Things to do with kids in Canberra
Canberra is one of the easiest cities in the country to do with kids, because so much is free and close together. Questacon is the one to book first: older kids can drop down the two-storey Free Fall slide, and under-sixes have their own area. Nearby at Old Parliament House, PlayUP is a free play space with a pretend cafe and craft sessions, and the War Memorial is free too.
The National Zoo & Aquarium has lions, giraffes and sharks, and if it rains while you are there, you can get a free return voucher. In Nicholls, the Dinosaur Museum and Cockington Green, with its miniature steam train, are a short walk apart.
For a day outdoors, Tidbinbilla is about 45 minutes out, with a flat path around the ponds to look for platypus and a flying fox in the playground. The Space Centre next door is free and has a real piece of Moon rock. Closer in, the acorn cubbies at the Arboretum playground are a favourite.
143 family outings, waterfalls and walks across the region, sorted by drive time from Canberra. Choose your suburb at the top to sort from where you are staying.
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Free · 48
Sensory-friendly · 6
Wheelchair access · 6
Top things to do in Canberra
Drop down the Free Fall slide at Questacon
Kids aged 5 and up, at least 110cm tall, can hang from a bar and drop down the two-storey Free Fall slide. Under-sixes have Mini Q, with a research ship to climb aboard. Questacon opens 9am to 5pm daily; book a timed ticket ahead, and under-4s go free.
under 5 min
Science centre · Questacon
Photo: DaHuzyBru, CC BY-SA 4.0
Meet lions and sharks at the National Zoo
Lions, tigers, giraffes, meerkats and koalas live at the zoo, and the aquarium holds sharks, rays and eels. Kids can also burn off energy in the AdventureLand play area. It opens 9.30am to 5pm daily, and if it rains during your visit you can claim a free return voucher at reception before you leave.
about 10 min
Wildlife park · National Zoo & Aquarium
Photo: Bidgee, CC BY-SA 3.0
Walk the Sanctuary ponds at Tidbinbilla
Walk the 2.1km wheelchair-accessible path around the Sanctuary ponds to look for platypus. At the Nature Discovery Playground, older kids ride the flying fox, often with kangaroos nearby. A day pass is $16.09 a car, about 45 minutes from the city, and the reserve may close on Total Fire Ban days.
about 30 min
Animal sanctuary · Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve
Photo: Natalie Maguire, CC BY-SA 2.0
See the new halls at the War Memorial
Entry to the Australian War Memorial is free and you don't need tickets. The new Anzac Hall and Aircraft Hall are open, while the pre-1914 galleries stay closed until 2028. Galleries open 10am to 5pm, the western path takes prams, and the Last Post Ceremony starts at 4.30pm.
under 5 min
Museum · Australian War Memorial
Photo: Shkuru Afshar, CC BY-SA 4.0
Stand under a T. rex at the Dinosaur Museum
Inside are 23 complete skeletons, more than 150 dinosaur models and over 300 fossil displays. Out in the garden, a 20-metre animatronic T. rex waits for photos. It opens 10am to 5pm; a family ticket is $75, and kids 3 and under come free with their family.
about 15 min
Museum · National Dinosaur Museum
Photo: Chris Olszewski, CC BY-SA 4.0
Ride the little steam train at Cockington Green
Handmade miniature buildings from around the world fill these gardens, along with a 34-room dolls house called Waverley. Train rides cost $5 and leave through the day from 10am, weather permitting. A family pass for two adults and up to three kids is $79, and the Dinosaur Museum is under 300 metres away.
about 15 min
Fun park · Cockington Green Gardens
Photo: Maksym Kozlenko, CC BY-SA 3.0
See real Moon rock at the Space Centre
This free visitor centre sits beside NASA's deep space antennas at Tidbinbilla, a 40 to 45 minute drive from the city. Kids can see a piece of Moon rock from Apollo 11, astronaut food and spacecraft models. It opens 10am to 4pm on weekends, with extra days in ACT school holidays; the café is closed, so pack food.
about 25 min
Museum · Canberra Space Centre
Photo: Robert Kerton, CSIRO, CC BY 3.0
Play in the acorn cubbies at the Arboretum
The POD Playground at the National Arboretum has acorn and banksia cubbies, sand play, slides and swings. The grounds and playground open every day, until 8.30pm in daylight saving. The Village Centre opens 9am to 4pm.
about 10 min
Gardens · National Arboretum Canberra
Photo: MEGutsell, CC BY-SA 4.0
Play café in PlayUP at Old Parliament House
PlayUP is a free, hands-on family space inside the Museum of Australian Democracy. Kids can stick shapes on the fuzzy felt wall, run the role-play kindness café and join craft sessions from 10.30am to 12.30pm. It opens 9am to 4.30pm daily, though some other rooms are closed for building works.
under 5 min
Museum · Museum of Australian Democracy
Photo: VisionUnitWasTaken, CC BY-SA 4.0
Drive or climb to the top of Mount Ainslie
Mount Ainslie Drive, off Fairbairn Avenue, climbs to a summit car park and lookout over the city. Older kids can walk up instead: the summit walk is 4.5km return from behind the War Memorial, with steps and steep sections. There's a picnic shelter at the top but no bins, so take rubbish home.
under 5 min
Lookout · Mount Ainslie Lookout
Photo: Orion Kahza, CC0
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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.