School holiday activities galore in Northern Grampians Shire

Published on 31 March 2025

Caption: Catch a popular Storytime session at Stawell or St Arnaud libraries these school holidays.

From Storytime and ‘crafternoons’ to street art workshops and pop-up swimming lessons, Northern Grampians Shire Council is offering a range of school holiday activities to help keep families entertained.

Stawell and St Arnaud library branches have released their April calendars, with a visit from the East Wimmera Health Service ‘smoothie bike’ on April 8 among the highlights in St Arnaud.

During the school holidays, Stawell Storytime is at 10.30am on April 10, 11 and 17. There are scheduled craft activities on April 8 and 15, at 2.30pm, although craft supplies will be available all day throughout the holidays.  

St Arnaud Storytime is at 10.30am on April 10 and 17, with craft activities at 2pm on the same day.

Mayor Karen Hyslop said regular Storytime and Wriggle and Read programs were popular with young people and helped develop a love of reading and books from an early age.

She said she was pleased to see a range of activities catering to various ages and interests.

In St Arnaud, April 3 and 11 are ‘for the talkative’, with opportunities to discuss ideas and a topic of the day at 11am. Digital device advice is on offer during new Tech Lab drop-in sessions, on Wednesdays from 1pm to 5pm.

“As well as providing a variety of scheduled activities, the Stawell and St Arnaud branches offer so much for day-to-day users,” Cr Hyslop said.

“You can borrow books, audiobooks, DVDs, magazines and so on. The staff are super friendly and happy to help with recommendations or track down something you’re after.

“A visit to your local library is a great outing for families, particularly if the weather is unfavourable.”

Stawell Sports and Aquatic Centre has also released its Easter school holiday calendar.

“On Monday, the aquatic centre will host a Stadium Games session for children aged four and older, from 11.30am to 12.30pm, so head along and try your hand at street curling, soccer, basketball and badminton,” Cr Hyslop said.

On Tuesday, there will be sensory play for children aged three months to five years, from 9am to 10am, followed by Pickleball for children aged four and older from 12pm to 1pm.

On Wednesday, personal trainer Jo will host a yoga session for people aged six and older at 10.30am and teen gym – for youth 12 to 16 – from 4pm to 5pm.

Centre staff will run pop-up swimming lessons during both weeks of the school holidays, on April 10, 11, 14 and 15.

The lessons cover breaststroke, freestyle, backstroke, survival backstroke and fundamentals and cost $15 a child for a 30-minute group session.

“Parents can also book private swimming lessons for their child for $30 for 30 minutes,” Cr Hyslop said.

“This is a great opportunity for some one-on-one attention and to work on specific areas tailored to that child.”

Other activities planned for the aquatic centre include a basketball clinic on April 11, pool games on April 16 and Easter activities on April 17.

People can search Stawell Sports & Aquatic Centre on Facebook for a complete Easter school holiday timetable.

Blender Studios will host five workshops during the school holidays, aimed at teaching mural art skills to primary and secondary-aged students. 

Imagery and conversations during the workshops, which are free of charge, will help shape the design of a new Stawell Skate Park Mural.

The workshops will be at North Park clubrooms on April 9 and 10. 

While shire-facilitated playgroups stop for the school holidays, staff will host a Pop-up Playgroup in St Arnaud on April 14.

Perfect for children aged up to five, the morning will include fun activities including crafts and Storytime. People can register for the event online.

People can click here for more information about school holiday activities throughout Northern Grampians Shire, including how to book.

Easter is a perfect time for families to enjoy the best the region has to offer, with the annual Stawell Gift carnival drawing people home and attracting visitors from far and wide.

Along with three days of racing at Central Park, culminating in the crowning of men’s and women’s gift winners, there is a wealth of activities underway throughout the region.

“Easter is such a fantastic time of year in our shire and it really gives us an opportunity to showcase what we have to offer,” Cr Hyslop said.

“Along with all the action at Central Park we will have art exhibitions and sales, Ozact performing Shakespeare at Heatherlie Quarry, the Great Western Rodeo, a fun run, horse and harness racing – something for everyone.”

For more information about events in the shire people can click here or follow Discover Northern Grampians on Facebook.