One of the world’s great hubs of culture and creativity, Melbourne is also a place packed with unforgettable things to do with kids, where young travellers can let their imaginations run wild and soak up experiences that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
From world-class zoos, museums, and galleries to activities and attractions that are just plain fun, Melbourne has something to keep kids of all ages and abilities engaged and entertained. They might even learn a thing or two!
If you’re planning a trip, make it easy by staying in Melbourne family accommodation with Oaks Hotels, located close to the city’s top attractions.
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Animal Encounters Kids Will Love
Melbourne Zoo
The Melbourne Zoo in Royal Park is just a few minutes north of the city centre. It’s the place where kids can get up close to a classic zoo experience and connect with hundreds of species from around the world, while beginning to develop a deeper understanding of the environment that surrounds them and the role their favourite animals play in it.
Dare to stay for the “Roar ’n’ Snore” overnight camp? Explore the Zoo after dark, tuck into dinner under the stars, hear wild tales from your guides, then fall asleep to the calls of gibbons and native birds. By morning, giraffes, lemurs and kookaburras are lining up to put on a show, and the whole family has front-row seats.
Stay nearby: It’s an easy walk from Oaks Melbourne Flemington Suites.
Healesville Sanctuary
A haven for native wildlife in the heart of the Yarra Valley, a true all-Aussie experience, this is the place to have close encounters with iconic local animals, including koalas, kangaroos, platypuses, dingoes, wombats, emus and more, in their natural habitat. The kids can also visit the Australian Wildlife Health Centre to see how vets and nurses care for sick, injured and orphaned wildlife, it might even inspire them on their own career path!
Werribee Open Range Zoo
Located on the Werribee River, just 30 minutes from Melbourne, it feels like stepping into an African safari adventure, spotting rhinos, giraffes, and zebras across the open range savannah, and coming face-to-face with lions, gorillas, monkeys, and hippos on the walking trails.
Don’t miss the show-stopping Elephants and Waterhole Trails, where nine majestic Asian elephants roam a sprawling 21-hectare playground. This world-class walking safari will have the whole family grinning from ear to ear at the most unforgettable wild parade.
Interactive & Creative Experiences
MoPA: Museum of Play & Art
Sure, Hobart has MONA – but Melbourne has MoPA, the Museum of Play and Art. Founded on the belief that play, and creativity are the building blocks for the brightest minds, this groundbreaking museum for kids is home to an impressive range of immersive exhibits and experiences.
Your little explorers can enjoy some of the most engaging activities to do with kids in Melbourne, from interactive art walls and colourful soft-play zones to high-energy racing ramps and calming low-sensory spaces designed for quiet time.
Suitable for kids aged between one and seven years old, MoPA Melbourne is located at 247 Bay Road, Sandringham. Bookings are essential, so make sure you plan your play ahead of time.
ArtVo: Melbourne’s Optical Illusion Art Experience
Step inside the artwork at ArtVo, Melbourne’s immersive 3D gallery, where walls and floors come alive with optical illusions designed for fun, creative photos. Kids and adults alike can pose, play, and become part of the scenes, making every visit a unique experience.
Located in the Docklands precinct, ArtVo is easy to reach from Melbourne CBD: just a 10-minute drive, a short tram ride, or a 15-minute walk along the waterfront. It’s the perfect spot to spark imagination and capture memorable family moments.
ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image)
Do your kids love films (or are they at least keen to watch cartoons on your phone)? Then they’ll probably love ACMI, formerly known as the Australian Centre for the Moving Image.
Australia’s foremost museum of screen culture, ACMI, is home to a range of fun and interactive exhibits that will teach kids how the shows they watch are made and uncover surprising and unusual connections between them.
They can add their own strange and wonderful sound effects to real movies and TV shows; animate their own flip book; master the art of shadow play and puppetry; and take home all of their creations and experiences on their Lens, an inventive new tool that allows museum attendees to take their own personally curated ACMI experience home with them.
Stay nearby: Just a 10-minute stroll from ACMI, Oaks Melbourne Southbank Suites is a great spot to recharge after a day of playful chaos.
LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Melbourne
Every parent knows the feeling of stepping on a Lego brick that their child has left behind. Well, here’s your chance to let them build until they can’t build anymore, without any worries that the bricks will show back up on your kitchen floor when you least expect it.
Located in Chadstone Shopping Centre, just 17 km from the CBD, LEGOLAND Discovery Centre is one of the best things to do in Melbourne with kids. It’s filled with more than a million Lego bricks, laid out in a dizzying array of configurations. You’ll find global and local landmarks recreated with Lego bricks, as well as Lego-themed rides, a Duplo Farm, a Lego 4D Cinema, and, of course, play zones for the kids to build their own creations.
Outdoor & Classic Family Things to Do in Melbourne
Luna Park
Is any Australian childhood truly complete without a trip to the iconic Luna Park? The oldest theme park in Australia, it’s home to over 100 years of history, as well as a range of rides that still thrill kids and big kids alike, including The Great Scenic Railway, the world’s oldest continually operating roller coaster.
The kids will love the other classic carnival attractions, including the Ghost Train (one of the last original dark rides still standing), the scenic Sky Rider, the stomach-churning Coney Drop, the dragon ship, dodgems, a carousel, a merry-go-round, and plenty more.
Stay nearby: Luna Park Melbourne is conveniently located just minutes from Oaks Melbourne St Kilda Road Hotel, so you can recharge before planning your next family adventure.
Royal Botanic Gardens
A green oasis in the heart of the city, Royal Botanic Gardens is home to over 31 collections of plants, making it one of the world’s most diverse and beautiful botanic gardens.
It’s also home to The Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden, one of Melbourne’s most popular spots for kids to find fun things to do. Make sure they bring their swimmers and watch them light up as water sprays up out of the ground at the Meeting Place.
Other spots they’ll love discovering include the Ruin Garden, full of lush rainforest vegetation; a wetland area with an 80-cm deep pond; a kitchen garden where they can get their hands dirty unearthing fruits, vegetables, and herbs; an enchanting bamboo forest; and a tree tower with a view of the Garden from above.
Kids can follow the tracks through different habitats, and since it’s fully fenced, you can rest assured they won’t get too far, no matter where their curiosity takes them.
Cycle along the Yarra
The famous Yarra River runs through the heart of the city, with scenic bike paths running alongside it, winding through lush parklands and the CBD. If you’ve had your fill of galleries, museums, street art, and coffee, then take the kids out for a bike ride and feel the fresh breeze in your hair. It’s a lovely way to pass the time, and it’s sure to tire out even the most energetic kids, a win-win!
The Main Yarra Trail is a particularly popular path. It starts and finishes at Southbank, the linchpin of Melbourne’s bicycle trail system, following the Yarra River for 33 kilometres past ancient gums and billabongs.
Royal Park
The largest of Melbourne’s inner-city parks, located just four kilometres north of the CBD, Royal Park is now home to one of Australia’s most acclaimed playgrounds, making it one of the top things to do with kids in Melbourne.
Nature Play at Royal Park, adjacent to the Royal Children’s Hospital, is a unique space designed to foster a sense of adventure in city kids, with high rope traverses, large climbing structures, water play areas, and your classic slides and swings.
With open grassy lawns and no artificial boundaries, kids are encouraged to explore, while the park’s plants have been chosen to represent the seven Wurundjeri seasons, to help make kids aware of Melbourne’s Indigenous culture and heritage.
From here, why not jump on a quintessentially Melbourne tram – the kids will love zooming through Melbourne and seeing the city from a different perspective – and head to the Royal Botanic Gardens?
Educational & Cultural Activities
National Gallery of Victoria
The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is the oldest and most visited gallery in Australia, home to a wide range of international exhibitions, covering everything from fashion and design to architecture and dance.
What you might not know is that it’s also a great place for kids to visit, because NGV offers a year-round program of dedicated kid’s exhibitions, events and activities.
Family-friendly exhibitions often run alongside the major exhibits and give kids a chance to learn about important artists and movements in a fun and interactive way, while also providing them with the tools to make their own triumphant works of art that will surely take pride of place on your kitchen fridge.
