School Holiday Program Summer 2425

BALLARAT LIBRARIES

SUMMER SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAM 2025

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY The City of Ballarat acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land we live, work, learn and play on.

Within our Council boundaries, the Wadawurrung People are the Traditional Owners south of the Great Dividing Range and to the north the Dja Dja Wurrung People are the Traditional Owners.

We recognise their continuing connection to the land and waterways. We pay our respects to their respective Elders past, present and emerging and extend this to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.

The City of Ballarat Libraries also acknowledges and respects the rich history of tens of thousands of years of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and storytelling.

We are committed to providing culturally safe public spaces and services in the City of Ballarat Libraries for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and we recognise and understand our responsibility in relation to the sensitivity and significance of some of our collection materials.

ALL AGES

3

AGES 4-7

5

AGES 8-13

6

AGES 12+

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FUN, FREE AND SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE Plan your summer of fun at Ballarat Libraries. Join us for a wonderful range of free activities that will keep the whole family entertained these school holidays.

LEARN AND PLAY TOGETHER Enjoy exploring and discovering together. All sessions for children under 12 are designed to be co-learning activities where parents and carers participate as core support for their child.

Age ranges are given as an indication of program suitability and safety, please check prior to booking.

BOOKINGS NOW OPEN Visit the Ballarat Libraries website

Join. Borrow. Read. Win!

ALL AGES

1 December – 31 January

If you are aged 0-18, join the BIG Summer Read for your chance to WIN! Take part in the state-wide competition and be in the draw to win some fantastic prizes or take part in our local Big Summer Read competition for your chance to win, and to be nominated Ballarat’s Biggest Reader!

Register online or collect a paper reading journal at your closest library.

Register here

readbooks.com.au/bsr

The competition starts on 1 December 2024 and closes on 31 January 2025.

Please select Central Highlands Libraries as your local library.

Please note to be eligible for the statewide competition participants must be registered online.

Terms and conditions can be found on libraries.ballarat.vic.gov.au Winners and their nominated Library Service will be notified via email.

Terms and Conditions can be found at plv.org.au/projects/big-summer-read/

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ALL AGES

Early Years Games and Puzzles

First Nations Cultural Session

Drop in, get comfy with the family and enjoy a special games afternoon together.

Enjoy an additional mixture of games and puzzles over the Summer School Holiday period that is sure to please the younger ones in the family.

Jane is a Noongar Yamatji woman who loves sharing her Culture as an Aboriginal woman.

Come along to this interactive, educational session. It will include storytelling, artifacts, art and Wayapa.

Monday 13 January to Friday 24 January, during library opening hours

Co-Lab at Ballarat Library Drop in, no bookings required.

Creative Mindfulness Need some time out to practice mindfulness? Join one of our Youth Facilitators to make your very own glitter mindfulness jar, rock or a scribble art collage or all 3!

Thursday 16 January 10.30-11.30am

Ballarat Library Bookings required

Monday 20 January 10.30-11.30am

Djila-tjarriu Community Hub Bookings required

Tuesday 14 January 10-11.30am

Lucas Outreach Bookings required

Family Movie Screening – Paddington Time to take a break from the summer heat! Bring the family to the Ballarat Library, share some popcorn, get cosy and settle in for a fun filled screening of the movie Paddington.

Wednesday 22 January 4.30-6.30pm

Atrium at Ballarat Library Bookings required 4

Makedo

Let’s have a roaring, stomping good time while we collage, draw, colour the library dinosaur on the wall. Hear a dinosaur story and get dinosaur creative.

You might like to design your own dinosaur.

Ignite your imagination and be inspired to create, learn and have BIG fun building a wonderful world of upcycled creations. Use Makedo to cut, fold and connect forts, costumes, robots and more.

Friday 17 January 10.30-11.30am Friday 24 January 10.30-11.30am

Wendouree Library Bookings required

Please note: Completed Makedo constructions cannot be taken home.

This session is designed to be a co-learning activity where parents and carers (over the age of 18) participate as core support for their child.

Let’s make Fruit Salad

Ages 5+

Prepare a healthy fresh fruit snack that is simple and delicious. Suitable for beginner chefs with assistance from their parents/carers.

Wednesday 22 January 10am-4pm Thursday 23 January 1-7pm

Friday 17 January 1.30pm-2.30pm

AGES 4-7

Big Dinosaur on the Wall

Sebastopol Library Drop in, no bookings required.

Sebastopol Library Bookings required Tuesday 21 January 11am-12pm

Co-Lab at Ballarat Library Bookings required

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AGES 8-13

Nethervoid Adventures

Friendship bracelets

Nethervoid Adventures is an introductory program to the world of role-playing games.

Using the award-winning Hero Kids games system designed for primary aged adventurers, participants will become the heroes of a thrilling fantasy story.

Whether you’ve been swept away by Swiftmania or you’ve shaken the whole thing off, there’s one thing we can all agree on: friendship bracelets are the BEST! Come along and add a little charm to your (and your BFFs) arm this summer.

We will have alpha beads, coloured baubles, sparkle, shine and everything you need to make brilliant bracelets to wear and share.

Monday 13 January 2-3.30pm Monday 20 January 2-3.30pm

Wendouree Library Bookings required

Step into Slime Are you ready to slime? Then come make your own at the library and explore a fun, hands-on experiment.

Tuesday 14 January 10.30am-11.30am Tuesday 21 January 10.30am-11.30am

Wendouree Library Bookings required

Holey Moley Guacamole Using fresh ingredients, we will work together to create a simple Mexican inspired dish - guacamole with salsa and corn chips. Assistance and supervision required from the accompanying parent/carer.

Monday 20 January 11am-12.30pm

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Sebastopol Library Bookings required for all children attending

*Participants must be 8 years and older due to the use of small beads.

Thank you for your cooperation with this safety measure.

Ages 8+ Wednesday 15 January 10.30-11.30am Wednesday 22 January 10.30-11.30am

Ballarat Library Bookings required

Engineering Masters Young inquisitive minds like to see how things work.

This programme explores engineering principles. What makes a strong structure?

Bring your curiosity and we’ll find out together.

Thursday 16 January 1.30-2.30pm

Sebastopol Library Bookings required

Learn to Play Zombiecide

This is a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify “code” and show that we can all learn the basics.

Have you got the skills to survive the zombie apocalypse? Learn to play Zombiecide, the world’s most popular collaborative zombie survival board game.

Friday 17 January 4-5pm Friday 24 January 4-5pm

Ballarat Library Bookings required for all children attending

Ages 12+ Tuesday 14 January 3-5pm Tuesday 21 January 3-5pm

Ballarat Library

Bookings required

Capture summery scenes using pencil and paper during a quiet hour of sketching in the sunshine.

This session offers ardent artists the chance to engage with the outdoors in a calm and creative way. All materials provided.

Retro Games a Go-Go Take a trip in our library time machine and join our Retro Games Olympics. Learn to play games from a bygone era such as Tiddlywinks and Pick-up Sticks.

Ages 8+

Ages 12+

Monday 20 January 10.30am-11.30am

Wednesday 15 January 3-4.30pm

Mindful Musical Art This is a mindful twist on an art experience. Can listening to calming mindful music whilst also creating art, influence the way you paint a picture?

Ages 5-11 Thursday 23 January 2-3pm

Ballarat Library Bookings required

Ballarat Library Bookings required

Rebel Badge Collective For centuries, rebels from all walks of life have worn badges to show their support and allegiances to causes close to their heart. In this workshop, you will design and create your own personal badge, to wear with pride.

AGES 12+ ONLY

Silent Summer Sketch Party

Ballarat Library Bookings required for all children attending

AGES 8-13

Hour of Code

Ages 12+ Wednesday 22 January 3-4.30pm

Ballarat Library Bookings required

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Ballarat Libraries Libraries.ballarat.vic.gov.au ballaratlibraries@ballarat.vic.gov.au @ballaratlibraries @ballaratlibraries

Ballarat Library 5338 6850 178 Doveton Street North, Ballarat Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9.30am-6pm Wednesday 9.30am-7pm Saturday 9.30am-4pm Sunday 1-4pm

Sebastopol Library 5335 7985 181 Albert Street, Sebastopol Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 9.30am-5pm Thursday 9.30am-8pm Saturday 9.30am-12pm Sunday closed

Wendouree Library 5339 3505 Stockland Wendouree Shopping Centre Monday to Friday 9.30am-5pm Saturday 9.30am-12pm

Djila-tjarriu Community Hub 5329 1620 18 Donegal Drive Monday to Friday 9am-4pm

Library Outreach Library Outreach will close 20 December 2024 and recommence 28 January 2025.

Lucas Lucas Community Hub Coltman Plaza Tuesdays 10am–12pm

Buninyong Buninyong Community House 407 Warrenheip Street Thursdays 2–5pm

BOOKINGS NOW OPEN Visit libraries.ballarat.vic.gov.au/kids-families/school-holidays