Indoor Activities Sydney: Things to do with Kids and Teenagers

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Mum tested experiences updated for 2026 holidays.

Whether it’s bucketing down outside, ridiculously hot or you simply need a day out of the weather, there are plenty of indoor activities in Sydney for kids and teenagers. The harder part is finding one they’ll actually enjoy.

I’ve been testing family activities with my son Alex since he was tiny, so we’ve worked our way through everything from indoor play centres and Build-A-Bear to climbing, VR, escape rooms and flight simulators. Along the way, I’ve learnt that an activity described as “great for the whole family” isn’t necessarily going to thrill a three-year-old and a 16-year-old.

So I’ve organised this Sydney guide by age to make finding something suitable considerably easier.

You’ll find indoor activities for teenagers, tweens, primary-school kids, toddlers and preschoolers across Sydney, plus activities that genuinely work across different ages. I’ve also included free and cheap ideas and practical suggestions suitable for the Sydney school holidays or any weekend you find the weather not cooperating!

Find indoor activities by age

Teenagers: Start with our indoor activities for teenagers for VR, escape rooms, go karting, Hijinx Hotel, climbing, ice skating, flight simulators and more.

Tweens: Jump to indoor activities for tweens for laser tag, ninja courses, pottery and other activities that suit that sometimes-tricky in-between age.

Primary school kids: Head to indoor activities for primary school kids for hands-on museums, climbing, ninja courses, laser tag, animals and plenty of opportunities to actually do something.

Toddlers and preschoolers: Our indoor activities for toddlers and preschoolers include hands-on museum spaces, indoor play centres, kids cafés, EVENT Junior and more.

Mixed ages: If you’re trying to keep siblings of very different ages happy, skip straight to our indoor activities for all ages.

On a budget: We’ve also rounded up free and cheap indoor activities in Sydney, because entertaining the kids shouldn’t always require handing over half your pay packet.

Rainy day emergency: If you’ve looked outside and Sydney is absolutely bucketing down, head to what to do in Sydney when it rains for ideas by age plus places where you can combine several indoor activities in one area.

Map of indoor activities in Sydney

Sydney is enormous, so sometimes the best indoor activity is simply the good one closest to you. Use our map to find indoor activities near your part of Sydney, then check the age sections below to see which ones will suit your kids.

Map key: 🟣 Teenagers | 🔵 Tweens & primary | 🟠 Toddlers & preschoolers | 🟢 All ages

Indoor activities in Sydney for teenagers

Finding indoor activities in Sydney for teenagers can be surprisingly tricky. Plenty of attractions claim to be suitable for the whole family, but there’s a big difference between something a seven-year-old loves and somewhere a 16-year-old will willingly spend a couple of hours.

I’ve been testing activities with my son Alex since he was little, and we’ve continued well into his teenage years. My biggest lesson? Teenagers generally want to do something. Give them a challenge, competition, something physical, something they can do with friends or an experience that’s genuinely different and you’re halfway there.

These are the indoor activities for teens in Sydney I’d consider first, including experiences we’ve personally tried in Sydney or elsewhere, plus a handful of Sydney activities that look good enough to be on our own list.

Fly a Boeing 737 without leaving Sydney

If you’ve got a teenager who has ever wondered what it would be like to fly a passenger jet, this is one indoor experience I can wholeheartedly recommend.

We tried Flight Experience in Melbourne when Alex was 16 and LOVED it. He climbed into the captain’s seat of a Boeing 737 simulator while we became his passengers, sitting behind him as he learnt how to take off and land a commercial aircraft.

We booked the one-hour experience and Alex chose Melbourne, Paris, London and Brisbane as his airports. The pilot guiding him was wonderful and made what could have been a very technical experience accessible and genuinely exciting.

Flight Experience Sydney offers the same Boeing 737 concept at Bankstown Aerodrome. A real pilot guides you through the experience and no previous flying or simulator experience is necessary. Depending on the session you choose, you can practise take-offs and landings, choose different airports, tackle challenging approaches and even throw some nasty weather into the mix.

Experiences currently range from 30 to 90 minutes, and while they’re suitable from around eight years old, I think this is particularly good for teenagers and young adults who are genuinely interested in aviation.

Our tip: Let your teenager choose the airports. Picking somewhere they’ve visited, somewhere they’re about to travel to or an airport famous for a difficult landing makes the experience much more personal. And parents don’t necessarily have to sit outside watching. Ask about the passenger seats so you can go along for the ride.

Website: Flight Experience Sydney
Address: 6 Stinson Crescent, Bankstown Aerodrome

Try indoor skydiving at iFLY Sydney

Want the thrill of skydiving without actually having to jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane? Indoor skydiving is a brilliant option for adventurous kids and teenagers.

We’ve done iFLY ourselves in Brisbane and loved it. The experience takes around an hour and a half from start to finish, beginning with a training session where first-time flyers learn the basics before getting kitted out in a flight suit, helmet and goggles.

Then it’s into the enormous glass wind tunnel, where the rush of air lifts you off the ground and gives you the sensation of flying. You’re not simply thrown in there and expected to work it out either. An iFLY instructor is right there in the wind tunnel with you, providing hands-on help while you find your flying feet.

The actual flights are only a small part of the overall session, but the training, getting geared up, watching the other flyers and finally getting your turn in the tunnel are all part of the experience.

Sydney has its own iFLY at Penrith, making this a particularly good indoor option for older kids and teenagers who want something with a bit more adrenaline than your average rainy-day activity.

Our tip: Allow around 1.5 hours for the whole experience rather than looking only at the individual flight time when planning your day. Flight photos and videos may also be available to purchase afterwards, and trust me, this is one activity where you’re probably going to want photographic evidence!

Website: buy tickets to iFly here
Address: 123 Mulgoa Road, Penrith

Madame Tussauds Sydney

If your teenager likes celebrities, music or filling their camera roll with ridiculous selfies, Madame Tussauds Sydney is an easy one to add to the rainy-day list.

We haven’t visited the Sydney Madame Tussauds yet, but we’ve done both the London and New York attractions as a family, and they were a huge hit. Don’t expect teenagers to quietly wander around admiring the craftsmanship of the wax figures. The fun is getting in amongst them, posing for photos and comparing just how freakishly lifelike some of them are. Think Instagram selfies and plenty of oohs and aahs.

Pop stars were always particularly popular with Alex, and Sydney currently has plenty of them. The Sydney Live music zone includes Taylor Swift in an Eras Tour-inspired outfit, plus Harry Styles, Dua Lipa, Troye Sivan, Rihanna, G Flip and more. There are interactive elements too, including opportunities to create your own album-cover shot and step onto the stage.

