Long Projects Day ideas for OSHC
39 DIY activities for Long Projects Day at before and after school care or vacation care. Pick and mix, or build a balanced day in one click.
3D Puzzle Projects
Older children work on complex 3D puzzles over several sessions, building patience and spatial skills. A great quiet project corner.
Christmas · Music and Dance Day · Long Projects Day +1A Carol a Day
Each day focuses on a different carol, paired with a matching craft such as a clay angel or recycled drum.
Book Week · All About Australia Day · Long Projects DayAustralian Author Study Corner
Children explore several books by one Australian author, spotting patterns in their characters, settings and style, then write a group letter about what they discovered.
Long Projects Day · Brick Building Day · Block World Day +1Big Brick Build
Children work on an ongoing large-scale brick build across the day.
Big Kids Club · Long Projects Day · Art Attack Day +2Big Shared Artwork
Older children choose a theme and plan a large shared artwork, working on it across the term. Gives them real ownership and a finished piece to display.
Brick Building Day · National Families Week · Long Projects Day +2Brick Build Family Vote
Children name and photograph their builds for a display board and families vote for favourites over two weeks.
International Literacy Day · Cardboard Box Day · Maker Day +2Build a Little Book Library
Children design, build and decorate a book-sharing box for the service, then stock it with donated books so everyone can take one and leave one.
Escape Room Day · Big Kids Club · Puzzle Day +2Build-Your-Own Escape Room
Older children design and build a series of puzzles, then run their escape room for younger groups to solve.
Long Projects Day · Cardboard Box Day · At the Building Site +2Cardboard City
Children build an entire city from boxes, adding buildings, roads and parks over the day.
Craft Day · Yarn Day · Long Projects Day +1Cardboard Loom Weaving
Children weave colourful wool through simple cardboard looms, creating small woven pieces and learning an age-old craft.
Bug Day · Science Week · Science Day +3Caterpillar Growing Habitat
Children care for caterpillars in a habitat and record how they grow and change, watching the life cycle unfold over days or weeks.
Time Travellers Day · New Year's Party · Children's Week +1Centre Time Capsule
Children fill a box with drawings, letters and snapshots of life today, then seal it to open at a later date.
Christmas · Long Projects Day · Christmas in July +1Christmas Week Program
Run a week with a different Christmas focus each day, building from craft to cooking to a final party.
Clay and Pottery Day · Film Club Day · Movie Day +2Claymation Animation
Children create clay figures and make a short stop-motion film using tablets.
Big Kids Club · Long Projects Day · Maker Day +2Doll House Makeover
Over a term, older children renovate an old doll house with paint, scraps and handmade furniture. Combines design, building and storytelling.
Sewing Day · Life Skills Day · Op Shop Day +2Drawstring Bags
Older children sew a simple fabric drawstring bag with a running stitch, learning a practical skill they can use again.
Book Week · Silly Stories Day · Paper Crafts Day +2Folded Mini Book Making
Children write and illustrate their own small folded books, becoming authors and illustrators for the day.
Gardening Day · Farm to Table Day · Fruit and Veggie Day +3Gardening Club
Children prepare a garden bed, plant strawberries and sunflowers, and share the care through a watering roster.
Cardboard Box Day · Cubby Day · Maker Day +3Giant Box Creations
Children turn large appliance boxes into cubbies, cars or castles with paint, tape and old sheets.
Brick Building Day · Long Projects Day · Block World Day +2Giant Brick City
Everyone adds buildings, roads and parks to a shared building brick city.
Games Day · Board Games Day · Inventors Day +1Invent a Board Game
Groups design, make and play-test their own board game, complete with rules, pieces and a board.
World Environment Day · Environmental Day · Gardening Day +3Jar Terrarium Ecosystems
Children layer gravel, charcoal, soil and small plants in a clear jar to build a mini ecosystem they can watch recycle its own water over the following weeks.
Learn to Day · Yarn Day · Craft Day +3Learn to Finger Knit
Children start with finger knitting to learn the basics, then try simple needle knitting when ready.
Craft Day · Yarn Day · Learn to Day +2Macrame Keyrings
Older children learn basic knots to make macrame keyrings or small plant hangers, a calm, focused craft with a satisfying result.
World Book Day · Long Projects Day · Book WeekOur Service Anthology
Every child writes and illustrates one page for a group book, then they add a title page, author notes and a copyright page, learning how real books are published.
Craft Day · Long Projects Day · Recycle Day +2Papier-Mâché Bowls and Masks
Children layer newspaper and glue over balloons to make bowls or masks, then paint them once dry over the following day.
Volcano Day · Science Week · Long Projects Day +2Papier-Mâché Volcano Build
Children build volcanoes over a bottle frame using papier-mâché, then paint them ready for an eruption experiment.
Space Explorers · Science and Space · Science Week +1Planet Mobile
Children paint foam balls as planets and hang them from a frame to make a solar system mobile.
Dinosaur Day · Long Projects Day · Cardboard Box Day +1Prehistoric World Diorama
Children build a prehistoric landscape inside a shoebox using clay, natural materials and toy dinosaurs.
Long Projects Day · Mindfulness Day · Before School Calm Start +3Quiet Relaxation Stations
Children choose between puzzles, colouring and cosy reading nooks for a calm break during a busy day.
Ancient Egypt · Science Week · Science Day +2Salt Mummy Apple Experiment
Children preserve apple slices in salt and compare them with uncovered slices over several days, discovering how drying helped ancient mummification.
Cooking Day · Junior Chef Challenge · Book Week +2Service Cookbook
After each cooking session children write up and illustrate the recipe for a growing service cookbook.
Craft Day · Sewing Day · Long Projects Day +2Sew a Cushion
Older children sew, stuff and decorate a small cushion to take home.
Book Week · Long Projects Day · Big Kids ClubShortlist Judging Panel
Children become a book award judging panel, reading the CBCA shortlisted books, scoring them against simple criteria and voting before the real winners are announced.
Woodwork Day · Maker Day · At the Building Site +2Simple Woodwork Projects
Older children use hammers, nails and glue to make simple wooden projects such as a boat or name plaque, then paint them.
Book Week · Film Club Day · Movie Day +2Stop-Motion Book Scene
Older children work in groups to animate a scene from a favourite book using tablets, props and a stop-motion app.
Film Club Day · Movie Day · Brick Building Day +2Stop-Motion Movie Making
Children animate building brick figures, clay or felt characters frame by frame using a free stop-motion app.
Book Week · Long Projects Day · Teamwork DayTheme Reading Challenge Tracker
The whole service works together to fill a giant visual tracker designed around this year's theme, adding a sticker or token for every book or reading session completed.
Inventors Day · Maker Day · Science Day +3Tube Marble Run
Children connect cardboard tubes on a wall or board to build a marble run, testing and adjusting until the marble makes it through.