Melbourne on the Yarra River

Disclaimer: This article is written in partnership with Accor

Have you noticed that your perspective on a place changes once children are in the picture? My relationship with my hometown of Melbourne has been turned on its head by the arrival of my own three cheeky monkeys. Instead of just being the place where I live I’ve developed a drive to explore Melbourne’s child friendly nooks and crannies.   And discover them we have. This vibrant, multi-cultural melting pot of a city offers seemingly inexhaustible opportunities to learn, experience, eat and have fun together.

One of the challenges of writing a “best of” article such as this one is narrowing the list down.   Hence I’m hoping that this post will become a living document, one that I add to as time goes on, and that readers will influence by commenting on – to tip me off to new places that we are yet to discover

Best arts and culture experiences

Oh National Gallery of Victoria how we love you! The NGV consistently demonstrates a commitment to engaging families in the arts via their permanent and temporary exhibitions. The NGV, located in the Melbourne CBD is easily accessible by public transport and general entry is free. A visit to the NGV with kids will teach them that art is not stuffy or boring, and for non-arty me is a lesion in art fun.

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is a world-class orchestra that delivers performances targeted at families every year. Families with children aged from toddlers up will find performances that match their attention span and interests.

Nothing says art like a giant disco dance floor for kids. Temporary exhibition Tromarama for Kids at the NGV

Best parks and gardens

Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens are a relaxing respite from the city pace of Melbourne. A highlight of our summer school holidays is to take a picnic lunch and catch one of the children’s theatre productions (Wind in the Willows is a perpetual favourite). The Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden within the Royal Botanic Gardens are a special place for nature play.

A visit to the Fitzroy Gardens harks back to a past era. Unique features include the Fairies Tree, dragon playground and miniature village.

The gardens at the Heide Museum of Modern Art combine modern sculpture with traditional features such as a vegie garden. For some reason the vegie garden is a haven for butterflies on warm days.

Heide Museum of Modern Art

Best beaches

In my opinion Melbourne’s beaches deserve much more attention than they receive. Half Moon Bay, in Black Rock is a perfect place for children to swim (weather permitting) and has an onsite fish and chip shop with the best sweet potato cakes to boot.   If you have access to a kayak or stand up paddle-board then Half Moon Bay is a great place to do these.
Ricketts Point marine Sanctuary at Beaumaris provides patrolled swimming in a safe environment for young kids. The resident black swans and pelicans are welcome friends during your swim.

Looking down toward’s Half Moon Bay and the Cerberus shipwreck

Best place to stay

Looking for a Melbourne hotel? We recommend the Saint Kilda Novotel to family and friends visiting Melbourne with kids. Opposite the iconic Mr Moon this family friendly hotel is ideally placed for family visits to Luna Park, beach swims and quick jaunts into the CBD via tram. On our own Novotel Saint Kilda Staycation we were impressed by the family friendly dining, welcome gifts for kids, late checkout for families on Sunday and swimming pool.  Alternatively Accor has a range of family friendly Melbourne CBD hotels.

Mr Moon Luna Park Melbourne

Best day trips

I love heading out to the green hills of the Yarra Valley.   A day trip to the Yarra Valley can easily accommodate adult and children’s interests. My kids enjoy the Hedgend Maze and Yarra Valley Railway. Domain Chandon winery is an adult focused winery but kids are welcome and dining in their casual café with the kids worked well for us. For a unique experience head up to the Dandenong Ranges and the William Rickett’s Sanctuary where Aboriginal themed sculptures are set among the ferny rainforest.

Domaine Chandon Winery in the Yarra Valley

Best places to eat

Where do I start? Melbourne is famous for its food and families with kids shouldn’t be shy about making the most of Melbourne dining no matter how young their little ones are. Visiting the ethnic hubs of Victoria Street (Vietnamese) China Town, and Lygon Street (Italian) are vibrant sensory experiences for the whole family and a good feed will be had by all there. The European cake shops of Acland Street in Saint Kilda are a good option for those with a sweet tooth. The Queen Victoria Markets are a fun place to pick up the freshest products and gourmet ingredients for a family picnic or meal. Combining a shopping visit to the Queen Vic markets with a family meal at one of the many onsite dining outlets is a mixed purpose family outing. A couple of individual places we keep returning to – Jam and Cream does nostalgic tea parties for families in West Heidleberg and kids love dining in their pink caravan. The Foodtruck Park in Preston offers a rotating roster of delectable food truck menus with features to keep the kids happy – 80s video games, ping pong and giant chess.

The Food Truck Park in Preston

Best places for indoor activity

No write up about Melbourne would be complete without a dig at the weather. Yes, it can be rainy, cold and dreary here sometimes. Thankfully there are many options for the kids to burn off some energy indoors. We love Latitude in West Heidleberg that features a ropes/obstacle course, trampolines and rock climbing. There is a dedicated 5 and under area too. Watermarc in Greensborough is an indoor pool with waterslides and water play areas. The water at Watermarc is warm and a great option for winter. There are a number of Inflatable World outlets around Melbourne which also offer fun indoor play (without being a playcentre) for active kids.

The splash play area at Watermark

Best places to learn

Melbourne’s science museum, Scienceworks is interactive, fun and engaging for families. The Itty Bitty Super City is a permanent exhibition for young children that is hands on and play based. Older kids enjoy the planetarium. In school holidays they run “meet the scientist” sessions that include opportunities to dress up, learn and win prizes.

The Melbourne Museum is a guaranteed kid pleaser. My own sons love the Dinosaur Walk. The Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre is located in the Melbourne Museum and provides a unique opportunity for families to learn about Victoria’s traditional owners.

Scienceworks in Melbourne

Best animal experiences

The Melbourne Aquarium and Melbourne Zoo are both family favourites. We love the Werribee Open Range Zoo which has less crowds, an interactive play room, night time family safaris at certain times of the year, a water splash area and a safari tour especially for families with under fives.

Werribee Open Range Zoo

So much to say about Melbourne that I could go on and on. Remember – this is a living document – suggest your own favourite place to visit in the comments below.

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