10 Things to do in Sydney with Kids

Sydney is a busy Australian city that you can visit with children of all ages without fear of them not having fun. During your stay you'll discover a wide variety of activities: leisure, culture, outdoor experiences and much more for the whole family to enjoy.

You can visit Luna Park, with its rides and big Ferris wheel; the city's aquarium, home to some 650 different marine species; the virtual reality escape rooms, where you can play save the world, among other of the best things to do in Sydney that I'll tell you about in a moment.

If your kids are enthusiastic about sports like cricket, football or rugby, then you'll want to head to the Sydney Cricket Ground. Here you can learn about the country's sporting history: clubs that have played there, victories won, etc.

This is considered one of the best tours in Sydney, but you must be accompanied by an expert, as free access to this sporting temple is not allowed. During your guided tour of the Sydney Cricket Ground and museum, you will have the opportunity to visit the dressing rooms and walk through the players' tunnel to the pitch.

In the Cricket Museum area , you will find an important collection of bats, balls, uniforms worn by the clubs over the years, photographs and awards. And, to enhance the experience, you'll enjoy the interactive exhibits, where you and the kids can show off your cricketing skills.

Useful information

• Price: the experience costs approximately £21 per adult, and around £15 for children aged 5-15.
• Duration: around 90 minutes.

The Australian National Maritime Museum is home to a major nautical collection of over 140,000 objects, which you can explore on your own. This is also an ideal place for children of all ages, where they will be kept entertained for hours.

Throughout this tour, you will be immersed in Australia's maritime history through a series of amazing exhibits and fun activities. Some of these include:

• The permanent galleries, which display interesting maritime artefacts, photographs, maps and more.
• Historic vessels, submarines, sailboats and navy ships, which you can climb aboard for a detailed tour.
• A cinematic experience, giving you a glimpse into the history and evolution of the Australian navy.

You will also find the Mini Sailors play area, with educational activities for children under 5 years old. And for the little ones aged 4 to 12, there is the children's area on deck, where they can carry out experiments and test their creativity. Afterwards, you can continue your itinerary and perhaps join a tall ship cruise around Sydney Harbour.

Useful information

• Price: Admission is approximately €23 per adult, and an average of €15 for children aged 4-15.
• Opening hours: The museum is usually open daily from 10:00 to 16:00.

Taronga Zoo in Sydney is another place you can visit with children. There, you'll meet around 350 species of animal life, mostly native to Australia. You'll also have the opportunity to take a cable car ride and see the animals from a different perspective.

The zoo is located in a large forest on the edge of the city's harbour. Here you will find themed areas that recreate the habitats of the more than 5,000 animals that live there: lions, zebras, giraffes, meerkats, kangaroos, platypuses, koalas, among others.

In addition, when purchasing tickets to Sydney's Taronga Zoo, children will have the opportunity to feed some of the animals and, as a family, watch live shows. This is the case of the bird flight and the seal tricks demonstration .

You can also take a ride on the cable car, installed inside the zoo. You will be able to contemplate the animals from the heights and the skyline of the city, which includes the harbour bridge, the Sydney Opera House, the skyscrapers of the financial area, among others.

Useful information

• Price: average admission is £32 per adult, and approximately £19 for children aged 4 to 15.
• Opening hours: daily from 9.30am to 4.30pm.

A must-see if you're in Sydney with children is Luna Park. This amusement park opened in 1935 and is considered the oldest in the city. There, you will have a different and very fun time with the little ones of the house. You will be able to go on different rides, eat and enjoy the view of the sea.

When you arrive at the park, you will feel like you have been transported to a fairy tale, surrounded by a picturesque and lively atmosphere. There are around 14 rides that allow you to experience everything from traditional rides to more adventurous experiences.

You will be able to climb the imposing Ferris wheel with 24 cabins and a 50-metre high tower. You'll also enjoy up to four age-themed roller coasters, flying chairs, the traditional carousel, a mirror maze, bumper cars and much more. And, if you're in Sydney at night, you'll have the chance to take in a breathtaking view of the sea, harbour area and city.

Useful information

• Price: Admission to the park is free, but if you want to go on the rides you will have to pay a cost starting at €44 per adult, and around €34 for children under 13.
• Opening hours: The park generally opens at 10:00 am, however, opening times vary daily. For this reason, it is best to check the opening times before your visit.

Playing in the sand, soaking in the water and doing some water sports are all popular with children and adults alike. That's why a visit to Sydney's best beaches is a great way to get away from the hustle and bustle. You'll escape the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy a natural paradise scene.

Any time of year is the right time to visit the city's beaches. This is due to the good water temperatures. For example, if you visit Sydney in winter the water reaches 18ºC and if you spend the summer in Sydney you will enjoy an average of 23ºC.

There are many beaches in the city , some of the most popular being the following:

Shelly Beach

This beach is located approximately 37 minutes from the centre of Sydney and because it's surrounded by a reef, it's ideal for your trip with children. The water at Shelly Beach is calm and very safe for swimming and even snorkelling.

