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15 Fun Places to go in Brisbane with Kids | A List by Age for Families

Whether you are new to Brisbane or just looking for something new to do, this list of the best fun places to go in Brisbane with kids will help you decide where to go locally!

We live in Brisbane so we know what is fun and what is dull! We hunted high and low and rounded up a list of fun places to go in Brisbane for kids of all ages, and to suit all family budgets – kids love fun places and Brisbane has plenty of excitement to offer!

We have found 15 of the greatest and most popular fun activities for you to take your kids to. Whether it becomes a regular stop off on your weekly kids run, or an inspirational day out during the kids long awaited holiday period, you will certainly find something here!

Fun places to go with toddlers in Brisbane

There are so many fun things to do with toddlers in Brisbane. Here we are listed our top 5 fun places to go in Brisbane with toddlers, but the link below has many (many) more!

1. Indoor Playcentres

For toddlers you’re looking for soft play with gentle challenges, and activities that will help your child develop their gross motor skills such as running, jumping, climbing and hopping.

miniBOUNCE recently opened at Westfield Carindale and it’s been purpose built to deliver maximum fun for little humans!

As BIG fans of BOUNCE, we had really high expectations of this new indoor playspace when it arrived in Brisbane. The great news is we can report that mini bounce Carindale definitely didn’t disappoint! Plus, it’s location within Westfield Carindale means you can sort out your shopping all in one place. 

2. GOMA – Childrens Art Centre

GOMA, the Gallery of Modern Art, is a wonderful place for toddlers to explore. The QAGOMA Children’s Art Centre works with artists to create interactive installations and activities for kids and families. Entry to GOMA and the Children’s Art Centre is FREE. They also have a range of free booked programs developed especially for children under 5 years of age, like Art Explorers.

Art Explorers (formerly Toddler Tuesday) is a free program that uses games, storytelling and craft activities to encourage children aged 3–5 years to have fun while learning about art. Each 45 minute session explores a single artwork in the Gallery’s Collection. Held fortnightly, bookings are required.

There’s lots of fun to be had exploring GOMA and the South Bank Cultural Precinct.

See our review of GOMA here.

3. Brisbane Powerhouse – Powerkids

Every Tuesday during term time Brisbane Powerhouse hosts a FREE children’s event called Powerkids: Little Artists At Play. Every term sees a new artist-in-residence bring a whole new adventure to the Turbine Platform for children aged 0-5 to enjoy.

At Powerkids, your child could enjoy dancing, singing, puppetry, and even DIY fashion, with lots of wonderful art forms explored.

Read our review of Brisbane Powerhouse’s Powerkids here.

4. Flying Fox Studios

Flying Fox Studios is a Brisbane owned and operated family business with a commitment to children and the arts. As educators working with young children on a daily basis, they seek to encourage creativity and originality through play. Flying Fox offers classes in Kindermusik as well as hosting weekly ‘play dates’; a fun, educational, sensory, creative, and explorative play session.

In addition to hosting so many great classes and activities, Flying Fox Studios also has a fantastic on-site shop and online store where you can purchase a variety of fun, educational toys and gifts – their range is huge! Find them in Everton Park.

Find out more about Flying fox Studios.

5. Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is the must-visit destination for all young animal lovers. Located in beautiful Fig Tree Pocket, the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary has been a Brisbane institution since 1927 and is open 7 days a week from 9am to 5pm. Lone Pine is even open over Christmas and New Year!

Lone Pine is not just about koalas, they have an abundance of Aussie natives including echidnas, wombats, and and a wonderful platypus display. Toddlers will love watching the sheepdog show and hand-feeding the friendly wallabies and emus.

Click here for discounted entry!

We have a much longer and more detailed article outlining what to do with toddlers in Brisbane as well as another article listing all the FREE things to do in Brisbane with toddlers. Check them out!!

Fun places to go with young kids in Brisbane

Almost everywhere that is suitable for families is fun for primary school aged kids. We have chosen our top 5 paces to take primary school aged children for all the fun!!

