Communities at Work

A New Adventure Every Day: School Holiday Programs in Canberra

See the program activity calendars for individual service dates by clicking your preferred school location below.

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Communities at Work offers School Holiday Programs across Canberra. Our programs focus on fun and delivering a new adventure every day for your child. They include:

Excursions (visits to fun locations)
In-Service Event (visits from external activity providers to the schools)
SHP Day activities (a diverse range of flexible and adaptable activities run by our educators, and based on children’s choice).

The programs run from 7:30 am to 6 pm on weekdays during the school holidays (except for Emmaus, which opens from 8 am). All locations cater to children in preschool to Year 6, (except for Amaroo and Emmaus School Holiday Program, which is unable to accept preschool-aged children, and Isabella Plains, which cater to children preschool to Year 2).

Some of the great activities planned for these holidays:

✅ Make Me a Rockstar: Children will sing on the microphone, get creative with banner making and guitar decorating and more. By the end of the session, they will be ready to take centre stage and unleash their inner superstar!

✅ MEGA Marble Run: Children will build, test and perfect their eco-conscious marble run for hours of thrilling, planet-friendly fun!

✅ Mountain Strong Bouldering: Children will experience the thrill of free climbing from the safety of Mountain Strong. (Waiver Required)

… and lots more!

School Holiday Program Fees

(effective 29  July 2024)

• $91.00 for SHP days (days on which educators at the service run activities for the children).
• $107.00 for In-Service Event (days on which external providers bring in special activities to the school holiday program service).
• $127.50 for excursion days (days on which educators and children visit an external location from the school holiday program location for fun activities).

Please note: these daily rates apply to all our school holiday program locations except for Ngunnawal Child Care and Education Centre, and Narrabundah Early Childhood Service School Holiday Programs. These centres operate at standard long daycare rates during the school holidays.

More Information

Our qualified and reliable educators provide more than just vacation care – they collaborate with children to ensure play, leisure and recreational activities are safe and meaningful. We place each child at the centre of our practice and build respectful and positive relationships with children, families and the community to develop connectedness, confidence and wellbeing.

• For answers to our Frequently Asked Questions, please visit our FAQs page. 
• For enrolment enquiries, please contact our Children’s Services Enrolments Team (CSET) by email enrolments@commsatwork.org or call 1300 212 273 (Monday-Friday 8 am to 5 pm).
• You can also use the Get in Touch form on this page to provide any feedback.
• Visit our Enrolments Portal page to submit your school holiday program enrolment enquiry.

What does my child need to bring?

Your child will need to bring a healthy morning tea, lunch, a hat and a drink bottle. Please note that unfortunately we cannot cook or reheat lunches.

What should my child wear?

Anything that is comfortable and easy to move in. For activities that involve water (specified in the program calendars), we also recommend the child bring a change of clothes.

Are the activities the same for all age groups?

Each program is different, but we always ensure that all activities are age-appropriate. All our locations are able to cater for children from pre-school to Year 6, except for Amaroo and Emmaus which is unable to care for preschool-aged children and Isabella Plains, which cater to children preschool to year 2.

Step by Step Guide on using the Enrolments Portal

Have trouble making a booking for Communities at Work’s school holiday programs? Watch this video for a step-by-step guide on how to submit an enrolment enquiry to book your child into our holiday programs.

Enrolments Portal