Family Week at the Sydney Festival

Family Week at the Sydney Festival

The Sydney Festival brings thousands of visitors to Pitt St Mall each year – with record numbers expected over the event in January. We thought that we would do a bit of research to give you the best idea of what you can expect on the Festival’s most popular period – Family Week – which brings families together from all over Sydney for a fantastic day in Sydney’s CBD.

Family Week lasts from the 20^th-25^th of January and runs from 10am-3pm daily in Hyde Park North, with entry to the event located near Archibald fountain. Spend the last days of the school holidays exploring the Festival Village, the Lawn Library and the giant art exhibit, Higher Ground.

Wanting to unwind and relax – well don’t worry as there is plenty of live entertainment in the Festival Village, with music situated in ‘The Vegetable Plot’ and the ‘Vintage Quartestra’ areas of the village – allowing both you and the kids to have a boogie into the afternoon. There are also many hands-on activities for the kids include postcard creation and free artwork sponsored by Hotbed Designs, which allows children four and up the opportunity to design their very own Sydney Festival carry bag with a range of craft materials.

The Australian Museum is also running activities which allow children to have an interactive educational experience whilst exploring the vast items within their collection. Some of these include:

· Animal House – a block-style play area for children 4-8 years

· Dinosaur Hunt – a fun program in the park which gives kids 3-6 years the chance to create their own dinosaur and take it home

· Life in the Park – explore with real scientists what kind of animals live in Hyde Park and learn techniques to study insect and plant life in your very own home. Suitable for kids between 6-12 years.

· What is it? – museum staff are running an information booth which allows families to bring images and specimens of things they can’t identify, helping you solve the mysteries of your home and garden! People of all ages are welcome

· Volcanoes and what lies beneath – learn how volcanoes erupt, see a rock which can actually float on water and make your own gas in an interactive workshop for kids between 3-10 years

Remember we are expecting hot weather – so don’t forget to pop on over to Pitt St Mall to grab sunscreen, a hat and some drinks to keep you and the kids hydrated. In the meantime here is a list of all the programs run by the Australian Museum so you don’t miss out:

Tuesday 20^th Jan
10am-3pm Animal House
11am-12pm Dinosaur Hunt
1.30-2.30pm Dinosaur Hunt

Wednesday 21^st Jan
10am-3pm Animal House
11am-12pm Dinosaur Hunt
1.30-2.30pm Dinosaur Hunt

Thursday 22^nd Jan
10am-3pm Animal House
11am-12pm Life in the Park
1.30-2.30pm Life in the Park

Friday 23^rd Jan
10am-3pm Animal House
11am-12pm What is it?
1.30-2.30pm What is it?