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Perth City is an amazing family friendly place. Here is our guide of the best and free things to do in Perth City for families with kids of all ages, whether you’re visiting for a few hours or a few days.
Our guide includes the major tourist attractions as well as water parks, playgrounds, play centres, historic attractions and even an up to date list of all the events happening in Perth.
You’ll find the best family friendly restaurants, some with kids activities and play areas. Explore beautiful Elizabeth Quay, have fun in Forrest Place and more!
There are many events and activities held in the City especially on public holidays and school holidays. Some are free and some will require you to purchase tickets in advance.
Enjoy our guide and be sure to tell us if you find something new or different for families to explore.
Light Up your Summer in the City of Perth! Perth City’s favourite summer Fun Fair is back for five action-packed weeks, from Friday 1st December to Saturday 6th January*. Delight in the beauty of Elizabeth Quay whilst enjoying a huge lineup filled with the ultimate holiday cheer and attractions. FREE ENTRY – Discover this magical experience with access to Fireworks, Entertainment, Snowfalls and pay per use attractions. NOVA 93.7 Fireworks – Nova 97.3 will ignite the city sky with breathtaking displays of colour and awe on selected nights. Carnival Rides – Fly High on the Dream Swinger, Drift on the Read more…
Perth’s favourite family stay-cay Holiday Inn Perth City Centre is the perfect place to enjoy a family staycation. Located in the heart of Perth city, and a short walk from all the main attractions, transport, venues and shopping, your family will have everything at your fingertips to ensure you enjoy a wonderful city break. It is the added extras that makes Holiday Inn Perth City Centre the ultimate choice for your family stay-cay. Here, up to two kids aged 12 and under can stay for free when sharing their parents’ room, which means it’s never been easier to bring the Read more…
Ivy & Jack – Where Kids’ meals are the starring role Lights, camera…. ACTION! Did you know that Ivy & Jack takes its name after two characters that appeared in the first movie which premiered at the Old Town Cinema – sitting on the same site on Hay Street from 1969? While a totally new revamped premises exists today, the Hollywood lights and memorabilia still remains. And little starlets can now enjoy a scrumptious selection of meals on the Ivy & Jack kids’ menu. From nutritious options such as grilled barramundi with steamed vegetables or the old favourites including chicken Read more…
July School Holidays This winter school holidays the DFES Education & Heritage Centre will be celebrating NAIDOC Week with a creative scratch art activity. The word “fire” in the Noongar language is “karla”. Starting with the symbol for ‘karla”, children will get to scratch their own Noongar inspired symbol story to take home. This parent-led, drop-in activity is free. The old Central Fire Station in Perth CBDs historic east end is home to the DFES Education & Heritage Centre. Here children will also have the opportunity to learn about natural hazards, dress up as an emergency worker and sit in Read more…
Head to Optus Stadium over the summer! If you’re looking for something different to entertain the kids during the school holidays, Optus Stadium has something for everyone! Enjoy the six nature playgrounds in Stadium Park, bring a picnic, have a BBQ, or ride your bikes along the pathways overlooking the Swan River. How about a tour of Optus Stadium? Take the kids behind-the-scenes on a Stadium Tour for just $18 and they’ll get to see the player’s changerooms and even walk to the edge of the field! For those looking for an outdoor adventure, try our new Stadium Park Discovery Read more…
Optus Stadium’s FREE Christmas Festival is back on Sunday 3 & 10 December 2023 from 4:00pm – 8:30pm. With festive activities for the whole family to enjoy, expect over 100 food trucks and market stalls, free kids’ activities, and a Jingle Bar – the perfect place to relax with a cool beverage. Bring the family and a picnic rug and catch a Christmas movie on the outdoor amphitheatre screen from 4:30pm and 6:30pm. Whilst you’re at the Festival, why not take a behind-the-scenes tour of the Stadium. Christmas Light Tours will run on 3 & 10 December from 7:00pm and Read more…
See the man who poured gold like water at The Perth Mint Australia’s oldest operating mint located in East Perth, The Perth Mint lets kids explore a unique part of WA history. Book a tour of our grand heritage building and 1899 melting house where you can see a live gold pour, hear tales of the Mint’s golden past, and learn of the gold mining legends and events that have shaped Western Australia. See a live gold pour in the traditional 1899 melting house. Witness the amazing spectacle of a traditional gold pour in our original 1899 melting house, during Read more…
Situated on the Swan River foreshore alongside Optus Stadium, the Chevron Parkland includes 2.6 hectares of rehabilitated parklands and nature-based playgrounds. Chevron Parkland was officially opened as part of the Optus Stadium Open Day in January 2018. There are six nature play areas within the Chevron Parkland, all designed to encourage children to explore and participate in unstructured play, each play space is inspired by the Noongar six seasons. Weitj Nest – Djeran Season This area has been designed for young children, it is fully fenced and includes a small slide, water play, music play, a birds nest swing, and Read more…
