December School Holidays 2026: Free Ideas + Maths Plan

The December school holidays 2026 are the longest stretch your child gets all year with no homework, no tests and no new topic every week. That makes them the best time to rest, and the best time to fix the one maths topic that wobbled in Term 4.

Cuemath does the fixing: a private, live, one-on-one maths tutor for your child, online, from Foundation to Year 10, starting with a free assessment. Below: why that works over summer, how Cuemath handles catching up, test prep and getting ahead, free activities, a 5-step plan and what it costs.

Why do parents choose Cuemath for the school holidays?

Because Cuemath removes the three things that stop holiday tutoring working: the commute, the fixed timetable and the tutor who disappears when term starts. Your child gets a private tutor online, at times that suit your family, and keeps the same tutor into Term 1.

4.9/5 on Trustpilot from 12K+ reviews · 200K+ students · 80+ countries.

How it works:

1. Book your free assessment. Tell us your child's Year and goal.
2. Get matched with a tutor. We pick one based on your child's level, schedule and learning style.
3. Diagnose, then plan. The tutor finds the exact gap and builds a personalised summer plan, starting in the first session.

→ Book a free 1-on-1 assessment (free, live, about 40 -60 minutes)

How can Cuemath help your child catch up, get ahead or get test-ready this summer?

Pick one goal before the break starts. A holiday with one goal beats a holiday with five. Here is how a Cuemath tutor handles each.

What are good things to do in the school holidays that build maths?

Free activities with real numbers in them work best, because children take the maths seriously when the answer matters. Ten to 15 minutes a day is enough, and it never needs to look like homework.

• Christmas shopping on a budget (Years 1–6): give AU$40 for cousins' gifts and let your child plan it. Builds money, adding and change.
• Baking (Years 2–8): halve a recipe that needs 3/4 of a cup. Builds fractions and measuring.
• Road trips (Years 4–10): "At 100 km/h, what time do we arrive?" Builds time, distance and speed.
• Cricket on TV (all ages): count the sixes, or work out a batter's strike rate. Builds tallies, averages and rates.
• Card and dice games (all ages): play "make 24" with four cards. Builds number facts and probability.
• Supermarket run (Years 5–9): which pack is cheaper per 100 g? Builds unit pricing and percentages.
• Holiday data project (Years 3–10): graph the daily top temperature for three weeks. Builds graphs, mean and median.

Try the supermarket run: Pack A is AU$3.60 for 400 g (AU$0.90 per 100 g). Pack B is AU$5.50 for 750 g (AU$0.73 per 100 g), so Pack B is the better buy. Ask your child which is cheaper before they look at the shelf label.

Parent tip: the teach-me test. Ask your child to teach you one thing they learnt in maths this year. If they explain it with an example, it's secure. If they can do it but can't explain it, it needs a refresh. If they can't remember it, that's your summer topic.

Activities keep skills warm. They don't find a gap. If the teach-me test turns up a topic your child can't explain, a Cuemath tutor can find the exact missing step in one free session. Book the free assessment.

What should your child practise, Year by Year?

Each Year leans on the one before, so the best summer focus depends on the Year your child starts in 2027. This follows the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0; NSW orders some topics differently, so check your child's report too.

Source: Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 Mathematics achievement standards (ACARA), via QCAA alignment documents; NAP key dates. 2027 OC and Selective dates not announced at 14 October 2026.

One date matters for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9: NAPLAN 2027 runs from 10 to 22 March. For those children, the summer holidays are the start of the run-up, not a break from it. More in our NAPLAN 2027 dates guide, Year 3 NAPLAN guide and OC and Selective prep plan.

Not sure which Year band fits your child? A Cuemath tutor plans these topics around your child in one free session.

What does Cuemath's holiday tutoring include and cost?

Every class is live and one-on-one on Cuemath's own interactive platform, two to three times a week, from Foundation to Year 10. Tutors are trained in the Australian Curriculum, and lessons follow your state's syllabus.

Why does online, one-on-one work in the school holidays?

• No commute. Classes happen from home. No driving across town in 35-degree heat.
• Summer stays summer. About 40-60 minutes for children, two or three times a week. The beach still gets most of the day.
• Fits around travel. Flexible leave covers planned breaks, and you reschedule in the parent app. You need a laptop or desktop with video calling.
• Why, not just how. Tutors ask your child to explain their thinking. An answer from an app or an AI chatbot isn't the same as understanding.
• One tutor, every step. On a shared screen, a wrong turn shows up in minutes, not weeks into term.

