Bookings are open from Tuesday 22 November for our Summer School Holiday Program! Scroll down to view activity details.
If your child needs quality care during school holidays, is between five and 12 years old, and enrolled in primary school – they will love YMCA School Holiday Programs!
About us
We're proud to support families in Pakenham with our YMCA School Holiday Program based at John Henry Primary School.
This program is run by YMCA Children's Programs – part of YMCA Victoria.
Next program
Bookings are now open for our Summer School Holiday Program which runs between Term 4 2022 and Term 1 2023.
Our John Henry YMCA School Holiday Program will run between Monday 19 December 2022 to Friday 27 January 2023. The program will not operate on public holidays.
We've prepared an exciting range of daily activities including incursions and excursions that take advantage of the warm summer weather.
Current families can sign into My Family Lounge to make a booking.
New to our programs? Follow the steps outline on our School Holiday Program Bookings page.
Date |
Activity details |
| Monday 19 - Friday 23 December 2022 | |
| Monday 19 December |
Closed The program is not running on Monday 19 December. |
| Tuesday 20 December |
Closed The program is not running on Tuesday 20 December. |
| Wednesday 21 December |
Christmas Bonanza Welcome to the holidays! We'll be preparing for Christmas by creating decorations and handmade gifts. Category: In house Cost: $82.00 |
| Thursday 22 December |
Village Cinemas Fountain Gate Lights, camera, action! Sit back and relax, because we’re heading to our local cinema to watch the latest new release movie. Category: Excursion Cost: $112.00 |
| Friday 23 December |
Christmas Party Join our Christmas party filled with delicious foods, party games & a jumping castle. Category: Incursion Cost: $102.00 |
| Monday 2 - Friday 6 January 2023 | |
| Monday 2 January |
Closed The program is not running on Monday 2 January in recognition of the Australia Day Public Holiday. |
| Tuesday 3 January |
Duck Cameron Magic Show Magician Duck Cameron is visiting to provide an interactive magic workshop. Participate in the show and learn your own magic trick! Category: Incursion Cost: $102.00 |
| Wednesday 4 January |
Bounce Keysborough Get your comfy clothes on, we’re going trampolining! Heaps of tramps, foam pits and challenges to keep everyone active and entertained. Category: Excursion Cost: $112.00 |
| Thursday 5 January |
Floating Movies Float on! Today is the day for all children who need a break! We will be floating through the day in our pretend floating cinema. Category: In house Cost: $82.00 |
| Friday 6 January |
Rainbow Warriors We're participating in a challenging obstacle course under a cloud of colour. Don't forget to bring a change of clothes. Category: Incursion Cost: $102.00 |
| Monday 9 - Friday 13 January | |
| Monday 9 January |
Pottery Creations We are off to learn about sculpting and will explore our imagination through clay creations! Category: Excursion Cost: $ 112.00 |
| Tuesday 10 January |
Mad Science Blow your minds with experiments of all shapes and sizes. It will be a fun filled day of activities perfecting for curious minds. Category: Incursion Cost: $102.00 |
| Wednesday 11 January |
Zone Bowling and Laser Tag - Frankston Test your ten-pin bowling skills at our local bowling alley and then try a game of laser tag! Category: Excursion Cost: $112.00 |
| Thursday 12 January |
Endangered Species We’ll be meeting native Australian animals who are considered endangered species and learn about the issues affecting them. Category: Incursion Cost: $102.00 |
| Friday 13 January |
Big Bake Off We're making yummy food to eat today. Plus, making a recipe book to take home with leftovers to share with family and friends. Category: In house Cost: $82.00 |
| Monday 16 - Friday 20 January | |
| Monday 16 January |
Back to the Eighties (80s) We’re hosting a totally rad dance party inspired by the 1980s. Wear retro clothes, make your own scrunchie and play arcade games. Category: In house Cost: $82.00 |
| Tuesday 17 January |
Skateboarding Skills It's skating time! Boards, helmets, knee and elbow pads and wrist guards provided; you just need to bring the cool tricks! Category: Incursion Cost: $102.00 |
| Wednesday 18 January |
Moonlight Sanctuary A chance to visit and get an up-close look at Australia’s amazing animals. With our wide-open spaces there will be so much to see and do including feeding some kangaroos and wallabies! Category: Excursion Cost: $112.00 |
