Melbourne for kids

Melbourne

Melbourne is touted as the world most livable city since 2011. Given its status, we were bursting with anticipation for a trip there. We aim to discover what Melbourne has in store for the little ones and would assess if the city is worthy to its claim to fame.




So hop on as we bring you the top 12 activities to do in Melbourne City from a tourist perspective. We recommend these especially for those who do not intend to drive in Melbourne.

Bonus - Tips for families having a holiday in the city of Melbourne.

1 Melbourne Zoo

Melbourne Zoo

We are big fans of zoos, especially zoos in Australia. We had been to Sydney Zoo and was quite impressed with the setup. For Melbourne Zoo, it is a little more laid back and natural compared to Sydney Zoo. There are no cable cars, but there are bush walk trails to explore. With a cool weather, a day out at the zoo is perfect for families with kids

The reptile zone and the Orangutan zone are a hit with the kids. The former boost reptiles we have not seen before whereas the latter gets you up close with the Orangutan separated by a glass wall.

For kolas loves, they can be found at the zoo. However spotting them might be difficult if they decide to hide amongst the leaves. We reckon at least half a day is needed to cover all the animals exhibits at the zoo.

Fun factor: 4/5

Getting there: Tram 55 runs from William Street in the city centre, stopping directly near the back entrance of the zoo.

Get your discounted tickets from Klook here

2 Melbourne Museum

Melbourne Museum

With 19 permanent exhibits to explore, you could easily spend a whole day at the Melbourne Museum. There is a dedicated children museum featuring items such as 1,2,3 Grow to entice the little ones. The children museum also comes with a rather large play area filled with blocks and books. There is an outdoor area and an indoor seating area for parents to relax while the little one enjoy the facilities meant for them.

Fun factor : 4/5
Getting there : Free city Tram stops at Victoria Parade. Enjoy a slow 10 minutes walk through Carlton Gardens and you will reach Melbourne's Museum

Children museum @ Melbourne museum

3 Collingwood Children Farm

Collingwood Children's Farm

A working farm within 5 km from the city?
Yes, there is one at Melbourne and it is the Collingwood Children Farm. Children can get a close up experience with real farm animals here. However if you are expecting a petting zoo, you may be a tad disappointed. Horses, cows, huge white chickens, pigs and peacocks can be found on the farm.

Old McDonald had a farm, E I E I O
On that farm he has a cow, E I E I O

There are cow milking or brushing sessions daily.

Fun factor : 3 / 5
Getting there : Transportation is tricky, we took a cab there and at the end , the cab fare too and back cost more than the farm admission.

4 Luna Park

Luna Park Melbourne

Visit Australia first Luna Park. Opened since 1912, this 100 plus year old iconic amusement park had been entertaining kids through many generations.

Some of the original rides such as the world oldest continually-operating roller coaster, the Scenic Railway are still around. Don't miss a chance to take a photo with the original iconic " Mr Moon " face entrance too.

Somehow compared to the Luna Park in Sydney, the boys had more rides and more fun!

Fun Factor : 4.5 / 5
Getting here : Tram 16 via Federation Square or Tram 96 via Crown casino

5 Puffing Billy Railway

Puffing Billy Melbourne

Take a ride in Australia favourite steam train the old fashion way... With your legs sticking out of the carriage!

This century old puffing steam train is still running on its original mountain track from Belgrave. A unique experience that rides through the scenic Dandenong Ranges that kids will remember for a while.

Fun Factor : 4 / 5
Getting there : if you are not driving. The best way to get there is via a day tour.

Get your tickets from Klook here


6 Great Ocean Road 

The a Great Ocean Road is one tour that you can not miss while you are in Melbourne. This 243 km stretch of road along south eastern coast of Australia between Victoria cities Torquay and Allansford leads to the famous natural limestone formation , the Twelve Apostles.

If you are driving, you would normally take 2 days to complete the route. Day tour companies do provide a one day trip that covers 560 km from Melbourne to Great Ocean Road in a day!
Highlight a will be the limestone formation The Twelve Apostles and the lesser known Loch Ard Gouge

Fun Factor : 3.5 / 5
Getting there : If you are not driving, the best way will be a day tour from the local tour company.
If you would like to book before your trip, you can get a good deal from Klook here

7 Galactic Circus

Galactic Circus

This one is for the arcade fans. Galactic Circus is the largest arcade amusement park in Melbourne. Located at Crown Entertainment complex, it provides hours of fun for the arcade lover.

