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Things To Do In Sydney With Kids

Sydney is a haven for families, with plenty of fun activities for all ages. Whether you are looking for things to do in Sydney with toddlers or teens, you’ll find a range of options here.

Below I include; outdoor activities, rainy day activities, water and splash parks, museum exhibitions, family beaches in Sydney and surrounding areas, with some of my local friends recommendations dotted in between.

Several of the options are free activities too! Don’t forget on Sundays, all the local transport (Opal), ferries, trains and buses offer $2.70 fares for the whole day too – perfect if you are visiting Sydney with kids and don’t have a car.

for even more ideas for visiting Sydney, this guide included many more activities.

Botanical Gardens – The Calyx

The Calyx is an area set in the Botanical gardens which has a mixture of indoor and outdoor areas with exhibitions and workshops that change regularly. One of the current themes, ‘Pollination’ is free.

Take a Ferry to Manly or Watson’s Bay for fish & chips

Whale Watching Cruise

See the sites of Sydney Harbour before heading out to sea. This is suitable for slightly older children. Check out Groupon for latest vouchers and offers.

Sydney Tower Eye

Enjoy a 360 degree view from the Sydney Tower Eye. Tickets include a 4D cinema experience.

The Grounds Of Alexandria.

Visit The Grounds for lunch to see the famous ‘Kevin Bacon’ the resident pig.

Luna Park

Catch the ferry to Luna Park. Luna Park is free to enter, and there are various packages for the  theme parkrides inside. For older kids. There’s a great swimming pool next door for a swim too if it’s warm.

Rent a bike

Ride around Centennial Park (they have 4-6 seaters) stop off at ‘Wild Play’

Wild Play at Centennial Park

Enjoy a park set to engage your five senses with nature at `Centennial Park Wild Play Garden. Wild play  features dry creek beds, an artesian water play area, a bamboo forest, banksia tunnels, turtle mounds and the Park’s first treehouse.

Entertainment Quarter

The Entertainment Quarter has lots to entertain all the family. Cinema, Bowling & a great park. On Wednesday & Saturday  there is a great market to have lunch. Visit the famous ‘Black Star Bakery’ for watermelon cake.

Taronga Zoo

Catch the ferry to Taronga Zoo from Circular Quay.  Ride the Sky Safari cable car to the top of the zoo and walk down. This is a popular attraction and of the top things to do in Sydney with toddler. However as it is quite steep, you may want to hire a stroller for $15 at the zoo, if you are not taking one -they lie flat.

Visit Darling Harbour

At Darling Harbour you have Madame Tussaud’s, Wild Life World and the Sydney Aquarium.. You can buy a multi ticket which works out cheaper.  Buy it online and you’ll recieve an email with your entry tickets that can be scanned to get in. This will avoid the long ticket line in the heat.

The Darling Quarter Playground

The free Darling Quarter Playground is often recommended by locals and for good reason. It is renowned as one of the best in the country. Mixing art with fun activities, kids can burn energy with numerous activities including:

• A 3m high zipline called the Flying Fox.
• A jumbo swing.
• A giant ring swing
• Regular swings – four big kids’ swings, and two for the little ones.
• The Octanet rope climbing frame.
• Tangled web climbing frame
• Water jets to cool off
• Water screw & water scoop activities.
• Sand pit with sand diggers
• Shade zone to cool off and enjoy a picnic.
• Hill slides
• Water squirts

Olympic Park

Visit the Olympic Park for various activities including; swimming pool with water rapid ride and indoor water playground &  orienteering with several free activities scheduled too. There is also the outdoor Blaxland Riverside Park, where you can head over for picnic or BBQ. Get to Blaxland early for parking,Activities include:

• A double flying fox zipline;
• Mega-swing;
• Tunnel slides;
• Scramble wall;
• Spinning play disc;
• Viking swing;
• Multi-level tree house; and
• Outdoor water play facility! (10am – 4pm

Featherdale Wildlife Park

Featherdale Wildlife Park has lots of birds, mammals, marsupials and reptiles to view. It began as poultry farm and has evolved has a privately owned wildlife park.

Climb the Sydney Harbour Pylon.

Delta Force Paintball

Delta Force provides customers with multiple-themed scenarios, ranging from Tomb Raider, Black Hawk Down and Tropic Thunder.

Things To Do in Sydney When It Rains

Australian Museum

General admission is free to under 16’s at the Australian Museum.    For under 5’s, there is a free mini-museum for preschoolers to explore and investigate the natural world. Exhibitions change regularly but currently there is an Ice Age one on!

Power House Museum

The Power House Museum has lots on for kids and regular exhibitions. Permanent ones currently include Space, ‘What’s in Store’ , ‘Experimentations’ and the popular Aussie fav’s – The Wiggles!  Children 16 years and under go free. it is close to and is close to Darling Harbour, Chinatown, Central Station (Sydney Terminal), Broadway bus station (Railway Square), and Exhibition Centre Sydney Light Rail Station.

Sea Life Aquarium

Sea Life is part of the Merlin group so look out fo especial deals with combined tickets

Maritime Museum

With various exhibitions, crafts, vessels to climb and explore ( including a submarine and a destroyer, the Maritime Museum has lots of activities for kids.

Family Beaches in Sydney and surrounding area.

• Clontarf Beach – there is a park and cafe there too.
• Bondi beach -there’s a great coastal walk from there all the way past Maroubra. Older kids might like the skate park too.
• Coogee Beach – has a children’s playground. Change rooms and toilets can be found near the Arden Street bus stop.
• Balmoral Beach-  Has several cafes, playground, an esplanade to stroll along and a little island across a bridge. Plenty of sand and rock pools for the kids to play too.
• Parsley Bay is nice for a picnic and a swim.
• Clifton Gardens –  also has a lovely playground plus a kiosk for a cuppa. The large and flat reserve has lots of lovely trees, picnic tables. The carpark is at one side of the reserve and there is no other road so this is a very safe place for kids. Also has toilets and shaded areas.

I hope this helps you! Do let me know if I’ve missed any of your favourite thing to do in Sydney for kids.

For things do in Adelaide with kids – read here.

For things to do in Brisbane with kids see here.

For things to do in the Gold Coast with kids see here.

If you are flying to Australia, you may want to read my Qantas review?

This post is in collaboration with Groupon. 

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