One of the world’s most beautiful cities, Sydney is crammed with kid-friendly cultural attractions and outdoor adventures.
If your children are looking for a fun and relaxing break, Sydney is the perfect place to visit. There’s plenty of activities that will keep your kids busy, from museums to parks. The best thing about this city is that it has something for everyone! This post highlights the top attractions for families with young children.
And while there are plenty of enticing attractions in the city, lots of activities are free. Youngsters can kick a ball in a park, climb trees, swim in an ocean pool or spot whales from a coastal lookout.
There are creative activities for youngsters at the Art Gallery of NSW on Sunday afternoons. Learn to surf at Bondi Beach’s Let’s Go Surfing. Visit zoos and aquariums. Ride the Tango Train at Luna Park.
In Sydney’s west, the Archery Centre at Sydney Olympic Park has lessons for children aged seven to 12. Circus Arts have beginner classes in flying trapeze, also at Olympic Park. iFLY Downunder in Penrith has indoor skydiving. Explore the Blue Mountains on a family day trip.
Beyond Sydney, you’ll find beautiful beaches and national parks to explore. From May to November, whale watching is popular on the south and north coasts. Then, hop aboard the Scenic World Blue Mountains’ suspended cable car for a thrilling ride, crossing a steep gorge.
Sydney is a beautiful city with many attractions for kids. So whether your child is 4 or 14, they will find something to do in Sydney! From the Australian Museum and Taronga Zoo to Luna Park and Manly Beach, there are plenty of awesome attractions that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
Here you’ll find our list of top things to do in Sydney, the activities and attractions unique to our harbour city.
1. Taronga Zoo: Meet Aussie Animals
Overlooking Sydney Harbour, Taronga is a zoo with a spectacular view. Kids love the collection of more than 4,000 animals here, including native Aussie wildlife, such as kangaroos, emus, bilbies, koalas, and exotic species like lions, tigers, and black rhinos, lemurs, Asian elephants, and western lowland gorillas.
Hop on the ferry at Circular Quay to visit Taronga Zoo, usually rated No.1 of all Sydney attractions for kids.
The magnificent Harbourside setting is breathtaking; these zoo animals have the best views in Sydney. There are many unique features of the Taronga Zoo, the Asiatic elephants, the terrific animal talks and shows.
Families with kids of all ages will enjoy this classic Sydney family day out. The zoo is one of the best things to see in Sydney; a visit never disappoints.
When little legs get tired from wandering around all the exhibits, you can relax and enjoy some of the live shows, including the popular free-flight bird show and seal show. For a bird’s-eye view of the animals, hop aboard the Sky Safari, or tire the kids out at the Wild Ropes climbing course with suspension bridges and ziplines.
Another kid-focused exhibit is Backyard to Bush, with a playground and water-play area, interactive displays, a farmyard barn, and a garden filled with fragrant plants.
For an extra fee, budding zoologists can also enjoy close-up encounters with some animals, such as reptiles and giraffes, which you can book upon arrival.
Buses to the zoo depart from Wynyard in the city centre. Even better, kids will love catching a ferry from Circular Quay (about 12 minutes).
Just beware of boiling days as the zoo is set on a slope, and walking uphill with kids can be challenging. A sky safari can take you from the bottom, where the ferry comes in, up to the top from where you can meander downhill, taking in all the exciting exhibitions and animals.
2. Luna Park Amusement Park: Rides and Thrills
“Just for fun” is the slogan of this iconic 1930s amusement park, which sits on the north shore of Sydney Harbour, and it delivers on this promise for kids of all ages.
Luna Park is just north of the Harbour Bridge, and the vast beaming face that visitors walkthrough is a well-known Sydney landmark.
Put Luna Park on your Sydney to-do list if you and the kids love Ferris wheels, merry go rounds, dodgem cars and more modern fairground attractions too. Luna Park has a lot of vintage charm, with plenty to do for young children and school-aged kids and teens.
Overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, the park reopened in 2004 after a rocky history, with revamped rides and new additions. Some of its buildings now sit on the State Heritage Register.
