Paediatricians
Pia
September 26, 2022
July School Holiday Guide
School holidays are coming! Those two rainy weeks in July are great time to plan some workshops, holiday camps and group therapy programs.
July holidays can be tricky … rainy and cold, unless you’re off to warmer shores for the holidays you’re left with trying to occupy children and juggle work or other commitments while battling the weather. But there’s plenty of things to do these school holidays to keep them nice and busy.
Holidays can also be a great time of intensive therapy programs focusing on developing a specific skill such as handwriting, bike riding or study skills. It can be amazing the noticable difference that an intensive program can make in just one or two weeks – especially when you’re not competing with the energy demands of school.
So have a scroll down the list of school holiday activities in Perth these July school holidays, and click the quicklink to go directly to the listing with all the event details.
If you’d like to be a part of the guide, scroll down to the bottom for more info on what I need to feature you.
Quick links
Next Challenge Kids (Osborne Park)
Next Challenge Kids in Osborne Park will be running several group programs over the school holidays including: Ready Rockets Kids for ages 5-12 years focusing on emotional regulation, Mighty Monkeys for PP to Year 1s for fine motor and handwriting and Little Lions for the Kindy Kids.
Dates: various dates
Location: Next Challenge Kids, Osborne Park
Cost: varies
Bookings: register online at nextchallenge.com.au/groups
AIM Therapy (Wembley & Canning Vale)
AIM Therapy for Kids is running group programs led by their Occupational Therapists for Kindy through to Year 6 students. Groups will cover writing, social skills and other skills.
Dates: various dates
Location: AIM Therapy for Kids in Wembley and Canning Vale
Cost: $95 per 1 hour group session, maximum of 4 children per group
Bookings: email hello@aimtherapy.com.au or cal 6150 8339
School holiday groups with the fun team at Perth Hills Allied Health with Lego Therapy, Board Game Design Groups, Pokemo-tion Creatures, and Sands of Self Discovery for teenaged girls.
Date: various
Location: Perth Hills Allied Health, 105 Champion Drive, Kelmscott
Cost: varies
Bookings: Book your child’s place by emailing admin@perthhillsalliedhealth.com.au
Designed by an OT, these larger group sessions involve activities targeting skills related to fine motor, gross motor, organisation and problem solving skills. Our sessions are run by OT students and involve 4 x 45 minute activity sessions with 4-6 kids per group.
Dates: Monday 10th July- Friday 14th July, 2023.
Location: GymWorks Occupational Therapy, Osborne Park
Ages: Kindy – Year 6 (groups formed pending enrolment numbers for each age group)
Cost: $140 per session
Bookings: If you would like to receive the email link and you are not currently linked in with our services, please use the ‘Book an Appointment’ feature on our website and enquire about our Holiday Program: https://forms.gle/7YSNMq931dBpfvPG9
Patches are offering parenting workshops during the holidays as they recognise that parenting is not rocket science – it’s harder! Workshops include:
Blocks, Bricks and Dolls – Oh my! presented by Patches Speech Pathologist Anthea McCormick
The Language of Behaviour presented by Patches Provisional Psychologist, Sang Pham
ABCs of Early Communication, presented by Speech Pathologist, Sarah Cranley
Mealtimes and Fussy Eaters with Patches Occupational Therapist, Rosalind Garside
I Can Do It! Developing Independence Skills also with OT Rosalind
Dates: 3pm-4.30pm on Tuesday 4 July, Thursday 6 July, Tuesday 11 July, Wednesday 12 July
Location: Patches, 55 Salvado Road, Subiaco (free parking at Homebase)
Cost: $90 per session
Bookings: Phone 1300 311 728 or book online https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=57SW7Lp8OEaoXxg_IYo8wBH8QDa1i15Auk8feSrEJytUQzU0OEdTQzdJNUdSNUdVV1MzT0w2R1lNTC4u
WA Museum Boola Bardip (Northbridge)
Join us for a special quiet session to explore two exhibition galleries Wild Life and Connections.
Be at ease in a comfortable environment that supports children and adults with Autism and specific sensory needs.
During our quiet sessions, specific exhibition galleries will remain open outside general admission periods for an extra hour and be modified for a gentler sensory experience.
