Girl looking out at mini village display in the garden.

The best free and cheap family activities

Need to keep your little mates entertained? Check out these awesome free events and fun adventures for an epic day of fun. Some age limits may apply, check with venues before visiting. If you simply can't bare to think up a day of activities, Melbourne-based cook and author Julia Busuttil Nishimura has done the hard yards for you. Follow her guide for a fun, easy, affordable day out.

When are the school holidays?

The school holidays in Victoria are from Friday 3 April to Sunday 19 April 2026.

When is public transport free during the school holidays?

Public transport is free in Victoria for the entirety of the Easter school holidays and continuing until Thursday 30 April 2026. This includes Melbourne trains, trams and buses as well as regional trains, coaches and buses. There's no need to tap on your Myki during this time but if you do, don't fret you won't be charged! Check the full details.

Driving in?

With more than 70,000 car spaces in the city, you’re never far from Melbourne’s best events. Book ahead at key parking providers to get the best deal.

Deals, discounts and pop-ups

A mother and two young children on the deck of a ferry looking out across the water.

Port Phillip Ferries

Kids (4-16 years) travel free on these weekly 2.5hour cruises, Tuesdays 9.30am-12.15pm, T&Cs apply.

Special offer

Free family-friendly events

Market stallholder with her puppet toys, beside the Yarra River in the CBD.
Until

The Sunday Market at Southgate

Explore the Sunday Market at Southgate and meet the makers.

A child and an adult with sporting medals around their necks, one of them holding a table tennis paddle, standing in a room.
Until

Table Tennis

Play a game of table tennis with the local world champion, Chau.

Animator and filmmaker Adam Elliot working on a claymation set, adjusting characters.
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Making Memoir of a Snail

Explore handmade sets, props and characters from Adam Elliot's claymation film Memoir of a Snail.

A young child wearing a dressing gown, looking at an open picture book in her lap, blurred twinkling lights behind her.
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Bedtime Storytime

Hop into your pyjamas, grab your favourite teddy and enjoy bedtime stories.

Young children and their parents listening to a story book being read aloud in a colourful environment with large dinosaur cutouts.
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Dino Days

Young dinosaur enthusiasts, aged 3-5 years, are invited to explore all things dinosaur.

Play School exhibition with signature teddy and toys.
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Play School: Come and Play

A hands-on, playful exhibition where families can discover how the beloved TV show comes to life.

Group of children seated on the floor while adults look on.
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Auslan Storytime

Bringing stories to life through visual language and movement, 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month.

Free kids activities

A woman holding a picture book titled 'Ruffles' and also holding a dog toy in a library reading area.
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Songbirds

Come along to East Melbourne Library on Thursdays for Songbirds: songs, rhymes and stories.

A smiling woman with a ukulele seated at a desk with two picture books on display.
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Stompers

Join in the Stompers fun with your toddler at narrm ngarrgu Library every Friday.

Illustrations of two children with clipboards in (real) garden setting.
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Fitzroy Gardens Outdoor Adventure

A free fun outdoor seek and find adventure around the Fitzroy Gardens.

Events under $20

A family seated at an outdoor table in a grassy park, eating takeaway food from the food van parked behind them, the Skyline Ferris wheel in the background.

Skyline Melbourne

See Melbourne's unbeatable city view from the Skyline Melbourne Ferris wheel.

A group of people dressed at pirates posing on an old ship.
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Pirate Day at Polly Woodside

Come along and experience the pirate life aboard Melbourne's tall ship.

A person with blue hair at a vending machine as another person directs them on how to use it.
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Loopy Lab

See how plastic waste is a resource by making your own pen or carabiner from plastic bottle tops.

Special occasion activities - $20 and over

Man wearing a tuxedo performing sleight of hands tricks with a glass in front of a seated audience.
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Melbourne Magic Show

Enjoy a theatrical magic experience like no other.

