Brisbane’s September holiday program gives kids plenty of things to take apart mentally, test and try again. Five-to-eight-year-olds can send a Rugged Robot on a coral reef rescue or work out how an Intelino smart train behaves without using a screen. Older kids can program Sphero robots to race, play ball and navigate obstacle courses, or add coding and motion to the bricks they’re already building with.
Most of the library sessions are free, and there are options beyond coding: Drawing with Osmo for the sketchers, Family STEAM for families with children across different age groups, and SparkLab at Queensland Museum Kurilpa for hands-on experimenting. Then there’s Fossil Hunting on Mars, a free half-hour museum lecture that’s open to everyone but has adult-focused content… probably best kept for older kids with a serious interest in the subject, or the family’s resident smarty-pants who’s already several questions ahead of you.
Everything here needs to be booked. We’ve put the dates, ages, locations and prices below. Debating the possibility of Martian fossils over lunch is between you and your child.
Built to be screenshotted: every session, time and price on one card.
Brick builders club: Coding
For children already building with bricks, these sessions add a new variable: code that has to be written correctly before the model does anything.
When: Tuesday 22 September, 2pm–3pm at Fairfield; Saturday 26 September, 1:30pm–2:30pm at Brisbane Square – Thursday 1 October, 1:30pm–3pm at Ashgrove
Where: Fairfield Library, Brisbane Square Library and Ashgrove Library
Ages: 8–12
Cost and bookings: Free – Bookings required through the host library
More information: Brick builders club: Coding
Brick builders club: Motion
Building something is one challenge. Working out how it moves adds another. This one-off session at Bracken Ridge Library is built around trial and error: testing a design, then adjusting it when it doesn’t work.
When: Thursday 1 October, 10:30am–12pm
Where: Bracken Ridge Library, 77 Bracken Street, Bracken Ridge
Ages: 6–12
Cost and bookings: Free – Bookings required. Phone Bracken Ridge Library on 07 3667 6060.
More information: Brick builders club: Motion
Ozobot adventure
Small robots follow whatever plan a child gives them, right or wrong — so working out what went wrong is as much the point as getting it right the first time.
When: Five sessions between 22 September and 1 October – Times vary by venue
Where: Brisbane Square Library, Hamilton Library, New Farm Library and Toowong Library
Ages: 5 and over
Cost and bookings: Free – Bookings required through the host library
More information: Ozobot adventure
Sphero games
Programming has an immediate result here: a Sphero robot that plays ball, races or navigates an obstacle course as soon as the code runs.
When: Wednesday 23 September, 10:30am–12pm at Sunnybank Hills and 3pm–4pm at Chermside – Tuesday 29 September, 1:30pm–3pm at Mitchelton
Where: Sunnybank Hills Library, Chermside Library and Mitchelton Library
Ages: 7–12
Cost and bookings: Free – Bookings required through the host library
More information: Sphero games
STEAM ahead on the Intelino school holiday train
Train enthusiasts aged five to eight get a screen-free introduction to smart-train technology in these hour-long sessions — useful for kids who could happily spend an afternoon working out where the tracks should go.
When: Tuesday 22 September, 11:30am–12:30pm at Annerley – Tuesday 29 September, 2pm–3pm at Bulimba – Wednesday 30 September, 10:30am–11:30am at Everton Park and Sandgate
Where: Annerley Library, Bulimba Library (at Bulimba Bowls Club, Balmoral), Everton Park Library and Sandgate Library
Ages: 5–8
Cost and bookings: Free – Bookings required through the host library
More information: STEAM ahead on the Intelino school holiday train
Rugged Robot to the rescue
Children direct Rugged Robot through a coral-reef rescue mission, trying screen-free coding along the way.
When: Thursday 24 September, 2pm–3pm at Wynnum – Tuesday 29 September, 11am–12pm at Zillmere
Where: Wynnum Library and Zillmere Library
Ages: 5–8
Cost and bookings: Free – Bookings required through the host library
More information: Rugged Robot to the rescue!
Family STEAM
Science, technology, engineering, art and maths come together in a program open to all ages — useful when siblings fall into different age brackets and only one session will do.
When: Ten sessions between 19 September and 1 October – Times vary by venue
Where: Eight libraries, including Wynnum, Carina, Coopers Plains, Holland Park, Inala, Kenmore and Mt Ommaney
Ages: All ages and their families
Cost and bookings: Free – Bookings required through the host library
More information: Family STEAM
Drawing with Osmo
Osmo pairs hands-on drawing with an iPad, for children more interested in sketching than programming.
When: Thursday 24 September, 10:30am–11:30am at Sandgate – Friday 2 October, 11am–12pm at Zillmere
Where: Sandgate Library and Zillmere Library
Ages: 8–12
Cost and bookings: Free – Bookings required through the host library
More information: Drawing with Osmo
SparkLab
SparkLab’s hands-on exhibits are built for testing things yourself, with entry sessions running every half-hour during a Queensland Museum visit.
When: Daily, with entry sessions every half-hour between 9:30am and 3pm
Where: Queensland Museum Kurilpa, Level 1, South Brisbane
Ages: Recommended for 6–13
Cost and bookings: $16.50 adult, $13.50 child aged 5–15, $5 child aged 3–4, $14.50 concession, $50 family and $10.50 Health Care Card. Book a session through QTIX
More information: SparkLab
Fossil Hunting on Mars
This half-hour lecture on searching for fossils on Mars is free, and visitors are welcome to bring lunch.
When: Thursday 24 September, 12:30pm–1pm
Where: Theatre, Level 1½, Queensland Museum Kurilpa, South Brisbane
Ages: Open to all ages – Adult-focused content
Cost and bookings: Free – Bookings required through QTIX. BYO lunch
More information: Lunchtime Lectures