Clovelly Beach

Clovelly Beach is about 23 minutes from the city and is a great destination for swimming and snorkelling. You'll discover a wealth of marine life including octopus, fish, starfish and more. You'll also find a shallow natural pool for the little ones, sandy, paved and grassy areas for volleyball, football or just lounging around.

Bondi Beach

This is another beach that will surprise you with its contrasting golden sand and turquoise blue water with perfect waves to glide over. It's also about a 19-minute drive from the city centre. There's plenty to do at Bondi Beach in Sydney, including joining the kids for a surfing lesson.

The Sydney Observatory is another must-see on your itinerary if you're in the city with kids. In this old fort, you and the little ones will have fun while discovering the secrets and mysteries of the cosmos.

During the tour, you'll learn about the history of the old Fort Phillip, built in 1858 and representative of Italianate architecture. You will also climb up to the observation dome to see some astronomical objects through a series of modern telescopes.

In addition, through this experience, you will have the opportunity to see some collector's items:

• An antique transit telescope, made by Edward Troughton.
• A pair of 5 kilogramwooden blocks from the south flagpole of the fort's signal station.
• Negatives of lightning in Sydney, captured by HC Russell during the period 1889 to 1892.

Useful information

• Price: adults pay around £36 and the cost for children aged 6 and over is approximately £24.
• Duration: about 90 minutes.

If you want to see the city from a different perspective, you'll have to climb the Bay Bridge. It's a completely safe activity that you can enjoy with the kids, if you're travelling with them. You will live an adrenaline-filled adventure from one of the most iconic destinations in the city.

For this experience you will climb the arches of the bridge, reaching a height of 89 metres. From this area, you'll get a privileged view of Sydney: the harbour, the vast Tasman Sea, the iconic Opera House, the cars that travel the bridge's lanes, and more.

This activity, as you might expect, cannot be done on your own, as you'll need to use specific safety equipment and therefore have the advice of an expert. In addition, children taking part must be approximately 1.2 metres tall.

Your time in Sydney won't be complete without a visit to Madame Tussauds. In this museum, children will have a great time with their favourite characters (Marvel and DC universe heroes, actors, singers, etc). You can take amazing pictures and enjoy interactive experiences.

As you walk through the museum's exhibition halls, you'll see Spider-Man, help Superman hold a helicopter, pose with Batman, and pretend to ride E.T.' s iconic bicycle. You'll also find a wax figure of Indiana Jones, singer Ricky Martin and many more.

You can also get up close to the interactive area and walk the red carpet under the spotlight like a star. At the end of the red carpet, the famous model and actress Megan Gale will be waiting for you to take a couple of pictures.

Useful information

• Price: The entrance fee starts at around €23 per person.
• Opening hours: daily from 10:00 to 16:00.

The Sydney Aquarium is a place with a picturesque atmosphere where you can discover all the curiosities of marine life. Children will be amazed as they walk underwater and observe the more than 700 species housed here.

Once you start your tour of the aquarium, you will be fascinated by the variety of marine life. There are approximately 13,000 animals, including colourful tropical fish, manta rays, slender sharks, Japanese spider crabs, dugongs, friendly penguins, platypuses, turtles and much more.

You will also have the opportunity to see up close how the aquarium keepers feed some of the animals. The little ones at home will be able to look for Nemo in the Great Barrier Reef exhibit. As an added bonus, admission to the aquarium is included in some of the Sydney City Sightseeing Passes.

Useful information

• Price: the entrance fee starts at 38€ per person.
• Opening hours: daily from 10:00 to 17:00.

The Virtual Escape Room is the perfect way to have fun with the kids during your visit to Sydney, especially if you and your little ones are video game enthusiasts. You'll have an awesome immersive experience as they face a series of challenges.

In the game room you'll have the freedom to move around as you please: crouch, run, walk, jump, etc. All of this, with the purpose of defending yourself, attacking your enemies and collaborating with your companions within the selected metaverse.

Some of the adventures you will be able to experience include the following:

• Time Travel, you will have to exterminate a plague by searching for energy sources hidden among a pirate ship, an Aztec temple and other scenarios.
• Press Start, you will be one of the characters in a series of arcade games and you will have to stay alive until the final battle.
• Are we dead?, turned into a zombie, you will have to fight against the scientists so that they don't annihilate your race.

Useful information

• Price: the price of the experience is approximately €49 per person.
• Opening hours: every day from 10:00 to 22:00.

Wild Life Zoo is another must-see destination in Sydney with kids, where you'll have a unique and fun time. You'll get up close and personal with a range of animals native to Australia and other parts of the world, and learn some interesting facts about them. In total, there are about 6,000 animals.

Throughout your tour of this wildlife park you will be able to interact with koalas. You will see some of them sleeping on tree branches and others eating eucalyptus leaves. You'll also see some bilbies, platypuses, Goodfellow tree kangaroos, badgers, crocodiles and more.

With tickets to Sydney Wild Life Zoo you'll enjoy a series of talks focused on the conservation of native animals and wildlife. All of these are given daily by the park's keepers. There are also interactive displays to help young children understand the animal world.

Useful information

• Price: the approximate entrance fee is €24 per person.
• Opening hours: every day from 10:00 to 16:00.