School holidays in my opinion are a delicate line between ‘yay, a chance to spend some time with the kids without stress’ to ‘what on earth are we going to do all day every day?’
There’s only so many movies / at home days / and play dates a mama can take. That’s when it is time to pack up the kids and venture into the big wide world. We are really lucky in Sydney to have so many world-class activities on our doorstep. One of the fav in the Hungry Family is the National Maritime Museum. It is huge, has undercover exhibits as well as actual ships and submarines in situ in Darling Harbour, and lots more besides. Yes, that is a giant octopus in the background: 
Their current exhibition is called Voyage of the Deep and I am here to tell you that my gals could have spent hours and hours in this section alone. A behemoth of a room has been temporarily transformed into a play area for kids inspired by Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. There’s a huge mock-up of Captain Nemo’s fantasy submarine, giant clamshells, shipwreck, treasure and more. Here’s Miss9 playing a tune on the organ in the submarine: 
Look up to see jellyfish hanging from the ceiling, take a spin a slippery dip, check out the view in a periscope, and check-out a clever mosaic that lights up as you tread on it, revealing a mysterious hidden floor. After we eventually prised the gals out of the Voyage of the Deep area we checked out some of the amazing other exhibits at this hands-on venue. Miss7 loved exploring the ships and was fascinated by the machine gun on the stern of one of Australia’s retired patrol boat. The gun was in situ until a recent terrorist attack saw federal police remove all weapons. Miss9 loved going on the ships as ‘’I learnt new things and they were interesting.’’ They also loved sitting in the captain’s chair and having a turn at ‘steering’. We didn’t get a chance to check out the lighthouse this time, which means we’ll just have to return soon. See more info at http://www.anmm.gov.au/ 
Sydney school holiday idea for kids: Australian National Maritime Museum
7 Apr
21 Responses to “Sydney school holiday idea for kids: Australian National Maritime Museum”
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That looks like great fun. I homeschool my kids during the summer break – some sort of project we work on, not just drilling them in numeracy and literacy – because mine all need structure and routine or they go crazy. That forms part of most days and then we have trips and free play too. Which is to say that I clearly agree with you that it’s easy to transition from loving the flexibility of school breaks to panicking about how to keep kids occupied and stimulated.
Yes- I find with Miss7 that she thrives with structure and plans She can keep herself entertained but it is better for the whole family if she gets out and about and learns something along the way.
yay for Aussie bloggers! 🙂
I’m currently hosting a giveaway and would love for you to enter. Details are on my blog’s facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/butterandjamblog
Hope to see you there! x
Thanks Grace – have entered yr comp and tagged some people too 😉
Funny how moms all over the world are in the same boat – we did the zoo this school holiday! Long days!
Such.Long.Days #IsItBedtimeYet #poursWine
That looks like great fun! I love how you mentioned a bit of balance during school break time. So true! We have some days that are jam-packed, while others are spent in our pajamas until noon.
Is good to mix it up – we are still in our pjs and it is 1.30pm here! #lazy
Looks like a really cool kid friendly outing
Big and small kids – the Hungry Dad loves this place 😉
Aww…this reminds me of how my mom would feel on Snow-Days!!
What a sweet way for kids to spend time, both educational and fun 🙂
It is such a great museum!
I can imagine it can be a real challenge to find places and things to do and see during holiday times! She looks like she is having a great time 🙂
This is such a great place – the Hungry Dad is also a fan (though he is the original big kid at heart!).
My husband and I visited our first maritime museum last year. It was so interesting. I love the sea but I prefer a cruise ship! What a great outing for adults and children!
hehehe – I prefer a cruise ship too! The museum was 100 pc cocktail-free, which is just not on 😉
This sounds like an ideal museum, not only for kids, also for me! 🙂 Cool!
Yes – it is such a great day out. keep it in mind if you travel to Sydney 😉
I’m so glad you posted this! We’re just across the way living in New Zealand, but will be moving back to the States in a few months. Before we move back we’re taking a big road trip around Australia and I’ve been looking for kid friendly things to do in Sydney, we’ll definitely have to check this out!
oh, excellent timing! You’ll love it 😉 We usually have lunch at the Pontoon Bar after we;ve been here – it is an indoor/outdoor pub located across Darling Harbour in the dining precinct – it is v close to Aquarium [highly recommend a visit here, too]. Bar usually has daily specials and kids always enjoy it.
Thank you so much for the recommendations, I’ll add it to the list!!