Things to do with kids in Adelaide's Southern Suburbs & Glenelg
Glenelg is the classic Adelaide beach day. Glenelg Beach has a playground on the foreshore, ice cream close by and the jetty to walk out on. The Bay Discovery Centre on Moseley Square tells the story of the bay, and entry is by donation. Further down the coast, Brighton Beach is patrolled and has a jetty for fishing.
At Hallett Cove, a cliff-top boardwalk passes rocks scratched by glaciers in an ice age, and kids can look for sea stars and crabs in the rock pools. In Springfield, the free Storybook Trail at Carrick Hill passes a Hobbit's home and Wilbur the pig. Wittunga in Blackwood has climbing frames shaped like a gum nut and a bottlebrush.
In Belair National Park, the easy walk around Playford Lake has free barbecues, and you might see kangaroos and emus. On weekends, the slides at the SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre at Marion are open, and little ones have a splash park with a big tipping bucket.
69 family outings, waterfalls and walks across the region, sorted by drive time from Marion. Choose your suburb at the top to sort from where you are staying.
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Top things to do in Adelaide's South
Stroll the jetty at Glenelg
Glenelg's wide beach runs either side of the jetty, with shops, cafés and ice cream close by. The Glenelg Foreshore Playground and Moseley Square are busy with family activities through the warmer months. The Bay Discovery Centre is on the square, about 50m from the sand.
about 5 min
Beach · Glenelg Beach
Photo: eGuide Travel, CC BY 2.0
Find ice-age rocks at Hallett Cove
A cliff-top boardwalk and the Glacier Hike, 3km return in about two hours, pass glacial pavements around 280 million years old. Kids can hunt for sea stars, urchins and crabs in the rock pools, then count the steps back up. Entry is free, but National Parks warns that strong currents and rips can make swimming dangerous here.
about 15 min
Walk · Hallett Cove Conservation Park
Photo: Andywelsh, CC BY-SA 4.0
Walk around Belair's Playford Lake
The Wood Duck Walk is a 1km loop of about 30 minutes around Playford Lake, popular with young children. Free barbecues and picnic tables sit beside the lake. Look for kangaroos and emus early and late in the day; vehicle entry to Belair National Park is $14.40.
about 10 min
Lake · Playford Lake
Photo: Yu Chu Chin, CC BY-SA 4.0
Fish off the jetty at Brighton
Brighton is a big sandy beach patrolled by the Brighton Surf Life Saving Club. Bring a line to fish off the jetty, or try the cafés near the sand. Seaford line trains from Adelaide station take about 45 to 50 minutes.
about 5 min
Beach · Brighton Beach
Photo: eosdude, CC BY-SA 2.0
Discover Glenelg's story at the Bay Discovery Centre
This social history museum in the heart of Glenelg tells Kaurna stories, the state's Proclamation and how beach culture grew. Entry is by donation, and it opens 10am to 4pm every day except Christmas Day and Good Friday. Go in through the double doors on Moseley Square.
about 5 min
Museum · Bay Discovery Centre
Photo: Luke Anderson, CC BY-SA 2.0
Spin down the Space Bowl at Marion
The SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre's slide tower has two rides: the enclosed Space Bowl and the fast Aqua Tube. They run 1pm to 4pm on weekends, public and school holidays. Younger kids have the splash park with its tipping Big Bucket, reopened in September 2026.
under 5 min
Pool · SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre
Photo: Ianblair23, CC BY-SA 3.0
Climb a giant gum nut at Wittunga
Wittunga Botanic Garden in Blackwood has a nature playspace with climbing frames shaped like a protea, a bottlebrush and a gum nut. Look for the ribbed musical frog and the traditional wodli. Entry is free, and the garden opens every day.
about 10 min
Gardens · Wittunga Botanic Gardens
Photo: IgottaWiki76, CC BY-SA 4.0
Find Wilbur on Carrick Hill's Storybook Trail
The Storybook Trail is a short, free walk through Carrick Hill's grounds in Springfield. It passes scenes from children's books, including a Hobbit's home and Wilbur the pig from Charlotte's Web. Families can picnic on the stables lawn or along the trail.
about 10 min
Museum · Carrick Hill
Photo: Peripitus, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Drive times are estimated from the distance, so treat them as a guide. Tap a card for the full page.
Region boundary: ABS Tourism Regions 2021 (Tourism Research Australia), CC BY 4.0. Outings from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and venues' own listings; nature spots from OpenStreetMap and park services.