Beyond music, there are more than 100 celebrity figures across 11 themed zones, including Marvel superheroes, film and TV stars, sporting legends and Australian celebrities.

Our tip: Don’t rush through it. The photos and interactive bits are half the fun, particularly with teenagers. And make sure everyone’s phone has plenty of charge before you arrive!

Website: Madame Tussauds Sydney

Address: Aquarium Wharf, 1-5 Wheat Road, Darling Harbour

Museum of Illusions Sydney

If your teenager prefers doing something rather than quietly looking at exhibits, Museum of Illusions Sydney could be a good rainy-day option.

The attraction on George Street in the Sydney CBD is built around interactive optical illusions and mind-bending rooms designed to play tricks on your perception. Expect mirrors, strange perspectives, holograms and plenty of opportunities to take photos that don’t look quite possible.

We’ve visited a similar illusion attraction with Alex in Malaysia when he was 11 and had great fun with the interactive and photo opportunities, but we haven’t personally tested the Sydney Museum of Illusions yet.

That’s about to change. It’s on our list for our next Sydney trip with Alex, now 19, so we’ll report back on whether it passes the older-teen test and add our own photos.

Our tip: This looks like one where you’ll want your phone charged. Half the fun of illusion attractions is working out what’s going on, and the other half is taking ridiculous photos to prove it happened.

Website: Museum of Illusions Sydney
Address: Shop 6, 413 George Street, Sydney

Holey Moley

Holey Moley takes ordinary mini golf and gives it a much more Instagram-friendly makeover, with colourful, quirky holes packed with pop-culture references and plenty of opportunities for a little family competition.

We’ve done Holey Moley and found it a fun, relatively inexpensive way to fill a couple of hours. It’s particularly good for teenagers because there isn’t really a kiddie feel to it. Parents can play too, and no actual golfing ability is required. Trust me.

In Sydney, you’ll find Holey Moley at several locations, including Newtown, Darlinghurst and Macquarie Centre. The Darlinghurst venue has 18 themed holes across two courses, including some wonderfully ridiculous obstacles, while Macquarie Centre’s Holey Moley is directly opposite Event Cinemas.

Our tip: Holey Moley isn’t going to occupy an entire rainy day. Nine holes usually takes around 25–40 minutes, so allow up to a couple of hours depending on how many holes you play and whether you stop for food. If you’re at Macquarie Centre, pair it with a movie for a very easy indoor day when Sydney’s weather isn’t cooperating.

Website: Holey Moley

Archie Brothers

Arcade games aren’t just for little kids, and Archie Brothers is one indoor activity we can confidently recommend for teenagers.

We’ve visited Archie Brothers in many Australian cities. Our group included three kids aged 12, 14 and 16, plus three adults, and we spent around 2.5 hours there. We played arcade games for about an hour before moving onto bowling and pizza for dinner, and both the teenagers and adults had a fantastic time.

Expect plenty of colourful arcade games, challenges you can play against each other and opportunities to collect points for prizes. If you’re feeling brave, find a dance game and challenge your teenager. My dignity may never have fully recovered from ours.

Sydney’s Archie Brothers at Alexandria adds dodgem cars and virtual reality to the arcade action, and it’s part of a larger indoor entertainment precinct that also includes Strike Bowling, Holey Moley, Hijinx Hotel and Zero Latency. That makes it particularly useful if Sydney serves up a full day of rain or extreme heat and you need more than an hour’s entertainment.

In our experience, Archie Brothers works particularly well for tweens and teenagers. Younger kids can certainly enjoy it too, but upper-primary and high-school ages are probably the sweet spot.

Our tip: It is loud! If your child or teenager is sensitive to noise, check the venue’s sensory information before visiting. And set an arcade budget before everyone starts tapping cards with wild abandon.

Website: Find out more and buy your play pass here.
Address: 75 O’Riordan St, Alexandria

Take on the challenge rooms at Hijinx Hotel

Hijinx Hotel is one of my favourite indoor activities for teenagers, particularly if you’ve got a competitive group.

We’ve done Hijinx with Alex and his cousins when they were 14, 16 and 18, and they bloody loved it. We booked two sets of five challenge rooms in one morning, with each room testing something different, including physical skills, memory, speed and problem solving.

The teenagers absolutely blitzed some of the physical and memory challenges. The problem-solving rooms were funnier because they wanted to charge straight in and start doing things, while I wanted everyone to stop for five seconds and actually look at the clues. Somewhere between their speed and my slightly more methodical approach, it worked.

The leaderboard was another big hit because naturally they wanted to see where our team ranked.

Our tip: Go with a group. Different people are surprisingly good at different challenges, which is half the fun. And don’t underestimate your teenagers. Their memory and reaction speed may leave you wondering exactly when you became the slow one.

Website: Hijinx Hotel Alexandria
Address: 75 O’Riordan Street, Alexandria

Extreme indoor go karting

Got a teenager with a competitive streak? Indoor go karting is one way to turn a rainy Sydney day into something considerably more exciting.

Extreme Indoor Go Karting in Villawood has separate options for younger and older drivers. On weekends and during school and public holidays, teenagers aged 13+ can tackle the Sprint Track, a 300-metre circuit with overtaking points, hairpin turns, banked corners and an indoor bridge. The senior karts can reach speeds of up to 80km/h, so this definitely isn’t little-kid karting.

There is also a separate Rookie Track for younger drivers aged 6–12, which is handy if you’re visiting with siblings of different ages.

We haven’t personally tested this Sydney track yet, so we’re relying on the operator information for this one. We have taken the kids go karting elsewhere and know just how competitive a supposedly friendly family race can become!

Good to know: Senior kart drivers need to be aged 13+ and at least 140cm tall. Check the track schedule when booking, as the different tracks operate at different times during the week, weekends and school holidays.

Website: EXTREME Indoor Go Karting
Address: Unit 3, 66 Christina Road, Villawood

Try a VR experience

Hand on heart, VR is one of my absolute favourite things to do with teenagers.

We’ve tried immersive VR experiences as a family, including a Zero Latency VR escape-room experience on the Gold Coast, and it was a genuine hit.

What I like about free-roam VR is that gaming escapes the bedroom. Instead of one teenager disappearing behind a headset while everyone else watches, you’re moving around the same virtual world together, completing a mission, solving problems or competing against each other.

Sydney has several VR options, including Zero Latency VR Alexandria, so this is particularly worth considering if you’ve got teenagers who already love gaming.

Our tip: Don’t automatically choose the scariest zombie game because you think teenagers will love it. Look at the themes, recommended ages and scare factor first and choose something everyone in your group will actually enjoy.

