With at least six weeks of summer school holidays ahead, Subiaco has plenty of fun to tap into when the call for endless snacks gets too much, Lisa O’Neill discovers.
While I’m all for pottering around the house, pyjama days and challenging the kids to not be bored to see what their imagination spits out – sometimes, you have to outsource the fun to the experts. Fortunately, there’s plenty of creative fun-makers in Subiaco ready to host your kids this summer.
Studio Thimbles
437 Hay Street, Subiaco
To escape the heat, Studio Thimbles is the ideal spot as your kids are encouraged to unleash their crafting genius. Founder Olga Abbott opened the Hay Street location for her Studio Thimbles in June and has created a beautiful space to try your hand at sewing. Over the school holidays, Olga has a selection of full-day camps and shorter workshops. The full-day camps have school hours of 9am to 3.30pm and the kids make a selection of items such as skirts, scrunchies, aprons, oven gloves, bucket hats and bunting. The workshops run for 2.5 hours, which might be just the right amount of time for mum or dad (or grandma/ grandpa) to recoup their energy while the kids make something fabulous.
The Painted Teapot
95 Rokeby Road, Subiaco
More art and craft is on offer at The Painted Teapot, open from Wednesday to Sunday, where the kids can paint pre-made pieces of pottery, from mugs and teapots to larger items like platters. All ages can join in the fun here over 1 hour 45-minute painting sessions, so mum or dad can join in the mindful activities while someone else tells the kids what to do. Win win!
Lords Recreation Centre
5 Wembley Court, Subiaco
There’s something for everyone at Subiaco’s favourite sports centre, Lords. Caregivers can spend some me-time at the gym (or its café, whatever your soul needs) while kids join in a mixture of activities over select days in January (to confirm days, please visit lords.com.au/for-kids/school-holiday-program/). The programs are ideal for six to 11-year-olds, varying from adventure games to karaoke, and carnival games to treasure hunts. Beyond the program of activities, kids get the chance to play sport, swim in the heated pool, play team games and complete a craft activity. Safe to say, the kids will be asleep before their heads hit the pillow after a day with the team at Lords.
Jungle Sports
Lords Recreation Centre
5 Wembley Court, Subiaco
For the smaller kids, Jungle Sports is hosted indoors at Lords for 18-month-olds to 6-year-old kids. Boundlessly energised owner Andrew Smith has created a fabulous introduction to a wide variety of sports with his holiday program on offer for the week of 15 to 19 January. The day begins with an obstacle course to warm up the ‘superstar’ athletes followed by two sports each day, such as hockey, cricket, basketball, rugby, soccer and athletics. With 2024 being an Olympic year, it’s the perfect time to pique your kids’ interest so they’ll join you to watch the world’s best compete in Paris. You gotta have a dream!
Peak Trampoline
Lords Recreation Centre
5 Wembley Court, Subiaco
For the true thrillseekers, there’s nothing like tumbling through the air via giant trampolines. Peak Trampolining offers kids half and full-day camps for trampoline and fun games, gymnastic acrobatics and power tumbling over the school holidays. Held in the giant room of bouncy things, such as air tumble tracks and multiple trampolines, the Subiaco space has state-of-the-art equipment that caters for total beginners to Olympic level athletes.
The Tennis Factory
Onslow Park Tennis Club
85 Onslow Road, Shenton Park
For your budding Lleyton Hewitt or Ash Barty, the Tennis Factory, held at Onslow Park Tennis Club runs holiday programs throughout December and January. Parents chasing a fitness session at the same time as kids’ camp will love the Factory’s Cardio Tennis sessions throughout January with music blaring throughout the pacy tennis drills.
Free Activities
Aside from the camps and workshops, Subiaco has a tonne of free and equally fabulous activities for the kiddos to shake off the holiday crazies. We love the free Subiaco Library events, which book out faster than a Taylor Swift concert (think writing and illustrating workshops, small animal petting zoos and craft sessions) so get in early. For a cultural tour of Subiaco, try the Subi Art Discovery Trail with 28 different artworks from mindbogglingly large murals to fascinating sculptures (find the trail map via subiaco.wa.gov.au). You won’t find him on the map, but make sure to seek out the incredible wooden giant Bille Bob who peacefully lies among the beautiful Theatre Gardens.
If your kids love live music and can cope with a late-ish night, the sunset@subi concerts are popular community events that run every Sunday evening at varying Subiaco parks, starting with a Christmas concert on 17 December. Most concert goers bring picnic rugs and low chairs to enjoy the music washing over them, but we have a soft spot for the diehard dance crew who inevitably whizz around the grass once the beats kick in.
So, may your days be filled with joy these summer holidays, and if it all gets too much, we hope you can refer to these pages for inspiration.
