Brisbane Children's Art Centre at GOMA |

Have you taken the kids to the Children’s Art Center in Brisbane yet? Have you seen their current exhibit?

Art is everywhere, and thankfully, that is true in Brisbane!

Murals are popping up all over the city, and there seem to be plenty of art classes and exhibits for kids, including the Children’s Art Centre in South Brisbane, which is always free.

The Children’s Art Centre is located in the Gallery of Modern Art, which is part of QAGOMA.

Make sure you check before you go! The exhibit at the Children’s Art Centre changes. We have been to multiple exhibits. I haven’t documented them all, but I try to keep the most recent exhibit at the top. Scroll down to see the kinds of exhibits to expect during your visit to the Gallery of Modern Art’s Children’s Art Centre.

We last visited the Children’s Art Centre at GOMA in January 2026 during Brisbane’s school holidays. The current exhibit, Express Yourself, is on until 13 September 2026.

Vipoo Srivilasa Express Yourself 2025-2026

Beginning 11 October 2025 and running through 13 September 2026, Vipoo Rivilasa Express Yourself is open at Brisbane’s GOMA in the Children’s Art Centre.

As always, this exhibit is free to enter.

Vipoo Rivilasa is a Melbourne-based artist who is originally from Thailand. His exhibit uses all 5 senses to explore who you are, how you feel, and what you enjoy.

Feel It Show It

When you walk into the children’s gallery, the first exhibit you see is Feel It Show It.

The touchscreens were full when we walked in, so we moved on and went back to them later. There is a bench at the front if you prefer to wait and see everything in order.

Feel It Show It has kids pick a statement and design an emotion to fit the situation.

One of my kids picked, “this is how I feel when I can’t have something I want,” while the other chose to design, “this is how I feel when I win a really hard game.”

A Meal to Share

Next up, there is a long table with drawing supplies in the middle. On the side of the room are boards and papers with a drawing of a plate.

The kid is meant to draw a meal they would like to share with someone they love.

Quiet Quest

Near the long table with A Meal to Share are a few booths with headphones. This is Quiet Quest, where you sit still and do nothing for 54 seconds.

Garden of Love

At Garden of Love, kids choose a flower template and design it. They can write a message, draw a picture, or use stickers.

They can take their flower home or put it on the wall with other flowers.

Creative Sandwich

Creative Sandwich is off to the side, and there is only one screen. If there is a wait, you can scan the QR code to the side and do this activity on a phone.

Kids can create recipes for unique sandwiches and text them to their parents or friends.

Dance Along with Dok Rak and Friends

Dok Rak is a character based on one of Vipoo Srivlasa’s flower bear sculptures. In Dance Along with Dok Rak and Friends, kids can copy the moves of the bears dancing on the screen.

Smells Like a Feeling

Kids can literally smell the flowers as they leave the exhibit through a long hallway.

The flowers have essential oils inside, meant to make you feel relaxed.

Art Box for Kids

Upstairs from the Children’s Gallery at GOMA is an exhibit called Art Box for Kids. This exhibit is on from 8 November 2025 until 10 May 2026.

Note that this part of the museum closes 30 minutes before the rest of GOMA. We missed out on it during our first visit, but returned at an earlier time.

Kids (and adults) can take directions, a piece of thick paper, and a bit of aluminum and head over to the table in the center, where there are glue sticks, scissors, and string.

The idea is to make a design on the paper with the string and then cover it with foil.

One of my kids was pretty quick and then moved over to read the books on the wall shelf, while the other spent a lot more time on their art.

Past Exhibits at the Children’s Art Centre

Asia Pacific Triennial Kids at GOMA 2024-2025

From 14 September 2024 until 13 July 2025, Asia Pacific Triennial Kids is open at the Children’s Art Centre at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane.

The Children’s Art Gallery is always free to enter. My kids and I have visited each exhibit since we moved to Brisbane in 2020, and they always enjoy the exhibits. They love participating in the hands on activities.

Asia Pacific Triennial Kids is based on the works of 7 different artists.

If The Seeds Chose Where to Grow

The first exhibit downstairs in the children’s art gallery is called If the Seeds Chose Where to Grow by Rithika Merchant.

This is a group project that all ages can participate in. All you need to do is pick up an image and add it to the table. Then it will appear on the screen and come to life.

