Kids activities Sydney

Let’s face it: heading to the cinema ain’t cheap these days – add a choc top into the mix and yeesh, you may as well take out a second mortgage. Luckily, Parramatta has the answer once again for families keen to get out and about without blowing the budget. The city’s much-loved Family Movie Nights are returning in April 2026, bringing a series of free outdoor cinema events to parks across the area. Five local parks and reserves will transform into open-air movie theatres across two weekends during the school holidays, inviting families to roll out the picnic blankets and settle in for a night under the stars. Expect a line-up of recent blockbuster flicks – including A Minecraft Movie and Wicked: For Good – projected onto the big screen. But it’s not just about the movies. Each event kicks off with a festival-style atmosphere before sundown, featuring themed activities, roving performers, food trucks and plenty of inflatable fun (think a giant slide, fun house and even a soccer dart board). There’ll also be hands-on activities inspired by the films, like Minecraft LEGO building, potion and wand making, reptile displays and karate headband decorating. City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Martin Zaiter said the annual event continues to bring communities together for a free night out. “This is about getting our communities together for a free, fun night out with a movie, good food and fun activities,” Cr Zaiter said. “Over the past 10 years, thousands of people have packed a...

If you’ve ever wanted to get seriously close to a Sumatran tiger (without there being a terrible ethical or safety problem in the way), now is your chance. Tiger Trek is an experience that's free (included in the cost of your Taronga Zoo tickets). Attendees are invited to get into a flight simulator that takes them (very quickly) from Mosman to the Way Kambas National Park in Sumatra. Upon landing, you travel through an Indonesian-inspired village, meandering down a path past village shops and through a rainforest that looks uncannily like you’re in Indonesia. At the end, you'll get the chance to meet the three Sumatran tigers who were born at Taronga Zoo in 2019, as well as their beautiful mother, father, uncle and grandmother.  With only 350 Sumatran Tigers left in the wild, these tigers are incredibly important. Sumatran tigers are critically endangered, but as seen through Tiger Trek, all is not lost. Deforestation in Indonesian rainforests has decreased by 75 per cent since the folks over at the zoo began monitoring it in 1990. There has been a steady increase in the consumption of sustainable palm oil worldwide, with shoppers far more aware of the devastation caused by unsustainable palm oil harvesting than ever before. It's easy to feel helpless when it comes to this stuff, which is why one of the coolest parts of Tiger Trek is Choice Mart – this end room of the trek has been built to look like a supermarket check-out, complete with interactive touch screens that...

If Bondi Markets were a person, they would a) be very healthy, and b) wearing two (organic) hats. Each weekend, Bondi Public School plays host to two different markets, with the Saturday edition bringing the Bondi Farmer's Market, and the Sunday bringing general marketware, fashion and vintage goods.  The Farmer's Market is an excellent way to kick off your weekend, with the old primary school playground playing host to a variety of lush local produce stalls, freshly fried fritters and brunchy delights a' plenty. There’s also doggy ‘parking’, live acoustic music and pop-up yoga classes on the lawn, with the festivities going until 5pm. In inclement weather the markets still go ahead, but often with reduced stalls. They also don’t open until 9am, so if you’re an early bird, pop across to the beach first for a walk or swim. Once you stock your fridge on Saturday, you can head back again on Sunday for the general fashion and market extravganza that kicks off from 10am to 4pm. Peruse the stalls for vintage finds, sustainable swimwear, delectable market eats and hidden treasures, all within close viewing distance of Sydney's most polarising beach.