學校即將放假，這是否意味著無聊的孩子們在接下來的幾周又要長時間地坐在電腦前或是和兄弟姐妹們吵吵鬧鬧。

有沒有想過讓這些孩子度過一個與眾不同又別具意義的假期？告訴孩子們想像自己在一個充滿鯊魚、黃貂魚和許多有趣海洋生物的課堂，或是充斥各種恐龍化石的地方，又或者是一片開闊的水域等他們前去探索。

布里斯本James ST廚藝學校專門為6至13歲孩子推出了廚藝班；白日夢島上擁有世界最大的人造活珊瑚瀉湖，這裏是海洋生物課堂的最佳場所，孩子們可以近距離接觸80多種不同的海洋生物包括有鯊魚、小丑魚等等。如果家裏有個喜歡玩水的孩子，澳洲陽光航海課程(Sunshine Sailing Course)將教會孩子們什麼是團隊協作，如何應對天氣、潮汐、導航以及船體維護的知識。你的孩子就是下一個航海家。

School’s out for winter soon and that usually means a few weeks of bored kids glued to computers, stressed out parents and a fairly decent amount of sibling squabbling.

If the idea of another one of these breaks is sending you packing then why not pack the kids up instead and get them on a holiday with a difference – an educational difference.

Not sure the kids will go for it? Tell them to imagine a classroom full of sharks, stingrays and funny sea creatures, or one that’s just a massive pile of dirt and dinosaur bones, or perhaps a Hobie cat and the open water ready for exploring.

Dupe the kids into a lesson of a different kind with these fun activities during the school holidays.

If you have budding Masterchefs instructing you to ‘plate up’ and ‘step away from the benches’ get them to a Kids in the Kitchen cooking class at the renowned James St Cooking School in Brisbane. Classes are kept small and range from 6 to 13 year olds. For $85 it’s the ideal way to give your kids an appreciation of how those dinners arrive on the table each night. www.jamesstcookingschool.com.au

Kids going through the dinosaur phase? Head west to Winton and visit the Australian Age of Dinosaurs, home to Australia’s largest collection of dinosaur fossils and reputed to be the fastest dinosaur preparation factory in the world. A genuine opportunity to get down and dirty, kids and students can join the Prep-a-Dino experience where a team of experts will teach them how to dust off the bones of these ancient ‘monsters’. From $65 for members. www.australianageofdinosaurs.com

Daydream Island plays host to one of the world’s largest man-made living coral reef lagoons and it’s the perfect playground for budding marine biologists. Kids can get their feet wet and get up close with over 80 different species of marine life including sharks, stingrays and clownfish. The Living Reef Ranger programme gives a behind-the-scenes look at marine wildlife and a lesson on feeding and natural habitats. From $79 per person, minimum six years of age. www.daydreamisland.com

Farm stays are one of the best ways to teach kids new skills while broadening their horizons. A few nights in a swag will certainly have them appreciating their comfy beds! Kroombit Park at Biloela offers whip cracking lessons, horse riding, quad bike tours and even goat lassoing. Kids are encouraged to get as involved in the working farm as possible and even help prepare the home cooked Aussie meals. www.kroombit.com.au

Got a water baby in the family? Sunshine Sailing Australia offers day lessons, weekend courses and school holiday programmes that will teach kids about teamwork, weather, tides, rope work, navigation and boat maintenance. They’ll be the next Jessica Watson in no time. www.learn2sail.com.au

There will be no complaints about going to school when it’s a circus school. Cirque Espace operates a dedicated circus school within the grounds of Novotel Twin Waters Resort on the Sunshine Coast, giving kids the chance to master circus skills like juggling, static trapeze, flying trapeze, tight wire and bungee trampoline. www.twinwatersresort.com.au

Other educational school holiday activities include:

• Queensland Museum’s kids’ programme provides a Secrets of the Tomb trail, Dino Activity Zone and Daily Discoveries www.qm.qld.gov.au
• Powerhouse Brisbane runs the highly successful Powerkidz programmes throughout the school holidays, including cooking, music, drama and art sessions. www.brisbanepowerhouse.org
• The Cobb+Co Museum in Toowoomba runs holiday programmes for Little Cobbers that include hands-on activities, crafts and learning through fun. www.cobbandco.qm.qld.gov.au