Melbourne summer school-holiday programs
Summer is the long break: six weeks, from Saturday 19 December to Wednesday 27 January. It is also the easiest one to plan in parts. There is a short run before Christmas, a quiet week between Christmas and New Year, then a full January when most camps and courses run. Here is what is on in each part, and what to book first.
See Melbourne summer programs- Summer holidays 2026–27: Saturday 19 December – Wednesday 27 January (VIC government schools). Term 1 starts Thursday 28 January 2027.
Plan the six weeks in three parts
- Before Christmas, Monday 21 to Thursday 24 December: a short four-day week. Day camps, sport clinics and the first sailing courses run now, which suits kids who want to keep busy straight after term.
- Christmas to New Year: most programs pause. The public holidays are Friday 25 December, Monday 28 December (for Boxing Day) and Friday 1 January, so plan this week as family time.
- January, Monday 4 to Wednesday 27 January: the main run. Most camps, courses and multi-day programs sit in these weeks, and the popular ones book out from late November. Tuesday 26 January is Australia Day, so the final week is shorter for many programs.
Book first: overnight camps
Summer is the season for a camp with a sleep-away. In Victoria they run from the Mornington Peninsula and Phillip Island to the Yarra Ranges, Gippsland and western Victoria, usually across most of a week and grouped by school year (for example Grades 3–6 and 7–10). Places are capped and these fill earliest, so if your child is ready for a first camp, lock it in from late November.
On the water: sailing and surf
Port Phillip Bay's yacht clubs run learn-to-sail courses through January, most on the Tackers program for primary-age beginners, with teen courses for older kids. You will find full-day and half-day options at St Kilda, Brighton, Williamstown and Mornington. Along the coast, surf camps and summer Nippers teach surf skills and beach safety from the under-7s up.
Closer to home: day programs
Not every kid wants a week away. Performing arts camps (musical theatre, drama, often with a show on the last day), sport clinics run by elite clubs and university sport centres, and one-off workshops fill the January weekdays across the suburbs, most of them running school hours.
Free and low-cost options
ACMI's free exhibition is open through January, Arts Centre Melbourne runs free family events in the holidays, and council libraries host free holiday clubs. For more ways to keep the cost down, see the affordable programs guide below.
Summer practicalities
- Sun and heat: a hat, sunscreen and a full water bottle every day. Ask what a program does on very hot days; many move indoors or finish early.
- Fire danger: bush and outdoor camps may cancel on days rated Catastrophic. Check the provider's policy before booking a camp in the hills or the bush.
- Water programs: ask whether your child needs to pass a swim check first. Sailing and surf courses usually do.
The summer plan in one line: book the January camps and courses first, keep the week after Christmas free, and fill the gaps with day programs close to home.