Website: Zero Latency VR
Address: 75 O’Riordan Street, Alexandria

Take on a Sydney escape room

Escape rooms are one of those rare activities that work brilliantly with teenagers and adults together. We’ve done them on both the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, and they consistently get everyone involved.

One reason I particularly like escape rooms for teenagers is that the adults don’t automatically have an advantage. Your teenager might be the person who spots the clue everyone else has walked past six times, and suddenly they’re running the show.

Most experiences take around an hour, making them easy to combine with another indoor activity, lunch or a movie for a full rainy-day itinerary.

Our tip: Check the individual room before booking rather than choosing purely by difficulty level. Themes, scare factor and recommended ages vary considerably, and a horror-themed room that one teenager thinks is brilliant may be another teenager’s idea of an absolutely terrible afternoon.

These venues have Escape Rooms & VR experiences across Sydney:

• Entermission Sydney – Level 1, 484 Kent Street, Sydney
• Virtual Room Sydney – Level 5, 393 George Street, Sydney
• Escape Hunt Sydney – Level 4, 393 George Street, Sydney
• Zero Latency – 75 O’Riordan Street, Alexandria

Step inside a video game at Immersive Gamebox

This is one we haven’t personally tried yet, but it’s on our Sydney research list because the concept looks particularly well suited to teenagers.

At Immersive Gamebox Sydney at Aquarium Wharf, players enter an interactive room where motion tracking, projection mapping and touch-sensitive walls turn the room itself into the game.

Unlike VR, there are no headsets. You’re physically moving around and playing together, solving challenges and either cooperating or competing. That’s one reason I think this could work particularly well with a group of teens.

Having done plenty of VR, escape rooms, Hijinx Hotel and other interactive gaming experiences with teenagers, this is exactly the sort of activity I’d expect to work. We’re planning to test it ourselves, so I’ll update this once 19-year-old Alex has delivered his verdict.

Our tip: Look at the individual games before booking rather than simply choosing a time slot. Different games have different themes and age recommendations.

Website: Find tickets to suit your needs
Address: Aquarium Wharf, 1–5 Wheat Road, Sydney

Go ice skating after dark

Here’s one indoor activity that gets better once the sun goes down. If you’re looking for something different to do with teenagers in Sydney at night, try an evening ice skating session.

We’ve taken a group of kids aged from 5 to 15 ice skating at Iceworld in Brisbane, with most of them stepping onto the ice as complete beginners. There were plenty of wobbles and more than a few falls, but it didn’t take long before the older kids were challenging each other to skate faster and venturing away from the safety of the wall. They absolutely loved it.

For teenagers in Sydney, Macquarie Ice Rink is particularly worth knowing about. On Friday and Saturday nights it runs Disco Sessions from 8.30pm to 10.30pm, turning down the lights and adding music and coloured lighting to the rink.

You can also check the public skating timetables at Ice Zoo in Alexandria for other daytime and evening sessions.

Our tip: Wear long trousers and layers, even when it’s sweltering outside. Ice rinks are properly cold when you’re standing around, although once everyone starts skating they’ll warm up surprisingly quickly. And don’t worry if nobody has skated before. Most of our group were beginners and they were soon finding their feet.

Websites: Macquarie Ice Rink or Liverpool Catholic Club Ice Skating or Ice Zoo

Go indoor rock climbing or bouldering

Sydney has plenty of indoor climbing options, so it’s worth choosing one based on where you are, the ages of your kids and whether you want traditional roped climbing or bouldering.

For traditional indoor rock climbing, try:

• Climb Fit at St Leonards, Macquarie Park or Kirrawee
• Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym at St Peters
• The Climbing Centre at Penrith
• Northern Beaches Rockhouse at Brookvale
• The Ledge Climbing Centre at Camperdown

If your kids or teenagers would prefer bouldering, where you climb shorter walls without ropes or harnesses above padded flooring, look at 9 Degrees, which has several Sydney locations, or BlocHaus at Marrickville and Leichhardt.

Check the individual venue before you go, particularly with younger children. Age restrictions, supervision requirements and opening hours vary considerably between climbing centres.

Our tip: Book ahead, particularly during the school holidays, and pay attention to the safety briefing. It’s also worth learning a few basic climbing terms before you arrive. Know your belay from your anchor and your carabiner and you can at least pretend you know what you’re doing while your teenager disappears effortlessly up the wall.

BOUNCE with teenagers

You might think teenagers have outgrown trampoline centres, but I wouldn’t write them off completely. The trick is choosing somewhere with enough variety to keep older kids interested.

We’ve been to BOUNCE plenty of times over the years, including when Alex was 16 and went with a friend. They had a fantastic time. At that age, I don’t think an hour of simply bouncing on trampolines would necessarily have held their attention, but BOUNCE worked because there were different activities and challenges to move between.

And here’s the other thing I’ve learnt after years of finding things to do with teenagers: take a friend. Activities that might receive a lukewarm response as a family outing can suddenly become brilliant when they’ve got a mate alongside them. BOUNCE definitely falls into that category for us.

Our tip: For older teenagers, look at the whole venue rather than just the trampolines. Choose somewhere with challenges and different activity zones, and if possible let them bring a friend. It can completely change the experience.

Website: BOUNCE Homebush or Cromer

Go behind the scenes at the Sydney Cricket Ground

If you’ve got a sports-mad teenager, a behind-the-scenes tour of the Sydney Cricket Ground offers something quite different from Sydney’s gaming and adrenaline-based indoor activities.

The 90-minute guided SCG Tour takes you into areas you wouldn’t normally see as a spectator. You can visit the players’ dressing rooms, explore the historic Members Reserve, see the view from the media centre and visit the SCG Museum, with sporting memorabilia spanning cricket, rugby league, rugby union, football and AFL.

We haven’t personally done this tour, so I can’t give you an Alex-tested verdict, but I think the appeal will depend heavily on your teenager. For a teen who follows cricket or Australian sport, being able to sit in the dressing rooms and go behind the scenes at one of Australia’s most famous sporting grounds could be much more exciting than simply visiting another museum.

Our tip: This isn’t a completely indoor activity. Parts of the tour take you outside and the route can change depending on events and activities at the stadium, so check what’s included when you book and dress for the weather.

Book here: Sydney Cricket Ground
Address: 4 Driver Avenue, Moore Park

See Sydney from above at Sydney Tower Eye

Sydney Tower Eye is one of those attractions that’s particularly good when you want to see the city without spending half a day doing it.

We visited with Alex when he was 12 and both genuinely enjoyed it. We spent around an hour at the indoor Observation Deck, taking in the 360-degree views and picking out Sydney landmarks from above.