Wakuwaku

The next room has a long table with different patterns and textures. Kids can choose a shape and sit down to complete rubbings on their bird or other item.

This exhibit is called Wakuwaku and is by Brett Graham.

Monsters of Want

Monsters of Wants by Harold Enswar is the next stop at GOMA’s children’s art centre.

The large wall in this room is filled with example drawings to inspire the kids. A long table with stools is provided as is paper and crayons.

The idea is for kids to create their own monster of want.

Step 1: Think about what you really want.

Step 2: Imagine how the features of your monster can represent the things you want.

Step 3: Draw your monster of wants

Have You Ever Tried to Listen to the Sounds of Brisbane

The 4th area is called Have You Ever Tried To Listen To The Sounds Of Brisbane by Okui Lala. Kids and families can sit on a large stool and watch the TV or on smaller stools by the wall where they can wear headphones.

Unity Within Multiplicity

The last exhibit for kids in this area of the museum is called Unity Within Multiplicity by Dana Awartani.

Kids can choose a shape to color and add it to the wall to complete an artwork pattern.

A Dream for the Future

Upstairs, there are 2 more kid-friendly areas. Above the children’s art centre is A Dream for the Future by Yim Maline. In this exhibit, families can sit at a long table and draw a picture to show their dreams for the future. Then, they can take their picture home or hang it on the wall. This area also has a bookshelf of picture books and seating for those who wish to stay and read.

My Kitchen Sounds

We didn’t realize that there was one more exhibit this time. My Kitchen Sounds by Etson Camina is located on the 3rd floor of GOMA. This exhibit involves interactive music, and we will have to come back because it sounds like something my kids will enjoy.

The Castle of Tarragindi 2023-2024

The Castle of Tarragindi sign at GOMA in Brisbane

Australian artist Natalya Hughes created The Castle of Tarragindi at the Children’s Art Centre at Goma. This exhibit is ran from 9 September 2023 until 14 July 2024.

The entire exhibit is royal blue and white with a few metallics sprinkled it. From the first minute you walk in, you are immersed in the theme.

Kids designing their own pattern on a computer at QAGOMA's children's art centre's Castle of Tarragindi exhibit

As soon as you enter, there is a video playing. Keep going into the next room to find a bunch of computers where kids can make their own Tarragindi Castle-inspired designs. These designs can be emailed to you at the end.

The next stop is a long table with multiple versions of paper vessels including lanterns and candle holders. Take an A version and a B version and make patterns before connecting them. These art projects can be taken home or left on the fireplace.

A boy drawing on a candelabra in front of a pretend fireplace at GOMA's children's art centre at the Castle of Tarragindi exhibit

Against the wall in the same room is a large whiteboard with magnets that can be used to make patterns that are similar to the wallpaper that Natalya Hughes designed.

A boy playing with magnets on a wall at the Castle of Tarragindi exhibit at GOMA's children's art centre in Brisbane

A fun and unexpected activity is the next stop, where you can stand with a partner and see your faces swapped.

Kids playing in front of a fun house mirror at the Castle of Tarragindi Exhibit at GOMA

After that, on the way out, there are a bunch of funhouse mirrors.

Gods and Monsters by Children’s Art Center at GOMA

From 24 June until 2 October, an exhibit called Gods and Monsters was on display upstairs from the Children’s Art Centre at GOMA, which was kid-friendly.

Numerous on-topic books were displayed on the walls at both ends of the exhibit.

Gods and Monsters exhibit at GOMA picture books on insects

At the beginning was a video about Greek mythology. In the center was plenty of seating with 2 different activities on each side.

My kids loved taking a photo of their profile and designing a Greek god statue which they then emailed to me.

Gods and Monsters exhibit at GOMA designing their own Greek god photos

On the other side, there were blank postcards as well as magnifying glasses to view bugs and butterflies.

Superpowered Exhibit at Children’s Art Center 2022-2023

From 3 September 2022 until 16 July 2023, the “Superpowered” exhibit was at the Children’s Art Center at the Gallery of Modern Art in South Brisbane.

The Superpowered exhibit includes 4 projects created by Indigenous Australian artists.

Inside the Superpowered Exhibit

Warakurna Warrior Exhibit

Superpowered Exhibit GOMA — Warakurna Warrior Exhibit at GOMA’s Children’s Art Centre

When you first walk into the Superpowered Exhibit, there are a few computers where kids can design themselves as superheroes. They take a photo of themselves and decide which superpower to have, what to wear, and what their superhero name is. The superheroes are then projected onto a large screen.