There are some rides for preschoolers; the red rides are for children from 85cm – 105cm height, the green rides for kids from 106cm – 129cm, and the yellow rides are for everyone 130cm+.
Little ones will love attractions like the restored Ferris wheel, the carousel, the Whirly Wheel, and the Mirror Maze. Older kids love the Wild Mouse roller coaster, the Rotor, Devil’s Drop, Tango Train, and Coney Island is always a favourite.
Sideshow games, dodgem cars, and cotton candy add to the festive old-time atmosphere. Ticket prices are based on your child’s height, as this will determine the fair rides, but entry to the park is free if you plan to sit out, a bonus for vertigo-challenged parents.
3. Zoom to the Top of the Sydney Tower Eye
Sydney Tower is the tallest structure in Sydney. You can enjoy meals on the Observation Deck or enjoy the views.
At Sydney Tower Eye, kids can zoom up to the top of the city’s tallest building and see spectacular 360-degree views of the city. At 309-meters high, this distinctive spire-topped tower in the city centre, above the Centrepoint shopping mall, offers panoramic views to Blue Mountains National Park.
Older kids and teens will find the golden globe that is Sydney Tower Eye, one of the most fun places in Sydney to visit. You take a lift up to the Observation Deck 250 metres above the city centre, then gaze over miles and miles of the city spreading out in all directions.
Tickets include a 4D cinematic tour of the city, with special effects and access to the observation deck, with high-powered binoculars and interactive touch-screen panels so that kids can learn all about the Sydney landmarks visible from the tower.
Sydney Tower Eye soars over a vast shopping centre, so combine with a shopping trip, and your teens will be overjoyed.
For an extra fee, kids aged eight years and older can try the exhilarating SKYWALK, an outdoor glass platform perched 260 meters above the city (more than twice the height of the harbour bridge). Still, they must don a special suit and harness and be accompanied by an adult.
After your adventure, you can refuel at one of the tower’s revolving restaurants or the café.
4. Darling Harbour: Spend the Whole Day (and Night!)
If you’re looking for things to do in the city with kids, it’s hard to beat Darling Harbour. It’s a one-stop wonderland of kid-friendly fun.
Many families choose to stay at Darling Harbour and so can walk from their hotel or apartment. It’s also easy to walk into Darling Harbour from the city; go via King Street or Market Street.
There are dozens of cafes and restaurants and then, the best thing of all if you have little kids, the playground at Darling Quarter – see its own entry below.
In addition to shops, restaurants, exhibitions, and entertainment venues, this waterfront pedestrian precinct, about a 10-minute walk from the city centre, is packed with family-friendly attractions.
Highlights include the WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, which takes you on a journey through Australia’s different ecosystems; SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, with the world’s most extensive collection of Australian marine creatures, including the platypus and dugong; Madame Tussauds; and the Australian National Maritime Museum, where kids can learn about Australia’s seafaring history and board a replica of Captain Cook’s ship, the HMS Endeavor.
Other top tourist attractions here are the 9D theatre and IMAX theatre with the world’s most giant cinema screen and Laser Skirmish, bowling, harbour jet boat rides, simulated flights, and racing car adventures.
There is a Ferris wheel, a theatre too, plus fireworks each Saturday night and all sorts of other entertainment.
Little ones will love the playground with swings, slides, sandpits, and ziplines, as well as the water park, and if you’re looking for more things to do with toddlers in Sydney, make a beeline for Darling Harbour’s new Caterpillar Lane interactive play area with digital displays, climbing equipment, a soft toy play area, and light projection games.
After all the excitement, you can take the kids for a peaceful stroll through the Chinese Garden of Friendship, replete with willows and koi ponds.
Several car parks can be pretty affordable, especially if you have your ticket stamped at one of the museums here or visit at weekends.
5. Royal Botanic Garden: Picnics and Walks
A walk in the Royal National Park is a must for gentle charm, botanical delights, and world-class harbour views. There is plenty of space, a great deal of exciting flora, plus the delightful Calyx building, which houses exhibitions and shows.
Fragrant frangipanis, flocks of wild cockatoos, fountains, and magnificent views of Sydney Harbour-what are not to love? The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney is a sensory feast for pint-sized green thumbs. It’s also the perfect place for a picnic, with rolling green lawns and glorious water views.