A plate of fluffy pancakes with ice-cream and chocolate over the top.
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Chocolate Family Adventure Day

Enjoy an all-inclusive, stress-free family outing filled with fun, creativity, and delicious treats.

Picnic spread of dishes, boxed food and drinks on a blue gingham tablecloth.
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Family Mystery Picnic: Melbourne Laneways

Solve clues, taste and collect pre-paid gourmet food on this unique foodie adventure.

Two people standing on the 'ceiling' of an inverted living room.

House Down Under

Australia’s favourite inverted house photo experience brings topsy-turvy fun to Melbourne.

Painted bears of various sizes standing on a wooden ledge.

Bear With Us

Unleash your inner artist in this therapeutic and fun experience.

Two people standing in an immersive room at Dreamskape surrounded by a virtual reality projection of interior of a spaceship.

Dreamskape

Explore the District Dockland's multi-media sensory entertainment complex.

A smiling young girl seated as a table in front of a pile of slime.

Slime Lab

A play and retail space offering awesome and creative slime workshops for kids.

A male magician in a top hat and suit on a smoky stage, holding a yellow and green fan and performing a trick.
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Illusionaire Family Magic Show

Sam Angelico is back in Melbourne performing his family-friendly show Illusionaire.

Two performers wearing bright costumes on a stage.
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Magic, Mirth and Mystery

Enjoy a family magic show at Piccolo Teatro Magic Theatre.

A child engaging in an immersive augmented reality adventure game standing in front of a brick wall and holding a digital device up high.

Hunters and Raiders

A world-first AR treasure hunt filled with clues, mystery and real-world adventure.

Three smiling workshop participants in a studio space, holding up jewellery they have made.
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Polymer Clay Earring Workshop

Create beautiful jewellery in this fun workshop.

Two smiling workshop participants holding up jewellery they have made.
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Polymer Clay Workshop

Create beautiful pairs of earrings and necklaces using polymer clay in this fun workshop.

A woman and child sit in a museum, looking up at a glass case displaying a preserved human body posed in a dramatic leap, with exposed muscles visible.
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Body Worlds: The Anatomy of Happiness

Discover what lies behind the skin to reveal how our health, emotions and environment impact us.

For teens and older kids

Two people seated below a neon sign.
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The Story of the Moving Image

A permanent exhibition that journeys through the past, present and future of the moving image.

A group of smiling participants in a studio workshop setting, holding glass-domed terrariums.
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Serene Terrarium: Workshop for Beginners

Create your mini plant world while enjoying a soothing cuppa and a calming environment.

Seven people in coloured aprons holding up kokedama balls in a workshop.
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Kokedama Workshop

Enjoy a beginner's workshop and learn how to make a little moss ball plant.

Side view of a child typing on a laptop.
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STEM Holiday Workshop for Young People: Auslan and English

Young people are invited to experience a free hands-on STEM workshop at Science Gallery Melbourne.

Two smiling workshop participants holding up jewellery they have made.
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Polymer Clay Workshop

Create beautiful pairs of earrings and necklaces using polymer clay in this fun workshop.

Three smiling workshop participants in a studio space, holding up jewellery they have made.
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Polymer Clay Earring Workshop

Create beautiful jewellery in this fun workshop.

A sophisticated music store with guitars hanging on the wall.

The Music Gym

Drop in to The Music Gym, Melbourne's most playable pit stop!

Person on a skateboard at Riverslide Skate Park.

Riverslide Skate Park

The city's biggest skate park, overlooking the Yarra River and Birrarung Marr.

Small brick building illuminated at night, housing Signal creative arts studio.

Signal

Signal is the City of Melbourne's creative studio for young people 14 to 25 years.

People skating in an indoor ice rink with disco lighting.

O'Brien Icehouse

An ice arena for public skating and ice sports events, located in Docklands.

Brightly coloured singing booths arranged around the walls in a large room, with bench seating in the central open space.

Kono Coin Karaoke

Enjoy a karaoke experience at a singing booth.

