THUMBS UP: Finn and Oscar O'Byrne having a splash at the Orange Aquatic Centre. Photo: JUDE KEOGH.
There are a mountain of activities on in Orange over the school holidays. We’ve assembled the biggest list we can of every opportunity across the city to keep them busy.
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ALWAYS OPEN AND WAITING
There are plenty of regularly-occurring events over the school holidays, with these places open most days.
- Orange Aquatic Centre: Monday to Friday from 5.30am to 7.30pm, Saturday from 5.30am to 7pm, Sunday from 8pm to 7pm
- Huntley Berry Farm, Huntley Road, Huntley: Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm.
- Adventure Playground, Yellowbox Way, Orange: Open seven days, barbecue and picnic areas available.
- Flip Out Orange, 30-44 Edward Street Orange: Half an hour for $10, one hour for $15 and 90 minutes for $21.
- Mini Golf, Orange City Bowling Club, 61/89 Warrendine Street, Orange: Open seven days from 11am to 6pm, $5 per person, children under 5 free.
- Orange Tenpin Bowl, corner of Byng and Seymour Street: Open seven days from 9am. Pizza and food is available for purchase. Prices from $12 for juniors and $14 for seniors.
- Orange Regional Museum, 151 Byng Street: Open seven days from 9am to 5pm. Free entry.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS IS WAITING
For those longing the great outdoors, these places are at the top of the list to explore.
- Lake Canobolas Reserve, open seven days until dusk. Barbecues and picnic areas, play equipment including a flying fox.
- Mount Canobolas, picnic areas and sightseeing.
- Ophir Gold Fields. Hire gold pans from Orange Visitor Information Centre.
- Borenore Caves, The Escort Way, Borenore. Open seven days until dusk.
- Gosling Creek Reserve, Bloomfield Road Orange. Open seven days.
IN THE SUN: Aimee Collins at Lake Canobolas on Thursday. Photo: JUDE KEOGH
WHAT’S GOING ON AROUND TOWN
There are plenty of family-friendly events taking place over the next two months. Here are some of our favourites.
- December 31: McCormack Barber’s Party Under the Stars from 5pm to 9.30pm at Waratah Sports Club, Telopea Way. Fireworks, childrens’ entertainment and more.
- January 8: Give Me Five For Kids Picnic Race Day, Towac Park from noon. Tickets from $15.
- January 9: DIY Slime Workshop at headspace Orange from 11am to 1pm. For those aged between 12 and 18 years old. $10.
- January 12: Berry Patch Arts Festival, 9am to 3pm Huntley Berry Farm, Huntley Road. Gold coin entry.
- January 12: Orange Society of Model Engineers’ public running day for the miniature railway from 1pm at Matthews Avenue. Cost of $2, fully enclosed shoes essential.
- January 15: Making Faces – Character portraits with Matt Caufield at Orange Regional Gallery, learning how to make watercolour, pen and pencil drawings of faces. 10am to noon for 8 to 12 year olds, with 13+ from 1pm to 3pm. Cost $20.
- January 16: Sculpture Workshop with Jag Davies at Orange Regional Gallery, learning how to create sculptures out of anything and everything. 10am to 12 noon. For ages 8 to 12. $20.
- January 17: Painting Portraits with Laretta Goodacre at Orange Regional Gallery, learning how to make their own masterpieces. 10am to 1pm for ages 8 and up. Cost $25.
- January 18: Orange Library board game day, all day. For ages six and up, but children under the age of eight must be accompanied by an adult. Bring along friends and try some of the library’s new board games. Free.
- January 18: Write a Portrait in Six Easy Steps with Magrete Lamond, combining creative writing and art. 10am to 1pm for ages 10 and up. Cost $25.
- January 20: Family Fun Day at Duntryleague from 12pm to 4pm with a kids’ golf workshop and activities table, an inflatable obstacle course and kids menu.
- January 20: Bluntside Skate Park Series at the Orange Skate Park, finals for the Central West skateboarding series. Watch the best talent in the region battle it out from noon. Free entry.
BUILD IT UP: There will be a Lego day at Orange Library on January 21.
- January 21: Orange Library Lego club, all day, for ages 6 to 15 but children under the age of eight must be accompanied by an adult. Lego from home is permitted for entry in a Lego competition with the theme of Curious Creatures, which runs from January 14-21. Booking essential. Free.
