The best free and cheap family activities

Find family-friendly fun and free events in Melbourne.

Girl looking out at mini village display in the garden.

Need to keep your little mates entertained these winter holidays? 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 Saturday 27 June to Sunday 12 July 2026.

When is public transport half price during the school holidays?

Public transport is half price in Victoria until the end of the year. 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.

Free family-friendly events

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.

Market stallholder with her puppet toys, beside the Yarra River in the CBD.
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The Sunday Market at Southgate

Explore the Sunday Market at Southgate and meet the makers.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

An illustration of a large white tiered cake, with a cherry on top, framed by red curtains, against a pale pink background.
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Children's Play: Ragnar Kjartansson

A new children's exhibition by Ragnar Kjartansson, inspired by the idea of a theatrical feast.

Two primary school aged children looking at objects in a glass display case at an exhibition at the Shrine of Remembrance.
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Hats of Heroes: Guided Children's Tour

Discover what ancient Greek warriors and Anzac soldiers have in common this school holidays.

Large lettering saying FIRELIGHT above a stage at the Firelight Festival with two large flames shooting into the air at either end.
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Firelight Festival

Melbourne’s epic winter festival returns to Docklands for three fiery nights.

Pokemon figures in a garden setting.
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Pokémon GO Fest: Global

Pokémon Trainers are invited to the largest Pokémon GO event to be held in Melbourne.

Free kids activities

A preschool aged child with curly hair wearing a red dress, holding open a book and looking at it.
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Preschool Storytime

Sing songs and read stories with your young child at North Melbourne Library.

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 adult holding a ukulele seated at a low table, with two picture books resting on the table, in a library setting.
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Preschool Storytime

Share the wonder of books with your children at narrm ngarrgu Library.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

A graphic representation of two hands holding a picture frame in front of a beach with blue sky, a black and white picture of a mother and her child in the frame.
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Make a Memory

Create a keepsake inspired by the book, These Long-Loved Things at a free drop-in craft session.

Head shot of Freya List, an Australian choreographer, with blond wavy hair framing her face.

School Holiday Workshop: Musical Theatre Dance

Freya List hosts a one-day masterclass in musical theatre dance for secondary school students.

A child putting stickers on The Big (Safe) Cardboard Car, a life-size educational car installation at the Melbourne Museum.
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Road to Zero’s Big (Safe) Cardboard Car

Children can colour, stick and discover how car safety features protect us on roads.

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.

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
Four young people holding their arms up on a VR ride.

Dreamrace Docklands

Enjoy 50% off Dream Spartan and a $15 flat price for each Dream Ride from 3-5 July.

Special offer
Four young people holding their arms up on a VR ride.

Dreamskape

Enjoy 50% off Dream Games and a $15 flat price for each Dream Ride from 3-5 July.

Special offer

Events under $20

A wooden table displaying a Roman gladiator helmet constructed from cardboard and flat cardboard helmets awaiting construction, as part of a craft activity for kids at Melbourne Museum.
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Creative Lab: Rise of the Gladiators

Enter the world of ancient Rome in Melbourne Museum’s Creative Lab workshop, Rise of the Gladiators.

A child wearing a cardboard gladiator helmet adhering a mosaic-inspired square tile drawing onto a wall with other such designs, as part of an interactive workshop at the Melbourne Museum.
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Mosaic Monuments

A drop-in activity that invites families to step into the world of ancient Rome.

The MY Steve Irwin, formerly the flagship vessel for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, painted in shades of blue camouflage colours, berthed in the water in Melbourne's Victoria Harbour, with tall city buildings in the background.

General Waste: Kids Ship Tour & Treasure Hunt

Kids can tour the MV Steve Irwin and take part in a treasure hunt with General Waste.

A child smiling and looking at an creature on display in the Our Wondrous Planet biodiversity gallery at the Melbourne Museum.
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Winter School Holidays at Melbourne Museum

Enjoy a packed program of exciting activities that's fun for the whole family.

