50+ Best Things to Do in Melbourne with Kids
Are you looking for something fun to do with kids in Melbourne?
Melbourne is Australia’s 2nd largest city, and there are so many fun things to do in Melbourne with kids.
Trams run through Melbourne, as do trains and buses. There is a free tram that runs in the center of the city. Even just riding the tram is fun for kids.
My husband lived in Melbourne before we got married, and he took me there before the kids were born.
We went to Melbourne a couple of times when my kids were between 6 and 9. They are great walkers, so long as they have snacks! We had very full days in Melbourne and still did not get to see it all.
If you are looking for something to do with kids in Melbourne on a rainy day, at night, or whenever, there are lots of options.
Keep reading to find some of the best things to do in Melbourne with kids.
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Best Free Things to Do in Melbourne with Kids
City Circle Tram
You can ride the tram for free in Melbourne’s CBD. The City Circle Tram is always free and runs every 15 minutes between 10 am and 6 pm.
The City Circle Tram is reddish-brown and easily distinguishable from the other city trams. It also says “City Circle Tram” on it.
Some regular trams go through the free section as well, and riders only need to tap on it if they don’t get on in a free area or aren’t getting off in a free area.
The green trams are free only when they are in the free area of the city.
The City Circle Tram goes near many tourist destinations in Melbourne while giving commentary about the places it passes.
It takes a little less than an hour to ride the entire circuit on a City Circle Tram.
Graffiti Alleys
Melbourne is known for its graffiti, and there are laneways completely covered in street art.
Laneways in Melbourne include:
- Hosier Lane
- AC/DC Place
- Union Lane
For just $5, you can sign up for the Street Art of Melbourne Exploration Game, where you can learn more about the murals and street art.
If you want to see a lot of street art while solving clues, check out this Self-Guided Street Art Tour in Melbourne with fun, cryptic clues. Street Art Tours are also available.
State Library
🕒 Daily 10 am to 6 pm
The children’s section has a large variety of books and seating for families to sit down and read together. Our kids enjoyed taking a break from the city and reading books.
The State Library also has a bathroom and parents’ room attached to the children’s section. The parents’ room has an area for nursing mothers as well as a sink and microwave.
Outside of the State Library, there is a replica library that kids love to climb up and down.
Best Indoor Things to Do When it‘s Raining in Melbourne
Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
🗺️ Melbourne, VIC 🕒 Daily 7:30 am to 5:30 pm
Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens is always free and a beautiful place to walk around and enjoy a picnic.
Scavenger Hunts can be found at the information center or in the shop.
For a small fee, The Explorer will drive you around the gardens and give commentary on the area.
Beaches
There are a few easy-to-reach beaches near Melbourne. We visited 2, and while it was not beach weather, the kids had fun playing in the sand and walking along the beach.
St. Kilda Beach
St. Kilda Beach is close to Luna Park and Acland Street, which has lots of shops, restaurants with outdoor seating, and bakeries with amazing desserts in the windows.
The beach has a path, so visitors don’t have to walk through the sand. There are plenty of restaurant options at St. Kilda Beach.
Brighton Beach
I wanted to go to Brighton Beach to check out the Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes, which have been on Brighton Beach since the late 1800s and were originally used to change clothes.
Many of the Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes are passed down through families, but those that have been sold now sell for a lot of money. One sold for $340,000 a few years ago.
The beach boxes do not have electricity or running water. They are a storage place. Each beach box is painted brightly, and they are fun to see along the beach.
It was a nice day when we visited Brighton Beach, and the kids were able to play in the sand and on the shore. The water is generally very calm on Brighton Beach.
There are shops and restaurants nearby.
Mornington Peninsula also has beach boxes, which you can see on this day trip which includes lunch and a gondola ride.
Federation Square
See what kid-friendly events are happening at Federation Square. There are often movies, performances, and special events geared toward children.
Playgrounds
There are plenty of playgrounds around, but just one in Melbourne’s CBD. Near Federation Square is the Art Play playground.
ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image)
🗺️ Federation Square 🕒 Daily 10 am to 5 pm
Entry into ACMI and access to their interactive exhibition are free. Kids can learn about the past, present, and future of television, movies, and video games.
ACMI often has workshops for kids during school holidays.
Kid-Friendly Workshops
Find a large variety of kid-friendly workshops, some of which are free, here.
Most workshops take place on weekends and over the school holidays.
Fitzroy Gardens
🗺️ Wellington Parade, East Melbourne 🕒 Daily 24 Hours
Visit Tudor Village and the Fairy Tree at Fitzroy Gardens.
Fitzroy Gardens also has a fun and interesting children’s playground with a dragon slide and swings hanging from a giraffe-shaped pole.
More Things to Do in Melbourne with Kids
Planning a lot of Melbourne activities? Check out the Ultimate Melbourne Attraction Pass and the 2-Day Melbourne City Card.
Scienceworks
🗺️ 2 Booker Street, Spotswood 🕒 Daily 10 am to 4:30 pm
Though Scienceworks is in Melbourne’s suburbs, it is worth the trip. We were shocked at the price, in a good way!
Kids are free at Scienceworks. Many activities can be added to the general ticket price, but we managed to play and learn in the general exhibit for more than 2 hours and left as the museum was closing.
Scienceworks has plenty of hands-on exhibits for kids. There is a gated room for smaller children with a climbing area and toddler-friendly activities.
We spent most of our time in the Sportsworks section, which has wall climbing, surfing, wheelchair races, basketball, and plenty of opportunities to be active.
There is a planetarium at Scienceworks, and tickets are an additional cost.
Ice Bar
🗺️ The Atrium, Federation Square
🕒 Thursday to Saturday 1 pm – 10 pm, Sunday to Monday 2 pm to 8 pm
My oldest has been wanting to go to an Ice Bar, and she was not disappointed.
We arrived a few minutes early to get our winter wear. Each person is given a large hooded coat and gloves. You can rent boots as well, but we just wore our sneakers.
The ice bar is smaller than I thought it would be, having visited an Ice Bar in Scandinavia. This Ice Bar is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.
Each ticket comes with a drink. I didn’t want to have an alcoholic drink and asked for a mocktail before we went in, and if you do, the ticket price is the same but includes a photograph.
You are not allowed to take your own photographs inside the Ice Bar. There are multiple places around the Ice Bar where there is a button to take your group’s photo. You can take as many as you like, but you need to purchase them.
I went to the bar to order our drinks while the kids played air hockey made from ice. There are a few games in the Ice Bar, plus a variety of seats and an ice statue.
Our drinks weren’t in actual ice glasses, just glasses shaped to look like ice. I traded our vouchers for the drinks and kept the voucher for our photo to retrieve at the end.
It is very cold in the Ice Bar. We drank our drinks quickly, as they were very small. We took a few photos, played games, and left a few minutes before our time ended.
My youngest left earlier as he was cold, but my oldest did not want to leave. I played games with her for as long as I could stand the cold, and she was not happy to have to leave.
Ice Bar Tips:
- Change to a mocktail if you want a photograph and don’t want to pay an additional cost.
- Look at the photos you take before leaving the Ice Bar! I didn’t realize that someone was walking through our best photo. I also didn’t realize someone had left their purse in our photo.
- Keep your gloves on!
- Not all members of your group need to go into the Ice Bar. We decided one adult should go to save money, as both parents have been to an Ice Bar before. There is seating outside of the Ice Bar.
Purchase your tickets to Ice Bar here.
Queen Victoria Market
🗺️ Queen Street
🕒 Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 6 am to 3 pm, Saturday 6 am to 4 pm, Sunday 9 am to 4 pm
While Queen Victoria Market is free to enter and browse, the chances are you will want to make a purchase!
We went to Queen Victoria Market twice during our visit to Melbourne. The second time, my 8-year-old and I went on the Queen Victoria Market Foodie Tour.
Kids who want can get a passport from Information by String Bean Alley. The passport needs 8 stamps, which can be found at 8 different retailers around the market. Completed passports can be returned to the Information Center for a prize.
