School Holidays and Come-and-Try Sport on the Sunshine Coast: Where to Keep Kids Active All Year

School holidays on the Sunshine Coast do not have to mean screen time and restless kids. The region's sporting clubs, councils and governing bodies run a well-organised calendar of holiday programs and come-and-try events that give children from toddlers to teenagers a hands-on taste of everything from cricket and basketball to surf life saving and triathlon. Many programs are low-cost or free, removing any financial barrier to trying something new.

Cricket Australia's Blast Cricket holiday clinics run in most school holiday periods, bringing modified cricket to young players at ovals across the Coast. Football and netball associations similarly run holiday clinics staffed by qualified coaches, offering structured skill sessions in a relaxed setting where the emphasis is firmly on fun. The Sunshine Coast Council's leisure centre network also runs active holiday programs at aquatic centres, covering swimming skills, water polo and general water safety in a supervised environment.

Surf life saving clubs at Mooloolaba, Maroochydore, Alexandra Headland, Coolum and Noosa run Nippers programs for children from five years of age, and many clubs open their doors to new families during the summer holiday period for introductory sessions. Nippers is one of the most distinctive sporting experiences the Sunshine Coast offers, combining ocean swimming, beach flags, surf craft and team spirit in a way that no other program can replicate.

Triathlon Queensland and local multisport clubs run junior come-and-try events tied to the Mooloolaba and Noosa triathlon calendars, giving young athletes a first taste of swim-bike-run in a supportive, non-competitive format. The Sunshine Coast's cycling and athletics clubs also hold periodic open training sessions through the year, and the University of the Sunshine Coast precinct at Sippy Downs hosts community athletic programs that welcome new participants.

The best way to find what is on in each school holiday period is to check the Sunshine Coast Council events calendar and the websites of the relevant governing bodies for each sport. Most programs require advance registration and fill quickly, so signing up as soon as term ends is always the smart move.

Sources: Sunshine Coast Council Events Surf Life Saving Queensland Cricket Australia Blast Cricket