School holidays are 10 weeks a year. Working parents and carers know that “what do we do with the kids?” planning starts long before the term-end rush. Here’s what Vacation Care looks like at WAYS OOSH in North Bondi — week by week, day by day.

What Vacation Care is

Vacation Care (VC) is full-day childcare during school holidays for primary-aged children (5–12). At WAYS OOSH we run 7:00am to 6:00pm, with the day’s program built around a daily theme — usually a mix of in-house activities, outdoor play, and one larger weekly excursion. Centrelink’s Child Care Subsidy applies, so most families pay $14–40/day out-of-pocket depending on income.

The shape of a Vacation Care day

Every day follows a similar rhythm but with different content:

• 7:00–8:30am — Drop-off window, breakfast available for early kids
• 8:30–9:00am — Group meeting: the day’s plan, any visitors, who’s leading what
• 9:00–11:00am — Morning activity block (themed)
• 11:00–11:30am — Morning tea
• 11:30am–1:00pm — Continued morning program or outdoor play
• 1:00–1:45pm — Lunch (provided) and rest
• 1:45–3:00pm — Afternoon activity block
• 3:00–4:00pm — Afternoon tea + quiet activities (board games, reading, art)
• 4:00–6:00pm — Free play, pickup window

The weekly excursion

One day per week is an off-site excursion. Past Vacation Care excursions have included Taronga Zoo, Luna Park, Sydney Aquarium, Bondi Beach (with extra educators and clear safety protocols), Centennial Park bike ride, Bondi Skate Park, Museum of Sydney, and the Royal Botanic Garden. We publish the next holiday’s excursion calendar three weeks before each break.

How a typical Vacation Care week looks

This is a sample week — actual programs change each holiday:

• Monday — Adventure day: outdoor obstacle course at Henson Park, themed scavenger hunt, team challenges
• Tuesday — Creative day: art workshop with a guest artist, in-house mural painting, mixed-media projects to take home
• Wednesday — Excursion: Taronga Zoo (transport via private bus, full-day visit, all entry fees included in the day rate)
• Thursday — Science day: hands-on experiments, slime-making (very popular), simple circuit building, water-rocket launches at Russell King Park
• Friday — Free choice: kids vote on the day’s program. Past Fridays have ended up as movie days, baking days, or extra outdoor sport days

How to book Vacation Care

Existing OOSH families book through the Owna app. Bookings open about 3 weeks before each holiday and close 48 hours before the day itself. Casual bookings (not part of your permanent ASC schedule) are welcome.

New families: submit an enrolment first (takes 10 minutes). Once Sarah approves, you’ll get Owna access and can book Vacation Care days the same way as ASC.

What to pack for a Vacation Care day

• Hat (mandatory at WAYS OOSH — kids without hats stay indoors during outdoor play)
• Refillable water bottle (we top up; tap water is fine)
• Closed-toe shoes for excursion days; sneakers preferred
• A change of clothes if your child is under 8 or messy with food/paint
• Sunscreen if your child has skin sensitivities (we have generic Cancer Council sunscreen on site)
• NO own food, snacks, or sweets — everything is provided and we manage allergies centrally

If your child is new to Vacation Care

Some kids find full-day VC more overwhelming than the 3-hour ASC rhythm — longer day, more kids in the room (we usually run with 25–35 kids in VC vs 18–24 in ASC), more transition between activities. For sensitive kids we recommend starting with 2 booked days, not a full week, so your child can decompress between days.

Allergies, medical needs, and inclusion

Vacation Care welcomes kids with allergies, anaphylaxis, asthma, diabetes, ADHD, autism, and many other ongoing needs. We’ve had children with diverse needs in VC for years. The intake conversation between you and Charlotte (or Sarah) is the key — we talk through what your child needs and how we’ll support that. We don’t promise we can support every need; we’re honest about what’s realistic.

The upcoming holiday program

The program for the next school holiday period is published 3 weeks before the break starts. You’ll get it by email if you’re an existing OOSH family. Non-families can email [email protected] to be added to the program-release list.