Things to Do in Sydney: Toddlers to Teens Guide

Alternatively, pick up some fresh seafood from the market before you set off and picnic in the park. I love this walk for the different views it provides, the western side of the Harbour rarely gets little  praise, and it is lovely. You pass a couple of playgrounds along the way to help keep the kids on track.
After a safety briefing and training from experienced instructors, children can experience being lifted into the air by a powerful wind generator. For the seriously keen, there are ten-week courses for ages 6-16 years and birthday party packages available for flyers. The park offers a range of activities for kids, including activities to do in sydney bike riding tracks, learning and discovery days, such as the mini park rangers, tours and art galleries. For toddlers under 3, look for venues with dedicated soft play zones separated from older children. Many play cafes across the Inner West and North Shore also cater specifically to the under-3 crowd with age-appropriate toys and safe spaces. If there's one thing Sydney parents stress about more than school catchments, it's birthday parties.

One of the most iconic things to do in Sydney is climbing up one of the world’s most iconic bridges – the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb. In addition to being a mode of transportation, it is also a fun experience that won’t break the bank. Along with steep overhangs, a neverending lead wall, the chimney, a vertical treadmill and a giant log ladder, there’s a tamer wall for the kids (and the climb-wary). If bouldering’s more your thing, there’s over 90 problems to solve in the exclusive bouldering area. Macquarie Ice Rink has recently completed a multi-million-dollar transformation making ice-skating even more fun.
We have considered things like the number of beds per room, special family facilities and the best locations for families. There are lots  of family activities to be found in western Sydney from Sydney Olympic Park to Parramatta to the Parramatta River. Check out our guide to the best things to do in Parramatta for ideas. The Australian Museum has an interesting program for kids from 9 months to 3 years, Tiny Tots playgroup, where they will be exposed to First Nation’s history and culture through music, craft and games.

Plus there are indoor and outdoor sports activities galore and fun programs for kids over the school holidays. Luckily, our city is brimming with indoor playgrounds and kid-friendly museums – as well as craft workshops, leisure centres and active areas – so you can keep ’em busy 'til the rain, rain goes away. Get in front of thousands of local families searching for exactly what you offer. Sydney is genuinely one of the best cities in the world for free family activities, thanks to its climate, coastline, and investment in public spaces. Sydney's best play cafes include Nubo in Alexandria (the original and still the benchmark), The Cubby Cafe in Surry Hills, Little Beans Cafe in Brookvale, and Bear & the Bunny in Willoughby.
The Australian National Maritime Museum located in the harbour city of Sydney is one of the largest maritime museums in the world. It’s recommended to allow at least 2 hours to fully explore the museum, especially if you are planning to visit any of the special touring ticketed exhibits. There are combo tickets available to visit some of the other popular attractions in Sydney too, including Wildlife Sydney, Madame Tussauds and the Sydney Tower Eye. They also have a range of ticket upgrades, with behind-the-scenes tours, VIP experiences and an aquarium dining experience if you want to do something a little extra special. At Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, you can explore the ocean without getting wet.
These tend to run $30 to $45 per child but deliver high-energy entertainment that keeps even the most restless kids engaged. For something more creative, art studios, cooking schools, and science workshops across Sydney run structured party experiences that are perfect for smaller groups of 8 to 12 kids. Sydney's indoor play centre scene is the largest and most diverse in Australia. The industry has matured significantly in recent years, with new venues raising the bar on design, hygiene, food quality, and parent amenities. Kids will be high-as-a-kite with excitement after hearing about this place. Children from as young as three years old can learn how to skydive in an indoor facility in Penrith – and it’s fun for adults too.

This is one of our favourite half-day trips from Sydney when you don’t have a lot of spare time but still want to get out on the water and visit somewhere nearby. Jump on the ferry at Circular Quay, since it can only be reached by boat! It’s a great place for families to explore, with lots of interactive activities and interesting attractions. An Art Gallery is a perfect indoor activity in Sydney for those rainy days, especially if you have older kids who appreciate fine art.
In fact, there’s even a reality TV show based around this popular Sydney beach – Bondi Rescue, following some of the rescues and unusual situations the lifeguards of Bondi encounter. You can do a self-guided audio tour that can be purchased for a few dollars at the visitor centre. Queens Park is 26 hectares, with sports fields, playgrounds, free BBQ facilities and great views of Sydney. Although not as old as its Melbourne counterpart in St Kilda which opened in 1912, the two parks are quite similar, right down to the iconic smiling face entrance. Many of the cruises include lunch or you can do a twilight dinner cruise. Are also cruises that stop at some of the unique harbour city attractions, such as historic Goat Island in Sydney Harbour National Park.

For more family history experiences, check out the offerings of the Sydney Living Museums. The Justice and Police Museum is housed in the old Water Police building at Circular Quay. There are a range of interactive challenges, including cops and robbers, where kids become detectives tracking a criminal or see if they can escape from the cells. Taronga has put together a bunch of missions on their free app to help kids get involved in their zoo visit. They choose one of six missions and learn more about wildlife on your visit. Along with being a pretty unique way to see the harbour, a tallship cruise is fun for the entire family.
For creative kids, art classes, music lessons, drama workshops, and coding programs have all expanded significantly in recent years. Venues like the Art Gallery of NSW and local community centres run affordable kids art classes, while  coding schools like Code Camp and Coder Academy offer after school and weekend programs. Team sports remain a cornerstone of after school life in Sydney, with soccer, basketball, netball, cricket, and AFL all operating through local clubs with seasonal registrations.

The walk is not too challenging but best suited to older kids, as it is quite long. You can do this tour alone by following this walking guide; however, it is well worth going on a guide-led walk if the times and prices suit you. The tour I recommend is led by volunteer guides, and the cost of the tour is donated to kids in need.
Using flying foxes, watch the kangaroos, koalas, and emus go about their day from your bird’s-eye view. Suitable for kids over three years, the younger riders will have two courses allowing them to view koalas and possums. The zoo has a bunch of free shows every day, but the two that are always a hit with younger kids are the farm walk and the pat a pet talk. I suggest you check the schedule the day before and plan your day around the talks you want to join. See the world’s largest collection of marine life at Sea life Sydney Aquarium including  the beautiful giants on Dugong island.
It is a great place if you want to visit Sydney during the school holidays. It has various types of family programs and workshops that make art fun for kids. Prices across Sydney's trampoline parks typically range from $20 to $30 for a standard one-hour session. Most venues require grip socks, which you can buy on-site for around $3 to $5 (or bring your own if you already have a pair). For toddlers, many parks offer dedicated “Tiny Tots” or “Mini Bounce” sessions on weekday mornings when the trampolines are reserved exclusively for under-5s. Check out our trampoline parks guide for detailed venue profiles and current pricing.