Cronulla is the only Sydney beach you can reach by train, and Cronulla Beach has lifeguards all year and a playground on the beachfront. For calm water, Gunnamatta Baths on the bay side is netted and has no waves, with a park and playground beside it. In Oatley Park, the baths are next to an adventure playground with a tall play tower and a flying fox.

Royal National Park is on the doorstep. At Wattamolla, kids can float on a calm lagoon and picnic under the palms; please don't let anyone jump from the waterfall. The flat Lady Carrington Drive is good for a family bike ride along the river from Audley. On Wednesdays and Sundays, old trams run from the Tramway Museum at Loftus, and preschoolers ride free.

Between May and October, humpback whales pass close to Cape Solander at Kurnell; the cliffs are unfenced, so hold hands. At Bundeena, the short Jibbon track from Jibbon Beach passes old Aboriginal rock engravings.