A woman in a red coat and beanie enjoying the snow.
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Winter Wonderland

The winter wonderland fun returns to Skyline Melbourne.

Still from the animated film Arco, shows two children against a pale background with rainbow arcs in the background.
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Kids' Flicks with Feelings

Flex your emotional muscles with two thoughtful films for kids that explore time travel and empathy.

A young girl with long hair holding a light in her hands while resting a book on her lap.
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The Wall: Theatre By Kids, For Kids

A performance and making workshop designed by kids aged 9 to 12 years old.

Three young children wearing cardboard box car creations.

Drive-In Storytime

Start your engines for an evening of adventure at State Library Victoria’s Drive-In Storytime.

Flash mob tour group gathered on a rooftop with Melbourne buildings and storm clouds in the background.

School Holiday Kids and Family Silent Disco Walking Tour

Head out with the kids on a special school holiday silent disco walking tour of the city.

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.

Special occasion activities - $20 and over

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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 hooded figure positioned centrally in a circular emblem holding a talisman with a stylized letter 'H' in the centre surrounded by flying bats against a vintage image of city buildings.
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Shadows in the Dark

Go on a guided paranormal tour to reveal the hidden secrets of the Queen Vic Market.

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.

An acrobat swinging from ropes and a hoop under two red and blue spotlights.
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The Gagliardies

An extravaganza of comedy, circus silliness and clowning mischief.

Children preparing Thai ingredients in a cooking class.
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Kids Thai Cooking Class

A hands-on school holiday experience for little chefs.

A family of four wearing pyjamas and sleepmasks lying on mattresses in a museum with lamps, dinosaur skeleton in the background.
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Family Museum Sleepovers

Explore the museum after dark in this unique overnight experience at Melbourne Museum.

Painted bears of various sizes standing on a wooden ledge.

Bear With Us

Unleash your inner artist in this therapeutic and fun experience.

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 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.

For teens and older kids

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.

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.

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.

A butterfly brooch with green and pink mother of pearl inlay wings, against a white background.
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Mother of Pearl Inlay Brooch Making Workshop

Join this jewellery making class on mother-of-pearl inlay, perfect for beginners.

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.

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 beige and white knitted shoulder bag with plush trim and a chain strap, made in a cross-stitch workshop.
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Cross-stitch Embroidery Bag Workshop

Make your own pretty cross-stitch bag to style your look in this beginner class.

A hand-drawn comic or storyboard sketch in black pen depicting a narrative scene.
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Comic Book Wonder Daze Holiday Program

Join the fun of creating a floor length comic in fun one-hour workshops these school holidays.

A row of smiling teenagers standing outside a building, all holding up artworks they've created.
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Acrylic Painting on Canvas School Holiday Workshop

Join Rainbow Art Class these school holidays for a creative and relaxing painting workshop for kids.

A musical walking tour being led through a Melbourne laneway by a man wearing a blue cap, headphones, speaker and overalls.

Taylor Swift Themed Silent Disco Walking Tour of Melbourne

Join a sing-a-long tour of the city with other Swifties.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A row of smiling teenagers standing outside a building, all holding up artworks they've created.
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Acrylic Painting on Canvas School Holiday Workshop

Join Rainbow Art Class these school holidays for a creative and relaxing painting workshop for kids.

Hands folding coloured paper square to make origami.

Japanese Kids Holiday Program

An exciting introduction to Japanese language and culture through fun and immersive workshops.

A child holding up a book up and reading in front of a shop front window with traffic lights visible outside.

Winter Write-In

A day of creative fun at a cosy Carlton studio for the whole family.

An animal figuring fashioned out of gum nuts and banksia seed pods.

Kids’ Winter Workshop Fantastic Friends

Create a ‘Fantastic Friend’ with the imaginative use of gumnuts, seedpods, banksia cones and more.

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.

Dark silhouettes against panels of red and blue in a dark exhibition space.

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 Fri 12 Jun 2026

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A collection of vintage Furby electronic robotic toys displayed on wooden shelves.
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A young boy and girl pointing to triceratops bones in the Museum.

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