1. Indoor trampoline parks

One thing we know about primary school aged kids is that they have boundless energy! Let them burn some off having the time of their lives bouncing off the walls at one of Brisbane’s awesome trampoline parks. North, South, East or West, there’s a trampoline park near you!

Trampoline parks aren’t just about bouncing. Music is pumping to create a high-energy atmosphere, and most trampoline parks offer other activities too, like Ninja Warrior courses, rock climbing, laser tag, and parties! You can guarantee a good time for the kids, and if you don’t fancy joining in, you can sit back in the cafe and watch all the action.

Click here to find a trampoline park near you.

2. Victoria Park

When the weather is perfect, the venue is Victoria Park. It’s hard to believe you’re only 2km from the city when you enter this picturesque oasis of healthy, active and positive family activity. You can easily spend a whole day here, which is great because it is open from 6:00am – 10:00pm! So what can you do to fill the hours?

Well, there’s a delicious breakfast at the Dutch Pancake cart, an 18-hole round of putt putt while admiring the city views, adventure on the playground complete with tractor and wooden fort, lunch at The Bistro, followed by ping pong or – on the weekends – giant board games and a jumping castle! By all means stay later to see the city lights if you wish, but we think your kids should be pretty well tuckered out before then!

See our review of Victoria Park here.

3. Flipside Circus

Freedom is the essence of fun, and there is plenty of freedom to be found when you’re learning the art of creative risk taking. At Flipside Circus there is no safer a place to take risks and expand horizons. With circus professionals on hand to guide your little ones there are no limits to the confidence, strength, freedom and fun that your budding performers can achieve.

Located in Alderley, Brisbane, you can sign your kids up for holiday workshops, regular classes held throughout the week, or come along for some Sunday fun to practice those skills outside of structured lessons. Book in, call ahead or take advantage of the free trial lessons on offer to help your children realise they can ‘Unthink the impossible.’

Read our review and watch our Flipside Circus video here.

4. Bowling

Kids love the challenge of ten-pin bowling, and it’s the perfect any-weather activity. Hot outside? Go bowling in the air-conditioning! Raining? Go indoor bowling. See, perfect! Anyone can bowl, and you can eliminate any frustration the kids might feel by using the lane bumpers to make sure their ball always makes it to the pins.

Bowling alleys have a great atmosphere, using lighting, music, and video to their advantage to make every game a fun party. Look out for special deals that include games and food packages, or reduced entry return trips. You know you’ll want to go back!

Find a bowling alley near you here.

5. Dreamworld

Not only for primary school kids – you’ll get no complaints from ANY member of your family when you head to Dreamworld. It’s the perfect all-in-one package for any age group. Primary school aged kids can enjoy the best of it all, being not too big for the cute little kid stuff and big enough to try out some of the exhilarating thrill rides. And then there are the animals!

Dreamworld is home to many Aussie natives and stunning majestic tigers. Kids can pet and feed the kangaroos, hold a koala, and watch an amazing demonstration of the tigers’ skills and prowess.

From Dreamworld you can walk right through to Whitewater World to race down the “Fully Six” waterslides or get soaked in the Pipeline Plunge. Take a tip from us and get the Dreamworld Annual Pass because you’ll need to go back again and again to experience it all.

Find out why Dreamworld is the BIGGEST family fun day out here.

Fun places to go with teenagers in Brisbane

Brisbane is so family friendly that you will most definitely find excellent and exciting places for teenagers to safely enjoy some some out and about in our huge city and suburbs! Here are our top 5 activities for teenagers in Brisbane,

1. IceWorld – Boondall & Acacia Ridge

IceWorld is the ultimate cool zone for teenagers who want to impress their friends with their skills – or entertain with their lack of them! If your teenager has never ice-skated before, pack a dry change of clothes and a huge sense of humour, and watch them channel their inner Bambi on ice (don’t forget to film it for posterity!).

