The zoo in Parkville opens 9am to 5pm every day of the year, and its Western Lowland Gorillas are a highlight. Kids get in free on weekends, public holidays and Victorian school holidays, and under-4s are free on weekdays too. During school terms, Keeper Kids runs play-based sessions every day, included with entry.

Bundoora Park Farm opens every day from 10am to 4pm at 1069 Plenty Road, and only farm-supplied feed may go to the animals. Its Heritage Village has buildings from 1899 and a working printing press. Bird flu rules have closed the chicken and duck pens for now, and the farm is a 7 to 10 minute walk from the park entrance.

A free safari bus tours the savannah at Werribee Open Range Zoo, and nine Asian elephants roam the Elephant Trail. It opens 9am to 5pm daily, last entry 3.30pm, and kids get in free on weekends, public holidays and Victorian school holidays. Little ones can climb aboard a giant helicopter at Ranger Kids, the indoor play space.

Heide's gardens and sculpture park in Bulleen are free, and kids can count the sculptures on the way down to the Yarra. Under-16s get into the galleries free too; they open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am, closing at 4pm on weekdays and 5pm on weekends. North East Link works affect Bulleen Road, so check your route first.

The Victorian-era bathing boxes line a sheltered cove at Brighton Beach. Volunteer lifesavers patrol on summer weekends and holidays, and kids can walk out along the Middle Brighton Pier. Trains stop at Brighton Beach and Middle Brighton stations.

About 1,400 little penguins nest on the breakwater and come ashore just after sunset. Two free one-hour sessions run each night from the boardwalk at the end of the pier, one at sunset and one after dark. Book ahead with Phillip Island Nature Parks, as each session takes 150 people, and leave torches and flash off.

CERES in Brunswick East is a 4.5-hectare public park and urban farm that is free to visit. Kids can try the Terra Wonder Playspace, and more than 200 chooks free-range in their own haven. Come on a Saturday for the market, and park free inside the grounds through the Stewart Street gate.

Werribee Mansion opens daily from 10am to 4pm, and a family ticket is $39.50. Entry to the formal gardens and the Victoria State Rose Garden, with its 5000 roses, is free. Prams can't go inside the mansion, so bring a carrier for babies.

Jells Park in Wheelers Hill has a lake, bird hides and two new nature playspaces, Yabbie Hill and Jells Park East. Wide paths, chosen ground covers and a Changing Places toilet make them work for kids of all abilities. The Koomba Boardwalk is closed until further notice.

Entry to the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne is free, and it opens daily from 9am to 5pm, last entry 4.30pm. Collect free Seek and Find nature cards at the Visitor Centre, then search the gardens for things big and small. A nature playground and picnic area is a short walk from the carpark, and pets can't come in.

Children 16 and under get in free, and adult entry is $18; the museum opens 9am to 5pm daily in Carlton. In the Children's Gallery, kids aged 5 and under dig for dinosaur fossils and dance in a camouflage disco. Book a free 50-minute timed slot for that gallery when you get your tickets.

Hawkstowe Picnic Area, once part of an 1850s farm, has new play spaces, barbecues and an accessible toilet. A walking track leads to a viewing platform over Blue Lake, which turns turquoise at times of year. Blue-green algae is in the lake, so swimming and fishing there are not advised.