Kids
Kids events, family friendly and activities for children in Melbourne
Cool places to buy kids' clothes
There's no excuse for dressing your kid like a dork, irrespective of budget
Chooks in Dinner Suits
Museum Victoria publishes a beautiful and clever kids' picture book about penguin conservation
Where to buy child-friendly soaps
These brightly coloured, lollie-scented soaps will win over even the most reluctant of bathers
The best playgrounds in Melbourne
Oh, adventure playground, you were awesome (ignoring skinned knees, a few broken bones and a chipped tooth). Thankfully, OHS standards have improved somewhat since we swapped Cherry Bar for the monkey bar, but it doesn't mean that it's still not great fun to get outdoors and revisit being five. Or you could, you know, take the kids. Once you're done, refuel at one of Melbourne's best kid-friendly cafés or family-friendly pubs.
What's on for kids in Melbourne
Activities for kids in Melbourne
The best activities for kids in Melbourne
There's plenty to entertain pint-sized punters in Melbourne. Rain, hail or shine, our guide will keep your crew out of trouble for an 'arvo. And if everyone's super good, maybe you could treat them with a spin through one of Melbourne's cutest toy shops or fuel up post-play at one of Melbourne's kid-friendly cafés.
Cheap Melbourne activities for kids
You don't need to take out a mortgage to entertain the kids in Melbourne. There are plenty of free and inexpensive activities to delight young 'uns. While you're at it, check out our suggestions and get a few ideas tucked up your sleeve for rainy days as well as a handful for when the weather is glorious.
Cute and cuddly activities in Melbourne
Pushing a kid out of the way (gently) to cuddle a guinea pig or new lamb at the Collingwood Children's is one of life's great joys and the concept of sleeping out at the zoo is almost too exciting for words (replete with lions roaring all night). When you're done walking on the wildside, check out our round up of activities for big kids and the sporting bucket list to further indulge your inner kid.
Rainy day activities in Melbourne
You could sit around and complain that we don't have weather like Sydney – but that would be to deny all the fun that can be had indoors and undercover in Melbourne (plus all those comforting hot chocolates that you're totally entitled to drink). If you're determined to stay indoors, perhaps a good read from one of Melbourne's best bookshops is in order?
The best toy stores in Melbourne
You can get disposable, plastic action figures anywhere, but you can't deny that there's something just that little bit more special about a well-made toy that will last well beyond Christmas or the little tyke's birthday. Get the gifts at these specialty toy stores, then take the kids for a spin around Melbourne's best kid-friendly cafés. Strapped for cash? Check out our guide to cheap kids' activities in Melbourne.
Fun places for families in Melbourne
The best kid-friendly cafés in Melbourne
Having kids might mean that your sleep patterns change, but it doesn't mean that your tastebuds will
The best kid-friendly pubs in Melbourne
Melbourne is full of family-friendly watering holes; these are our favourites
The best playgrounds in Melbourne
We regressed an intern back to childhood to review Melbourne's best playgrounds
The best adventure parks and playgrounds in Victoria
For when you fancy getting out of town for the weekend with the kids in tow
You might also like...
Melbourne's local favourites
Stellar service and optimum convenience is the order of the day at these local favourites. It doesn't matter if you're ducking in for a quick fix solution, or you don't even know what you're looking for, they're going to help out. And when it comes to the cash register, they're savvy enough to let you pay the way you want to, with no worries and no minimums.
Five adventurous Australian guys
Wherever you are around the world, you’re likely to run into a bunch of Aussies having a good time. We spoke to five men, leaders in their respective fields, who’ve managed to bring together their passions and their thirst to travel, in their lives and careers, about what drives themandmakes them unique.
The Grand Tour: Cities Shaped by Art
Learn the essentials of art history with ACCA's chosen team of experts with a refreshing complimentary cocktail in hand. Just as Melbourne's arts culture has shaped the city, the same goes for many of the world's biggest metropolitan cities. ACCA has picked out a group of 'tour guides' for the Grand Tour lecture series to take you through the world's best galleries, arts events, and architecture, as well as visit the writers, thinkers, and artists that have shaped each city. This month, ACCA invites you to a city that you may never have heard of, but that has a fascinating history and a thriving arts culture. Yekaterinburg is located 300km north of Kazakhstan. The fourth largest city in Russia, Yekatinerbug is a bustling city on the east of the Ural Mountains, and is home to the Ural Industrial Biennale of Contemporary Art. In 2015, the biennale was held in a constructivist apartment building that used to be pat of a Chekist (KGB) town. Artist Lisa Radford will harness Yekanterinburg's art scene and take you on a virtual tour through the city. Through her product FOOT-NOTES / ПРИМЕЧАНИЯ, Radford has come to understand the city through the eyes of its artists, theatre-makers, musicians and students – and she will impart her experiences onto visitors of ACCA's Grand Tour. These days, Radford writes and teaches in the painting department at the Victorian College of the Arts, and explores the intersection between place, people and images in her work. As always, guests will b
Blue Ribbon Day
Across Victoria, since 1837, 159 police officers have died in the course of fulfilling their duties. On Thursday September 29, all Victorians can help memorialise them by taking part in Blue Ribbon Day, which raises funds for emergency facilities to be built in the name of those police who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Run by the Victorian Police Blue Ribbon Foundation, the campaign has high profile sponsors this year in Woolworths, Crown Resorts, BankVic, Westfield and more. To show your support, you can donate at Woolworths Supermarkets before and on Blue Ribbon Day. Donations can also be made at the website and at police stations.