This is the Warakurna Warrior exhibit. Also in this exhibit is a bookshelf with picture books dealing with various types of heroes.

Picture books of heroes on a bookshelf at GOMA in brisbane — Bookshelf of picture books in the Children’s Art Gallery at GOMA in Brisbane

Super Party Exhibit

Moving further into the room, there are love hearts in the air, people painted on the walls, and art supplies on the tables.

Kids are invited to take a piece of blank paper and a piece of paper with drawings on it. They can sit at the tables, cut out the drawings, and make a collage.

For those who wish to complete this activity at home, a printout is available online.

kids making crafts at the super party exhibit at GOMA — Creating collages at the Super Party Exhibit

Make a Roo Exhibit

Turning the corner, there is a large table with art supplies and a shelf with kangaroo masks. Kids can make their own masks to wear.

make a roo at GOMA — Make a Roo mask exhibit at GOMA

After they make their masks, kids can pose for pictures on The Sacred Hill. A TV playing a video about The Secret Hill is playing by the Make a Roo Exhibit.

Power Portraits

The last project in the Superpowered exhibit at the Children’s Art Centre is a wall of picture frames. Some of the frames have portraits in them, while others contain mirrors.

Of course, the kids love to see themselves in the mirrors, but they love it even more when the mirrors have icons that appear on them.

Power Portraits at GOMA, boy looking at the pictures and seeing himself in one of the frames — Power Portraits at GOMA’s Children’s Art Centre

Chiharu Shiota’s “A Feeling” Exhibit by the Children’s Art Centre in GOMA (2022)

Located just upstairs from the Children’s Art Centre at the Gallery of Modern Art is another kid-friendly art exhibit. This exhibit was at the Gallery of Modern Art from June 18 to October 3, 2022.

All ages are welcome to create a postcard featuring an emotion, memory, or whatever the artist wishes to draw.

Tables have colored pencils available on them.

The walls are lined with framed pictures of emotions and explanations.

After you are finished with your postcard, you are welcome to hang it among the red yarn that is located in multiple places in the room.

Chiharu Shiota's "A Feeling" Exhibit, boy holding his drawing in front of red string holding up other drawings — Chiharu Shiota’s “A Feeling” Exhibit

At the far end of the room, there is a bookshelf filled with picture books labeled “books for thought.” Near the books are a few TVs with video playing where kids share their thoughts.

Chiharu Shiota's "A Feeling" Exhibit, girl looking at the picture book wall — Books for Thought at the Chiharu Shiota exhibit at GOMA in Brisbane

Now is the Time Exhibit at Children’s Art Centre 2020-2021

The “Now is the Time” exhibit at the Children’s Art Centre in South Brisbane ran from August 2020-August 2021.

The main focus of the exhibit is climate change, and children are invited to participate in 4 different activities.

Children's Art Centre Brisbane — Posters at the Children’s Art Centre

Inside the “Now is the Time” Exhibit

The first activity was to design a t-shirt.

Each child (and adult, if they would like) gets a piece of paper with a t-shirt outline on it and they can design the shirt with a slogan that is important to them. When you are finished, just put it on the projector face down, press the button, and you will see your shirt worn by multiple people on the screen. M wanted hers to be about the ocean, and Z just colored his in.

The second activity was to make a sign for a protest.

Z moved on, but M made a sign about oceans. There is a handout including signs for inspiration, and there are plenty of signs (both newly made by children and made for the exhibit) hanging up.

The third activity shows the importance of voting.

Each child gets a ballot, and they stamp the ballot with what is important to them. Z filled out a few ballots as he likes stamps. M chose the airplane as being the most important because she likes to travel. Other choices included “save our tropics, the ocean, earth, and one or two others. After they finished filling out their ballot, there was a box to insert it into.

The last activity was to write an encouraging note on a “Post-it” whiteboard. M chose to write about saving the oceans again.

How Much Time Do Your Kids Spend at the Children’s Art Centre in Brisbane?

The length of time spent in this area completely depends on your child, but I would say we always spend at least 20-30 minutes there. Sometimes we spend longer there; it just depends on the current exhibit.

Brisbane Children’s Art Centre at GOMA