10 Ways to Spend a Beautiful Day Outside near Brisbane with Kids

Are you looking for something to do outside near Brisbane when the weather is nice?

Let’s be honest, the weather in Brisbane is not always great. There are plenty of steaming hot days in the Sunshine State.

When the weather is nice, there are plenty of ways to spend the day outside near Brisbane with kids. From playgrounds to picnics, mountains to beaches, one of my favorite things about Brisbane is its proximity to everything.

Keep reading to find out the best places to go near Brisbane when the weather is nice.

Go For a Walk

My kids aren’t huge walkers, but they seem to enjoy the small hikes that we have found. These places have indoor nature discovery centers and trails.

Before we head into the nature center, we always take the kids outside to explore nature outside of Brisbane City. We love living in the city, but it is always nice to spend time out in nature.

• Indiscapes Environmental Centre has a few choices for walking trails, botanic gardens, a playground, a cafe, and an indoor learning center.
• Boondall Wetlands has a 2-kilometer return walk with a spot midway where you can look at the fish in the clear water. There is also a longer trail for bikes. My kids loved the environmental center near the parking lot, which had lots of interactive games, toys, and books.
• Daisy Hill Conservation Park just might be my kids’ favorite walk yet. To start, right off of the parking lot, there is a large area with picnic tables and large sticks, which they could spend hours arranging. Daisy Hill has plenty of logs for climbing on and walking across, plus there are a few posts set up for children to play with along the way. We did not pack a lunch, but it is the perfect place for a picnic, and there is a large field for the kids to run around. Daisy Hill has a fun and interactive nature centre where kids can not only learn about koalas, but see some as well.

For kids who don’t love to walk, mine are certainly enjoying it a lot more now that the weather is nicer. Any excuse for kids to spend the day outside, especially when we can get out of Brisbane City for a few hours.

Find more easy bush walks near discovery centers for kids.

Check Out Animals

Of course, you could go check out Australia Zoo, but if you are looking for something smaller, there are a bunch of fun places to take the kids where they can see animals and enjoy the weather. We went to the zoo in summer, and while it is fun at any time, I suggest waiting for a beautiful day if time allows.

• Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is one of the few places on this list that costs money to enter, but our whole family enjoyed our day at Lone Pine.
• Daisy Hill Koala Centre is mostly inside, but the koalas are outside, and it is located at Daisy Hill Conservation Park, which I wrote about above.
• Naughty Little Kids is a goat farm near Ipswich. They have a tour on the weekend where you can feed the baby goats and try goat milk gelato.
• Summerland Camels has a farm tour and offers camel rides. Plus, you can taste camel milk products.
• The Llama Farm near Ipswich offers farm visits and llama walks.
• Ipswich Nature Centre is free to enter and is perfect for younger kids.

No matter what kind of animal you want to see, there are plenty of choices and chances to spend the day outside with the kids near Brisbane.

Play at the Playground

Brisbane is home to some amazing playgrounds. I wrote about our favorites on our list of free activities in Brisbane with kids.

Recently, we have been going to the small playground by my kids’ school a few days a week after school. They do not care about the size of the playground. Every day they ask to go play there. Any playground is a fun playground for my kids.

No matter the weather, my kids like to be at the playground, but I much prefer cooler days, especially with the amount of time that they want to be there.

Inside Brisbane or out, there are so many playgrounds to check out.

Go on a Mystery Picnic

Of course, a regular picnic would be fun too, but AmazingCo has a bunch of scavenger hunt picnics all around Brisbane (and also all around the world).

They provide entertainment and food. We chose to go on a family mystery picnic, but they also have one for couples or a group of friends.

Play Barefoot Bowling

I didn’t know anything about Barefoot Bowling, but it reminds me of Bocce. It takes place outside, and it is a fun activity on a beautiful day. I do not recommend it in summer, at least not in the afternoons.

The first time we went, we went to Camp Hill. They have 2 areas set up for bowling, but one was being used for children to run around while their parents ate at the restaurant. My kids are old enough that they could run around while we bowled. They also had live music, which was nice.

Our most recent trip was to Norman Park. We were the first ones there, and the kids were happy to run around on the path while we played. We let them play a round between our rounds, but so far we have told them that it is a grown-up game. It is the only way that we are able to play!

Another fun kid-friendly barefoot bowls we found is the Bardon Bowls Club.

Play in the Sand

Hot or cold, it is fun to play at the beach. Of course, you could head down to the Gold Coast or up to the Sunshine Coast, but there are a few small beaches nearby that are perfect for having a picnic and playing in the sand for an hour or two.

• Wellington Point Beach is the perfect size for small kids. The parking lot is close to the beach, there is a playground, and there aren’t big waves.
• Masthead Beach at Raby Bay is another kid-friendly beach near Brisbane. Parking is nearby, there is a playground, and there aren’t big waves.
• Shorncliff Pier (shown in the picture above) has a small beach. We went at low tide, and the kids were able to take off their shoes and walk over the water. We got fish and chips from across the road and ate on the beach.
• Bribie Island has a few calm, kid-friendly beaches, along with lots of other fun things to do with kids.

Just because it isn’t swimming weather does not mean that you can’t take the kids outside and enjoy Brisbane’s beaches.

Lanie’s Tip: Just because you think that it is too cold to swim does not mean that your children will agree. Pack a spare pair of clothes in case they get wet and sandy, like mine.