For us, that’s about the right amount of time. I wouldn’t plan an entire day around Sydney Tower Eye, but it’s very easy to combine with shopping, lunch or another CBD attraction.

It’s also a great option on a hot Sydney day when you want to escape into the air-conditioning without sacrificing the sightseeing. Rain is a little trickier. The Observation Deck itself is indoors, but if low cloud has swallowed the top of Sydney, you’re rather missing the point!

Our tip: Check the weather and visibility before you go. Save Sydney Tower Eye for a clear or reasonably clear day, then combine your visit with another nearby indoor activity to make a longer day of it.

Website: Grab tickets before you go
Address: Westfield Sydney, Level 5, 108 Market Street, Sydney

Art Gallery of NSW with teenagers

If you’re wondering whether teenagers will actually enjoy an art gallery, our experience in Sydney was a very definite it depends which one.

We’ve visited both the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and the Art Gallery of NSW with teenagers, and their reactions couldn’t have been more different. The MCA didn’t really grab Alex and he was bored fairly quickly.

The Art Gallery of NSW was another story. The teenagers genuinely enjoyed exploring it and took much longer working their way through the galleries than I did. In fact, for once I was the one waiting for them!

That’s why, if I were choosing an art gallery specifically to visit with teenagers in Sydney, I’d put the Art Gallery of NSW on the list. It’s also particularly handy when you’re looking for an indoor activity that doesn’t involve another expensive admission ticket.

Our tip: Don’t assume teenagers won’t like an art gallery, but don’t assume every gallery will work for them either. Give them some freedom to explore at their own pace rather than marching everyone around together. You might be surprised which works catch their attention.

Website: Art Gallery of NSW
Address: Art Gallery Road, Sydney

Use a shopping centre as your rainy-day base

I’m not going to suggest you hand your teenager $100 and tell them to go shopping while you put your feet up. Apart from anything else, $100 and a teenager in a shopping centre could disappear remarkably quickly.

But a good Sydney shopping centre can be a very useful rainy-day base, particularly with tweens and teenagers.

Rather than making shopping the activity, look for a centre where you can combine several things in one place. Book a movie, go bowling, play mini golf or try another indoor attraction, then stay for lunch and let the kids browse the shops afterwards. If they happen to have their own money to spend, even better.

This works particularly well on days when the weather is miserable and you don’t want to spend half your time travelling between activities. It’s also handy with teenagers because you can give older kids a little independence to explore the shops while still having an agreed meeting place and time.

Our tip: Choose the activity first and the shopping centre second. Look for somewhere with a cinema, entertainment venue or other attraction your kids actually want to visit, then use the shops and food options to turn it into a longer indoor day.

Discover what’s happening at Darling Square Library

A library might not be the first place your kids suggest when you ask what they’d like to do in Sydney, but Darling Square Library is much more than shelves of books.

Located inside The Exchange at Darling Square, the library has a dedicated Ideas Lab makerspace, with technology including 3D printers, robotics and a laser cutter. Its changing program includes hands-on workshops for kids and teenagers covering things like coding, robotics, digital design, 3D printing and creative projects.

That’s what makes this one worth checking during the school holidays. Rather than simply turning up and expecting the library itself to entertain your teenager, have a look at the current program and see whether there’s a workshop that matches their interests.

We haven’t visited Darling Square Library ourselves yet, but it’s going on our list for our next Sydney trip. I’ll report back once we’ve had a proper look around.

Our tip: Check the events calendar before you visit. The makerspace workshops are the real attraction here and some activities have specific age ranges or require bookings.

Website: Darling Square Library
Address: The Exchange, Levels 1 and 2, 1 Little Pier Street, Haymarket

Looking for more ideas for teenagers?

Head to our complete guide to things to do with teenagers in Sydney for outdoor adventures, BIG days out, free activities and more.

Indoor activities in Sydney for tweens

Tweens can be a tricky bunch to entertain. They’ve often outgrown the activities aimed at little kids, but aren’t quite ready for everything on the teenage list either.

For kids aged roughly 9 to 12, I’d look for indoor activities with a bit of challenge, competition or independence. Think laser tag, ninja courses, bowling and creative activities where they can actually get involved rather than simply tag along with the family.

Play laser tag

We’ve done laser tag quite a few times over the years, including for Alex’s 10th birthday party, and it was an absolute winner with that age group. The kids loved racing around together, but what really hooked them was the competitive side. The equipment kept score, so naturally everyone wanted to know exactly who had won!

Alex has played again as an older teenager with a group of younger kids and still enjoyed himself, although by then he was considerably more forgiving of everyone else’s questionable laser-tag skills.

Based on our experience, I’d put laser tag in the tween and younger teen sweet spot rather than making it one of my first recommendations for older teenagers. That said, give a competitive group of teens teams, targets and a scoreboard and there’s still plenty of potential for bragging rights.

Sydney has several indoor options. Strike Bowling Entertainment Quarter at Moore Park combines laser tag with bowling and other entertainment, while Timezone & Zone Bowling Villawood gives families another option if you want to combine laser tag with arcade games and bowling. For something more focused on the game itself, Underworld Laser – Laser Tag for everyone in Menai is a dedicated laser-tag venue.

Our tip: Laser tag is much more fun with a group. If you’ve got a few competitive tweens or younger teenagers to entertain, divide them into teams and let the scoreboard do the rest.

Website: Strike Entertainment Quarter
Address: 207/122 Lang Road, Moore Park

Website: Timezone Villawood
Address: 850 Woodville Road, Villawood

Website: Underworld Laser
Address: Suite 1, Level 1, 44–60 Allison Crescent, Menai

Tackle an indoor ninja course

If you’ve got kids who can’t look at a climbing frame without immediately trying to conquer it, an indoor ninja course is a very good way to burn off some energy on a wet Sydney day.

We’ve tried the Ninja Park with Alex and my niece and nephew when they were younger, and they loved it. The combination of climbing, swinging, balancing and obstacle challenges made it much more interesting than simply bouncing around on trampolines.

Based on our experience, I’d put ninja courses in the sweet spot from primary-school age through to teenagers, particularly for kids who like physical challenges and testing their strength and agility. Older teens may want something more challenging than a basic kids’ ninja course, so check exactly what the venue offers before booking.

Where to try ninja courses in Sydney

There are quite a few ninja venues scattered across Sydney, but they’re not all set up in the same way. Some are great for a casual session, while others concentrate more on structured classes, school holiday programs and parties.

