Adventure | City | Family 21 March 2023

10 things to do with kids in Sydney

Very few big cities are as kid-friendly as stunning Sydney. The New South Wales capital is home to dozens of fun attractions and experiences that will keep children big and small entertained for a week or a weekend.

From outdoor fun by the beach and meeting new animal friends, to getting an adrenaline rush climbing the iconic Harbour Bridge or swimming with sharks, there’s no shortage of options. Here are our 10 favourite things to do with kids in Sydney.

Meet local wildlife at Taronga Zoo

A magical zoo with harbourside views? That’s Taronga Zoo. Round up the kids and meet more than 4,000 animals at this award-winning, not-for-profit zoo. Expect to make friends with koalas and kangaroos, and meet exotic, rare and endangered species including giraffes and elephants.

Take a quick, 12-minute ferry here from the CBD and leave enough time to explore the enclosures and attend daily keeper talks, including the seal show and free-flight bird show. If that’s not enough, add a stop at Wild Ropes, a high-ropes obstacle course that includes stunning views over the water.

Climb the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge

If you have a thrill-seeker for a son or daughter, take on an exhilarating climb across the world’s largest steel arch. Anyone who is at least eight years old and more than 1.2m tall can take on the BridgeClimb Sydney challenge. From the top, your family will enjoy incredible 360-views over the city and a few celebratory high-fives!

Bondi to Coogee Coastal walk

There’s no better habit to pass to your kids than being active every day. Get your little rugrats moving in the morning with a magnificent coastal walk.

While the whole walk between Bondi to Coogee stretches for 6km and lasts two to three hours, there are beaches along the way to stop for a dip. Of course, you could always walk until the kids have had enough and call it a day.

Get artsy at the Art Gallery of NSW

Every trip to Sydney needs a dose of culture. Take the kids to the much-loved institution to catch big-name international exhibitions, or family-friendly workshops or events. With almost 40 exhibitions passing through each year, the Art Gallery of NSW always has something great happening.

Explore the permanent collection’s 19th-century European and Australian art, venture down to the basement to find an excellent contemporary Indigenous gallery, and look for familiar names in the 20th century Australian art gallery.

Swim with sharks at Sea Life

Brave enough to swim with sharks? Sea Life offers a cageless shark diving experience that will throw you into the tank with grey nurse sharks. Anyone aged 14 or older can dive in and spend 30 minutes with these beauties that range from one to three metres long.

Sea Life is one of the world’s largest aquariums and is home to more than 700 species and 13,000 animals. See the world’s biggest variety of sharks and rays, plus meet dugongs, colonies of king and gentoo penguins, and thousands of tropical reef fish.

Explore the Royal Botanic Gardens

Take a picnic rug and sprawl out on the lawns of the Royal Botanic Gardens, a 30-hectare oasis in the heart of Sydney. Set right next to the Opera House with grass rolling down to the waterfront, this garden is one of the city’s most spectacular spots to kick off your shoes and enjoy nature.

Since 1816, the Botanic Gardens have been growing plants from Australia and overseas. Explore a rich collection of rare and threatened flora, a rose garden, and themed areas. You can also join a bush tucker or Aboriginal heritage tour with a First Nations guide and see the gardens through the lens of the Gadigal people.

Ride the Ferris wheel at Luna Park

Earn serious parent brownie points when you venture through the toothy grin of Luna Park. Sydney’s oldest theme park has been bringing smiles to the young and old for more than 80 years.

Expect old-timey rides alongside new attractions – the park added nine new rides in 2021, so she’s in good shape for her age! Soar 40 metres into the air with the ferris wheel and take in a great view of Sydney Harbour, the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and more.

Learn to surf at Bondi Beach

Release your little grommets at Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach. Mum and dad can kick back on the sand while your young ones can hit the waves with Let’s Go Surfing. Qualified surf instructors will teach your kids how to read the surf, ride waves and have fun at the same time.

Maybe you’ll be curious enough to join them in the surf yourself? It’s never too late to learn something new.

Find Aussie mates at Wild Life Sydney Zoo

Meet cute and cuddly koalas, say hello to Ringo the wombat, hop over to Kangaroo Walk-About, patiently wait for Jackie the platypus to poke her head out, and greet a huge saltwater crocodile. Wild Life Sydney Zoo is home to all your Australian animal favourites, and is located in the heart of the city at Darling Harbour.

Take the ferry to Manly

Board one of the city ferries heading for Manly and enjoy a brilliant ride across the harbour. Sit on the outer deck and watch as you pass the bridge, the Opera House, Taronga Zoo and plenty of harbourside beaches. Manly is a great half-day or full-day trip from the city centre, and here you can learn to surf, take a swim in the ocean, walk the foreshore or enjoy fish and chips by the beach.