| Thursday 19 January |
Brambles Berry Farm We’re visiting Brambles Berry Farm to pick delicious fresh berries. Then, we’ll use our pickings to create ‘berry’ delicious creations. Category: Excursion Cost: $112.00 |
| Friday 20 January |
Splashtastic Water Party An action-packed water-based party of games and activities! There will be waterfall fun, water tag team and much more. Category: Incursion Cost: $102.00 |
| Monday 23 - Friday 27 January | |
| Monday 23 January |
Amazing Race Work in teams to solve clues and complete the race. There will be plenty of tricks and roadblocks on the way so stay alert! Category: In house Cost: $82.00 |
| Tuesday 24 January |
Wax Hands Today we're dipping our hands into coloured wax (that's cool enough to touch) to create a colourful keepsake. Category: Incursion Cost: $102.00 |
| Wednesday 25 January |
Sk8House Get your roll on! We’re heading to our local roller skating rink, to practice our roller skating or blading skills. Category: Excursion Cost: $112.00 |
| Thursday 26 January |
Closed The program is not running on Thursday 26 January in recognition of the Australia Day Public Holiday. |
| Friday 27 January |
Minute 2 Win It We’ll be playing a series of brain teasers and games in minute intervals. Keep your eye on the prize while the clock ticks down! Category: In house Cost: $82.00 |
Activities and learning outcomes
YMCA School Holiday Programs offer a variety of activities to interest your child, such as:
- arts and crafts
- music and movement area
- outdoor and physical space
- puzzles and board games
- reading and quiet space
- science, nature and sensory activities
- incursion and excursions.
Strict departure hours apply for excursions (please note the times when booking the activity).
Session times
To accommodate our families, we offer YMCA School Holiday Programs between 06:30 and 18:30 during the holidays (see the 'Next program' section above for dates).
Co-located programs
The Y also offers the following services at the same location or nearby:
- John Henry Primary YMCA Before and After School Program
- Pakenham YMCA Early Learning Centre
- Pakenham YMCA Facility Hire
- care on curriculum days / pupil free days.
What to bring
- Lunch and snack (nutritious & NUT FREE)
- SunSmart hat and sunscreen
- Water bottle
- Weather appropriate clothing and shoes
- Where activity involves water, please bring swimwear, towel and a change of clothes as required
Inclusion
We believe in an inclusive society for all children and families. Children with additional needs are welcome to attend our program. Families must contact the OSHC Coordinator at least four weeks prior to the holiday program to discuss the individual needs of your child and complete any funding applications. Find out more about inclusion at YMCA Children's Programs.
Activity types, prices and subsidies
YMCA School Holiday Program runs three types of activity days, which include:
- In house: activities run by our Educator Team;
- Incursion: activities run by visitors to our service;
- Excursion: activities run at an off-site location.
Each activity day incurs a separate cost that is confirmed prior to each holidays when bookings are opened.
Program tables are available to view under the ‘Next program’ section, prior to the start of each school holiday. These detail the daily activities types and associated fees.
Fees listed on program tables are not inclusive of any Child Care Subsidy (CCS) entitlements, which may reduce your out-of-pocket expense.
Debit process
Our programs operate on a fortnightly debit cycle, which withdraws payment for the next two weeks of care your family has booked.
If you book an additional day of care during our School Holiday Program, your account will be back charged in the following debit cycle.
Visit our debit process page for a list of forthcoming debit dates.
Bookings and enquiries
To enrol your child in a YMCA School Holiday Program or submit a booking request, go to the bookings page for step by step instructions on how to to get started. Bookings are managed through an online system called My Family Lounge.
If you're not quite ready to book and have a few more questions, our team will be happy to help – simply fill in our enquiry form and someone will get back to you.
Contact details
- Telephone: (03) 8371 0540
- Mobile: 0418 422 120
- Email: johnhenry@ymca.org.au
Location
Pakenham YMCA School Holiday Program is located at:
John Henry Primary School
141 Henry Road
Pakenham
VIC 3810