For casual ninja and obstacle-course sessions, investigate:

• Tru Ninja Rouse Hill or Tru Ninja Penrith for dedicated ninja obstacle arenas catering for kids and teenagers.
• BOUNCE Homebush if you’d prefer a bigger activity centre with its X-Park ninja obstacle course alongside trampolines and other activities.
• Flip Out Caringbah for another mixed activity centre with a ninja course alongside its other indoor attractions.

If your child wants something more structured, there are also dedicated ninja training centres offering classes, school holiday programs and parties:

• Ninja Kids at Brookvale and Hornsby
• Alpha Warrior at Condell Park
• Ninja Kids Centre at Caringbah and Marrickville

These can be particularly good for kids who want to learn the techniques properly rather than simply race around an obstacle course, but check what’s available before making a special trip because some sessions require advance bookings or run only at particular times.

Our tip: Don’t underestimate how tiring ninja courses are! Kids may race into the first obstacle at full speed, but swinging, climbing and hanging require much more upper-body strength than they expect. Wear comfortable clothes and proper enclosed shoes, and check the individual venue’s age, height, supervision and footwear requirements before you go.

Get creative with pottery

Not every rainy-day activity needs to involve flashing lights, trampolines or someone keeping score. For tweens who enjoy getting creative, a pottery or ceramic workshop is a lovely slower-paced alternative.

We’ve done paint-your-own plaster and ceramic activities with the kids over the years, and I even have the photographic evidence to prove it! The hardest part can be choosing what to paint, with shelves full of everything from unicorns and dinosaurs to doughnuts, castles and sports figures.

It’s a particularly good option for tweens because they can tackle something more detailed than younger kids, take their time over it and end up with something they’ve created themselves. It’s also a welcome change of pace if your indoor-activity itinerary is starting to involve an alarming amount of trampolining, climbing and running around.

Tennyson Studio in Sydney offers ceramic painting and clay workshops for kids and teenagers, including school holiday sessions. Depending on the workshop, kids can paint ceramics or work with clay to create their own pieces before they’re glazed and fired.

I particularly like this idea for tweens. They’re old enough to tackle something more detailed and take some pride in the finished result, but it still feels like an activity rather than an art lesson.

Our tip: Check whether you’ll be taking your creation home on the day. Pottery that needs glazing and firing may need to be collected several weeks later, which is important if you’re visiting Sydney on holiday rather than living locally.

Website: Tennyson Studio
Address: 113A Tennyson Road, Tennyson Point

Also great for tweens: Archie Brothers, Hijinx Hotel, indoor climbing, SEA LIFE, WILD LIFE, ice skating and bowling all work particularly well for this in-between age group. You’ll find our full reviews elsewhere on this page.

Indoor activities in Sydney for primary school kids

Primary school kids are at a brilliant age for indoor activities because they’re old enough to get properly involved, but generally haven’t reached the teenage stage where everything needs to pass the is this actually cool? test.

For this age group, I’d look for activities where they can make, build, climb, explore, experiment or compete, rather than simply walk around looking at things. Sydney has some excellent options, particularly during the school holidays when museums and attractions add extra workshops and hands-on activities.

These are the indoor Sydney activities I’d put on my list for primary school kids, roughly aged 5 to 11, with plenty that younger siblings, tweens and even parents can enjoy too.

Get hands-on at the Australian National Maritime Museum

The Australian National Maritime Museum is one I’d particularly investigate if you’re visiting Sydney with primary-school kids, especially during the school holidays.

We’ve visited the museum ourselves and, while I thought the building and collection were impressive, it wasn’t a huge hit with Alex as a teenager. Having looked more closely at what’s now available for younger kids, however, I think primary school is actually its sweet spot.

The big reason is Kids on Deck, the museum’s hands-on makerspace for families. Activities change with the exhibitions, but kids can expect to actually make, build, experiment and play rather than simply walk around looking at displays.

The current program includes making model longships, hammering and embossing jewellery, archaeological digging, experimenting with recycled materials and dressing up. Kids on Deck is recommended for ages 4–12 and operates daily during the school holidays.

There are other hands-on activities too. Depending on the holiday program, the museum can offer everything from activity trails and creative workshops to underwater drones and interactive discovery experiences.

That makes this a much better prospect for a curious seven or eight-year-old than our teenage experience initially led me to believe.

Our tip: Check the school holiday program before you visit rather than treating this as a museum where you simply turn up and wander around. The changing hands-on activities are the bit I’d target with primary-school kids, and some special workshops may need to be booked separately.

Book here: Australian National Maritime Museum

Address: 2 Murray Street, Darling Harbour, Sydney

Check the Australian Museum school holiday program

Don’t dismiss the Australian Museum as something that’s mainly for dinosaur-mad preschoolers. Once kids reach primary-school age, its changing school holiday program becomes another reason to visit.

The museum runs interactive workshops for children aged from around five upwards, with activities covering science, nature, culture and creativity. Depending on when you visit, kids may be experimenting, making, investigating or meeting scientists rather than simply looking at exhibits.

The permanent galleries give you plenty to explore around a workshop too, and general admission to the Australian Museum is free, although some special exhibitions and school holiday activities have an additional charge.

We haven’t personally tested one of these workshops, so I’d check the current program rather than promising a particular activity. What I like is that it gives families with primary-school kids the chance to turn a museum visit into something much more hands-on.

Our tip: Check the school holiday program and book popular workshops ahead. If nothing appeals, you can still visit the permanent galleries for free, so this is a handy one to keep in your rainy-day back pocket.

Website: Australian Museum
Address: 1 William Street, Sydney

Step into a digital world at DigiPark Sydney

If your kids love lights, technology and anything interactive, DigiPark Sydney is a very different kind of indoor activity.

Located inside Westfield Sydney, DigiPark combines digital art and technology across 18 interactive attractions. Kids can wander through glowing tunnels and immersive digital worlds, tackle a mirror maze, create drawings that come to life through animation and take plenty of weird and wonderful photos along the way.

Entry also includes the 7D Fantasy Cinema, which adds motion, sound and other effects to the experience.

We haven’t tried DigiPark ourselves yet, but I think this looks particularly good for primary-school kids and tweens who enjoy interactive experiences rather than simply looking at displays. Allow around 90 minutes for your visit.

Our tip: This is another good one to combine with other CBD activities. Sydney Tower Eye is in the same Westfield complex, and Museum of Illusions is only a short walk away, so you’ve got the makings of a very easy indoor day if the weather isn’t cooperating.

Website: Buy tickets to the DigiPark Sydney experience here
Address: Level 5, Westfield Sydney, 108 Market Street, Sydney

More indoor activities for primary school kids

Primary school kids sit in a rather handy middle ground. They’re old enough for plenty of Sydney’s bigger indoor activities, but young enough that running, climbing, splashing about and shooting their siblings with lasers still counts as an excellent day out.