Read about our experience on the Queen Victoria Market foodie tour here and purchase tickets. Other kid-friendly food tours in Melbourne include: -Melbourne Dumpling Walking Tour -African Foodie Trail in Footscray -Melbourne Guided Walking and Foodie Tour -Melbourne Chocolate Wonderland Walking Tour
Art Play
ArtPlay has a variety of hands-on workshops for kids aged 0-13.
Most of their events are at the ArtPlay building, which has a large playground.
Luna Park
🗺️ 18 Lower Esplanade, St. Kilda
🕒 Saturday and Sunday 11-6, later on weekends during school holidays. Open daily during the school holidays, Sunday to Wednesday 11 am to 7 pm, Thursday to Saturday 11 am to 10 pm
Luna Park is a historic amusement park in St. Kilda. We walked by and could see the roller coaster running with a man manually breaking it at the back! The Great Scenic Railway is the oldest continuously operating roller coaster in the world.
Tickets can be purchased as entry-only, single-ride, and unlimited rides. There are many rides for all ages, plus carnival games and carnival food.
Grazeland
🗺️ 20 Booker Street, Spotswood
🕒 Friday 5 pm to 10 pm, Saturday 12 pm to 10 pm, Sunday 12 pm to 9 pm
We stumbled upon Grazeland after our visit to Scienceworks, as it is right next door. Grazeland reminded us all of Eat Street North Shore in Brisbane, which we love, so we headed over for an early dinner after Scienceworks.
Grazeland has a large variety of restaurants, so every member of the family can get what they want. There is always entertainment, usually in the form of music. We enjoyed the music while we ate our dinner.
Options at Grazeland include Afghan kebabs, Polish dumplings, Sri Lankan street food, and Argentinian BBQ. The dessert choices are amazing, from rainbow fairy floss to chocolate-covered frozen cheesecake to churros.
Sea Life Melbourne
🗺️ King Street
🕒 Monday, Thursday, and Friday 10 am to 5 pm, Saturday and Sunday 9:30 am to 5 pm
Go under the Southern Ocean and explore the world below at Sea Life Melbourne. The aquarium focuses on sea life in the Southern Ocean.
You can even eat “under the sea” at their restaurant.
Kids 15+ can go shark diving at Sea Life Melbourne, and kids 14+ can go behind the scenes and up close to the penguins at the Penguin Passport Experience.
Melbourne Zoo
🗺️ Elliott Avenue, Parkville 🕒 Daily 9 am to 5 pm
There are all kinds of animals at Melbourne Zoo, including varieties that are fighting extinction.
In addition to seeing the animals, there are keeper talks throughout the day and kids’ workshops through “Keeper Kids.”
Yarra River Cruise
Families can join a boat ride or rent their own boat and cruise down the Yarra River.
Options for boat rides include:
Another great way to see Melbourne is from above on a helicopter ride.
Legoland Discovery Centre
🗺️ Level 2/1341 Dandenong Road, Chadstone
🕒 Monday to Friday 10 am to 4 pm, Saturday and Sunday 9:30 am to 5 pm
For all things Lego, head to the Legoland Discovery Centre. Kids (and adults) can build, enjoy a 4D movie experience, and ride on Lego-themed rides. There are 13 different Lego-themed areas at Legoland Discovery.
Mystery Picnic
Our kids enjoyed an AmazingCo Mystery Picnic in Brisbane, and there are a few to choose from in Melbourne. They enjoyed solving clues, playing games, and having a picnic with all of the items we collected throughout the morning.
Mystery Picnics currently run in quite a few areas in and around Melbourne, including Melbourne Laneways and St. Kilda.
Read about our Mystery Picnic in Brisbane here.
Dream City (Physical Location Permanently Closed)
Dream City, as we knew it, is no longer. They no longer have a permanent location, but schools can book an incursion on the Dream City Dream Machine.
Kids can learn about a wide variety of careers at Dream City. Kids 5-12 get 25-minute sessions in 10 different “pod experiences” where they can learn about life as a scientist, pilot, engineer, or surgeon, as well as other career options.