The best part of the games is that it dispense tickets . You can change the physical tickets for gifts. This is probably why this place can be addictive!

Fun factor : 4 / 5

Getting there : Via the free city tram , stop at Melbourne Convention Center

8 Monkey Mania

For parents who love to shop, they would usually made a beeline for Harbourtown, Melbourne factory outlet. Good news for the little ones, Monkey Mania , an indoor playground is located there.

Being the princes of indoor playgrounds, it will be hard to stop the boys from having their share of fun. Good news, the play is unlimited , so parents can shop while the children play ( provided at least one adult is left to supervise)

Fun factor : 3.5 / 5

Getting there : Via the free city tram , stop at Harbourtown

9 Go for a play, performance or even a circus!

Circus Oz

Melbourne is a a hotbed for arts and shows. Just check the calender before you go and book a performance for the evening. From international musicals such as Les Miserables to homegrown Circus Oz, you will find an Entertainment suitable for you.
Calender of Events
Fun factor : 4 / 5

10 Take a Walk along Yarra River

Walk along Yarra River

After a long day playing and exploring Melbourne, cap your evening with a slow stroll along The Yarra River. Absorb the sights and sounds the River brings to life. From the tower of fiery flames at Crown to street entertainment such as Elmo the bagpipe player, you will be amaze by the sights of the night.
Best time to walk would be during the cool spring and autumn evenings.

Fun factor : 3 /5

Bagpipe Elmo

11 Spend the morning at the Gardens

Gardens of Melbourne

Melbourne is known as the Garden a city of Australia. It has a lot of green lungs within the city that makes the air in the city crisp and fresh. Step into Carlton Gardens, Treasury Gardens, Fitzroy Gardens for a breath of fresh air.

Visit the Shrine of remembrance or the Ian Potter a foundation Children's Garden at the Royal Botanic Gardens. You could easily spend a whole morning or even a day at one of these beautiful gardens.

Fun Factor : 4/5

Getting there : There is almost one garden at every corner of Melbourne, just look for the one closet to the hotel. The Royal Botanic Gardens will be the place to go if you want to explore the flora and fauna of Melbourne.

12 Walk the Back lanes

Add caption

Lastly , take a stroll along the Backlanes of Melbourne . The little ones will be amazed by the graffiti found on these city walls. Given such graffiti are a rare sight in Singapore, it could be an eye opener for the little ones.

Just remind them that they should not do the same back home if you want to preserve a clean white wall!

Fun Factor : 2.5 / 5

Melbourne Backlanes Graffiti

Additional tips for families

Tips for having fun in Melbourne

• Choose an apartment

It is cheaper and much bigger than a hotel. If you are travelling in a group of 4 or more, an apartment would be a much better option with the added living , dining and kitchen space. With a kitchen, you have he option to cook as earring out can be costly ( ave AUD 50 per meal for a family of 4 )

• Stay close to Federation Square

It has links to trams or alternatively choose an apartment close to the free City Tram.

• Avoid taxis

One word - Expensive. A 5 km ride can cost Aud 20. Beware of cunning taxi drivers who are fond of longer routes and stopping at every traffic light possible. If you need transport from the airport, you might want to book an airport transfer from Klook.

You can book the transfer from this link

• Bring walking shoes

You will walk for quite a distance from point to point, it's a Melbourne thing.

• Bring a stroller

Melbourne is stroller friendly, so bring along you if you have smaller kids

• Spend at least 1 week in Melbourne

Trust us, one week is not enough!

• Get an Optus $2 a day card

For unlimited calls and 500 MB daily interest use. Card can be top up at blocks of $10. We spend on $20 for the whole week in Melbourne for Internet connection. More Details here

• Get a myki tram pass

That will bring you to most attractions stated above. Myki tickets may puzzle most so here is a quick guide:

If you are travelling on the tram for 5 days or less, myki money is cheaper than myki pass. Each myki card cost $6. There is the 2 hour fare which is charge when you travel within this time. The full daily rate will be charge if your next tram ride exceeds 2 hours within a day. You just need to touch on and no need to touch off at Zone 1. Most of the attractions above are in Zone 1.

Myki money
2 hours fare Aud 3.58 ( adult) Aud 1.79 ( child)
Daily fare Aud 7.16 ( adult) Aud 3.58 ( child)
* fares are subjected to changes

The above pictures were taken from our instagram account. Follow us on our adventures on Instagram.

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