WAYS Vacation Care runs full-day programs (typically 7:30am to 6pm) during each NSW school holiday period. A typical week includes 5-6 different activity types across art, sport, technology, outdoor adventure, and excursions. Here’s what an actual week looks like — based on the Term 3 2026 holiday program at WAYS OOSH in North Bondi.
This isn’t a brochure version. It’s the real schedule, the activities families ask about most, and what your child will likely come home talking about.
The Term 3 2026 vacation period runs September 22 to October 3. Here’s a sample week from that program:
The week kicks off with an offsite excursion to Climbfit — a 5,000m² indoor climbing centre in Bondi Junction. Kids spend the morning on bouldering walls (ages 7-9) or top-rope routes (ages 10-12), with qualified Climbfit instructors plus WAYS staff supervising. Lunch onsite, then return to the centre for quieter afternoon activities like board games or art.
What kids learn: physical confidence, problem-solving (route reading), turn-taking with shared belay lines, persistence when a route doesn’t work first time.
A visiting artist from WWAS (Wholesome Walls Art Studios) runs a full-day workshop teaching basic manga character design in the morning and street-art-style lettering in the afternoon. Kids leave with two finished pieces — one character drawing, one stencil-style name design — that go home in a portfolio.
What kids learn: visual storytelling, design iteration, art techniques most schools don’t cover.
Bus to Gunyama Park Aquatic Centre — the Olympic-spec public pool in Zetland. Kids who can swim independently access lap lanes and the kids’ pool; kids still developing water confidence have small-group sessions with WAYS staff. Lifeguards on duty plus WAYS staff in-water and on deck. Full sun protection requirements (rashie, hat, sunscreen every 90 minutes).
What kids learn: water confidence, fitness, the social dynamics of large public spaces.
Code Camp brings their mobile setup to WAYS for a day of beginner game design and coding. Kids work in pairs or trios on iPads creating simple animated games. Output is a working playable game that goes home as a link kids can share with family.
What kids learn: basic computational thinking, collaborative design, the satisfaction of building something that works.
Bus to Symbio Wildlife Park at Helensburgh — the closest hands-on Australian wildlife park to Bondi. Kids meet koalas, hold reptiles (under guidance), feed kangaroos, learn from the Symbio keepers about native species. Picnic lunch onsite, return to OOSH late afternoon.
What kids learn: Australian native fauna, respect for animals, the patience required to observe rather than interact.
Across one WAYS Vacation Care week, kids typically experience:
Across a full 2-3 week holiday period, kids will typically engage with art, sport, technology, outdoor adventure, wildlife/science, and creative play — six distinct domains.
Regardless of whether it’s an excursion or in-centre day:
Every day includes outdoor time. The North Bondi location means we use Waverley Park, Bondi Beach access, and the centre’s own outdoor space depending on weather.
Three things parents typically ask about after the first day:
Kids bring their own lunch. Breakfast (toast, fruit, cereal) and afternoon tea (fruit, savoury snack) are provided. We accommodate dietary requirements (allergies, vegetarian, halal, kosher) — flag at enrolment, not on the day.
Vacation Care groups can be larger than ASC (40-60 kids per day across the centre, vs 20-30 for ASC). For kids who find big-group environments overwhelming, this matters. The WAYS approach: staff:child ratios remain at National Quality Standard requirements (1:10 for school-age care for full-day programs), and staff actively form smaller working groups during the structured morning + afternoon activity blocks.
Every excursion has a separate consent form. Parents indicate go/no-go per excursion at enrolment — children whose families opt out of a specific excursion stay at the centre with alternative activities for the day. Excursion costs are included in the daily VC fee (no separate excursion levy).
Generic supervision is easy. Activity programming requires planning, staff capability, and a budget for incursions and excursions. Research from the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority consistently shows that OOSH services rated “Exceeding” the National Quality Standard outperform “Working Towards” services in measurable outcomes including parent retention, child wellbeing reports, and educator-child relationship quality.
WAYS OOSH operates above the minimum National Quality Standard requirements. Activity programming is one of the most visible differentiators.
A typical week at WAYS Vacation Care includes 2-3 excursions (e.g. climbing, wildlife park, swimming), 1-2 visiting workshops (art, coding, music), and 2-3 in-centre days with structured morning and afternoon activities plus free play. Kids encounter art, sport, technology, outdoor adventure, and creative projects across the week.
No. At WAYS OOSH all excursions are included in the daily VC fee. There is no separate excursion levy. The published fee is $95 per day before CCS, typically $14-$40 per day after CCS.
Ages 7-12 (Years 2-6). Activities are designed across that range, with some splitting by age (e.g. younger kids on bouldering walls, older kids on top-rope routes). Children outside the 7-12 range are usually better served by other programs.
Across a typical day, WAYS Vacation Care has 40-60 children attending. Staff:child ratios meet or exceed National Quality Standard requirements (1:10 for school-age care during full-day programs). Activity blocks usually subdivide into smaller working groups.
Yes. Flag dietary requirements at enrolment (allergies, intolerances, religious/cultural requirements, vegetarian etc). Snacks provided onsite avoid common allergens by default and individual accommodation is standard.
To see the next holiday period’s full program (activities, excursion calendar, dates):
To enrol or check availability for upcoming vacation periods, contact Sarah Vandermaat, WAYS OOSH Enrolments Officer, at [email protected] or 0433 245 322.
For After School Care during term: WAYS ASC info pack.
About WAYS OOSH: Out of School Hours Care for ages 7-12 in North Bondi. Approved Child Care Subsidy provider. Daily enrichment clubs (ASC) + full-day vacation care programs (VC). Run by WAYS Youth & Family — an ACNC-registered charity supporting young people 12-24 since 1979.
Sources & References:
– ACECQA — National Quality Standard for OOSH
– Services Australia — Child Care Subsidy
– Climbfit Bondi Junction
– Gunyama Park Aquatic Centre
– Symbio Wildlife Park
Our Family Information Pack covers fees, schedules, and what’s included — for both After School Care and Vacation Care.
A note on the CCS figures in this article: all subsidy examples are illustrative only — your exact Child Care Subsidy depends on your family income, activity hours and circumstances. Before relying on any number here, check your personal estimate via your myGov account or the Services Australia CCS estimator.
Winter Vacation Care is open for bookings
Ten days, ten adventures — 6–17 July. Early bird $95/day ends Sunday 14 June.
WAYS Youth & Family (Waverley Action for Youth Services) was founded in Bondi in 1979 and has supported Eastern Suburbs young people and families for more than 45 years. WAYS OOSH is part of a registered charity offering wraparound youth and family services under one roof. Read our story or get in touch with the team.