Go on a Boat Ride

There are many choices for boat rides in and around Brisbane.

You can stay in Brisbane and take a boat ride on the river. You can even rent your own Go Boat.

We took a boat ride to Bribie Island and went on a whale-watching cruise too.

Head to the Mountains

Tamborine Mountain is the perfect day trip, or even a weekend trip, from Brisbane. There is so much to do with kids that we keep going back. The best part is that most of it is outside.

Cedar Creek Falls has a 1.1 km hike to a waterfall or a 500m hike where you can see the waterfall. We chose to hike down to the waterfall and the swimming holes. The kids loved playing on the rocks.

Curtis Falls has a few tracks and lots of trees perfect for posing for pictures.

Rainforest Walk is a paid walk, but there are definitely amazing views from high above. Of course, you are welcome to do any of the free hikes on Tamborine Mountain as well.

Gem mining and Fossicking: We went gem mining and fossicking for my daughter’s 7th birthday. While I thought fossicking was inside a cave, it is outside.

Ziplining-The junior course at Thunderbird Park is so much fun for kids under 8. Older kids and adults can do the regular course. There is a junior ziplining course at the Big Pineapple, too, which both kids enjoyed. Here is our Big Pineapple ziplining review

Mount Glorious has a bunch of different hikes. We did one of the shorter ones. The kids enjoyed the rocky path and the small waterfalls. There are also a ton of lookouts (and it feels like we stopped at every single one).

Lamington National Park was high on my list to check out, and we finally went glamping at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat and got to explore Lamington National Park. Read our review of O’Reilly’s and find out everything there is to do on the property.

Springbrook National Park has plenty of great hikes for kids, and if you go at night, you can see the glow worms! Read our review of Springbrook National Park.

Explore Parks and Gardens

• Brisbane Botanic Gardens has lots of fun paths to follow, including a Children’s Trail.
• Brisbane City Gardens has a great playground, but has more trees than flowers. Still, it is a pretty place to walk through without leaving the city.
• Roma Street Parkland has 2 playgrounds and a variety of landscapes. It is a great place to explore when you want to feel like you are leaving the city, but without the hassle of actually leaving.

Go Camping or Stay at a Farm

Here is my list of places to spend a weekend within a couple of hours of Brisbane.

While we have a tent, sometimes it is easier to stay in a glamping tent, cabin, or homestay.

Paradise Country is located on the Gold Coast. They offer eco tents for families and also have regular campsites. There is plenty for kids to do at Paradise Country, from feeding cows to collecting eggs, playing lawn games, and enjoying the nightly campfire. There is also a restaurant on site.

Closed for 2026, but hopefully they will recharge and reopen. Tommerups Dairy Farm is located in the Scenic Rim region. Cottages are available to rent, and there are plenty of animal-based experiences to participate in.

Hosanna Farm Stay is located about 2 hours south of Brisbane and offers campsites, cabins, huts, and a homestead. You can tour the farm, participate in animal feedings, swim, go down a waterslide, and make damper. Day passes are available for just $7/person.

We finally visited Hosanna Farm Stay, where we stayed in a hut. Want to know what it is like? Read my review.

Cedar Glen Farmstay is a working farm located about 1.5 hours south of Brisbane. There are a variety of cabins available to rent. They offer horseback riding, boomerang throwing, and guided cave hikes among other activities. You can include meals during your stay.

Clandulla Cottages are just an hour outside of Brisbane, on the Scenic Rim. Stays include animal feedings and a firepit, plus plenty of games and a playground.

Bestbrook Mountain Resort offers campsites, cabins, and a bunkhouse. There is horseback riding, wagon rides, animal feedings, damper and butter making, boomerang throwing, and lots more. There is a bar and restaurant on site.

Wittacork Dairy Cottages is in Maleny, on the Sunshine Coast. Guests can stay in cottages or the farmhouse. Guests can collect eggs, feed animals, and go on a rainforest walk and a pony ride.

O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat is located in Lamington National Park and has a variety of rooms and campsites, as well as safari tents. O’Reilly’s has free activities such as treetop walks and bird feeding, but also offers a few types of tours (4WD, ziplining, segway) for a fee. Kids can go to the Eco Ranger program.

My family glamped at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat in a safari tent. Read my review to find out what it is like.

Read our review of glamping at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat!

Head outside on the Sunshine Coast

Boat rides, hiking, animal sanctuaries, playgrounds, and gardens, Brisbane has them all. Brisbane is offering us a beautiful winter to explore outside with the kids. I, for one, am going to take advantage of the season.

There are plenty of fun places for kids to be outside, north of Brisbane. Here are a few of our favorites.

• Noosa National Park
• Ginger Factory
• Fig Tree Walk
• Mount Timberwah
• Noosa Sunset Ferry Cruise
• Noosa Everglades

Wrap Up: Spend a Beautiful Day Near Brisbane with Kids

My favorite thing about living in Brisbane is the ability to enjoy city life, the mountains, and beautiful beaches all in one day.

When the weather turns, and it is even just slightly cool outside, I look for the best things to do. Hopefully, this list of hikes, boat rides, playgrounds, and animal sightings helps you find somewhere fun to go next time there is pleasant weather in Brisbane.

While the mountains are my favorite, I love that I can see and do so many things near Brisbane as a staycation.

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