The exterior of Hardrock climbing in the city, surrounded by other buildings.

Hardrock Climbing

The ultimate indoor rock-climbing experience in Melbourne is at Hardrock Climbing.

People lining up outside a retro photobooth at night.

Flinders Street Photobooth

Have your photo taken at a vintage black and white photobooth.

Looking into the interior of a studio space, with a row of five small booths on the left and shelves of props and equipment on the right wall.

Life4Cuts Chinatown

A Korean-inspired self-photo booth studio in Chinatown.

Three girls posing and holding up their hands in peace signs while wearing flower headbands.

Hama Film Self Photo Studio

A self-photo studio where you can take amazing photos in special concept rooms.

A giant ball pit with brightly coloured geometric patterns and neon shapes on the walls.

Hijinx Hotel

No beds here. Just ball pits, bold colours, brain-teasing challenges and a lot of laughter.

Interior of Archie Brothers games venue, showing a candy counter, and a central bar area.

Archie Brothers

Archie Brothers delivers circus themed arcade charm, whimsical cocktails, and big-kid energy.

People enjoying tenpin bowling.

Strike Bowling

Tenpin bowling plus laser tag and escape rooms - great fun for everyone.

Exterior of Holey Moley mini golf venue at night.

Holey Moley Golf Club

Holey Moley offers a mini golf course and bar with 27 themed holes plus a karaoke room.

A person with blue hair at a vending machine as another person directs them on how to use it.
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Loopy Lab

See how plastic waste is a resource by making your own pen or carabiner from plastic bottle tops.

School holiday workshops

A standing and seated row of children in a large bright room, all holding up artworks they've created.
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Rainbow Art Class

A guided art class for children, led by an artist and educator.

A child wearing a plastic coat, squirting paint with a paintgun at a pink canvas on a wall splattered with paint.
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Melbourne Paint Lab Art Workshop

At Melbourne Paint Lab you can splash, splatter and drip paint to unleash your inner artist.

The shopfront of a Japanese-style craft workshop with brightly coloured craft materials on shelves and a neon sign.
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DIY Craft Workshops

Unleash your creativity at these workshops where everyone is a designer.

Family-friendly attractions

Baby looking in a mirror.

Children's Gallery Melbourne Museum

This is a wondrous place for young children to explore, play and learn.

Koala in a gum tree at Melbourne Zoo.

Melbourne Zoo

Journey through a world of wildlife in the heart of Melbourne.

A museum visitor in an exhibition space using a screen, surrounded by display objects.

Australian Music Vault

A celebration of Australian contemporary music – past, present and future.

Child looking over right shoulder with delighted smile, dark dinosaur model behind.

Melbourne Museum

Explore history, culture, science and nature at this popular Melbourne attraction.

Three women joining hands and fooling around against a fantasy backdrop.

ArtVo

An interactive 3D art gallery with optical illusions that visitors can touch and explore.

Family in a glass tunnel looking up at a very large stingray.

SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium

Discover thousands of aquatic animals in four enchanting worlds at this top Melbourne attraction.

Two children resting their hands on the glass water wall at NGV International.

NGV International

NGV International houses a whole world of international art.

Large, rectangular building of Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square.

Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia

The world’s first major gallery dedicated exclusively to Australian art.

Smiling vendor selling a range of pastries, dips and spreads at Queen Victoria Market.

Queen Victoria Market

This beloved Melbourne landmark is the largest open air market in the southern hemisphere.

The geometric exterior of ACMI at Federation Square in Melbourne.

ACMI

Museum dedicated to the moving image through events, film screenings and exhibitions.

People browsing a museum with paper lanterns and artwork.

Museum of Chinese Australian History

Museum preserving and displaying the history of Chinese immigration.

Double-storey ArtPlay building with city skyscrapers in the background.

ArtPlay

A creative arts centre for children to share unique experiences with professional artists.

More family-friendly ideas

Last updated on Wed 1 Apr 2026

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