The pieces on display at NGV also come with kid’s labels that you can read together, and free exhibition activity sheets are available from the Information Desks at both NGV galleries (NGV International and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia).
Scienceworks
For curious kids, Scienceworks is a top choice for activities with kids in Melbourne, just over the Westgate Bridge. Packed with interactive exhibits, hands-on experiments, and eye-opening science demonstrations, it sparks curiosity and learning at every turn. Don’t miss the immersive planetarium shows, where kids can explore the wonders of the universe, making it an entertaining and educational experience the whole family will enjoy.
Melbourne Museum
One of Melbourne’s most popular museums for kids, Melbourne Museum is a must-visit for families. From towering dinosaur skeletons and fascinating natural history exhibits to the interactive kid’s gallery designed for hands-on learning and play, there’s something to captivate every young explorer. Kids can touch, experiment, and discover while parents enjoy the diverse displays, making it a perfect day out for the whole family.
Day Trips from Melbourne
Puffing Billy Railway
Step back in time aboard the historic Puffing Billy steam train, winding through the lush Dandenong Ranges. Families can enjoy scenic views, picnic stops, and themed rides, all while experiencing a piece of Victoria’s heritage.
Enchanted Adventure Garden
Looking for thrills that will have the whole family laughing and maybe questioning gravity? Enchanted Adventure Garden on the Mornington Peninsula is a bushland playground where adventure tops the agenda every single day.
Strap in for Tree Surfing. Zip through native trees, swing across rope bridges, crawl through suspended tunnels, and fling yourself off the giant Tarzan Swing. Teens and adults take on the Grand Course, little adventurers tackle the Nippers, then everyone can slow down, get delightfully lost in hedge mazes, wander colourful gardens, and zoom down epic tube slides.
Sovereign Hill
Just outside Melbourne in Ballarat, Sovereign Hill is a living history goldfields town and one of the most popular things to do with kids, where they can pan for gold, watch costumed characters in action, explore historic buildings, and see traditional crafts and demonstrations.
Of course, in a city as big and vibrant as Melbourne, that’s just the start of the fun that’s on offer for kids and adults alike, but it should be enough to get you going!
Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
Moonlit Sanctuary offers both day and night tours where kids can hand-feed wallabies and learn about conservation. During the day, kids can hand-feed friendly wallabies, watch kangaroos hop around, and meet a variety of native animals, including wombats, emus, and colourful birds. Evening tours bring the magic of the sanctuary to life, with nocturnal animals like sugar gliders, owls, and possums becoming active.
Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park is in Pearcedale, about a 55-minute drive southeast of Melbourne’s CBD via the Mornington Peninsula Freeway. By public transport, take a train from Flinders Street Station to Cranbourne Station, then catch the local bus or a short taxi ride to the sanctuary.
5 Great Family-Friendly Restaurants in Melbourne
Betty’s Burgers
Betty’s Burgers in Exhibition Street offers iconic American-style burgers with plenty of kid-friendly options. Kids can choose from their own menu or share adult-sized burgers, while the frozen custard “concretes” are a must-try for the whole family. The restaurant is well-equipped for families, with highchairs and easy pram access.
Stalactites
This iconic Greek restaurant on Lonsdale Street offers gyros, meat platters, moussaka, salads, and a kids' menu. Vegetarian and vegan options are available, and it’s great for families wanting hearty, flavourful meals.
Taxi Kitchen
Offering stunning 180-degree CBD and Yarra River views, this Asian-inspired sharing menu is perfect for families, with space for prams and highchairs. It’s also ideal for special occasions or a weekday splurge.
11 Inch Pizza
This casual CBD favourite is a hit with families thanks to its relaxed atmosphere and great pizza. Known for its generous portions and crowd-pleasing flavours, this place is perfect for sharing, making it an easy win with kids.
Chocolate Buddha
Think a fun sushi “bullet train” experience with tablets for ordering. Chocolate Buddha has outdoor tables with views of Federation Square and is located near ACMI with pram-accessible toilets and change facilities.
