Are you looking for fun, family-friendly activities in Sydney?
Whether it's during the school holidays, at the weekend or just one night when you have spare time on your hands, there are plenty of things you can do and places you can visit with your partner and kids.
So, next time you are free and at a bit of a loose end, here are ten excellent options you should bear in mind.
1. Go for a drive
It’s always nice to go for a drive, especially to somewhere you have not been for a while or even before. So, pick a destination and take a picnic to really make a day of it.
For those with teens who are learning to drive, it’s a good way for them to top up their learner logbook.
Moreover, if they haven’t yet started lessons, it will be an informative watching brief before they get driving lessons across Sydney through Ezlicence or any specific motor school.
2. Find a new park with a playground
Did you know? There are over 400 parks in Sydney and many of them have playgrounds. Some are suitable for toddlers and younger kids, while others are more geared up for older children.
Pirrama Park, for instance, in Pyrmont, has a large shaded sandpit your kids will want to spend hours in. Similarly, Wulaba Park in Waterloo has a really cool giant slide.
Do a search on Google and find the most appealing one for you to go to.
3. Check out the Royal Botanic Garden
If you don’t fancy a random park, why not head to the Royal Botanic Garden?
There are plenty of family-friendly things to do there, including playgrounds and several nature-based stories, games and activities your kids will love.
4. Go to the beach
You can’t beat a day at the beach, and thankfully, Sydney has lots of child-friendly ones to choose from.
The likes of Vaucluse, Balmoral, Bronte and Palm Beach are all suitable for those with little ones or teenagers. And then, of course, there is always Bondi!
If you fancy going a bit further afield, here are some of the best beaches on the South Coast of NSW.
5. Enjoy a dip at a swimming pool
Should you not feel like heading to the beach, how about the swimming pool instead?
There are six excellent aquatic centres in Sydney, each with a pool tailor-made for young children and/or teenagers.
A great place to start is the Ian Thorpe Pool in Ultimo, which has three indoor heated pools that are perfect for very hot or rainy days.
Alternatively, next to Hyde Park is the Cook + Phillip Park Pool, which you can swim in throughout the year. Its leisure pool has a wonderful wave machine that kids won’t want to leave.
6. Taronga Zoo
Most kids love animals, and there is no better place in Sydney to see them than Taronga Zoo.
You can see over 4000 animals here, including the Fijian crested iguana, Fiordland penguin, African lion, and Tammar wallabies.
There are also several interactive shows during the day and a selection of outstanding activities like their iconic ‘Roar & Snore’ overnight sleepover experience.
7. Sea Life Sydney Aquarium
Talking of animals, if your kids are fascinated by those who live under the water, then the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium is the best place to take them.
Overall, this attraction accommodates over 13,000 fish across 700 species, including New Zealand fur seals, dugongs, jellyfish and little penguins.
Like Taronga Zoo, the Sydney Aquarium offers plenty of exhibits and displays that will fascinate children. Not least is the wonderful underwater tunnel, through which they get to walk as sharks circle and stingrays hover above them.
8. Visit a library
Libraries are always a terrific place to go when you are looking to entertain the kids.
There are more than 90 libraries throughout Sydney, many of which have specific zones for children.
All libraries offer free WI-FI, and most have toy areas featuring games they can play. There are also, of course, hundreds of books for them to read.
One of the best libraries to visit is the Darling Square Library, which you will find in Haymarket. As well as a play area, it also has a ‘makerspace’ where they can imagine, invent, tinker and create.
9. Check out the Australian Museum
The fabulous Australian Museum is located just opposite Hyde Park in the CBD of Darlinghurst. This fascinating natural history museum is actually the fifth oldest in the world and boasts a whopping 21 million cultural objects and scientific specimens.
Of course, they are not all on display. However, the museum is easily a place where you can spend many hours enjoying interactive experiences and immersive exhibitions that showcase the wonders of science, nature, and culture.
10. Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge
You’ve probably seen the Sydney Harbour Bridge more times than you can possibly remember. But have you ever climbed it?
If not, why not take the kids on the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb Experience? It offers exceptional, panoramic 360-degree views of Luna Park, the Opera House, and even, if it's a clear day, the Blue Mountains.
Kids over the age of 8 are welcome to climb ‘The Coathanger’, which is open 24 hours a day for 363 days in the year. The best time to do it is arguably at sunrise or sunset when the colours of the sky are amazing.
