Explore your backyard or local park to find, sort and sketch living things — no collecting required.
Autumn & Easter School Holidays
In Australia, the autumn school holidays usually fall in April, usually around Easter. Here are the dates for every state and territory, plus free ideas to make the most of the break.
| State / territory | Autumn (Easter) |
|---|---|
| NSWEastern Division | Tue 7 Apr – Fri 17 Apr |
| VIC | Fri 3 Apr – Fri 17 Apr |
| QLD | Fri 3 Apr – Sun 19 Apr |
| WA | Fri 3 Apr – Sun 19 Apr |
| SA | Sat 11 Apr – Sun 26 Apr |
| TAS | Sat 18 Apr – Sun 3 May |
| ACT | Fri 3 Apr – Mon 20 Apr |
| NT | Fri 3 Apr – Mon 13 Apr |
| State / territory | Autumn (Easter) |
|---|---|
| NSWEastern Division | Mon 12 Apr – Fri 23 Apr |
| VIC | Fri 26 Mar – Fri 9 Apr |
| QLD | Fri 26 Mar – Sun 11 Apr |
| WA | Sat 10 Apr – Sun 25 Apr |
| SA | Mon 12 Apr – Fri 23 Apr |
| TAS | Being verified Official TAS calendar |
| ACT | Mon 12 Apr – Tue 27 Apr |
| NT | Mon 5 Apr – Mon 12 Apr |
The autumn holidays fall between Term 1 and Term 2, usually in April and often around Easter. Some states line the break up with the Easter long weekend; others don't, so the dates can be quite different from state to state.
Official holiday dates sometimes exclude the Easter public holidays and school development days, so children may finish school a few days before the 'official' holidays start. We show both on each state's page.
New Zealand families: see the New Zealand school holiday dates, which follow one national calendar.
Want something organised for part of the break?
Explore School Holiday ProgramsTips for the autumn holidays
Use the cooler weather
Autumn is perfect for nature walks, leaf hunts and outdoor science before winter arrives.
Plan around Easter
If Easter falls in the break, plan quieter days around family gatherings and save bigger outings for the other week.
Check student-free days
Schools often add a development day at the start of Term 2, so check your school's newsletter for the real first day back.
Free activity ideas for these holidays
Cook a simple pancake recipe together, then halve or double it — real-life fractions you can eat.
Roll a die three times to pick a character, place and problem, then tell or write the story.
Hide clues around the house that can only be unlocked by solving a maths problem. Each answer points to the next hiding spot.
Go on a safari for circles, triangles, rectangles and more — snapping photos of shapes hiding in plain sight around the house or park.
Stack honey, dishwashing liquid, coloured water and oil into a stripy tower, then predict where small objects will float or sink.