What is there to do in Canberra with kids on a rainy day?

Questacon, the National Museum, the National Dinosaur Museum and the Canberra Glassworks are reliable indoor picks. For high-energy days, iFly indoor skydiving in Mitchell, Flip Out trampoline parks in Belconnen and Fyshwick, and Hijinx Hotel escape rooms in Phillip all work well from primary-school age up.

What's the best free playground in Canberra?

Boundless Playground at Kings Park is the best all-ages, fully accessible playground in the ACT, with shaded picnic tables, lake views and parking. The Pod Playground at the National Arboretum is the most architectural, and John Knight Park in Belconnen has the longest climbing structure.

Where can you see kangaroos near Canberra?

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, about 40 minutes south, is the most reliable free spot. Mulligans Flat Sanctuary in Forde runs guided night walks. The National Zoo and Aquarium in Curtin has guaranteed sightings but charges admission.

Are school holiday programs free?

Libraries ACT story times and most craft sessions are free with bookings. The National Gallery, Portrait Gallery and CMAG run free or low-cost holiday workshops. Paid attractions like Questacon, the Zoo and the Dinosaur Museum often release discounted holiday family passes – check their sites a month before each break.

Family days out

Things to do in Canberra with kids

3 min read

Finding ways to entertain the family in the nation capital is easy when you know where to look. Canberra is home to world class national institutions that offer hands on learning and interactive fun. You can spark curiosity at Questacon with its famous science displays or explore the diverse collections at the National Museum of Australia, which often features dedicated discovery spaces for younger visitors.

Beyond the galleries and museums, the city is packed with outdoor spaces and weekend activities. From the expansive playgrounds at the National Arboretum to creative workshops held at local libraries and galleries, there is always something to occupy kids of all ages. Check out the latest events and school holiday programs by scrolling through the live list below.

Why Canberra works for a family day out

Canberra is compact, green and built around lakes and parks, which makes it one of the easiest Australian capitals to plan a family day in. Most of the big-ticket family destinations – Questacon, the National Museum, the Arboretum, the Zoo and Aquarium, the dinosaur museum, the mint – sit within a 15-minute drive of the city centre. Public playgrounds are everywhere, and the lake-side bike paths are flat enough for training wheels.

This guide covers reliable wet-weather options, free outdoor picks, and the paid attractions that earn their entry fee. Live events for kids and families are listed in the feed at the bottom of this page.

Indoor picks for wet or cold days

Questacon in Parkes is the obvious one – the National Science and Technology Centre keeps under-12s busy for half a day with the free-fall slide, earthquake house and Mini Q early-learning room. The National Dinosaur Museum in Nicholls has full-skeleton casts and a fossil dig. The National Museum of Australia in Acton has a free Kspace digital play zone and KidsHQ holiday programs. Birrigai at Tidbinbilla and the Canberra Glassworks in Kingston run hands-on school holiday workshops worth booking in advance.

For pure rainy-day fun, iFly in Mitchell does indoor skydiving from age 3, Flip Out in Belconnen and Fyshwick has trampolines and ninja courses, and Hijinx Hotel in Phillip is escape-room-style team challenges for older kids.

Free outdoor playgrounds and parks

Boundless Playground at Kings Park is fully accessible, with a flying fox, a wheelchair-friendly carousel and shaded picnic tables right on the lake. The Pod Playground at the National Arboretum is built around giant acorn cubbies. John Knight Park in Belconnen has a long pirate ship climbing frame and Lake Ginninderra paddle boats nearby. Yerrabi Pond in Gungahlin has a playground, a flat 3 km lake loop and a coffee cart most weekends.

In summer, the wading pool at Commonwealth Park and the splash pad at Stromlo Forest Park are free. In autumn, the deciduous trees at the Arboretum and along Lennox Gardens make for great leaf-kicking.

Animal encounters and getting outdoors

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, half an hour south, is a reliable kangaroo, emu and koala spot, with the Sanctuary boardwalk pram-friendly and free with a daily vehicle pass. The National Zoo and Aquarium in Curtin charges admission but is one of the few places in Australia where you can stand next to a giraffe at feed time. Cockington Green in Nicholls has miniature buildings and a steam train. Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary in Forde runs guided night walks where families spot bettongs and quolls under red torchlight.

Markets, food and a cheap lunch

Weekend markets are a low-stress family outing. The Old Bus Depot Markets in Kingston, the Capital Region Farmers Market at EPIC in Watson and the Southside Farmers Market in Phillip all have kid-friendly food, plenty of space and weekend buskers. See our markets guide for the full list and seasonal opening times.

School holidays and free programs

Libraries ACT runs free story times, baby rhyme time and school-holiday craft sessions at every branch. The National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery and CMAG all run free or low-cost holiday workshops – bookings open about a month before each break. The live feed below picks up family-tagged events and free things automatically, so refresh this page closer to a quiet weekend and there’s almost always something on.

Frequently asked questions

What is there to do in Canberra with kids on a rainy day?: Questacon, the National Museum, the National Dinosaur Museum and the Canberra Glassworks are reliable indoor picks. For high-energy days, iFly indoor skydiving in Mitchell, Flip Out trampoline parks in Belconnen and Fyshwick, and Hijinx Hotel escape rooms in Phillip all work well from primary-school age up.
What's the best free playground in Canberra?: Boundless Playground at Kings Park is the best all-ages, fully accessible playground in the ACT, with shaded picnic tables, lake views and parking. The Pod Playground at the National Arboretum is the most architectural, and John Knight Park in Belconnen has the longest climbing structure.
Where can you see kangaroos near Canberra?: Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, about 40 minutes south, is the most reliable free spot. Mulligans Flat Sanctuary in Forde runs guided night walks. The National Zoo and Aquarium in Curtin has guaranteed sightings but charges admission.
Are school holiday programs free?: Libraries ACT story times and most craft sessions are free with bookings. The National Gallery, Portrait Gallery and CMAG run free or low-cost holiday workshops. Paid attractions like Questacon, the Zoo and the Dinosaur Museum often release discounted holiday family passes – check their sites a month before each break.