Kids can spark their senses with all the vibrant scents, colours, and textures. Inhale the aroma of rosemary and sage at the herb garden, taste Australian bush tucker on an aboriginal heritage tour, smell the roses, and feel a feathery fern. Then, if little legs are tired, you can hop aboard the Choo Choo Express for a 25-minute tour around the gardens.
This is one of the best places to visit in Sydney for families who love to walk and explore. Those with an interest in history and fascination with Australian flora will love it too.
There are several places to enjoy a meal, snack or just a drink in the gardens too. We like the kiosk for kids meals or the lovely Calyx cafe when we have time to sit down for long.
On Thursdays, the Dandy Lions program treats parents and kids up to five years old to a morning of gardening, storytelling, nature-themed crafts, walking tours, and music, and on the last Friday of every month, kids can feed crickets to carnivorous plants at the Plants with Bite experience.
You can walk through the Royal Botanic Gardens on your way from the Opera House to the Art Gallery of NSW, passing Mrs Macquaries Chair and enjoying one of the most famous views in Sydney from there.
Garden lovers will find many free activities on offer, and there are always activities for children in school holidays.
After you’ve explored the gardens, stroll down to Mrs Macquarie’s Chair for one of the best views of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.
If you love to swim, you will find the Andrew ‘Boy Charlton Pool set on the side of Woolloomooloo Bay before the Art Gallery, a wonderful place to cool off, splash and do laps, with a great cafe too.
6. Horseback Ride at Centennial Parklands
Centennial Park, about 10 minutes from the city centre, is a fun venue for young equestrians.
The park is home to 210 stables and five riding schools, with lessons customised for your children’s age and skill level. All the equipment is provided. First-time riders can book a pony ride to ease into the experience.
The park is also home to well-maintained cycling paths for kids who prefer to ride a bike rather than a horse, and you’ll also find the fantastic nature-based Ian Potter Children’s Wild Play Garden here, with a treehouse, slides, and a magical bamboo forest.
After all your adventures, you can relax with a picnic under the large trees or head to one of the excellent cafés or kiosks.
7. Treat the Kids to High Tea
Need a pick-me-up after a long morning of shopping or sightseeing with the kids? High tea is the perfect way to refuel, and you’ll find plenty of elegant venues to host your kid-friendly experience.
One of the most popular and affordable options is The Tea Room at the Queen Victoria Building, a heritage-listed building filled with boutique shops and restaurants.
Your kids will feel like royalty perched upon a soft, velvet chair under crystal chandeliers in the Grand Ballroom. You’ll find all the mouthwatering favourites here: scones with clotted cream, cucumber finger sandwiches, and 29 different teas, as well as plenty of petite and pretty sugar-laced treats for the kids.
Many Sydney hotels host special children’s high teas. For example, the Langham, Sydney pampers kids with themed high teas during Aussie school holidays, like The Tale of Mr Rabbit afternoon tea, and the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour presents a Parisian high tea themed around the children’s book, Claris, The Chicest Mouse in Paris-kids will even receive a souvenir gift bag.
Feel like dressing up? Head to the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney for a Kids in the City High Tea, designed by kids for kids.
For breathtaking views of the Sydney Opera House, choose the posh Park Hyatt Sydney with floor-to-ceiling windows. Kids will love watching the boats and ferries ply the sapphire-blue harbour.
8. Sydney Harbour Bridge: Climb or Walk Over
Sydney Harbour Bridge, which we locals affectionately refer to as the coat hanger, is the city’s second icon, after Sydney Opera House.
A trip to Sydney isn’t complete without a close-up view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, one of the city’s icons. A great way to see this 134-meter-high engineering feat with young kids is to hop aboard a ferry from Circular Quay to Manly, Mosman, or Taronga Zoo and view the bridge from the harbour.
Families with children aged eight and over might like to take part in an organised (and very safe, but thrilling) climb right to the top of the bridge.
Children eight years and older and taller than 120 centimetres have another exciting option: They can climb the bridge on a guided ascent, one of Australia’s top outdoor adventures.
