It's that time again already: school is shutting down for a fortnight, leaving children, teenagers and families scratching their heads for something to do.
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With a swathe of national institutions and top facilities on our doorstep there's plenty of things to keep the kids and teens busy.
Here's our guide to spending the Easter school holidays in Canberra.
OUTDOORS
Australian Running Festival
Strap on the sneakers and burn off some steam in one of the weekend runs, starting and finishing at Old Parliament House.
Saturday and Sunday, April 11-12
From $10
National Arboretum
The National Arboretum will become an outdoor classroom for children during the school holidays, offering bonsai workshops and kite making sessions.
Bonsai making workshops run from 10am - 11.30am daily from Monday, April 13 to Thursday, April 16. Bookings are essential.
Kite making sessions will be held from 10am - 2pm on Saturdays and Sundays and will be held on April 4 and 5, April 11 and 12 and April 18 and 19. Sessions are weather dependent and cost $10 per kite.
For more information or to book, call 6207 8484 or visit nationalarboretum.act.gov.au.
afterDark Scavenger Hunt
Explore the Australian National Botanic Gardens after dark with a nighttime scavenger hunt. An easter-theme hunt will mark Good Friday.
Friday, April 10, 17 and 24, from 7pm
$30 adults, $25 child and concession
Kowen Forest Dirt Bike Rally
Young dirt bike riders can take to the Kowen Forest trails in a social, non-competitive two-day ride. This is not a spectator event.
Saturday and Sunday, April 11-12, from 9am
$180 registration
Football
Whatever the family's preferred code catch the Brumbies, Raiders and GWS Giants in action during the April holiday period.
GWS Giants v Melbourne Demons at StarTrack Oval: Saturday, April 11, 2.10pm
From $5.10
Raiders v Melbourne Storm at GIO Stadium: Sunday, April 12, 2pm
From $12.74
Brumbies v Rebels and Brumbies v Highlanders at GIO Stadium: Saturday, April 18 and Friday, April 24, both 7.40pm
From $11.21
AIS sports vacation program
Keep the kids aged 5 to 13 years old moving with soccer, netball, pool activities and more at the Australian Institute of Sport. Away from the field, court and pool is the interactive sports exhibit Sportex, plus films and more. The Australian Sports Commission is also running soccer and tennis camps for budding sports stars.
Monday to Friday, April 13-17 and 20-24, 8am - 4.30pm
Cost varies, bookings essential
Zoocation
Primary school-aged children can get up close with many of the National Zoo and Aquariam furry and slithery friends, plus play games, make toys for the animals and learn a thing or two along the way.
Monday to Friday, April 13-17 and 20-22, 9am - 4pm
From $75
CREATIVE
Kids Autumn Digital Photography School + Shadow Play: Photograms and Pinhole Photography
PhotoAccess will keep budding photographers aged 10 to 16 years old busy at Manuka Arts Centre. The three-day digital photography school will see youngsters capture and edit their own large-format photographic prints. Shadow Play will introduce children and teens to the ins and outs of the darkroom.
Photography School: Tuesday to Thursday, April 14-16 or 21-23, 9am-4pm
$260
Shadow Play: Friday, April 17, 9am-3pm
$120
Warehouse Circus
Juggle, tumble, unicycle, trapeze and more at one of the Warehouse Circus five-day school holiday programs at Chifley Health and Wellbeing Hub and the University of Canberra High School Kaleen.
Monday to Friday, April 13-17 and 20-24, times vary
From $175
Story time
Listen to stories from the book Twelve Terrible Tales and help the kids create their own visual response with a range of craft materials at the National Portrait Gallery. The gallery is also screening Steven Spielberg film War Horse.
Story time: Wednesday, April 15, 10.30am-12 noon
$5
War Horse: Saturday, April 18, 2pm
Free
Wordplay: A pop-up kids' space
Children can read, write, illustrate and imagine, under the watchful eye of an adult, at the National Library of Australia's Wordplay pop-up kids' space. The library is hosting a range of activities throughout the holidays including a reading of This is Captain Cook followed by activities, and a screening of children's film Curious George.
Wordplay: Monday to Sunday, April 13-19, 10am-4pm
Free
This is Captain Cook: Sunday, April 19, 11am-12 noon
Free, bookings required
Curious George: Tuesday, April 21, from 1pm
Free, bookings required
Play with plays
Take a story to the stage by making a toy theatre at the National Museum of Australia. Children can also work with puppeteer Marianne Mettes from PuppetOOdle to bring some of the museum's toy theatre stories to a bigger stage.
Monday to Friday, April 13-17 and 20-24, various times
$3
Library workshops
ACT Libraries are hosting a number of interactive activities across the capital during the school holidays including writing workshops, story times, book-related crafts, plus dream catcher and Minecraft figure-making.
Throughout April
Free
SCIENCE
Autumn Mt Stromlo Observatory site tours + Observatory April Public Night
Take the kids on a walking tour of the observatory and learn about the science and history behind the astronomy hub. Spot Saturn's rings and star clusters at the public observation night on April 24.
Site tours: Saturday, April 18, 10am-11.30am
Free, bookings essential
Public night: Friday, April 24, 7pm-9pm
Free
National Dinosaur Museum weekend tours
Join one of the museum's 30-minute tours daily from 11am-2pm. Learn a little more and gain a dinosaur hunting license with the dinosaur hunt activity sheet.
Open daily, 10am-5pm
From $9.90
Perception Deception
The perceptual test and illusions exhibit is still open at Questacon, showing youngsters how our brains process information from our senses to form our perception of the world around us.
Open daily, 9am-5pm
From $17.50
Canberra Reptile and Frog Festival
Bring along your pet snakes, lizards and frogs, or come along to say hello to one, for a celebration of all things scaly and slimy. Cost includes access to the Canberra Reptile Zoo, plus a number of activities for the kids.
Sunday, April 12, 10am-5pm
$10 adults, $5 children
HISTORY AND CULTURE
Canberra and Region Heritage Festival
Engage young Canberrans with the region's history. Be an archaeologist for a day, take part in one of several school holiday workshops, step back in time with olden day children's games and, for the brave, rug up for a torchlight churchyard tour.
April 11-26
Costs vary
Canberra Toy and Hobby Fair
The young (and young at heart) can peruse 50 tables of collectables at this family-friendly affair at Kaleen High School.
Sunday, April 26, 9am-3pm
$4 adults; $2 seniors children and concession; free for accompanied children
Superhero-athon
Children 5 years and older can make the world a better place at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House these school holidays. The museum is also hosting cartooning masterclasses.
Superhero-athon: Monday to Friday, April 20-24, 10am-11am
Free, bookings required
Cartooning masterclass: Monday to Friday, April 13-17, 10am-11.30am
Free, bookings required
CENTRESTAGE
Snow Queen's Aussie Freezing Show
Presented by Youngstars2.com, the team behind The Wizard of Oz Show, this is a highly interactive 50 minute show has plenty of of singing, dancing and special characters that will enchant youngsters.
Children get a free wand and bubble pack on entry to the show at Canberra's Southern Cross Club, which they are called to use during the show, especially to help the Snow Queen do the Bubble Ballet.
April 17 at 10.30am
$14
Jay's Jungle
Entertainer Jay Laga'aia, Funk-E de Monkey and magical lighthouse C-Mor undertake exciting island adventures through song, dance and music in this interactive show at Canberra Theatre Centre's Playhouse.
April 24-26, various times
$20
Monkey…Journey to the West
Relive the 1970s cult television show Monkey King with the kids as Monkey and his friends undertake a quest to return sacred scriptures, and peace, to China - with music, song, laughs and mixed martial arts.
Thursday to Saturday, April 23-25, various times
From $35