Forrest Place Perth Water Labyrinth – no longer can you venture into the City of Perth to do a spot of shopping with the kids in tow and expect them to stay dry. In the centre of Forrest Place you will find the water Labyrinth Fountain and it’s fabulous fun! The $1.3 million water sculpture at Forrest place is the work of Danish artist Jeppe Hein. This interactive, family-friendly attraction features jets of water that shoot into the air to create nine “rooms”. The fountain uses recycled storm water which goes through sand filters and is chlorinated to swimming pool Read more…
The Elizabeth Water Park is an interactive water feature located at Elizabeth Quay, which at 1000 square metres is over three times the size of the Water Labyrinth in Forrest Place. The Water Park is located right opposite the Elizabeth Quay train station so it is easily accessible via public transport. The Water Park features a central ‘island’, bordered by 3 smaller circular ‘islands’. It features (not pictured) a mosaic floor that is inspired by many elements of the Noongar people. A collaboration between artists Sandra Hill and Jenny Dawson, the artwork represents the Dreaming story of the creation of the Read more…
Baby Rhyme Time For ages 0 – 2 years Story Time For ages 2-4 years Stories, rhymes and crafts. Educated by Nature Storytime For ages 2-7 years Enjoy stories and music about the Australian bush. Children and families are invited to use natural materials to recreate the story, building imaginary worlds and bush landscapes. See how both stories from children’s literature and nature can work together to inspire childhood play. Suitable for children aged 2 – 7 years. St John Ambulance Book and Bear Storytime For ages 2-7 years Join St John and Kura the bear for a storytime that Read more…
Langley Park Playground is an ideal playground if you’re visiting the city on a family day trip as it’s conveniently located in East Perth. The playground is suitable for kids age 3yrs plus (despite the sign saying 4yrs) and there are toilets directly next to the park. The park is covered with shade sails and is partially fenced. Bear in mind this playground is located on a main road and although it is fenced facing towards the road the other side of the park is open. The park appears to be split in two with play equipment more suited to Read more…
Did you know that the May Drive Parklands located in Kings Park and Botanic Garden was the very first environmental playground and community area of its kind in Australia? Previously known as the Synergy Parklands, this fun spot with golf course green-worthy lawns, is still a BIG hit with families in Perth. The park is fondly known as “The Dinosaur Playground”, since it’s home to many climbable dino sculptures. May Drive Parklands features a 75m-long elevated walkway, a two-tiered island fort, life sized replicas of dinosaurs and extinct Australian Fauna (like the giant croc!), a timber boardwalk and an interactive Read more…
Russell Square Playground features a free-standing birds-nest swing, two slides of different sizes, monkey bars, a balancing bridge, and a climbing. There is plenty to climb and bridges to run across,… as well as some grassed area next to the playground. The base is rubbery soft fall decorated with cute ladybugs. The playground isn’t fully fenced but it’s fenced enough to keep kids away from the busy Northbridge Streets. Based on the equipment, this playground would probably best suit toddlers and onwards. There isn’t a lot of shade over the playground. Depending on the time of day it may get Read more…
Perth’s newest inner-city playground, Wellington Square Playground, has just opened! Koolangka Koolangka Waabiny means children’s playground in Whadjuk Nyoongar. WA’s native Banksia plant theme can be spotted throughout the vast play space. The colourful floating disc above the playground not only provides shade but also reflect the stars and sky from Dreamtime stories. The colours seen throughout the playground are inspired from the colours from native Western Australian native flowers. It was a hot day when we went there and my 3 year old made a beeline for the water play area. From trickling water to water fountains to dam Read more…
Mardalup Playground is a popular location in East Perth for family picnics as it’s right on the banks of the Swan River, opposite Optus Stadium. Mardalup is a Nyungar term meaning ‘place of small marsupial’. The playground is on a soft fall surfaces, making it great for toddlers and kids of all ages, though with the river being so close, be mindful of toddlers playing in the area. The play area is only partially fenced. The main piece of equipment is a large metal structure which has a curvy slide with steps, ropes and ladders to climb. It’s great for older children. There’s lots of other Read more…
Perth City Farm Grower’s Markets Saturday 8am- 12pm 1 City Farm Place, East Perth (off Lime Street, next to Claisebrook train station) A vibrant market space attracting growers and producers who are organic, biodynamic, in organic conversion or are passionate about ethical and sustainable produce. Buggybuddys Review Perth City Farm Farmers Market, East Perth Read more…
The Elizabeth Quay Playground is a maritime-themed playground that has been designed in collaboration with Nature Play. The main feature of the playground is a 3 storey climbing tower featuring climbing nets, look out points, a slide and rope bridges. Kids can immerse themselves in the pirate world by ringing the ship’s bell or walking the plank. The fortress is fairly impressive with many challenging climbing ropes and rope bridges to negotiate to get to the top! There is a large sandpit in the centre of the playspace which features log steppers and a water table. The area is partly Read more…