Ice skating is a skill that kids seem to pick up really quickly, and before their session is up they’ll no doubt be gliding around you as if they’d been born to it. It’s also surprisingly affordable as sessions last for a couple of hours and the price includes skate hire. You can warm up afterwards with a delicious hot chocolate and meal in the cafe!

Find out about IceWorld

2. Indoor or Outdoor rock climbing

For teens who want to reach new heights, try indoor rock climbing. Indoor rock climbing has really grown in popularity, and there are many great rock climbing venues in Brisbane. Indoor rock climbing can help your child conquer their fears, build strength and agility, and develop problem solving skills, all in a safe environment.

At Crank there are several walls to climb of varying difficulty, plus kids can try slack-lining, bouldering, and parkour. See our Crank Indoor Climbing video review to find out more.

You can also climb indoors at Urban Xtreme and these venues.

If your teenager would like to try some ‘real’ rock climbing outdoors, that can be done right in the heart of Brisbane at Kangaroo Point cliffs.

3. Indoor and Outdoor Skate Parks

Brisbane has two fantastic indoor skate parks, one on each side of the river. RampAttak at Geebung is huge, with bowls of varying depth, ramps, walls, foam pits and grinding rails. Your teen is welcome there with their skateboard, scooter, BMX or inline skates. There’s plenty of room for everyone and a small kiosk for refreshments. In April 2020 RampAttak underwent a revamp which included a new Resi Ramp for those wishing to develop their skills!

On the south side we have The Village at Coopers Plains. The main focus of The Village is BMX (it’s also a BMX store and service centre), but scooters are definitely welcome there! The Village has a multitude of ramps of varying heights set out in a half-pipe formation to help you gain max air. They also host parties and regular competitions that anyone can enter.

SE QLD is a popular spot for international scootering and skateboarding competitions, so follow the tour calendars because these venues are always visited by the competitors, and you can ride with pros to score a few tips!

For outdoor skateparks, visit your local council’s website because there will definitely be one near you, or you can check out our awesome skate park list here.

4. Escape room challenges

Escape rooms are a real-life puzzle experience where a small team locked in a themed room must work together to escape. Everything around you could be a clue: find hidden objects, solve puzzles, crack riddles and beat the clock to escape the room. (But don’t worry – they let you out either way!). Escape Rooms are great fun for teenagers, and groups of friends can be pitted against each other in the ultimate challenge!

Get ready to lock your teens up in one of these themed escape rooms in Brisbane!

5. Laser Tag options in Brisbane

Years ago it was ‘cops and robbers’ with sticks for guns, but the shoot-em-up game has come a long way since then. Put your teenager in a darkened room with a bunch of their friends, throw in some obstacles, corridors, hides and a little technology, and see who comes out victorious! Laser tag is safe, painless, and will test your teenager’s sneakiness to the max! There are several laser tag venues across Brisbane, and they’re all great places to host birthday parties too. Our favourites include Urban Xtreme, and Laserzone Lawnton.

If you are reading this during the school holidays then you might like our Complete Guide to the Brisbane School Holidays or our Tween & Teen School Holiday Guide.

Fun places to go in Brisbane – something unusual?

Did we include your favourite place to go with kids in Brisbane? If you are looking for unusual and fun things to do in Brisbane with kids, we wrote about that too!

If we didn’t include your favourite, let us know in comments!

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Janine Mergler

Janine Mergler is a veteran Queensland teacher, graduating from QUT with a BEd majoring in Social Sciences. After many years in the classroom, Janine moved on to academia. She has proudly trained new generations of teachers in her role as a lecturer at Queensland University of Technology Faculty of Education. She has also worked in the Queensland Government as an education specialist, developing education resources and delivering community awareness programs to help families conserve water. Currently she is the owner and editor of Families Magazine, a publication specifically targeted at parents who value a quality education for children.  Janine leads a team of professionals who write about family lifestyle, early childhood, schools and education information and family-friendly events.

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