We’ve covered these activities in more detail above, but they’re also well worth considering for kids aged roughly 5 to 11:

• Indoor rock climbing: Alex started climbing at around eight and even had an indoor climbing birthday party. It’s brilliant for active kids who like a physical challenge, and beginners can start on easier climbs and build their confidence.
• Ninja courses: Climbing, swinging, balancing and tackling obstacles makes these particularly good for energetic primary school kids. We’ve done ninja courses with the kids and they loved the challenge.
• Laser tag: Alex had a laser-tag birthday party when he was 10 and it was an absolute winner. This is particularly good for upper-primary kids, especially if you’ve got a group and can add a little friendly competition.
• Pottery and ceramic painting: A much calmer option for creative kids. We’ve done this over the years too, and primary school kids are old enough to take their time over more detailed creations without it feeling too much like an art lesson.
• Ten-pin bowling: We’ve been bowling with Alex since he was tiny, and it’s one of those wonderfully reliable activities that works across a huge range of ages and abilities.
• SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium: Sharks, rays, penguins and underwater tunnels make this an easy choice for animal-loving primary school kids, particularly if you want something the whole family can enjoy together.
• WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo: Another good option for this age group, with Australian animals including koalas, kangaroos, wombats, platypus and reptiles, all without having to leave Darling Harbour.
• Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre: If your kids would rather be in the water, the indoor aquatic centre has swimming plus family-friendly water attractions, making it a particularly good option when they’re desperate to burn off some energy.

Our tip: Let your child’s personality choose the activity rather than their age. An adventurous six-year-old might be desperate to climb or tackle a ninja course, while a creative 10-year-old may happily spend hours painting pottery. The beauty of primary school age is that you’ve got plenty of options.

Indoor activities in Sydney for toddlers and preschoolers

Toddlers and preschoolers don’t need the biggest or most expensive indoor attraction in Sydney. Give them somewhere they can touch, play, explore and burn off some energy, and you’re generally onto a winner.

These indoor activities are particularly good for kids aged five and under, with plenty of options for rainy days, hot Sydney weather and those days when you simply need to get everyone out of the house.

Explore, touch and play at the Australian Museum

If you’ve got toddlers or preschoolers to entertain indoors in Sydney, put the Australian Museum on your list. General admission is free, and there’s much more here for little kids than simply walking around looking at museum displays.

On Level 2 you’ll find Burra, a permanent learning and play space where children can touch, listen and explore as they follow the incredible journey of burra, or eel, through Australia’s waterways. There are sensory walls, interactive play areas and plenty for curious little hands to investigate.

Then, of course, there are the dinosaurs.

The Australian Museum’s permanent galleries include its dinosaur collection, so you can combine hands-on play at Burra with a wander amongst some considerably larger prehistoric creatures.

We haven’t personally visited Burra with a toddler, so this recommendation is based on the Museum’s current family facilities rather than our own experience. But I particularly like this one because you don’t have to commit to an expensive ticket before discovering your three-year-old has decided they’ve had quite enough museuming for one day.

Our tip: Don’t try to see the whole museum with a toddler. Start with Burra and the dinosaurs, then keep going if everyone’s still happy. There are baby-change facilities, a parents’ room and pram parking near Burra, which makes this considerably easier with little ones.

Cost: Free general admission. Special exhibitions and some school holiday activities may cost extra.

Let them loose at an indoor play centre

If you’ve got toddlers or preschoolers and Sydney serves up a day of relentless rain, an indoor play centre can be an absolute lifesaver.

We’ve spent many, many hours in indoor play centres over the years, and for this age group they’re pretty hard to beat. The kids can climb, slide, run around and burn off some energy while you enjoy the dream of possibly drinking a coffee while it’s still hot.

One Sydney option is Ultimate Sydney at Northmead, which caters for a good spread of ages. As well as its indoor play equipment, there are trampolines, a foam pit, climbing wall, bumper cars and games. I particularly like that there are separate play areas for different ages, including younger children, rather than expecting your two-year-old to negotiate the same equipment as a pack of enthusiastic eight-year-olds.

We haven’t personally been to Ultimate Sydney, but indoor play centres themselves were a regular part of Alex’s childhood. From experience, one hour usually isn’t quite enough and around two hours generally is. When Alex was older and didn’t need me following him around, I sometimes took my laptop and worked while he played. Just don’t mistake that for full supervision. Staff may be around, but parents still need to keep an eye on their own kids.

And then there are school holidays.

If it’s cold or raining, indoor play centres can be absolutely insane. My preferred strategy is to avoid them altogether at peak times. If you really want to go, arrive bang on opening time, let the kids play for around two hours and make your escape before the crowds descend.

Our tips: Bring socks, but check the venue rules first because some centres require their own grip socks and won’t accept socks from another operator. Check the outside-food policy before packing snacks, particularly if your child has allergies or dietary requirements, and have a look at café prices before you arrive so there are no surprises.

Website: Ultimate Sydney
Address: Unit 5, 1B Redbank Road, Northmead

Watch a movie made for little kids

Taking toddlers and preschoolers to the movies can be a gamble. Will they sit through the whole thing? Will someone need the toilet at the most important moment? And exactly how many times can one small person ask, “Is it nearly finished?”

EVENT Junior at Macquarie Centre makes the whole experience considerably easier by creating a cinema especially for children aged eight and under.

This isn’t just a regular cinema showing kids’ movies. There’s a playground inside with a slide, netted climbing gym and interactive games, plus kid-friendly seating including colourful sofa beanbags and daybeds.

Selected sessions include a 10-minute intermission, giving little legs a chance to move, parents an opportunity for a toilet run and everyone time to replenish the snacks. The lights are also kept low rather than completely dark and the sound is modified with younger ears in mind.

We haven’t personally tried EVENT Junior, but I really like the concept for preschoolers and younger primary-school kids, particularly when Sydney weather sends everyone indoors.

Our tip: Make sure you’re booking an EVENT Junior session rather than a standard movie session. If your preschooler has never made it through a full-length film before, the playground and intermission could make this a much easier first cinema experience.

Website: EVENT Junior
Address: Level 3, Macquarie Centre, corner Herring Road and Waterloo Road, Macquarie Park

Try a kids café

When you’ve got toddlers and preschoolers, sometimes the best indoor activity is one where they can play and you can get a coffee. Everybody wins.

Kids cafés combine indoor play equipment with proper seating and food for parents, making them particularly useful when Sydney is wet, hot or you simply need somewhere contained for a couple of hours.