Located across from the WA Museum Boola Bardip is the Perth Cultural Centre Playspace, a quirky little play space which has a heavy focus on sensory play. The Playspace is fully fenced and gated and it is open daily from 8am – 7pm. It is recommended that the playspace is suitable most for children aged 6 – 13 years but children under that age can get a lot out of it too. Perth Cultural Centre Playspace incorporates art and nature with interesting items the kids can touch and explore like wood carvings and spinning wheels. There is even a spinning rock! Read more…
In amongst all the shiny office buildings in West Perth is Totterdell Park. The leafy inner city park is made up of a soft fall play area with a large metal play frame that features two slides, “shop” window, climbing nets, ramps, monkey bars, a climbing wall and more. There is also a see-saw and fun nest swing too. This play area isn’t covered by shade sails, though the park is surrounded by mature trees, giving a little afternoon shade. The quiet park is not fenced and runs alongside Thomas Street, so you’ll want to keep an eye on little escape artists if you choose to take younger children. There is ample space Read more…
Harold Boas Gardens, a lush inner city park, is dappled in sunlight. It’s a lovely spot for a picnic, with lots of shade and park benches. And there’s a playground there too! The tranquil gardens feature small lakes, waterfalls and streams, so keep an eye on toddlers – they will enjoy watch the ducks waddle around. Kids will enjoy throwing a twig into the fast moving water to have a stick race under the bridge. Many of the trees are over a century old. There’s a few with low hanging branches that are perfect for climbing. There’s a small soft Read more…
Summer School Holidays at the Western Australian Museum Join us this summer at the WA Museum to take part in our school holiday activities! With specially curated school holiday programming, there’s a wide range of events where kids can express their creativity, learn and explore. International family films under Otto the blue whale, creative writing workshops, wooden boat building, LEGO® inspired stop-motion videos, and Minecraft worlds are just the beginning of the summer holidays. There’s something for everyone including free tours, drop-in activities and all-day facilitated programs. Our museums in Perth and Fremantle welcome you and your family to a Read more…
John Oldham Park is a bit of a hidden gem and the last place you would expect alongside a busy freeway intersection so close to the city, but once you have found it you will often find that you have the place to yourself, except for the odd cyclist on the path down to the Mounts Bay Road. Much of the parkland is surrounded by a lake and nature reserve, the car park is relatively small and is paid parking, but once you cross over the bridge you get straight to the playground and open space that kids can run Read more…
OPTUS STADIUM SENSORY PLAYGROUND – Smack in between the Camfield and the new bridge at Stadium park at Optus Stadium you will find a fully fenced sensory playground. This is a very well thought out, fun park! The first things my girls ran towards were the big rope climbing frame and the slide. The entrance to the slide is at the top of a “soft fall” hill – this meant getting to the slide was a good challenge for the little kids as they had to work out the best way up. It was interesting to watch so many attempt Read more…
Point Fraser Foreshore Reserve is a must visit if you’re heading into the city for the day with older kids. The equipment in this park is more suited towards school-aged children due to the equipment and steep hills around the landscape of the park. We made our journey to the Point Fraser Reserve directly from the city, it’s very easy to find if you just follow the river edge. We came across a boardwalk which headed out towards the centre of an inlet from the main river. The kids enjoyed the walk and spotting wildlife in the river and the Read more…
Rio Tinto Naturescape Kings Park – A place where children can be kids of a bygone era and it’s FREE! Rio Tinto Naturescape is one of the world’s leading nature spaces for children. It is the most unusual and brilliant playspaces that I have ever come across. It is designed as a place for children ‘to connect with nature and learn to appreciate the unique Western Australian environment’ and it does just that. Naturescape reopened to the public on 14th December 2017 after a major new Stage 2 development. The entrance to Rio Tinto Naturescape Naturescape is not a playground or Read more…
Variety Place Playground is located on Saw Avenue in Kings Park The natural design beautifully incorporates the bush, wood, rock and other pieces of nature. The previous park at Saw Avenue also used natural materials, and was enjoyed by Perth patrons for three generations! I love educating myself and the kids while we play! Signs like these are scattered around Variety Place Playground. There is a birds nest swing and lots of logs to balance on! Climbing nets will keep kids busy and active! Variety Place Playground has many opportunities for climbing, including several stairways cut from timber logs. Read more…
Farmers Market Saturday 11am-4pm 210 Murray Street Perth Buy farm-fresh fruit, vegetables, free range eggs, honey and nuts. Choose from a delightful variety of home-baked goods including breads, cakes, cookies, oils, organic teas, chutneys and pickles. Read more…
