We all know Adelaide is an amazing place to get out and about with kids and families, and we we move back towards our “COVID normal” in SA, the events and things happening around town for families to get involved in are starting to show up again. Some may look a little different than in previous years, but the ability to PIVOT has become a hallmark of 2020!
With Christmas on its merry way and school holidays starting, the time is NOW to get the kids out and about enjoying the season, and we’ve chosen some of the best activities and things to do with kids and families in December in Adelaide, so you can start planning! It’s festive, it’s fanciful and it’s full of family fun, so get your diary out and lock in some activities for the month ahead!
TOP THINGS TO DO WITH KIDS IN ADELAIDE IN DECEMBER
CHRISTMAS WINDOWS IN RUNDLE MALL
1 NOVEMBER – 31 DECEMBER
There’s nothing we love quite as much as Christmas at KIDDO, and the Rundle Mall Christmas Window display is like a holly, jolly, festive treasure hunt for the whole family; full of little pockets of joy to behold and stories to uncover, it’s sure to get the whole fam feeling the spirit of the season! It’s just not quite Christmas until you’ve wandered the Mall and taken it all in!
To help get you started on making your way through the Rundle Mall Christmas Window display this year, we have a comprehensive guide to the trail, so you’ll have enough time to take in the magical displays…AND tick some items off your Christmas list while you’re in Rundle Mall.
Santa’s Wonderland
December 4 – 24
Adelaide’s biggest Christmas event, Santa’s Wonderland, is back for its fifth magical year, from Friday 4 December, 2020.
The annual festival family fave will run for three weeks over the Christmas period, December 4 – December 24, at Jubilee Pavilion at the Adelaide Showgrounds.
ALL THE FAVOURITE ATTRACTIONS WILL BE RETURNING
Unlimited free rides:
- Dodgem Cars
- Dragon Wagon Coaster
- Convoy Trucks
- Ride on Motor Bikes
- Super Planes
- Elephant Train Ride
- Santa Fe Train
- Christmas Inflatable Jumping Castle Zone
- Ice Wonderland Ball Crawl
- Candy Land Bouncy Castles
- Ride on Reindeers
Plus a brand new family entertainment line up and all the favourite attractions in Candyland, Ice Wonderland, Traditional Family Christmas Land and the Christmas activity trail.
Tickets are now on sale, with early-bird prices remaining the same as last year until 30 September 2020, after which tickets will be priced at a higher rate.
For more information or to buy tickets:
CHRISTMAS JUNIOR PROMS
DECEMBER 5, 1pm
Bring in the festive season with your family this Christmas. Join the Adelaide Youth Orchestra as you dance and sing along to a wonderful mix of orchestral music feature songs.
Led by the effervescent Eve McMillan from the Just Add Music band, this show will delight and entertain the entire family, from the small tots to the adults in between.
Enjoy the holiday season with the songs we all know and love.
Book tickets:
SEALINK TRAVEL GROUP’S CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT EVENT
DECEMBER 13
The much-loved Christmas concert is adapting to the times of 2020, with a virtual celebration featuring performances from across Australia to be broadcast on Sunday December 13 on the Seven Network’s video on-demand service, 7plus.
EVENT DETAILS:
The virtual event will be a pre-recorded 1-hour package, where some artists will invite viewers into their loungerooms and home studios, while others will perform from their label’s recording studios.
In addition to the news of a virtual Carols, the SeaLink Carols by Candlelight is also to be screened at four, Adelaide pop-up locations.
Locations:
- Adelaide Town Hall
- Odeon Star Semaphore Cinemas
- Wallis Cinema’s Mainline Drive-in
- Piccadilly Cinema
These venues have donated their spaces to allow carol lovers and families an interactive experience.
On the night electric candles will be given to all guests at each venue. There will also be entertainment for the little ones and a visit from Santa Claus, with offerings specific to each location.
TICKETS:
Adelaide Town Hall will have an Eventbrite link for tickets going live next week where people can reserve their seats.
To attend the other three pop-up venues you will need to email tix@activetv.tv with your venue choice and number of tickets required.
The 2020 SeaLink Carols by Candlelight will available to screen on 7plus from Sunday, December 13.
For more information:
Bluey’s Big Play
DECEMBER 18 & 19
Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show is now confirmed to bounce onto the Festival Theatre stage for the very first time for preview performances on 18 and 19 December 2020, ahead of the premiere opening in Brisbane.
The tour will return to Adelaide’s brand new Her Majesty’s Theatre for a further run from 13 to 17 January 2021.