Numbers will be limited to reduce crowds.
Lights and sounds will be turned down or switched off where possible.
Lights and sounds will be turned down or switched of where possible.
A designated quiet area will be available for visitors to use should they require a break.
A sensory map will be provided.
All ages are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult guardian.
The Museum has collaborated with the Autism Association of Western Australia to develop inclusive supports for year-round visits.
Sensory Backpacks
WA Museum Boola Bardip offers Sensory Backpacks, a specially designed treasure trove of tools to both calm and stimulate a child’s sensory system.
Available upon arrival at the Museum, you can loan a backpack free of charge to help to support you and your child in making the most of your visit. Each backpack will include a number of resources for self regulation, tactile input, attention focusing and body awareness support.
Backpacks include:
Visual supports stories and sensory maps – support your child to be in control of their visit by making a visual plan of your time at the Museum.
Sand timer – give a visual aid to help your child manage time
Ear defenders – provide a way for your child to tune out unwanted sounds
Fidget toys – engage tactile, visual and auditory senses
Magnifying glass – engage with objects and galleries in a different way
Binoculars – focus on further away exhibits
Torch – light up darker spaces in galleries
Upon arrival, simply ask about our Sensory Backpacks at the front desk and our team can loan you a backpack for the duration of your visit. Please return backpacks to the front desk prior to departure. Backpacks available on a first come first serve basis.
Skillbuilders are running school holiday therapy programs at both of their centres and will add more programs depending on interest and therapist availability.
Dates: Various
Location: Skillbuilders, Canning Vale and Cockburn
Ages: Pre-school & Primary School
Cost: Varies
Bookings: email your name and your child’s name to info@skillbuilders.com.au
Destroy, Design and Build Group (Dianella)
This school holiday workshop will be led by Occupational Therapist Isabelle Nash of Balance to Bloom. The group will be pulling apart old technology, designing a new item and building back up. The group focus is on fine motor skills, emotional regulation and executive function.
Dates: 10 July from 1-3pm
Location: Dianella
Ages: 6-10 years
Bookings: administration@balancetobloom.com.au
The Telethon Holiday Makers Program (THMP) is a program for kids and teens run by Spectrum Space during the school holidays. The program will run a range of activities based on interests that our participants have identified, as well as fun excursions. This creates a natural social environment where participants have the opportunity to meet like-minded peers and have some new fun experiences along the way!
The THMP is run by qualified professionals with autism experience.
Dates: Various
Location: Spectrum Space Fremantle, Marangaroo and Rockingham
Ages: 5-18 years
Cost: $140 per session
Bookings: Submit an expression of interest https://www.spectrumspace.org.au/social-groups/holiday/eoi/#activities
Kate from Wild Creative Australia is hosting a drop off program for children aged 6-12 years of age.
The Warrior Kids workshops help develop skills demonstrating a warriors courage. Courage is expressed through the:
physical body (climbing/nature games/setting their own challenges),
emotionally (understanding your emotions/feeling fear is natural/asking for help when you need it is healthy),
mentally (needing to persist with a task/trying something that feels hard – like whittling/being the new person/making friends).
Date: Wednesday 5 July from 9am to 2pm (5 hours)
Location: Leederville bush area
Cost: $85 for first child, $79 for siblings
Bookings: online at Wild Creative Australia
Through various activities and exercises, children develop a deep connection with the horses, promoting emotional growth, self-confidence, and self-awareness. Equine therapy can help children improve communication skills, build trust, manage emotions, and develop problem-solving abilities. The presence of horses creates a non-judgmental and non-verbal space where children can express themselves freely and learn important life skills while fostering a sense of empowerment and resilience.
We specialise in neurodiversity and our private equine therapy sessions are especially beneficial for neurodiverse children, as the gentle and intuitive nature of the horses helps them establish a calming and harmonious connection, promoting sensory integration, social skills, and emotional regulation.
Location: 172 Gugeri Road, Herne Hill
Cost: $170 for 60 minutes
NDIS: can be used, billing available direct to NDIS Plan Managers
Bookings: email hello@therapeuticequineexperience.com.au
Accessibility: wheelchair and mobility assistance accessible
We have school holidays activities in Mount Lawley, Scarborough and South Perth and a new location in Cottesloe.
