The best things to do in Sydney with kids

Studded with emerald-green parks, playgrounds and unforgettable tableaux, Sydney brims with experiences you’ll love doing with your kids.

Bustling and fancy though it its, the city serves up a compelling mix of family-friendly attractions, museums, cultural activities and free things to do, including splashing around at dozens of beaches. This one-of-a-kind mix of attractions appeals to visitors of all ages, and with visitors of all ages in tow.

Once you add in its “no worries, mate” vibes, Sydney becomes a must-visit destination for any family unit. These are some of the best things to do in Sydney with kids.

Advertisement

Is Sydney good for kids?

Yes, very. Sydney is synonymous with sand, sea and sun – and what kid doesn’t love those? Sydneysiders’ friendly attitude toward children is reflected in an abundance of public amenities. Most parks feature restrooms, shelter from the sun, play areas and water fountains.

What’s more, the city is extremely stroller-friendly. Navigating your way through neighborhoods is easy thanks to a public transport system that accommodates gear through elevators, ramps and wide doorways. Additionally, breastfeeding in public is widely accepted.

Even Sydney pubs can be surprisingly kid-friendly, with some featuring dedicated family eating areas and playgrounds to keep young ones entertained. You won’t have trouble feeding your crew, thanks to a food scene that includes everything from Japanese sushi to weekend sausage sizzles (barbecued sausages in bread) at beachside surf clubs.

Little ones can learn more about the traditional custodians of the land, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, at such august but kid-friendly institutions as the Botanic Garden of Sydney and the Museum of Sydney. Meanwhile, the lives of early colonists at the Rocks come to life at Susannah Place Museum. Adrenaline-heavy activities include climbing to the top of the Harbour Bridge, or screaming on new rides at the much-loved Luna Park.

Many of Sydney’s best activities are free, and ideal for families on a budget. Visiting the Royal National Park, one of the world’s oldest national parks, offers pleasures for visitors of all ages.

The best things to do in Sydney with babies and toddlers

Set out on a hike

Thanks to the multiple national parks set on its outskirts, Sydney hikes aren’t limited to strolling city streets. Less than 15km from the city center, Lane Cove National Park is perfect for baby backpacking on short hikes. Meanwhile, toddlers will love the laughing kookaburras, colorful lorikeets, paddling pool and river fun (with cabins available) at Discovery Parks – Lane Cove.

Advertisement

Other bite-sized hikes include Trumper Park’s regenerating bushland in the ritzy neighborhood of Paddington. You can also the stroller-friendly Blackwattle Bay Park track, starting with gelato at Forest Lodge Tramsheds (with top-notch Harold Holt Playground found adjacent), and ending at Sydney Fish Markets for fish ’n’ chips.

Do “rock-a-bye-baby”...in a rock pool

Along Sydney’s gorgeous coast, you can dip into over 30 rock pools stretching from Palm Beach to South Cronulla. Whether they’ve been hewn from stone by convicts or come barricaded by boulders, are naturally accessible or demarcated with swimming lanes, each pool is unique.

Near Bondi, McIver’s Ladies Baths in Coogee is Sydney’s last remaining women-only rock pool, and highly popular with new mothers. Nearby, the sheltered Bogey Hole – a semi-enclosed rock pool at the southern end of Bronte Beach – is ideal for tiny tots. But the ultimate rock pool for the youngest in your party is Fairy Bower Rockpool at Manly. Built in 1929, it’s a hop from the ferry wharf and flat waters of Manly Cove, where a shaded grassy area is kind to crawling babes.

The best things to do in Sydney with elementary-school-aged children

Enjoy a playground-a-rama

Sydney’s playgrounds aren’t just limited to a set of swings and a slide: creative parks can be found across the city. Favorites include Centennial Parklands’ Ian Potter Children’s Wild Play Garden, a nature-based playground with a tip-to-toe drenching splash park, bamboo forest, treehouse and tunnels that run through the native banksia bushes.

Sydney Park Playground in Alexandria has slides built into the hillside and rocket-like climbing nets. It’s just a 20-minute walk from there to Grounds of Alexandria, a wonderland of greenery with a sprawling cafe, coffee roastery and an animal farm, where kids can observe such residents as the pig “KB” (Kevin Bacon).

Honorable mention goes to the Blues Point Reserve playground on McMahons Point, which has the best Harbour Bridge view in all of Sydney.

Spot wildlife

Even thought it’s one of the densest, most exciting cities in the world, it’s not hard to encounter wildlife in Sydney. Ring-tailed possums and Australian brushturkeys can be spotted in public parks, and a flock of sulphur-crested cockatoos resides in Kings Cross. Such displays of animal life will bring smiles to the faces of even the moodiest young visitors.

In the twilight hours around Centennial Park, look up: this is when the local colony of flying-foxes (a type of fruit bat) takes flight. No matter where you are, you’ll spot one of Sydney’s beloved/hated “bin chickens” (Australian white ibises) hunting for a snack.

Looking for an experience that will blow the collective family mind? Head to for Taronga Zoo to go glamping at the Roar and Snore tents, or at the new, upmarket Wildlife Retreat. Waking up with a koala or kangaroo at the window is an only-in-Australia lifetime memory waiting to be made.

The best things to do in Sydney with teens and tweens

Visit a free museum or art gallery

Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art has regular programming for kids (called ARTplay days), while the Australian Museum’s spectacular dinosaur collection is always a roaring hit with youngsters. Best of all, both are free (and amply air-conditioned – a savior on hot days).

Also free is the interactive Powerhouse Museum, where kids discover science, fashion, design and technology through activities like playing with electromagnets. Alternatively, join a family tour for stargazing at the Sydney Observatory. If you time your visit right, you may be fortunate enough to participate in an Aboriginal astronomy workshop by Wiradjuri astronomer Kirsten Banks.

Take a surfing lesson

Give your precocious ones a taste of Australian surf culture at URBNSURF. This man-made surf zone at Sydney Olympic Park features a huge pool with gentle (yet still exciting) artificial waves. A Surf Academy gives students of all ages (even difficult teenage ones) the chance to improve their form before they take (or you permit them to take) to the breaks at Bondi, Manly or Narrabeen.

Where are the best areas in Sydney for kids?

Darling Harbour is a one-stop entertainment shop. Start your day by having breakfast with koalas at Wild Life Sydney Zoo. Then, sidestroke next door to Sea Life Sydney Aquarium to help prepare a dugong its lunch, or clamber into a submarine at the National Maritime Museum. Just next door is Tumbalong Park Playground, one of Sydney’s best, featuring a flying fox, climbing ropes, a splash park for hot days and multiple coffee options for exhausted caregivers.

For beaches, catch a ferry to Manly or head to Bondi for coastal walks and photo-worthy views.

For something different, walk north over the Harbour Bridge to discover under-the-radar family gems, such as Maccallum Seawater Pool. Fed by the ocean waters, it has stellar harbor views with the Sirius St playground nearby.

Roughly 3km further on, you’ll find the Sub Base Platypus. This former torpedo factory turned recreation area features a maritime-theme playground and shaded barbecue facilities. Meanwhile, incredible cafes like the parkside Flying Bear (housed within a sailing shed) ensure no one gets hangry before you visit the exciting tunnels of the Coal Loader, a heritage-listed former industrial site.