What's included in every Cuemath plan?

NAPLAN, OC and Selective preparation with mock papers, homework help and school exam preparation, remedial support for older gaps, advanced and enrichment maths, adaptive daily practice in the Mental Math app, a parent app to track progress and message the tutor, and a full refund of unused classes if you cancel.

How is Cuemath different from a holiday centre or a self-study app?

What does it cost?

Price depends only on plan length, never on what your child needs. There's no holiday-only package, and you don't need one: a three-month plan started in mid-December runs 13 weeks and finishes in mid-March 2027, right in the NAPLAN window.

You can cancel any time for a full refund of unused classes. Full fees are on the Cuemath Australia pricing page.

What do parents say about Cuemath?

Cuemath has taught more than 200,000 students in 80+ countries and holds a 4.9/5 rating from 12K+ Trustpilot reviews. Parents most often mention confidence, patient tutors and children who stop fearing maths.

FAQs

How long are the summer school holidays in 2026?

The summer school holidays in 2026 last between 40 and 47 days for government schools, counting weekends. Victoria has the shortest break (40 days). NSW, Tasmania and the Northern Territory have the longest (47 days). Queensland and South Australia have 46, Western Australia 45 and the ACT 44.

What are the best school holiday activities for kids?

The best school holiday activities are free ones with real numbers in them. Try budgeting for Christmas gifts, baking, planning a road trip, tracking cricket scores, card and dice games, comparing supermarket prices and graphing the weather. Mix them with plenty of rest and outdoor time.

Should my child do maths over the school holidays?

Yes, a little. Ten to 15 minutes on four or five days a week keeps skills fresh, with one full week off around Christmas. Children closing a known gap or preparing for NAPLAN, OC or Selective tests benefit from two or three focused sessions a week.

Is school holiday tutoring worth it?

Yes, when your child has a clear goal such as closing a gap, preparing for NAPLAN, OC or Selective, or getting ahead. It works best when the same tutor continues into Term 1. If your child is tired and on track, rest and free activities are enough.

How much does school holiday tutoring cost with Cuemath?

Cuemath costs AU$21 per class on a three-month plan for Foundation to Year 5, AU$28 for Year 6 to Year 8 and AU$35 for Year 9 to Year 10, plus a AU$39 platform fee. The lowest rate is AU$17 per class on a 12-month Foundation to Year 5 plan.

Does Cuemath run school holiday tutoring programs?

Yes, through its regular plans rather than a separate holiday package. Families can start any time, including the December holidays, on a three, six or 12-month plan, with 26 classes in every 13-week cycle. Families can cancel any time for a full refund of unused classes.

Can my child do online maths tutoring while we travel over Christmas?

Yes, with a laptop or desktop that supports video calling; a writing tablet is highly recommended. Cuemath's flexible leave policy covers planned breaks, and classes can be rescheduled through the parent app.

Can I try Cuemath for free before the holidays start?

Yes. The first 1-on-1 session is free and live with a Cuemath tutor, and you only pay if you enrol. Book it before term ends so you know which topic to focus on over the break.

Sources

Dates checked against each education department's own page on 14 October 2026. Each line says what it supports.

• NSW Department of Education — school calendars
• Victorian Government — school term dates and holidays
• Queensland Department of Education — future dates
• WA Department of Education — term dates
• SA Department for Education — term dates
• Tasmanian Department for Education, Children and Young People — term dates
• ACT Government — school terms
• NT Government — school term dates
• National Assessment Program — NAPLAN key dates
• NSW Department of Education — OC and Selective (Year 5 entry)

Nupur Jain in ✉

Senior Writer

I write because I like understanding things properly, and I've never been able to do that quietly.

Six years in, what still interests me most isn't the writing itself. It's the person on the other side. Who are they, what were they actually worried about when they opened this page, and did they leave with what they came for? Most content fails that last test. It answers the easy question instead of the one that was asked.

At Cuemath, I write for parents and students in India and around the world. That range is the part I enjoy. A parent in Bangalore and a parent in Canada are asking about the same child, but not always in the same words, and that difference matters.

So I research before I write. Not just search results. Forums, reviews, the long comment threads where somebody finally admits what they're really confused about. That's usually where the useful thing is hiding.

I also spend time on how people find this writing at all, since a growing number of them now ask an AI instead of typing into Google. But that only works if the writing is clear to begin with. There's no shortcut around that part.