1.7km over Geographe Bay before heading below sea level into the Underwater Observatory.
The observatory gives children a look at marine life through its viewing windows without getting wet, and wheelchair access is available by lift.
Observatory entry is only available as part of a booked tour, and weather and ocean conditions can affect operations.
Busselton Jetty and Underwater Observatory
PAID | BOOK AHEAD | SOUTH WEST
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Explore Kings Park beyond the flowers
Even without a festival booking, Kings Park remains one of Perth’s easiest free family outings.
Try the playgrounds and open spaces around Synergy Parkland, explore bush trails or take along the Spring nature journal and see what children can spot.
The holiday program also includes loose-parts and mud-kitchen play, a Bee Hotel workshop, gardening activities and a Family Twilight Adventure on selected dates.
FREE ENTRY | PLAY | NATURE
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Wildlife and animals
Visit Perth Zoo — with some extra precautions
South Perth
Perth Zoo remains open, but visitors may notice additional barriers, signs, sanitiser points or changes around some animal habitats because of current H5 bird flu precautions.
The Zoo says these measures are intended to reduce contact between zoo animals and wild birds. Particular habitats may occasionally close or have additional hygiene measures introduced.
Perth Zoo bird flu visitor information
PAID | WILDLIFE | CHECK CURRENT CONDITIONS
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Meet Australian wildlife at Caversham
Swan Valley
Caversham Wildlife Park remains a useful Swan Valley choice for families wanting to see Australian wildlife up close, including kangaroos, koalas and farm animals.
The park has mostly flat pathways and can easily be combined with other Swan Valley stops for a full day out.
Because H5 bird flu is currently present in WA wildlife, it is worth checking before visiting for any temporary changes to bird or animal encounters.
PAID | ALL AGES | SWAN VALLEY
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Rainy-day ideas
Burst into Spring at Scitech
West Perth | 26 September–11 October
Scitech has a dedicated Spring holiday program running every day of the break.
Alongside the science centre and planetarium, the program includes live science activities and special sessions. On selected dates, children can explore antimicrobial resistance with researchers from The Kids Research Institute Australia, while other holiday sessions investigate how food travels through the human body.
An Auslan Day is also scheduled for 1 October.
Scitech Spring school holidays
PAID | GOOD FOR RAIN | SCIENCE
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Explore the ocean at WA Museum Boola Bardip
Perth Cultural Centre | 26 September–11 October
WA Museum Boola Bardip has one of the strongest indoor holiday programs this Spring.
The OceanXplorers Activity Zone runs daily with hands-on ocean-themed activities for younger and primary-school children, while the OceanXperience exhibition continues until 11 October.
There are also bookable workshops in claymation, robotics and Mario Kart-style augmented reality racing, plus the Little Big Dinosaur Trail and other family activities.
WA Museum Boola Bardip school holidays
FREE AND PAID ACTIVITIES | GOOD FOR RAIN | BOOK SOME WORKSHOPS
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Explore the reef at the WA Maritime Museum
Fremantle | 26 September–11 October
The WA Maritime Museum’s Spring holiday program includes Exploring the Reef, with activities looking at the creatures and ecosystems of the Great Barrier Reef.
The nearby WA Shipwrecks Museum is also running its Shipwrecked! trail throughout the holidays, giving families another inexpensive Fremantle option.
WA Museum school holiday activities across WA
INDOORS | FAMILY ACTIVITIES | FREMANTLE
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Go behind bars at Fremantle Prison
Fremantle
For older primary-aged children and teens, Fremantle Prison offers something quite different from the usual school-holiday attraction.
Day tours explore the prison’s history and stories, while more adventurous families can investigate some of the prison’s darker spaces on specialised tours.
Some tours have age, mobility and access restrictions, so check the individual tour before booking.
PAID | OLDER KIDS AND TEENS | BOOK AHEAD
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Don’t forget regional WA
The WA Museum is running Spring school holiday programs well beyond Perth.
The Museum of the Great Southern in Albany has nature and creative activities running from 26 September to 11 October, while the Museum of Geraldton has its Colour Your World program, workshops and drop-in activities.
That makes the WA Museum’s statewide holiday program worth checking if you are travelling or live outside Perth.
WA Museum school holidays across Western Australia
REGIONAL | FREE AND PAID ACTIVITIES
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A note about bird flu in Western Australia
H5 bird flu has been detected in a small number of wild seabirds in Western Australia. The current risk to people remains low, but families should not touch sick or dead birds, marine mammals or other wildlife.
Keep children and pets away, take note of the location and report sick or dead wildlife to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.
Wildlife attractions may also introduce additional biosecurity measures or temporarily alter animal encounters, so check venue websites before visiting.
Quick picks for busy parents
- Best Spring outing: Everlasting Kings Park Festival
- Best flower display: Araluen Springtime Tulip Festival
- Best big-ticket day: Adventure World
- Best island adventure: Rottnest Island
- Best South West outing: Busselton Jetty
- Best rainy-day choice: Scitech or WA Museum Boola Bardip
- Best for older kids: Fremantle Prison
- Best free family outing: Kings Park
- Best regional option: WA Museum holiday programs in Albany and Geraldton
Parent tip: WA distances are large, so it helps to plan activities by region rather than trying to combine Perth, Rottnest and the South West into the same outing. Spring weather can also be changeable, particularly along the coast, so check attraction websites before setting off. __________________________________________________________________________
Main Image: Kings Park WA Lycopod island may drive parkland-photo JasonThomas