Vitaland Kids Cafe has several Sydney locations, including Alexandria, Rhodes, Miranda, St Leonards and Warriewood. Its play areas are designed for children aged approximately one to 10, although I’d expect the concept to have its strongest appeal for younger kids.

We haven’t personally visited Vitaland, so check the individual location before making a special trip. Facilities can vary between venues.

Our tip: With toddlers, don’t just check whether a venue says it’s “suitable for kids”. Look for a properly separated area where smaller children can play without being bowled over by enthusiastic eight-year-olds. And remember, a kids café isn’t childcare. You still need to supervise your own little adventurer.

Website: Vitaland Kids Cafe

Build-A-Bear with a twist

Build-A-Bear is one of those activities we’ve returned to several times over the years, and for younger kids, there’s something pretty magical about creating their own soft toy from scratch.

Kids choose their character, help stuff it, add a heart and then comes the potentially dangerous part for the parental wallet: choosing clothes and accessories.

We’ve also found a way to make Build-A-Bear meaningful once the kids are older. On our last couple of visits, I took Alex and my niece and nephew to make bears specifically to donate to charity for Christmas. They still got all the fun of choosing and creating the bears, but knew from the beginning that they were making them for another child.

I loved that version of the experience. It turned an activity usually aimed at younger children into something older kids could participate in for an entirely different reason.

Our tip: Decide on your budget before you start adding outfits and accessories because it’s very easy for the cost to creep up. And if your own kids have outgrown stuffed toys, consider making one for someone else. It’s a lovely activity to combine with a Christmas charity or toy appeal, provided you check what donations the organisation accepts first.

Website: Build-A-Bear Australia
Address: Macquarie Centre, corner Herring Road and Waterloo Road, Macquarie Park

More indoor activities for toddlers and preschoolers

A few of our all-ages Sydney indoor activities are also particularly good with little kids.

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium is an easy choice if your preschooler loves animals, with huge tanks, underwater viewing areas and plenty to look at even when attention spans are short.

WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo is another good Darling Harbour option for young animal lovers, particularly if seeing koalas, kangaroos and other Australian wildlife is high on your Sydney list.

And if your kids would rather get wet than look at animals, Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre has a heated indoor leisure area and Splashers Playground for younger children.

You’ll find more details about each of these in our all-ages recommendations below.

Indoor activities in Sydney for all ages

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium

Aquariums aren’t just for little kids. We visited SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium with Alex when he was 12, and it was a genuine hit.

One of his favourite experiences was the Penguin Expedition Boat Ride, which takes you through the penguin habitat on a small raft. It’s the sort of extra interactive element that can make an aquarium much more interesting for older kids and tweens rather than simply walking from tank to tank.

Shark Valley is another highlight, particularly when you’ve got enormous sharks and rays swimming above you as you make your way through the underwater tunnels.

Based on our experience, I’d happily recommend SEA LIFE for tweens, and I think it still has plenty of appeal for teenagers, particularly those interested in animals and marine life. It’s also right at Darling Harbour, making it easy to combine with another attraction rather than devoting your whole day to it.

Our tip: Allow around 1.5 to two hours, but check what’s included and what’s operating when you visit. Interactive experiences can be the difference between an aquarium that’s merely “nice” and one your older kids actually remember.

Website: Get discounted 2-attraction tickets here
Address: Aquarium Wharf, 1–5 Wheat Road, Darling Harbour

Go inside the Sydney Opera House

Most families visiting Sydney will see the Opera House. You’ll photograph it from Circular Quay, spot it from a ferry and probably take another 47 photos of it from different angles. But how many of us actually go inside?

Confession: despite visiting Sydney many times, we’ve never seen a performance inside the Sydney Opera House. It’s something I’d love to change.

If you’re looking for an indoor activity, check what’s on during your visit rather than recommending one particular show. The program changes constantly and includes everything from theatre and music to dance, comedy and family performances, so look for something that suits the ages and interests of your kids.

You don’t necessarily need to see a show either. The one-hour Sydney Opera House Tour takes visitors inside the building to discover its architecture, history and performance spaces. Because this is a working theatre, exactly what you’ll see can vary depending on rehearsals and performances happening that day.

For teenagers interested in theatre, music, architecture or how things work behind the scenes, I’d seriously consider the tour. For everyone else, I’d check the What’s On program first and use the opportunity to finally say you’ve done more than stand outside taking photos of the sails.

Our tip: Don’t just assume there’s nothing suitable for your family. Check both the performances and tours before your trip. And book ahead if you find something you really want to see.

Book here: Check out the range of Opera House activities here
Address: Bennelong Point, Sydney

Make a splash at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre

Swimming is one of those gloriously simple indoor activities that can work for almost every age, but I have one important requirement: make sure the pool is heated!

We’ve used indoor aquatic centres with kids in Melbourne and found them a great option when the weather outside wasn’t playing nicely. Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre is particularly appealing because there’s much more to do than simply swim laps.

The heated indoor leisure area includes Splashers Playground for younger children, a waterslide and the Rapid River Ride, where the current carries swimmers around a circular course. Kids need to be over 120cm tall to use the waterslide.

For older kids and teenagers who actually enjoy swimming, there are also the pools that hosted events during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. The Competition and Utility Pools are maintained at approximately 26–27°C.

If you’re visiting during the school holidays, check the Sydney Olympic Park school holiday program before you go. Programs change throughout the year and can include everything from swimming and diving to gymnastics and other sports, giving active kids another reason to visit.

Our tip: Check what’s operating on the day you plan to visit. Aquatic centres can have different opening times for slides, play areas and other facilities, particularly during school terms and holidays. And pack something warm for afterwards. Heated pool or not, wet kids emerging into air-conditioning have a remarkable ability to announce that they’re FREEZING.

Website: Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre
Address: Olympic Boulevard, Sydney Olympic Park

Go ten-pin bowling

Bowling is one of those rare indoor activities that genuinely works from little kids right through to teenagers. We’ve been bowling with Alex since he was about two years old and have probably clocked up eleventy billion games since then, so this is one activity we’ve thoroughly road-tested!

As a teenager, Alex would now much rather go bowling with a group of friends than head out for another family bowling session. Fair enough too. After all those years bowling with us, I suspect the novelty of watching his mother attempt a strike has worn off.

That’s actually one of the reasons bowling deserves a place on a list of indoor activities for teenagers in Sydney. It’s easy to organise with a group, nobody needs to be particularly good at it, there’s plenty of time to talk between turns and a game gives teenagers something to do without parents having to manufacture the fun.

Sydney has plenty of bowling venues, including entertainment centres where you can combine bowling with arcade games, laser tag, mini golf or other indoor activities. We’ll list some of the best options below.