Our kids art classes for kids aged 6+ are for creative kids who like to play with paint, clay, drawing, construction and more. These workshops sell out fast so secure your child a creative experience that they won’t forget. All workshops come with a dose of resilience.
Locations: Wesley College, South Perth; Perth College, Mt Lawley; The Artspace Collective, Scarborough; Cottesloe Primary School, Peppermint Grove
Cost: varies
Bookings: https://strengthheroes.com.au/
The lovely psychologists at Wagtail Therapy have come up with a creative way to help families currently on waitlists for psychology or positive behaviour support.
They have created a school holiday brief therapy program called Wait with Wagtail.
It is a combination of solution focused brief therapy and positive behaviour support where you will focus on 1 specific functional goal of your choice over 3 sessions with a Psychologist.
Sessions are for parents/carers rather than direct therapy with children and is suitable for all ages.
Sessions are for parents/carers rather than direct therapy with children and is suitable for all ages.
The aim of the program is to provide some temporary support while you are waiting for therapy services for your child and will typically include a mini behaviour assessment, development of strategies and creation of a mini support plan.
Please note that Wagtail Therapy uses a neurodiversity affirming approach, so they don’t aim to reduce, eliminate or alter any traits of neurodiversity.
They aim to increase understanding, implement environmental changes and develop new skills.
Cost: $155 per session with a Provisional Psychologist and $210 for a Registered Psychologist.
NDIS: yes, NDIS funding can be used to access this service.
Bookings: To express interest in Wait with Wagtail please complete the form at this link – https://form.jotform.com/
We use laptops (supplied) to unlock the true magic of JAVA Minecraft. It’s a great school holiday activity and they can continue their learning and connections long after the workshop finishes. It’s being run by MindBuzz.
We will be working on multiple servers learning things like crafting, teleporting and how to navigate between worlds using commands. Minecraft commands are great for learning the building blocks of coding. We will start off in a tutorial section before graduating through levels of difficulty into the other servers/worlds. The day is designed to maximise collaboration between players and we place a heavy emphasis on caring for other players, helping out and being a leader.
All participants will receive FREE access to the MindBuzz camp world and online courses after the camp! Participants will also have the chance to earn leadership ranks on the day such as COACH, and MODERATOR.
See you for the Ultimate School Holiday Program: a fun and educational day at Minecraft Camp.
Locations: Wesley College, South Perth; Perth College, Mt Lawley; The Artspace Collective, Scarborough; Cottesloe Primary School, Peppermint Grove
Ages: Most are 8-12, but resilient and capable, 6-year-olds are also welcome and do just fine. 14-year-old fans of Minecraft just love it.
Cost: $89
Inclusive: We welcome a broad range of kids. We get gifted and talented students working alongside special needs kids. Minecraft is a great equaliser.
Bookings: https://mindbuzz.com.au/
Pro Football Training directors Barry Wood and Mark Lee have been involved in running successful soccer (or football) clinics all over the world.
During the July school holidays they will run soccer training clinics designed for children of all abilities aged 4-16 with children placed within their own age groups.
A girls only clinic will be held in week one at the Yokine Open Space in Dianella.
Dates: Week 1: Tuesday 4-Friday 7 July; Week 2: Tuesday 11 to Friday 14 July
Times: Various, 9-11am or 2-4pm depending on clinic
Locations: Lords Sport & Recreation Centre, Subiaco; Carine Open Space, Carine; Willetton Reserve, Willetton; Yokine Open Space, Dianella; Wesley College, South Perth
Cost: $149 per child (8 hours)
Bookings: email info@profootballtraining.com.au
More information: profootballtraining.com.au
Running a school holiday program?
Don’t be a drama llama. Be a no problemo llama. Or alpaca, I can never tell the difference 
If you are running a group therapy program or offering private intensives during the July school holidays then send me the deets. I would love to share it for you!
Programs must be delivered in Perth / WA during the July 2023 school holidays and suitable for kids who are neurodivergent.
Send me 
a description age range of participants that it would be suitable for image cost if NDIS can be used how to book any relevant accessibility or sensory info that would be handy for families to know.to Pia at hello@perthkidshub.com.au
