With an abundance of kid friendly activities in Melbourne, it can be hard to choose where to start! We’ve done the hard bit for you and picked our top 12 family activities to do with the kids all year around in Melbourne - you’re welcome!
1) Hold an Op Shop Fashion Show
Wanting to do something truly unique with the kids? Embark on an epic adventure through the city’s best op shops, and watch them battle it out in a second hand clothes fashion show.
While East side’s Chapel Street and Carlisle Street are home to their fair share of op shops, true purveyors of Melbourne’s thrift culture know that the North side is where it’s at. For a jam packed day out with the family, we recommend perusing the North side’s plethora of second hand gems, and watching the kids scramble to secure as many fashion statement pieces as possible with a predetermined budget (it’s up to you to decide how much monetary freedom to allow them - but we think about $25 dollars each suffices).
Head on home (or to a nearby park - those fortunate enough to be sprawling in the nearby grass can thank you later) and set up a staging area for the kids to show off their thrifty buys with a fashion show.
2) Check out Screen Worlds at ACMI
Just behind Federation Square lies the Australian Center for the Moving Image, the country’s national museum for screen culture.
The ACMI provides the perfect cultural activity for families in the city - the museum’s staple (and free) exhibit paints an experiential story of the country’s rich film and television history, and provides plenty of hands-on and immersive activities for the kids (it won’t even feel like learning).
3) Head on a Road Trip or Weekend Away
When the city becomes stifling, a day trip (or prolonged weekend away) comes as a welcome escape.
Fortunately for us Melbournians, a quaint nearby town (our favourites are the likes of Daylesford and Woodend) or coastal inlet is never more than a stone’s throw away - providing us with plenty of reason to flee the city with the family.
Going away needn’t be a big deal; while multi-day camping trips have their time and place, a 6 hour wander through Mornington delivers its fair share of fresh air and relaxation, too.
4) Pique Their Interest at the NGV
Arguably Melbourne’s most beloved cultural destination, the National Gallery of Victoria provides plenty of fun for big and little kids alike.
While the NGVs rotation of seasonal exhibitions is not to be missed, the gallery’s permanent exhibition showcases international art from around the globe all year around (and is free of charge, so you can splash out on a family dinner in the CBD if you so wish after your cultural exploration).
5) Go on a Family Mystery Picnic
In terms of family picnics, AmazingCo’s Mystery Picnic (in our humble opinion) reigns supreme. The jam-packed and self led adventure day out involves the whole family banding together to solve a number of clues and riddles, the answers to which lead to multiple boutique food stores where speciality picnic pieces await!
To finish the day off (after you’ve worked for all of your food by completing the clues and riddles), you’ll all be led to a scenic picnic location where you’ll enjoy your delicious spread.
6) Stay Home and Compete in a Family Cook Off
Ready for a competitive, foodie family night in? Bid a goodbye to the typical family dinner and compete against the clock (and each other) in a Family Cook Off instead.
The pretense of a Family Cook Off is simple; break the family into teams, set a timer, and race against the clock to each create a culinary masterpiece (whether you decide on cooking half serves of the same dish for reference, or a main and dessert for variety is up to you), deciding on the winner after.
Image Credit: Unsplash
7) Explore the Immersive Exhibitions at Melbourne Museum
While sometimes thwarted by the popularity of the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Museum makes for a cultural gem in its own right.
Nestled within picturesque Carlton Gardens and only a stone’s throw from the hubbub of the central business district, the museum’s multiple exhibitions and displays provide hours of entertainment for adults and children alike. Younger kids especially will find solitude in the Children’s Gallery, where activities including excavating fossils in the dinosaur dig and dancing to their little hearts’ content in the camouflage disco will keep them immersed all day long.
Please note that it is advised to book in advance when visiting Melbourne Museum, so as not to miss out on tickets. See the museums’ website here.
8) Have a Games Night / Activity Night in
Feeling like a cosy night in? We get it - sometimes a night in really does trump all else.
Residing in the living room with the family for the day/ night needn’t become synonymous with a Netflix marathon - there are plenty of other activities that deliver equal parts enjoyment and family quality time.
We recommend holding a competitive games night (and mutually deciding on the rules - we don’t want any can-you-end-on-a-wildcard Uno related tears here) or getting your hands messy with a crafty activity (think ceramics and finger painting).
Image Credit: Unsplash
9) Drive out to a Different Suburb for Dinner
In theory, driving to a different suburb for dinner may seem uninspired - in practice, venturing out to an undiscovered locale with the family results in a thoroughly enjoyable evening out.
We recommend choosing a random suburb, driving, and leaving it up to fate to decide where you find yourselves (You may find yourselves in an undiscovered, authentic Italian on the quieter side of Lygon Street? Or at an institutional, slightly obnoxious veggie food truck in Fitzroy, perhaps?).
Who knows, maybe you’ll stumble upon a new family favourite!
10) Family Date Night (At Home)
If a night curled up at home is what’s on your family’s mind, AmazingCo’s Family Date Night provides the perfect stay at home experience. Throughout the course of the evening, you and your loved ones will need to band together to solve a number of riddles and clues, the answers to which detail a specific challenge to go head to head in.
The experience is a competition, so we recommend you tally the winner of each activity and challenge throughout the evening. The overall winner will then take their rightful place as ultimate Family Date Night winner (a highly coveted and prestigious award in this part of the land).
11) Go to the Footy
While residing on the couch in pyjamas and yelling at the little men on TV for the duration of the evening is great, nothing beats the atmosphere of heading to the footy and watching the game live.
Whether the family are avid AFL fans or not, soaking up the atmosphere at a live game should be on every Melbournian’s bucket list - just don’t forget to pay the hot jam donut van a visit before the bounce!
12) Pay the Acland Street Cake Shops a Visit
Feel like a holiday without leaving the city? Spend the day in the seaside suburb of St Kilda, perusing and settling down in one of the multiple beloved independent cake stores.
Of course, no visit to St Kilda is complete without a visit to the beach - so make sure to head there with the kids after you’ve devoured your treats!
Other areas of interest include the plethora of gelato and ice cream stores, ever popular Readings bookshop and the leafy, residential backstreets of St Kilda and Elwood.