The climb includes a prep talk, safety gear, a photo at the summit, and fascinating stories about the bridge’s history during the climb. Standing at the top overlooking the sparkling harbour is an experience kids will remember forever.
This is very expensive, an exceptional treat and one of the most iconic of Sydney adventures. It’s number one on the list of adventurous things to do in Sydney, that’s for sure.
Catching a ferry from Luna Park or McMahons Point takes you directly beneath the bridge, and for a more historical experience, you can also hop aboard an 1850s-style tall ship.
You can walk across the Harbour Bridge very easily. It’s a breathtaking walk, from the city to the north or from Milsons Point on the north side back to The Rocks.
You can pay a small fee to climb up the tower and see an exhibition about the bridge. It’s exciting, and the views from here are spectacular.
If you stay in the city, start from there and cross to some excellent kid-friendly options on the north side. For example, you could visit Luna Park, swim at North Sydney Olympic Pool, eat at one of Kirribilli’s many cafes and restaurants or enjoy the fenced playground at Bradfield Park, on the corner of Fitzroy and Alfred Streets.
If the family can be well-behaved, lunch at Ripples Cafe by North Sydney Olympic Pool will delight.
If you’d like a longer walk, continue past Luna Park and into Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden at Lavender Bay.
9. SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium: Sharks to Coral Reefs
SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium has the world’s most extensive collection of Australian aquatic life. From sharks and dugongs to stingrays and seahorses, discover 14 themed areas on a journey through SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium. You can even snorkel with sharks.
This is a vast aquarium and one well worth visiting. Your kids will be thrilled to walk through the perspex tunnels with grey nurse sharks and giant rays gliding over their heads.
There are several different areas within the aquarium, including South Coast Shipwreck, Sydney Harbour, Dugong Island, Shark Walk and Shark Valley, Penguin Expedition and Great Barrier Reef.
At Darling Harbour, a stroll from Town Hall Station in the city centre, the aquarium has two of only five dugongs on display in the world. You’ll see stingrays in the Tropical Bay of Rays. Enjoy the ocean tunnel walk, Shark Valley and Shark Walk, among some of the themed areas. Marvel at turtles, jellyfish, platypus, penguins and thousands of tropical fish.
Behind-the-scene tours are available, including a glass-bottom boat tour.
The Shark Reef Snorkel tour offers a thrilling underwater experience close to sharks. You’ll be submerged in a see-through enclosure where you can snorkel and watch sharks. The experience is for 1.5 hours and includes a safety briefing, snorkel gear, wetsuit and showers. Novice divers are welcome on the Shark Reef Snorkel.
10. Sydney Opera House and Circular Quay: Walk and Explore
When children think of Sydney, no doubt the Opera House comes to mind, but a visit here doesn’t have to be all about the adults.
The venue hosts a fantastic kids program, with performances such as Storytime Ballet, children’s musicals, and toddler-friendly shows.
Circular Quay is a thriving hub of activity and movement. Ferries come and go from all over the harbour, and there are always buskers there too. It would be best to hang on to the kids’ hands as it can be busy and even a bit scary for kids at peak hours.
In Australian school holidays, kids can join a Junior Tour of this architectural wonder designed by the Danish architect Jørn Utzon. During the tour, kids become “Opera House experts” and enjoy interactive activities and games, dressing up in some of the performers’ costumes, and learning about special features of the building.
There are cafes and restaurants where you can watch the world bustle by. The Museum of Contemporary Art is there, and Customs House with its replica of the city, exhibitions and events, and places to eat and drink.
Family packages are also available during school holidays and include a junior tour, discounted show tickets, and lunch at one of the family-friendly restaurants here.
But the main event is the Sydney Opera House, of course. Its massive sails pull visitors towards it. You will be amazed by its size and how well it sits within the Harbour scene.
Visitors can do all sorts of things at the Opera House, the most popular being to walk around it then walk up and down the massive flights of steps at the forecourt. Many folks will then walk on to visit the Royal Botanic Gardens.
However, stay awhile, you can buy tickets for shows and explore the Opera House on tour.