Enjoy some winter family fun. Although it’s cooler, there are still plenty of fun things to do with your kids. This winter is packed with fun family events and activities including whale watching, Luminous, Float Your Boat and Disney on Ice. Here are some ideas to enjoy the cold weather with your family in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter.
Visit the Harvest Festival on the Central Coast
The two-day Harvest Festival returns for 2025 on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 June and includes fresh food and country markets, food and whiskey events, factory tours, bush tucker tours, working farm tours, pick your own pecans and sunflowers and meet farm animals. It’s a rare chance to take a glimpse behind the farm gate as you explore rural farming areas and their picturesque heritage villages on the Central Coast.
Enjoy a winter family day out
Want to get out of the house but not sure where to go. Check out our Family Day Out series with free and low-cost itineraries around Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter, created to help families enjoy the best of the region. We’ve created some specific itineraries for winter.
Go ice skating
Embrace winter sports and try ice skating at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium in Warners Bay. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to ice skate, Hunter Ice Skating Stadium offers beginner-friendly skating frames in a designated area, so you can glide into winter fun, even if you’ve never laced up a pair of skates before.
Enjoy light and fire at Illuminate in Raymond Terrace
lluminate is a vibrant fire and light community festival in the heart of Raymond Terrace! This year the festival will be held in Boomerang Park 14 June 2025 from 4pm to 8pm. There’ll be lots to do for the whole family including live music and entertainment, interactive art installations, food zone and a fireworks display at 7:30pm.
Celebrate the winter solstice
This year, the year’s shortest day falls on Saturday 21 June 2025. Celebrate the extra darkness of the day with some festivities. Invite friends over, simmer some warm drinks like mulled wine, and light a few candles to chase away the extra darkness. From here on out, the days will keep getting longer!
Celebrate the winter solstice at Luminous in Maitland
The winter solstice celebration, Luminous, is heating up with a full program of light displays and interactive experiences set to transform The Levee Central Maitland on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 June 2025. Luminous, presented by Maitland City Council and supported by The Levee Central Maitland, will transform The Levee precinct with a free program of activities for all ages, finishing with a fireworks display over The Levee Riverbank at 8pm on Saturday 21 June.
Watch a flotilla of boats glide by at Float Your Boat
Gather your family and friends on the shores of Lake Macquarie to see a flotilla of boats sail by in the Float Your Boat event organised by Lake Macquarie City Council. Held on beautiful lake Macquarie, spectators line the shores to watch boats in a rainbow of colour cruise past before casting their vote for the People’s Choice Award. Ensure to wrap up as it can be cold. The event runs over two nights Friday 20 June and Saturday 21 June 2025.
Play at Snow Time in the Garden at Hunter Valley Gardens
Enjoy all things winter without having to travel to the snow at Snow Time in the Garden at Hunter Valley Gardens. Your family can enjoy ice skating, playing in the snow, ice tobogganing and more. The event runs from Saturday 28 June to Sunday 27 July 2025.
Enjoy Disney on Ice
Grab your mouse ears and get ready for a party as Disney On Ice skates into Newcastle again. This much-loved family favourite ice spectacular returns with Disney On Ice presents Find Your Hero running from Thursday 3 July to Sunday 6 July 2025 at Newcastle Entertainment Centre.
Disney On Ice presents Find Your Hero is an adventure for the whole family, filled with world-class skating, high- flying acrobatics, unexpected stunts, and wow-moments both on the ice and in the air. This year’s show features exciting moments from Disney’s Moana, Frozen, The Little Mermaid, Encanto and Beauty and the Beast.
Go tobogganing
It’s not quite tobogganing in the snow, but tobogganing at Toboggan Hill Park is the next best thing! Enjoy some fun careening downhill around the 11 track bends as fast or as slow as you like. It’s fun for the whole family – Kids under 8 ride on a toboggan with an adult while kids over 8 can ride by themselves. Read our review of Toboggan Hill Park.
Visit WinterHeat – It’s back for 2025!
WinterHeat began in Newcastle in 2004 and it’s back in 2025 on Saturday 27 July! WinterHeat is a free community event based around coming together and celebrating our wonderful city, while keeping toasty & warm. The 2024 event featured 2 performance stages, a silent disco, a kids zone, pop-up food alley, fire performers and much, much more! Held across the entirety of Pacific Park, Newcastle East. Keep up to date with all the details by visiting the WinterHeat website.