- January 22: Creating Clay Creatures with Cecile Knowles, making a coil-formed creature with dries clay. 10am to 12pm for ages 8 and up, 1pm to 3pm for ages 13+. Cost $25.
- January 22-23: Orange Library escape room, all day, for ages 8 to 16. Book a time of day – there are only four sessions available each day, put together a team of three to four to take part. Free.
- January 23: Sculpture Workshop with Jag Davies at Orange Regional Gallery, learning how to create sculptures out of anything and everything. 10am to noon. For ages 13 and up. $20.
- January 24: Sculpture is back at Orange Regional Gallery for 2019 as a collaborative community work to install in a garden. Drop in from 10am to 12 noon or 1pm to 3pm to take part in the self-guided construction. All ages. Free. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
- January 25: Lino-Printed Gift Cards with Laretta Goodacre at Orange Regional Gallery. Cut and print your own lino. 10am to 1pm. Ages 10+. Cost $25.
- January 26: Australia Day celebrations at Cook Park from 7.30am. Food available. Awards and presentations taking part during the morning.
- January 26: Chill Out Sundays at Duntryleague from 1pm to 5pm.
EVERYBODY DANCE NOW: Regan Allan and Azmina Scully enjoying themselves at a previous PCYC activities day.
SCHEDULE AT THE PCYC ORANGE
There are plenty of events happening every day at the PCYC Orange from 8.30am to 5pm. $25 for a half-day, $40 for a full day. Bookings essential, and the full price must be paid at time of booking. Lunch is not provided. For PCYC members in kindergarten through to year 6 students.
- January 2: Cheerleading, relay races and outdoor play in the morning with ninja warrior, court play and a Christmas movie in the afternoon.
- January 3: Fort building, colouring, gymnastics in the morning with court play, fitness circuit and in-club disco in the afternoon.
- January 4: Hip-hop, court play and trivia in the morning with fort building, outdoor play and in-club movie in the afternoon.
- January 7: Fort building, hip-hop and court play in the morning with zumba, ball games and colouring in the afternoon.
- January 8: Court play, minute to win it games and fort building in the morning with fitness boxing, outdoor play and board games in the afternoon.
- January 9: Trivia, gymnastics and zumba in the morning with a workshop (extra cost), colouring and court play in the afternoon.
- January 10: Outdoor play, board games and crazy hair (cost of gold coin donation) with court play, boot camp and a crazy hair competition in the afternoon.
- January 11: Tenpin bowling (extra cost $10) in the morning with court play, parkour and in-club movie in the afternoon.
- January 14: Minute to win it games, outdoor play and board games in the morning with court play, ninja warrior and karaoke in the afternoon.
KICKING BACK: Morgan Thurtell, Shana Coles and Emma Jurd relaxing in a sea of foam blocks at PCYC Orange.
- January 15: Court play, science experiments and gymnastics in the morning with boot camp outdoor play and hip-hop in the afternoon.
- January 16: Outdoor games, court play and zumba in the morning with workshop (extra cost), colouring and hip-hop in the afternoon.
- January 17: Court play, carers vs children games in the morning with fitness boxing and talent show in the afternoon.
- January 18: Ninja warrior, colouring and outdoor play in the morning with zumba, gymnastics and an in-club movie in the afternoon.
- January 21: Cheerleading, outdoor play and hip-hop in the morning with science experiements, court play and karaoke in the afternoon.
- January 22: Trampolining, outdoor play and minute to win it games in the morning with fitness circuit, court play and colouring in the afternoon.
- January 23: Workshop (extra cost), circus, hip-hop in the morning followed by court play, karaoke and board games in the afternoon.
- January 24: Court play, gymnastics and colouring in the morning followed by boot camp, hip-hop and ball games in the afternoon.
- January 25: Hip-hop, outdoor play and ninja warrior in the morning followed by court play, board games and in-club movie in the afternoon.
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Max Stainkamph
Journalist
Max joined the CWD in September 2017, leaving the big smoke of Melbourne to come to Orange, where he stayed until 2020.
Max joined the CWD in September 2017, leaving the big smoke of Melbourne to come to Orange, where he stayed until 2020.
