There’s a whole lot to do for kids in Sydney. Fun Theme Parks, native wildlife, giant screen theatres, hands on museums, great beaches for surfing and body surfing as well as protected swimming and myriads of kids activities.
Phone 61 2 9225-1744
Cost: Free, except for special exhibits
Hours: Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Every Sunday afternoon at 2:30, families can enjoy special performances on various topics, including art appreciation, dance and storytelling. During school holidays, the museum schedules storytelling and performances, often in mime or Aboriginal dance, for children aged 6-12. Children can also participate in occasional hands-on art workshops.
For children under 5, Kids Island is gaily decorated with a model hot-air balloon and features a slippery side and a shipwrecked boat with interesting cubbies to explore. The museum’s dinosaur exhibit appeals to children aged 5-12. A Science and Discover Room, with microscopes, specimens and reference books, allows children to conduct their own ‘research.’
Constructed by convict labour, the Hyde Park Barracks was the principal male convict barracks in New South Wales.
Explores the daily lives of convicts and other occupants, with interesting exhibitions on Australia’s convict system, a soundscape and excavated artefacts.
More than 250 interactives bring the Powerhouse Museum to life for thousands of people each year. Touch screen computers, audio phones, science experiments and hands-on fun are guaranteed to delight children and adults alike.
A NASA space station will entice their older siblings as well as Locomotive No.1, from the 1800s. Occasionally, the museum offers supervised children’s activities from crafts to storytelling, free with entry.
Darling Harbour
Darling Harbour, just 5-10mins walk west from the City Centre. Lots of activities for families and kids of all ages.
Phone 61 2 9240 8500.
Australian National Maritime Museum
Carousel
Galaxy World
IMAX Theatre Sydney
Pacific Fly Motion
Paddleboats
Powerhouse Museum
Sydney Aquarium - Australia’s No.1 Attraction
Sydney Learning Adventures
Sydney Wildlife World
The Nine Holer - Mini Golf
Vertigo
W.A. Jacobs Toymaker
Luna Park
Milson’s Point
Phone 61 2 9922-6644
Hours: Rides open weekends and school holidays; call for seasonal hours
Saturday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Built in 1935, modeled after Coney Island’s Luna Park and set against the backdrop of Sydney Harbour, this is an energetic amusement park that features a variety of classic rides. Visitors enter beneath the ghastly, grinning face of a painted clown, who has evolved alongside the park’s collection of attractions.
Taronga lets children visit up close with some of Australia’s most spectacular and exotic creatures - native koalas, of course, but also kangaroos, dingoes, Tasmanian devils and wombats.
Rent children’s bikes and rollerblades to help youngsters burn off excess energy in the park’s beautiful setting. A nearby Equestrian Center offers horseback rides, and guided nature walks are available during school holidays.
Sydney Beaches
Various locations, many easy to get to. Bondi Beach is a 1km stretch of golden sand and surf, with a rock pool for families if the waves are up.
Manly Beach can best be reached by a taking a ferry across the scenic Sydney Harbour from Circular Quay at the foot of the Sydney CBD. See Circular Quay Map.
When swimming in Sydney and other places in Australia, remember to Swim Between the Flags.
More Sydney Stuff to Do
Activities for families and kids in Sydney and Australia from GoDo.Com.Au.
Featherdale Wildlife Park allows you to cuddle up to a koala and hand feed kangaroos. Get up close to over 2200 animals including over 30 species of rare or endangered animals. Featherdale Wildlife Park.
Breakfast with the Kangaroos features a continental breakfast amidst wild kangaroos and abundant birdlife, private breathtaking views of amazing blue canyons, Blue Mountains, spectacular Narrowneck Plateau, Sydney's premier wildlife park and the return to Sydney aboard the Rivercat Ferry. Breakfast with the Kangaroos.
Sydney Eco Whale Watching - The Whales are coming to Sydney! Come and experience seeing these majestic whales up close. An awe-inspiring experience! Our 4 hour Eco Whale Watching Cruise lets you observe and learn about these wonderful mammals. This is a truly personalised and powerful experience. Sydney Eco Whale Watching.
Horse Riding In Centennial Park - See Sydney's fabulous Centennial Park from the comfort of your saddle. Your personal guide will prepare you and your horse and will accompany you throughout this scenic ride of unique parts of Centennial Park. An hour's tour of Sydney like none other! Horse Riding In Centennial Park.
Flying Trapeze Workshop For Two - Fly through the air with the greatest of ease! Experience the thrills and adventure of the circus on a flying trapeze in this circus skills flying trapeze workshop. Learn to swing, leap and catch your way through a series of manoeuvres, all under the instruction of professional trapeze artists. Flying Trapeze Workshop For Two.