Melbourne is a great place for turning the school holidays into mini-adventures. The city has plenty of things for sparking creativity and curiosity, from science museums to free outdoor gardens. Whether you're looking for something to do on a rainy day or after an outdoor activity in the sun, here are 15 of Melbourne's best activities for the school holidays.
| Attraction | Location | Type | Age Range | Price | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne Museum | Carlton | Indoor | All ages | $ | Science & First Peoples galleries, hands-on exhibits |
| Scienceworks | Spotswood | Indoor | 4–12+ | $ | STEM shows, Planetarium, Sports Zone |
| ACMI – Story of the Moving Image | Federation Square | Indoor / Multimedia | All ages | Free | Film & gaming history, interactive exhibits |
| Melbourne Zoo | Parkville | Outdoor / Wildlife | All ages | $$ (kids free on holidays) | Keeper talks, playgrounds, native animals |
| SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium | Melbourne CBD | Indoor / Marine | All ages | $$ | Sharks, penguins, touch pools |
| Royal Botanic Gardens & Children’s Garden | South Yarra | Outdoor / Nature | All ages | Free | Water play, storytelling, picnics |
| National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) | St Kilda Rd & Fed Square | Indoor / Art | All ages | Free | NGV Kids gallery, creative workshops |
| State Library Victoria | Melbourne CBD | Indoor / Learning | All ages | Free | Storytime sessions, crafts, dome galleries |
| ArtVo | Docklands | Indoor / Interactive Art | 5+ | $–$$ | 3D illusions, photo ops |
| LEGOLAND Discovery Centre | Chadstone | Indoor / Play & STEM | 3–10 | $–$$ | Build zones, rides, 4D cinema |
| Collingwood Children’s Farm | Abbotsford | Outdoor / Farm | All ages | $–$$ | Feed animals, pony rides |
| Healesville Sanctuary | Yarra Valley | Outdoor / Wildlife | All ages | $$ | Native species, bird shows |
| Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne | Cranbourne | Outdoor / Nature | All ages | Free | Australian Garden, walking trails |
| Immigration Museum | Melbourne CBD | Indoor / Cultural | 8+ | $ | Migration stories, interactive displays |
| City Playgrounds & Free Tram Loop | CBD & Docklands | Outdoor / Urban Adventure | All ages | Free | Playgrounds, trams, riverside walks |
Melbourne Museum
Melbourne Museum is certainly impressive and a good indoor activity for a rainy day. There are two dinosaur skeletons and immersive rainforest walkways. Kids can spend hours in the Children's Gallery enjoying the sensory play station and excavation pits. Parents love the cafés, lockers, and wide pram-friendly paths. In the school holidays, pop-up activities and temporary exhibits ensure that the venue stays fresh for repeat visitors.
Scienceworks
Scienceworks in Spotwood has lightning shows, hands-on experiments, and interactive galleries. This, just like Powerhouse in Sydney, is a great place for curious kids as they can touch, press, and question everything. The Planetarium is excellent for those interested in space. At the same time, the Sports Zone lets kids test how fast they can sprint or how high they can jump (potentially tiring them out!). There are workshops during school holidays, but they do fill up quickly, so book ahead.
ACMI – Story of the Moving Image
ACMI is a free museum celebrating film, television, animation, and gaming. It offers a perfect mix of nostalgia for adults and discovery for children. Kids can try their hand at stop-motion, design digital avatars, or sit in screening pods showing classics from around the world. This attraction offers a lively atmosphere, and there are opportunities for interaction all over the place. For parents, this is an easy win thanks to its central location, free entry, and hours of entertainment.
Melbourne Zoo
The Melbourne zoo is full of roars, chirps, and laughter. From seals to orangutans, there's something to stop and see along every path. With shaded picnic spots, water fountains, and pram-friendly routes, this zoo is designed for visiting with kids, like many of the best school holiday activities in Brisbane. Older kids will appreciate keeper talks and feeding sessions. During Victorian school holidays and weekends, entry is free for children.
SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium
SEA LIFE Melbourne is a chance to watch sharks glide through the water or penguins waddle through icy tunnels. This is an immersive experience for an escape on hot summer days. There are opportunities to feed some of the creatures and touch starfish in the Discovery Rockpools.
Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne & Children’s Garden
The Royal Botanic Gardens are just south of the Yarra, where they offer an oasis of calm and colour. Families can enjoy picnics under towering trees while children splash in the water play area of the Ian Potter Foundation Children's Garden. In spring and autumn, there are special kids' programs and gardening workshops and, best of all, it's completely free.
National Gallery of Victoria (NGV International / Ian Potter Centre)
The National Gallery of Victoria is inside a grand building on St Kilda Road. There are installations big enough to walk through and art-making stations designed for little ones. The NGV Kids Gallery is different every season, so there are always new things to discover. Parents can enjoy world-class exhibitions while kids paint, cut, and craft nearby.
State Library Victoria
The State Library Victoria is more than just a place to read. You can find children's spaces with books, beanbags, and interactive displays. There are storytime sessions, craft workshops, and scavenger hunts. A mix of education and relaxation, this is a free, central spot where you can unwind. The children's wing is bright, modern, and designed with discovery in mind. Sometimes, the simplest outings can be the most memorable. In fact, libraries make a great school holiday activity in Perth, Adelaide, or wherever you happen to be spending them.
ArtVo (Immersive Trick-Art Gallery)
ArtVo at Docklands turns every wall into an optical illusion. Step inside enormous murals while taking trick photos. Unlike traditional galleries, touching and interacting are encouraged, making it great for energetic kids. Fun, creativity, and a bit of magic, this is a great one for a rainy afternoon.
LEGOLAND Discovery Centre
For LEGO lovers, this is paradise. Kids can race their creations down test tracks, ride the indoor train, or sit in the 4D cinema. This space is designed with exploration and teamwork, with soft play for toddlers and advanced build zones for older kids. Thanks to timed entry, it never feels overcrowded, and there are nearby cafés for refuelling.
Collingwood Children’s Farm
Along the Yarra in Abbotsford, Collingwood Children's Farm offers country life just minutes from the city. Kids can feed goats, cuddle guinea pigs, and watch cows being milked at dawn. There are pony rides and gardening corners to keep the little ones busy.
Healesville Sanctuary
Healesville Sanctuary is located in native bushland. You can wander leafy trails, meet wombats, echidnas, and platypuses along the way. See the Spirits of the Sky bird show, which combines spectacle with conservation messages. Kids enjoy the close-up encounters with nature, while the parents will love the open-air feel and shaded picnic areas.
Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne (Australian Garden)
The Royal Botanic Gardens has an extraordinary variety of native plants. This is more than just a garden; it's a walk through Australia's landscapes in miniature. Kids are free to climb, explore, and splash through water features while parents walk along the trails. Make sure you bring hats, sunscreen, and a picnic. You'll want to linger. Entry is free and there are occasional guided walks for children during the holiday. Visiting the botanic gardens is also an excellent school holiday activity in Adelaide, Brisbane, or Sydney.
Immigration Museum
The Immigration Museum is located inside an elegant 19th-century building. This museum tells the history of Australia through the people who came here to make it their home. Migration is brought to life through sound, film, and digital storytelling. This is surprisingly engaging for kids, with interactive zones letting them imagine packing for a long voyage or designing a passport. It's a good reminder of how diverse Melbourne is.
Playgrounds & City Loops (Free City Fun)
Melbourne has plenty of city playgrounds, and with free trams, discovering them is effortless. Start at the Docklands playground before hopping on the City Circle Tram to explore street art and buskers. Southbank's riverside is great for scooters, and there are shaded stops for snacks.
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