September School Holiday Program
More Than a Day Out — Social Learning in Action
Join us these September school holidays for a fun, engaging and purposefully structured program designed to keep kids and teens active, connected and building their social skills in a supportive environment.
The Social Minds School Holiday Program is not your standard school holiday program. While our days are filled with exciting activities, games, incursions, excursions and community outings, every day is also structured and goal-oriented, with opportunities for participants to develop and practise meaningful social, emotional and independence skills.
Run by our qualified Social Minds team, the program provides a safe and welcoming environment where children and teens can build friendships, develop confidence and practise their skills in real-life social situations.
Fun With a Purpose
At Social Minds, we believe the activity is the vehicle — social development is the goal.
Each day is intentionally planned to create opportunities to work on skills such as:
- Initiating and maintaining conversations
- Making and strengthening friendships
- Joining in and participating within a group
- Turn-taking, sharing and compromise
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Flexible thinking and coping when plans change
- Emotional regulation and managing disappointment
- Problem-solving and decision-making
- Understanding social cues and group expectations
- Building confidence in community settings
- Developing independence and everyday life skills
- Self-advocacy and communicating needs appropriately
Rather than simply supervising participants throughout the day, our team actively facilitates social learning as opportunities naturally arise.
For example, a community outing may involve navigating public transport, ordering food, managing money, deciding as a group what to do next and communicating with members of the community.
A recreational activity may involve waiting for a turn, encouraging peers, coping when something doesn’t go to plan, compromising and celebrating someone else’s success.
A group challenge may involve leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, listening to other people’s ideas and working towards a shared goal.
These real-world experiences allow participants to practise skills in the moment, with support and coaching available from our team.
What Does a Social Minds Day Look Like?
Although every day and activity is different, our 9:00am–3:00pm program follows a purposeful structure.
Arrival, Connection & Daily Goals
Participants settle into the group, connect with their peers and are introduced to the plan for the day and the skills we will be focusing on.
Social Skills Warm-Up & Preparation
Structured games, conversations or group challenges help participants prepare for the day’s activities while working on communication, teamwork and flexible thinking.
Main Activity / Community Experience
Participants take part in the day’s scheduled activity, excursion or incursion while our team facilitates opportunities for social learning, independence and peer connection.
Lunch & Social Connection
Lunch isn’t just a break! It provides opportunities to practise conversation, inclusion, independence and spending less-structured time successfully with peers.
Collaborative Activities & Social Challenges
Participants continue working together through structured games, challenges or activities targeting communication, problem-solving, compromise and friendship skills.
Reflection & Skill Consolidation
Participants are encouraged to reflect on their day — what went well, what was challenging, what skills they used and what they might try differently next time.
Small Groups. Meaningful Connections.
Where possible, participants are grouped with consideration given to their age, interests, communication style, support needs and social compatibility.
This allows our participants to develop genuine connections with peers while receiving support from the Social Minds team.
Our goal is not to remove every social challenge. Instead, when appropriate, our staff can coach participants through real social situations as they occur, helping them develop strategies and confidence that can extend beyond the School Holiday Program.
This program is suitable for children and teens aged 5 years and above.
Session Days & Times
Monday – Friday
9:00am – 3:00pm
Please view the timetable above, as well as our Instagram and Facebook pages, to see the full list of daily activities.
For more details or to register your interest, please complete the EOI (Expression of Interest) form below.
If you are a current Social Minds client or an existing School Holiday Program attendee, you do not need to complete a new EOI. Simply email our team with the dates you would like to attend.
Program Rates
Group Program
Our structured School Holiday Program is charged at:
$55 per hour | $330 for the full 9:00am–3:00pm day
This rate applies regardless of group size (1:2, 1:3 or 1:4) and whether the program takes place in the community or at the centre.
The program fee reflects a six-hour structured and facilitated social development program, rather than standard holiday care or activity supervision.
1:1 Sessions
Where available, 1:1 sessions follow the NDIS-guided support rates:
- In the community: $70.23 per hour
- In a centre: $73.09 per hour
Please note that transport and social outing costs are not included in the program rate and will be charged separately where applicable.
Some program days may include incursions or excursions requiring an additional out-of-pocket activity fee. These costs will be clearly displayed alongside each date when completing the EOI form.
Invoices for additional activity costs will be sent on Monday 21st September and must be paid by Friday 25th September to confirm participation in those activities.
NDIS & Private Participants
Our School Holiday Program can be funded through NDIS, where appropriate to the participant’s individual plan and goals.
Participants do not need to be an NDIS participant to attend. Private-paying families are also welcome.
Important Information
- Places are offered on a first in, best dressed basis and are subject to availability.
- At this stage, we do not have capacity to offer 1:1 ratios within the School Holiday Program due to staffing. Families requiring 1:1 support are welcome to join our waitlist.
- Submitting an EOI (Expression of Interest) does not secure a booking. Your child’s place is only confirmed once you receive confirmation from the Social Minds team.
- Additional transport, entry, activity, food or excursion costs may apply depending on the scheduled activity.
- Participants may be grouped according to age, interests, support needs and social compatibility to support positive group dynamics.
- New participants may be contacted by our team before commencing so we can better understand their needs, goals and suitability for the program.
Enrolments close strictly at midnight on Sunday 20th September 2026.
Why School Holidays?
School holidays give us something we don’t always have during a one-hour session: time for real social situations to naturally unfold.
Across six hours together, participants have opportunities to talk, laugh, negotiate, problem-solve, make decisions, experience challenges, manage emotions, practise independence and build genuine connections with their peers.
Our team is there to facilitate, coach and support the learning that happens along the way.
Because at Social Minds, school holidays aren’t just about keeping busy — they’re about building skills, confidence and connections that extend far beyond the holidays.