EVENT DETAILS
18 and 19 December, 2020 | Festival Theatre
13 to 17 January, 2021 | Her Majesty’s Theatre
For bookings and more information:
PETER COMBE GREATEST HITS SHOW
DECEMBER 12
For the first time, legendary children’s entertainer Peter Combe OAM will perform all of his best songs in the one magical live performance at the stunning Her Majesty’s Theatre, and we’re so excited, we could bellyflop in a pizza!
Tickets are now on sale for the Peter Combe Greatest Hits Show, the first large-scale family event to be held in the redeveloped theatre, on December 12.
Across a career spanning four decades, Combe has captivated generations of Australian families with fun and catchy original songs like Wash Your Face in Orange Juice and The Silly Postman.
EVENT DETAILS:
What: Peter Combe Greatest Hits
When: Saturday 12 December, 2 pm
Venue: Her Majesty’s Theatre
Cost: Adults $30, Concession $25, Family (2A+2C) $100
Tickets on sale now:
For more information:
adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au
@AdelaideFesCent
facebook.com/FestivalCentre
Christmas with Hygge: Kids Pottery/Painting/Printing Sessions
December 15 – 17
Creating a bit of festive magic, these workshops will guide your children through the art of clay-making, painting on canvas or printing, producing their very own hand-made Christmas decorations, artworks or gifts.
The Christmas fun is designed to suit ages between 3 – 12 years. Offering two session times each; the first with an accompanying adult – for little hands that need you close by, and the second for the older artist – independent and leaving you with a few hours of shopping or coffee.
Event Details:
Pottery Session: 15 December
Painting Session: 16 December
Printing Session: 17 December
For more information and session times:
ROOM ON THE BROOM LIVE ON STAGE
DECEMBER 20 – 23
The team behind The Gruffalo and The 91-Storey Treehouse return this Christmas with songs, laughs and scary fun for children aged 3 and up – and their grown-ups… Room on the Broom, live on stage!
How the cat purred and how the witch grinned, as they sat on their broomstick and flew through the wind…
The witch and her cat are flying happily on their broomstick – until a stormy wind blows away the witch’s hat, bow and wand.
A helpful dog, bird and frog find the witch’s lost things, and they all hop on the broom for a ride. But this broomstick’s not meant for five and – CRACK – the broom snaps in two!
When a hungry dragon appears, who will save the poor witch? And will there ever be room on the broom for everyone?
EVENT DETAILS:
Date: December 20 – 23
Venue: Dunstan Playhouse
Suitability: Ages 3+
For more information:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PLAY SCHOOL EXHIBITION AT THE SA MARITIME MUSEUM
NOVEMBER – JANUARY 2021
Take a cardboard box, a paper hat, a whole lot of imagination, and you can be sailing the high seas, tackling mythical sea creatures as an explorer, a pirate or the captain of your own ship. This is the kind of creative learning and fun that the iconic Australian TV show Play School has offered for more than fifty years.
To celebrate, a landmark exhibition marking the program’s milestone 50th birthday is on display at the Maritime Museum in Port Adelaide. It’s the exhibition that brings all your childhood memories alive!
This nostalgic exhibition has been a favourite for families this year, and now has been extended through to 31 January! Come and visit or re-visit Big Ted, Little Ted and Jemima and all your other favourites this summer.
Book online and save 25% on your entry to the museum.
MARKET MINI’S AT ADELAIDE CENTRAL MARKET
DECEMBER: EVERY TUESDAY DURING SCHOOL TERM
Whether it’s to encourage them to try new things, make good food choices, or to teach them about the importance of eating a rainbow of healthy foods, we’re always looking for ways to get our kiddos involved in the food they eat.
The Adelaide Central Market’s FREE kids program, Market Minis, is the perfect opportunity to engage your mini market goer in understanding more about what they’re eating and why.
KIDS BETWEEN 2 AND 5 YEARS OLD
This program is designed to suit children between 2 and 5 years old and is FREE for Market customers every Tuesday during school term.
MARKET MINIS AT THE ADELAIDE CENTRAL MARKET
What: 20 minute ‘drop in’ cooking classes for kids
Where: Adelaide Central Market, 44-60 Gouger Street, Adelaide
When: Every Tuesday, 10am-12pm during the school term
Who: Suitable for ages 2-5 years
For more information:
WILLUNGA FARMERS MARKET
Every Saturday in November from December 5, 8am – 12pm
TASTE THE REGION
…with fresh fruit & vegetables; dairy, meat, seafood & poultry; bakery, condiments & small goods; wine & cider; plants; coffee & breakfast!
Supporting more than 80 family farms and artisan food producers who bring agricultural diversity and fresh seasonal choices direct to the community.
Willunga Farmers Market was the first farmers market to be established in South Australia and is now considered one of the best, awarded Most Outstanding Farmers Market at the delicious Produce Awards in 2019.
For more information:
