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For the kids

Experience the Sydney Opera House from your home with our range of digital content and hands on activities created especially to inspire young minds. From parkour to classical music, model-making to puppets, there’s something for kids of all ages to discover. From our House to yours.

What’s new?

 

House Play

Creating Your Own Play at Home

House Play is a series for kids outlining the process of bringing a play to life, so you can stage your very own play at home or at school.

Watch Now

A decade of creativity: Giving children a voice

It started with just a trestle table and some colouring pages. Now, a decade later, ‘Creative Play’ is a fully-fledged artistic program, involving over 20,000 children each year.

Read now

Watch

Meet the instruments and learn some sweet skills with our range of video content for kids.

Highlights from our stage

Available on demand from our digital season

Man dances out the front of the Opera House

WATCH NOW – Ages 7+

Muggera Dance Party (Live)

Hold your very own dance party with Daz and Jax Compton, stars of the popular TV show Move it Mob Style! Big and little kids alike are invited to learn contemporary Indigenous and hip hop infused dance moves.

Illustration of Angie and her various belongings rotating around the moon

WATCH NOW – Ages 6 months+

Angie Who: A Little Song Workshop (Premiere)

A musical experience for new parents and their little people, join singer-songwriter Angie Who for this fun workshop. Journey through a collection of old favourites plus hear some of Angie’s own originals from her new album I Love You The Most.

Illustration of three string instruments in front of a globe on yellow background

WATCH NOW – Ages 6 months+

Kids Music Café: Around the World (Premiere)

Come on a journey around the world in this wonderful introduction to classical music, created especially for your toddler and you! Hear songs from five different continents as you meet the string instruments along the way.

Introductions to classical music

 

George meets the orchestra

Ages 3+

Follow George as he chats with players from the Sydney Youth Orchestra and learns all about the four families of the orchestra – strings, brass, woodwind and percussion

 

Karen meets the strings family

Ages 5+

Learn about the string family and how musical techniques can be used to create mood, character and setting with Karen Pang and musicians from the Australian Chamber Orchestra on the set of 'There's a Sea in My Bedroom'. 

 

Karen and the composers

Ages 5+

Join Karen Pang along with the composers of 'There’s a Sea in My Bedroom' Dr Daniel Blinkhorn and Associate Professor Paul Stanhope as they find out where music comes from, plus learn some fun ways to start your own composition.

Get ready to Wiggle

Dance along to The Wiggles

To celebrate The Wiggles appearing on our stage, we asked families to share their wiggly dance moves with us. Check out some of our favourites! 

The Wiggles sing 'Social Distancing'

Sing, dance along and become a hand washing hero as The Wiggles perform their new song 'Social Distancing', created to help kids understand what it means to stay at home. 

Peek behind the scenes

Eddie Woo stands in front of Sydney Opera House steps, smiling at camera, hands reached out in front of him

Who's in the lift?

Ages 5+

Curious kids step through the giant doors of the scenery lift at the Sydney Opera House and meet some amazing people from the stage and behind the scenes.

Eddie Woo stands in front of Sydney Opera House steps, smiling at camera, hands reached out in front of him

Behind the scenes: Set design

Ages 12+

In this series, designer Wendy Todd explains the set design process using Slingsby Theatre Company's production Emil and the Detectives

Through Laser Beak Man's eyes

Ages 9+

As a fan of the Sydney Opera House, Tim Sharp takes us on a tour of the building and shares with us his unique point of view.

Drawing the magic

Ages 5+

Take a look at the creative process behind the iconic characters of Hush and Grandma Poss of Possum Magic with illustrator Julie Vivas. 

Behind the magic 

Ages 5+

Drawing inspiration form the world around her, join us on a visit to Julie Vivas' home studio to see where the magic happens.  

Settle in for storytime

Footlights & Booklights

Ages 2+

Join us for storytime as artists from our stages read aloud your favourite Australian storybooks including Zindzi Okenyo reading Sidney Opera House. 

Herbie Hancock and Karen Manbulloo read Moli det bigibigi

Ages 3+

UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock joins Binjari author and artist Karen Manbulloo to read her book Moli det bigibigi (Molly the Pig). 

Watch and learn

Eddie Woo stands in front of Sydney Opera House steps, smiling at camera, hands reached out in front of him

Eddie Woo: Maths of the Sydney Opera House

Ages 11+

Join award-winning maths teacher, author and Wootube star Eddie Woo on a marvellous adventure around the Opera House; uncovering the mathematical concepts behind the construction and design solutions of the building. 

The Artificial Reef Project

Ages 8+

Discover what's living in the water around the Opera House, learn about the project to protect it and ways you can help build a more sustainable future!

Learn some sweet skills

A series of 'how to' videos for kids; sparking creativity through hands on activities.

How to perform circus skills

Ages 5+

How to make a puppet

Ages 5+

How to build a robot

Ages 7+

How to dance ballet

Ages 5+

How to parkour

Ages 7+

Baby Drama – for parents

Explore the power and wonders of theatre for babies, in this series of early years video stories.  

 

A Practice in Infancy

 

Parenting: A Dare Devil Activity

 

It’s Who We Are

Discover our music education programs

International Jazz Day Education Program 2019

In celebration of International Jazz Day, 1800 students participated in the ultimate music boot camp with jazz legends including Herbie Hancock, Antonio Hart and James Morrison.

Staatskapelle Berlin Education Project

Watch as 40 young musicians from regional conservatoriums across New South Wales rehearse and play alongside members of the Staatskapelle Berlin. 

Listen

Introduce your little ones to classical music, or be inspired by an author talk with our podcasts and playlists curated for kids.
 

Young girl looking up at a drawn balloon

 

Arty Farty – A Podcast for Kids

Our podcast Arty Farty – A Podcast for Kids has been created especially for Kid Creatives. We’re excited to share special moments, insights, tips, tricks and more from kids themselves, and creative types who appear here at the House.

Listen now

 

Featured episodes

Season 3: House Call

Curious kids phoned us with their questions and we've answered them in this brand new season of Arty Farty with the help of people from the stage and behind the scenes. 

Bennelong Point image attached to a telephone

 

Before the House with Rhoda Roberts

Ages 6+

Hear all about the rich Indigenous history that existed in Sydney long before the Opera House was built. 

Dinosaur attached to a telephone

 

Dinosaurs in the House with Scott Wright

Ages 6+

Have you ever seen a dinosaur at the Opera House?  We have  all kinds of things on its stages, and dinosaurs sound like they could be one of them!

Purple crown attached to telephone cord

 

Houses Guests with Valerie Ng

Ages 6+

Is the Queen the most famous person to have visited the Opera House? Take a journey down into the vaults of the Opera House to talk to the person who’s an expert on all the Sydney Opera House records and photos.

Season 2: Creative Conversations

Learn about the creative process and inspiration behind well-known artists. These conversations will spark the imagination of children and adults alike.

kevin mccloud grand designs its a long story podcast

 

David Walliams

Ages 6+

David talks about his bestselling novel Billionaire Boy and the unlikely places he's found inspiration.

 

Matt Stanton

Ages 4+

Author of the Funny Kids series, listen to how Matt starts getting words onto a page and how important reading is to creating stories. 

Tim Sharp

 

Tim Sharp

Ages 9+

Join Tim and his mum Judy as they discuss Tim's early years being diagnosed with autism, his life as an artist and creator and where this dream has taken him.

Introductions to classical music, just right for
your toddler and you!

 

The Brass Family

Fun facts about the tuba

  • If all the tubing was uncoiled, it would be about 6 metres long!
  • It can play just about the lowest note of all orchestral instruments.
  • It weighs about 9 kilograms.
  • They are one of the most recent additions to the symphony orchestra, showing up in about the mid-1800's.
  •  

    The Woodwind Family

    Did you know?

    A cantata is a narrative piece of music for voices with instrumental accompaniment. They typically contain a number of movements with a mix of solo voices, choir and orchestra. The works you heard today are an arrangements of these pieces for instruments without voices. 

     

    The String Family

    Did you know?

    A cantata is a narrative piece of music for voices with instrumental accompaniment. They typically contain a number of movements with a mix of solo voices, choir and orchestra. The works you heard today are an arrangements of these pieces for instruments without voices. 

    Young girl looking up at a drawn balloon

    Classic Kids

    Ages 2+

    Introduce young listeners to musical soundscapes and classical compositions with the Classic Kids podcast and our interactive activity sheets.

    Through sounds and storytelling, these resources are designed to help kids learn about the instrument families and develop their musical vocabulary. 

    Make

    Our hands on activities will inspire budding architects and illustrators to get creative.

    Make models inspired by Utzon's own designs

    Ages 7+

    In this five part series with step by step tutorials, explore the design principles of architect Jørn Utzon as you learn to make mini models and daring constructions.

    Colour in your house

    Ages 5+

    In celebration of World Environment Day on 5 June, download our colouring in sheets and learn some fun facts about sustainability at the Opera House.

    Colour in musical instruments

    Ages 2+

    Colour in tuba
    Colour in cello 
    Colour in saxophone

    Read

    Inspiring pieces unpacking creativity for kids and adults alike. 

    When I Was Little

    Illustration shows three circles, one has a photo of Graham Hosking as he currently looks, another shows him as a young boy

    When I Was Little: Graham Hosking

    By day, he investigates insurance claims; by night, he is the genius creator of Sidney Opera Mouse – the little mouse with big dreams. We spoke to English author Graham Hosking about what his big dreams were when he was little.

    When I Was Little: Teeny Tiny Stevies

    They may be Teeny Tiny but they’ve made a great big mark on the children’s entertainment world. We spoke to the talented sisters about what it’s like to live your childhood dreams.

    The Listies young and old in illustrated bubbles

    When I Was Little: The Listies

    Australia's favourite kidult comedy duo The Listies are introducing Shakespeare to kids with turbo-charged story-telling and silliness!

    Side-by-side pictures of Tim McGarry young and old

    When I Was Little: Tim McGarry

    There's a Sea in My Bedroom director Tim McGarry shares his childhood dreams in our new series chatting with theatre-makers and creatives who bring magic to our stages, and wonder to our little ones.

    The education conversation Australia has to have

    Finnish educator and author Pasi Sahlberg writes on the chasm of inequality that exists in the Australian school system. 

    School kids write migrant family stories into song

    Students from Lansvale Public sing history and humour with musician Luke Escombe, as part of our Creative Leadership in Learning program.

    From stage to story: books for kids

    Inspire creative young minds with children's books whose characters and authors have appeared on the Opera House stage. 

    Swap screen time for storytime

    Swap screen time for storytime with this ultimate reading list for tiny tots to teens, as picked by our Children, Families and Creative Learning team.

    From our House to yours

    Bring our stages to your sofa with our new digital program delivered weekly from our House to yours.