Family Activities Roundup

Bendigo families have booked into school holiday activities at a faster rate than last year, with sessions filling at several central venues ahead of the break that begins July 13.

The timing coincides with cooler daytime temperatures averaging 12 degrees and the end of term two across Victorian schools, prompting parents to seek organised options that combine learning and movement without requiring long drives out of the city.

Workshops fill quickly at city venues

At the Bendigo Regional Library on Hargreaves Street, staff have added extra slots for the July 15 coding and robotics sessions aimed at ages eight to twelve after early registrations reached capacity last week. Nearby on View Street, the Bendigo Art Gallery is running daily drop-in craft tables from July 14 to 18 using recycled materials collected from local businesses, with no booking required before 10am each morning.

Council figures released in June showed 4,200 children attended library and gallery programs during the previous winter break, a 22 percent rise from 2023, while entry to most sessions remains capped at $12 per child and free for accompanying adults.

Outdoor sites add indoor backups

Rosalind Park has installed temporary shelters around the playground equipment on Barnard Street for the holiday period, allowing families to use the climbing structures even on wet days, while the adjacent Bendigo Tramways depot offers short heritage rides that depart every 30 minutes from the Lake Weeroona terminus. Parents can combine both sites in one morning without additional transport costs.

Bookings for the tram rides and any ticketed workshops close online at 5pm on July 12 through the City of Greater Bendigo website, with remaining spots released on a first-come basis at venue doors from the following morning.