Skydeck
🗺️ 7 Riverside Quay, Southbank
🕒 Sunday to Thursday 12 pm to 9 pm, Friday and Saturday 12 pm to 10 pm
See Melbourne from above at Melbourne Skydeck. You can enjoy the view from the top, stand on a clear floor at “the edge,” and explore the view with a virtual reality experience.
Skydeck has a theatre with 6D pod chairs that take users on “an immersive journey through iconic Melbourne experiences.”
Theatre
Check here to see what is on during your visit to Melbourne. There are many amazing theatres in Melbourne, and often there are kid-appropriate shows.
If you are looking for something unique, check out the Candlelight Concert Series.
For discount tickets, download the Today Tix app. Some shows even have a lottery for super cheap seats on Today Tix.
Best Kid-Friendly Day Trips from Melbourne
Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road begins a little more than an hour’s drive from Melbourne. The Great Ocean Road can be driven in a day, or you can do what we did and spend a few days slowly enjoying the sights.
Read about our journey along the Great Ocean Road.
Want to go zip-lining on the Great Ocean Road? This day trip from Melbourne includes kid-friendly zip-lining in addition to seeing popular spots along the Great Ocean Road.
Another Great Ocean Road day tour is this Eco Tour from Melbourne.
Phillip Island
See the penguins at Phillip Island!
We managed to see a few penguins during the day, though they mainly arrive at night.
If you are looking for something to do on Phillip Island before the tour, we enjoyed Panny’s Amazing World of Chocolate self-guided tour and walking around Nobbie’s Lookout.
Read our guide of 21 Fun Things to Do on Phillip Island.
Sign up for a small-group tour of Phillip Island for hotel pick up and drop off in Melbourne. See the penguins on Phillip Island and the Beach Boxes on Brighton Beach on a tour from Melbourne.
Sovereign Hill
Just an hour and a half outside Melbourne, you can head back in time to the goldfields in the 1850s at the living museum, Sovereign Hill.
Read about our day at Sovereign Hill.
Don’t have a car? Take a day tour of Sovereign Hill.
Puffing Billy
Have you ever ridden on a train with your legs dangling out? Kids 4+ can dangle their legs outside of the train on Puffing Billy.
There are a few options for rides of varying lengths. We rode from Belgrave to Lakeside, where two of us rented bikes and the other two rented paddle bikes to ride in the lake. There is also a playground and cafe in Lakeside.
Ride on Puffing Billy and see Healesville Sanctuary on a day tour.
Head to the Snow!
You don’t have to go far from Melbourne to see snow, and day trips are available. Join in on this family-friendly snow trip just an hour and a half outside of Melbourne. This tour includes 3-hours of snow fun on Lake Mountain.
Kid-Friendly Accommodations in Melbourne
Melbourne with Kids FAQ
Yes, Melbourne, Australia, is great for kids. There are plenty of activities and attractions in Melbourne for kids of all ages. Getting around Melbourne with kids is easy and fun.
If you have 3 nights in Melbourne, it is enough to see the basics, but there are plenty of things to see and do both in Melbourne and the surrounding areas that you could stay longer if possible.
My daughter compared Melbourne to New York City. Of all of the cities in Australia, Melbourne is the one that feels most like NYC. It is gritty, there are old buildings, museums, parks, and other attractions.
Both cities have a wide variety of shops, restaurants, and things to do. Both cities have public transportation, though Melbourne’s transportation is above-ground.
Australians pronounce Melbourne “Mel-bin.”
Melbourne with Kids Wrap Up
As it is the 2nd largest city in Australia, of course, there are lots of things to do with kids in Melbourne.
Melbourne has lots of kid-friendly museums, including hands-on science centres and museums with hands-on activities. There is a whole place dedicated to LEGO, complete with rides. Plus, indoor playgrounds, arcades, theatres, and sporting events.
Whether you are traveling with toddlers or teens, there are plenty of fun things to do in Melbourne with kids.
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