Enjoy a hot chocolate
Snuggle up with a hot chocolate. You can make a delicious hot chocolate at home. Tip: bring milk to a boil in a saucepan and then whisk in hot chocolate powder (or grated chocolate). Top with whipped cream or marshmallows. If you want to venture out, buy hot chocolate from your favourite coffee or chocolate cafe. Our favourites include Coco Monde on Darby Street, Estabar at Newcastle Beach, Oliver Brown at Charlestown Square and Green Hills and Chocolate Cafe at Wests New Lambton.
Curl up and enjoy a movie
Curl up with the family, whip up some popcorn, and bond over a movie night. We’ve curated a list of 100 family movies to watch with your kids – there’s something for everyone! If you feel like a winter-themed movie, dive into the icy adventure of Frozen, tap your feet with Happy Feet, or cheer on the underdogs in Cool Runnings. Looking for heartwarming tales? Try Eight Below, Ice Age, Smallfoot, or Abominable.
Go whale watching
June to November is official whale watching season and Newcastle and Port Stephens are on the whale migration route. It’s estimated that 10,000 humpback whales pass this region heading north. Here is a list of whale-watching spots in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens where you can spot whales from shore. You can also join a whale-watching cruise to get up close to the magnificent beasts.
See snow at Barrington Tops
As the highest sub-alpine region in the country outside the Australian Alps, Barrington Tops gets snow each winter. You can follow the snow updates on the Barrington Coast Tourism Facebook page. If you have a suitable vehicle and know how to drive in snow and ice, you might want to venture there to check it out. 4WD vehicles are better suited to driving in these conditions. For all the details and for more information about the snow season, visit the Barrington Tops Tourism website.
Go winter camping
Embrace the crisp air and starry nights! Winter camping offers a whole new adventure, and with the right gear (like warm sleeping bags or a cosy cabin), it can be incredibly enjoyable for the whole family. Feeling inspired? We’ve got some fantastic tips for winter camping with kids, plus a list of 50+ camping spots all within a 3-hour drive of Newcastle.
Visit animals
Take a trip out to Blackbutt Reserve, Oakvale Wildlife Park or Hunter Valley Wildlife Park and see the animals. Unlike in the height of summer, animals should be more active and easier to spot.
Visit your local library or bookstore
On these colder nights, curl up with a good book under a blanket. Visit your local library, your favourite book store or visit a street library and find something to read.
Organise a board game party
Play boardgames with your family or host a board game party with your kids and their friends. We’ve put together a list of our favourite board games for family game night. The list includes some retro classics as well as some of the hottest games.
Go for a hike or a bike with your kids
Winter is the perfect time to go for one of the many family walks around the area. Yes, it might be cool but just rug up and enjoy the scenery. Our picks for winter walks include Warners Bay to Speers Point, Bathers Way, Blackbutt Reserve and Newcastle Foreshore. You can also go for a bike ride. Here are some of our favourite local bike paths and trails.
Do some winter baking
When the weather cools down, it’s the perfect time to bake cakes or biscuit. You could even have a biscuit decorating party. Decorating cookies is almost as fun as eating them!
Build a fort
Have some fun at home and make a cosy fort. Use blankets, doona and lots of pillows to construct a hideaway. Parents, you can help build the fort too. Make it big enough so that you can crawl in there too.
Visit a museum or gallery
On cold days, explore a museum or gallery in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie or the Hunter. Visit one that you haven’t been to before like Newcastle Museum, Lake Macquarie MAC (Museum of Art and Culture) or Maitland Regional Art Gallery. No matter what your age, these museums have something for every member of your family.
Watch a sunset
This time of year brings some fabulous sunsets. With the sun setting earlier in the afternoon, venture out to watch the sunset on a clear night.
Plant spring flowers
Even though it is winter, start planning for spring. Plant spring bulbs like daffodils, freesias, hyacinths and tulips. They’re easy to grow, require little water and will pop with colour in spring.
Go for a picnic
If it’s a warm winter’s day, head out for a picnic. At this time of year, there’s no pesky flies or mosquitoes to disrupt your meal. Here’s a list of some of our favourite picnic spots around the region. If you feel like cooking, choose a picnic spot with barbecue facilities and cook up some snags.
Go stargazing
Go stargazing on a clear night. If your knowledge of astronomy is lacking, spot planets and constellations using ABC Beginner’s Guide to the Night Sky.
Make winter crafts
Make a frozen ice castle, a pom pom seal or a winter felt hand puppet. Look for fun and creative winter-themed activities for kids on Pinterest.
You might also like:
15 Free & Low Cost Winter Activities To Do With Kids in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie & Hunter
30+ Indoor Places to Visit with Kids in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie & Hunter