The Zoocation program at the National Zoo and Aquarium offers games, toy-making activities, and getting up close to the animals. Kids can also get hands-on at the new Rocky Shores exhibit, with a variety of shells and shark eggs to touch and sea urchins, sea apples, zebra eels and more to see. $23-$110. September 29 to October 2. 6287 8400 or nationalzoo.com.au

Science activities

Learn how to extract DNA from peas, make a battery out of potatoes and make a terrarium from plastic cups. Or take a workshop to design, construct and launch their own air-propelled paper rocket. $17.50-$23. Ages 7+. Botany workshops from Monday 21 September to Monday 28 September. Rocket workshops from Friday 2 October to Monday 5 October. 6270 2800 or see questacon.edu.au

Join the circus

Children will have the chance to work on their circus skills, with comedy duo Wilma and Daisy beginning with a demonstration followed by lessons on how to juggle scarves, balls, clubs, diabolos, rings, spin plates, devil sticks and hula hoops. Free. Commonwealth Park. Saturday 10 October and Sunday 11 October, 10.30am, 12.30pm and 2.30pm. 1300 852 780 or floriadeaustralia.com

Circus Oz will be pulling into town on an action-packed national tour. Complete with acrobatics, unicyclists, flying trapeze artists. Family tickets $160 and include two adult and two children's tickets. Canberra Theatre. 23 September to the 26 September. 6243 5711 or canberratheatrecentre.com.au

Glass workshops

Kids can create their own spring-inspired tiles with help from a professional artist in 20 minutes. Or they can create their own insect or butterfly inspired glass tiles. They'll learn to design their own insect, learn about the kiln forming process, how to cut glass and how the firing process works to produce their own glass tile. $30-$50.Tuesdays to Sundays during school holidays. 6260 7005 or canberraglassworks.com

The Distant Warriors workshop lets you create an artwork to honour the Anzac soldiers and survivors. Design your own glass piece. Ages 8+. Wednesday September 30 and October 7 from 9.30am. $120. Or for senior high school and college kids looking to go to art school at uni, there's an intensive two day Portraits in Glass course presented by artist Ede Horton. $450. Ages 14+. See canberraglassworks.com

Native or Feral?

Learn about native and introduced species in Australia and how they have changed the environment in this workshop. Kids can create masks based on extinct species and can also create their own introduced species and add it to the Fenced Ferals installation, with artist Amanda Stuart helping. $3 (adults free). National Museum of Australia. Hourly from 10am to 1pm from the September 29-October 2 and October 6-9. 6208 5000 or nma.gov.au

Play Up

Learn about children's rights with Play Up—The Right to Shelter, an interactive space curated for, with and by children. Children will be asked to think about how their lives would be different without their bedroom, favourite food or warm jacket all while having fun. The exhibition is free with admission ($1-$5). The exhibition will also be featured at Floriade. Old Parliament House, Parkes. Daily. 6270 8222 or moadoph.gov.au

Cockington Green

Take the kids to Cockington for displays and miniatures. Plus garden café, picnic area and free gas barbeques. $11.50- $56. 11 Gold Creek Road, Nicholls. Daily. 6230 2273 or www.cockingtongreen.com.au

Arty Activities

Scottish artist Leigh D Walker will show kids how to get creative with a variety of materials and techniques. Or they can learn the traditional techniques used by Aboriginal women in South Eastern NSW for string and coil weaving. Make string from native grasses to make bracelets and chokers. Belconnen Arts Centre, Belconnen. Leigh D Walker's workshop is September 29 at 10am. Buri Jaaban Dhuga is on September 30 at 10am. 6173 3300 or belconnenartscentre.com.au

Children will get the opportunity to explore props and poses through drawing and creative activity in the National Portrait Gallery's Portrait and Play. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Ages 4-8. $5. Bookings are essential. Until October 11. Workshops at 11am. Or they could do Drawn In, and listen to a performance by Chris Bottomley while children draw. Free (donations accepted). September 27 at 1pm. The NPG's Art Cart also provides activities for the whole family. Free (donations accepted). Until October 11. 6102 7000 or portrait.gov.au

Kids can have a day of dance activities and craft at Gumnut Dance school. They'll put together a dance with characters and costumes and perform for parents at the end of the day. Thursday, October 8 from 9am-3pm. $70. Bookings essential. 114 Maitland Street, Hackett. See gumnutdance.com.au

Storytime

Read charming stories from the National Library of Australia's collection on September 29 at 11.30am. $2. See nla.gov.au. Or have lunch and watch a screening of Despicable Me at 1pm (same day). Children must be accompanied by an adult. Free. Bookings essential. National Library of Australia, Parkes Place.

Enjoy stories, songs, rhymes and creative activities with the help of the ACT Storytellers at the Australian National Botanic Gardens. $5 per child. No bookings required. Friday, October 2, at 10am. Clunies Ross Street, Acton.

Outdoor Guided Walks

AfterDARK Lantern Tours are a great way to explore the Australian National Botanic Gardens at night. Participate in lantern making workshops before embarking on a night tour of the gardens with your own ranger guide. $20-$25. Not suitable for kids under 5. Bookings essential. Saturday, October 3. Gates open at 6:15pm and close at 6:30pm. 6250 9588 or parksaustralia.gov.au

Young kids aged 4-8 can take part in a spring blossom and bird walk at the National Arboretum. Learn about the birds and their nests as well as the flowers. Wednesday September 30, Thursday October 1, and Friday October 2 at 1pm. Bookings essential. $10. See nationalarboretum.act.gov.au

Necklace Workshop

Join in the fashion fun at Westfield Belconnen with this necklace making activity using homemade beads from a local designer. LLL Designs will be hosting the activity on the first Sunday of every month. Free. Westfield Belconnen, Belconnen. 4 October, 10am-2pm. 6251 4333 or westfield.com.au

Kite Flying

Make, decorate and fly your own kite at a special workshop at the National Arboretum. September 26-28, and October 3-5 from 10am-2pm. It's dependent on the weather, so come prepared and properly dressed. $10. See nationalarboretum.act.gov.au

Cooking Classes

3Seeds is running Kids' Baking classes. Learn to bake individual meringues filled with fruit and cream, and make your own profiteroles with custard and chocolate ganache. 3 Seeds Cooking School, Fyshwick Markets. $60. See 3seeds.com.au

Kids Pantry has a full program of children's cooking classes from September 29-October 9. Classes include Hawaiian burgers, nasi goreng, crisp tofu stirfry, chocolate tarts, fortune cookies and pizza. $45-$140. Bookings at kidspantry.com.au

Theatre shows

The Very Hungry Caterpillar comes to life in this new show at the Q Theatre in Queanbeyan. September 30 to October 4. $28-$84. See theq.net.au

Bonsai Workshops

Bonsai experts will show you how to pot, snip and style your very own tiny tree at the National Arboretum's National Bonsai and Penjing Collection. Suitable for kids aged 8-16. Wednesday, September 30 to Friday October 2 from 10am. Bookings essential. $35. See nationalarboretum.act.gov.au