State Library Victoria is turning its iconic Melbourne building into a winter wonderland for little bookworms and big imaginations.
The State library is running a jam-packed program of free and low-cost school holiday activities throughout late June and July 2026, and the headline act is a first-ever drive-in movie screening designed especially for kids.
State Library Victoria winter school holidays
- Drive-In Storytime: 8 July 2026, 5–7.30pm | $15 per child | Bookings essential
- Writing Workshop: Stories to Discover. Stories to Tell.: 30 June, 1, 2, 7, 8, 9 July 2026, 10.30am–12pm | Book here
- Make a Memory: Daily, 27 June–5 July 2026, 1–4pm | Free | No bookings required
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
Little ones aged three to eight are invited to build and decorate their own cardboard box car before parking up for a special after-hours screening of The Gruffalo. Dinner boxes are even available to pre-purchase, so the whole drive-in experience is completely covered.
Beyond the drive-in, there’s plenty more magic on offer.
Budding writers aged five to 12 can join the Writing Workshop: Stories to Discover. Stories to Tell., a 90-minute session where kids put their own spin on beloved fairytales and create their very own story zine to take home.
The workshop runs across multiple dates and is supported by the Department of Education Victoria as part of the 2026 Premiers’ Reading Challenge.
There’s also Make a Memory, a gorgeous free drop-in craft activity running daily across the first week of holidays, where kids build and decorate a photo frame inspired by the gorgeous picture book These Long-Loved Things by Josh Pyke and Ronojoy Ghosh.
The Pauline Gandel Children’s Quarter is also open every single day during the holidays, packed with cosy reading nooks, toys and 4,000 books spanning picture books, graphic novels, non-fiction and community language titles.
Basically, it’s a kids’ paradise right in the heart of the city.
A parent or carer must attend all activities for the full duration.
For more information, head here.
