A printable bingo card of reading challenges — read in a cubby, read to a pet, read a comic — to keep books fun all holidays.
Summer & Christmas School Holidays
In Australia, the summer school holidays usually fall in mid-December to late January or early February. Here are the dates for every state and territory, plus free ideas to make the most of the break.
| State / territory | Summer |
|---|---|
| NSWEastern Division | Fri 18 Dec – Wed 27 Jan |
| VIC | Mon 21 Dec – Wed 27 Jan |
| QLD | Sat 12 Dec – Tue 26 Jan |
| WA | Fri 18 Dec – Fri 29 Jan |
| SA | Sat 12 Dec – Tue 26 Jan |
| TAS | Mon 21 Dec – TBC |
| ACT | Mon 21 Dec – Mon 1 Feb |
| NT | Fri 11 Dec – Tue 26 Jan |
| State / territory | Summer |
|---|---|
| NSWEastern Division | Tue 21 Dec – Fri 28 Jan |
| VIC | Mon 20 Dec – Thu 27 Jan |
| QLD | Sat 11 Dec – Sun 23 Jan |
| WA | Fri 17 Dec – Tue 1 Feb |
| SA | Mon 13 Dec – Fri 28 Jan |
| TAS | Being verified Official TAS calendar |
| ACT | Mon 20 Dec – TBC |
| NT | Fri 10 Dec – Mon 24 Jan |
The summer holidays are the longest break of the Australian school year, usually running from mid-December until late January or early February. They cover Christmas, New Year and Australia Day, and finish when Term 1 of the next school year begins.
Because each state sets its own dates, the first and last days differ around the country, so check your state below. In New South Wales, Western Division schools also start Term 1 a week later than the rest of the state.
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 summer holidays
Plan in fortnights
Six weeks is a long time. Planning two weeks at a time keeps things fresh and leaves room for rest after a busy school year.
Keep reading going
A reading bingo card or library challenge is the easiest way to protect reading skills over the long break.
Sun and water safety
Slip, slop, slap, seek and slide. Swim between the flags, and supervise children around pools and open water at all times.
Ease back into routine
In the final week, bring bedtimes forward and revisit a few maths and reading skills so the first week back feels easier.
Free activity ideas for these holidays
Explore your backyard or local park to find, sort and sketch living things — no collecting required.
Older kids research, cost and timetable a real family outing — then present their plan for approval.
Get ready for a great term: set up a study space, check your gear, write term goals and practise the school routine before day one.
Run your own mini Olympics in the backyard or park — time the races, measure the throws and work out everyone's average score.
Set one learning goal, one fun goal and one helpful goal for the holidays — and plan small steps to get there.