Our tip: Eat after you’ve finished bowling. Pizza, hot chips and bowling balls are not a combination I can recommend. Greasy fingers disappearing into communal bowling-ball holes? Ewwww. No thank you.

Website: Strike Bowling Darling Harbour
Address: Ground Floor, King Street Wharf, 22 The Promenade

See what’s on at Powerhouse

Powerhouse is a little different from most Sydney museums because it isn’t just one building. Its museums and programs are spread across several Sydney locations, with exhibitions covering everything from science and technology to design, fashion, engineering and space.

The newest addition is Powerhouse Parramatta, opening on 7 November 2026. This enormous new museum in Western Sydney will have changing exhibitions rather than one static collection, so it’s worth checking what’s actually on when you’re planning your visit.

There’s also Powerhouse Castle Hill, where more than half a million objects from the Powerhouse Collection are housed. It’s open to the public on weekends with exhibitions and changing programs, while Sydney Observatory is part of the Powerhouse family too and we covered it separately below.

The old Powerhouse Ultimo site is currently closed while it undergoes a major revitalisation.

We haven’t personally tested the current Powerhouse experiences with Alex, so I’m not going to pretend I can tell you which one your teenager will love. Instead, check the Powerhouse program before your trip. Exhibitions, workshops and school holiday activities change, and what’s running during your visit will make a huge difference to which location suits your family best.

Our tip: Don’t simply type “Powerhouse Museum” into your maps and head off. Check the location of the exhibition or activity you’re interested in first. Sydney’s Powerhouse is now spread across multiple sites.

Website: Powerhouse Parramatta
Address: 34 Phillip Street (1 Danyamada Place), Parramatta

Website: Powerhouse Castle Hill
Address: Museums Discovery Centre, 2 Green Road, Castle Hill

Look to the stars at Sydney Observatory

Sydney Observatory is technically an indoor attraction, although I’d argue that its beautiful grounds and views across Sydney Harbour are part of the reason to visit.

We’ve visited with Alex and I was surprised by how much he enjoyed it. We went inside the Observatory, explored the displays and spent around 45 minutes there. It wasn’t somewhere we needed several hours for, but it was an excellent addition to a day exploring The Rocks.

Current guided experiences delve further into astronomy, the Observatory’s heritage buildings and astronomical equipment, while evening experiences can give visitors the opportunity to look through the telescopes when conditions allow.

I’d particularly recommend investigating the tours if you’ve got a tween or teenager interested in astronomy, science or space. Even if they’re not budding astronomers, the Observatory’s history and location make it considerably more interesting than simply staring at another museum display case.

Our tip: Don’t plan your whole day around the Observatory alone. Combine it with The Rocks and Circular Quay. And if astronomy is the main attraction for your family, investigate the evening experiences rather than automatically visiting during the day.

Website: Sydney Observatory
Address: 1003 Upper Fort Street, Millers Point

Meet Australian animals at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo

You don’t have to leave Darling Harbour to meet some of Australia’s best-known animals. WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo is an easy indoor option for families, particularly if you’re visiting Sydney with primary-school kids or tweens.

We visited with Alex when he was 12 and he genuinely enjoyed it, so I’d definitely recommend it for that age group. You can see Australian animals including koalas, kangaroos, wombats, platypus and reptiles as you make your way through the different habitats.

For older teenagers, I’d be a little more selective. An animal-loving teen could absolutely enjoy it, but I wouldn’t automatically put WILD LIFE at the top of the list for a 16 or 17-year-old who is more interested in gaming, adrenaline activities or interactive experiences.

One of its biggest advantages is the location. WILD LIFE is at Darling Harbour alongside SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and Madame Tussauds, so it’s easy to combine attractions rather than making a special trip for just one.

Our tip: If you’re considering more than one Darling Harbour attraction, compare the multi-attraction ticket options before booking separately. And for teenagers, let their interests decide. If they’re mad about Australian wildlife, go for it. If they’d rather be racing go karts or disappearing into a VR world, I’d choose accordingly.

Book here: WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo
Address: Aquarium Wharf, 1–5 Wheat Road, Darling Harbour

Step inside the State Library of NSW

If you’re looking for a free indoor activity in Sydney, don’t overlook the State Library of NSW.

We’ve visited with Alex and a friend, although ours was only a quick look rather than a lengthy library session. We explored enough to discover that this is much more useful for families than you might expect from the rather grand building outside.

There are books for children and teenagers, family-friendly spaces and changing exhibitions, while the Library also runs events and activities throughout the year. If you’re visiting during the school holidays, check the current program before you go because there may be additional workshops or activities for kids and teens.

For older kids, I wouldn’t necessarily make the Library the sole destination for the day. Instead, it’s a great free addition to a day exploring this part of Sydney, particularly when the weather isn’t cooperating.

And even if your kids aren’t remotely interested in books, the building itself is worth popping inside for a look.

Our tip: Check the exhibitions and events calendar before your visit. A quick wander might take less than an hour, but the right exhibition or school holiday activity could turn it into a much longer stop.

Website: State Library of NSW
Address: 1 Shakespeare Place, Sydney

Free and cheap indoor activities in Sydney

Not every rainy day in Sydney needs to involve handing over a small fortune in admission fees. There are some genuinely good free and cheap indoor activities in Sydney for kids, particularly if you’re happy to check what’s on before you head out.

Some of these are completely free, while others can be turned into a relatively inexpensive couple of hours.

Visit the Australian Museum for free

General admission to the Australian Museum is free, making this one of my favourite budget options for families.

Younger kids can explore Burra, the museum’s hands-on play and learning space, while older children can investigate the dinosaurs, animals and permanent galleries. During the school holidays, check what’s on because there may also be workshops and activities, although some of these cost extra.

We’ve covered the Museum in more detail above for both preschoolers and primary-school kids.

Pop into the State Library of NSW

The State Library of NSW is another completely free indoor stop. We’ve visited with Alex and a friend, and while I wouldn’t necessarily plan an entire day around it, it’s a great addition when you’re exploring the city and need somewhere interesting to escape the rain or heat.

Check the exhibitions and school holiday program before you visit because there may be free family activities running too.

Check what’s happening at Darling Square Library

Libraries have come a very long way from simply borrowing a book and being told to shhhhh.

Darling Square Library has an Ideas Lab makerspace and runs changing activities covering things like robotics, coding, 3D printing and creative projects. Some activities are free while others may have a small charge, so check the current program and age requirements before promising the kids anything.

Explore an art gallery

The Art Gallery of NSW has free general admission, and we’ve personally found it surprisingly good with teenagers. Alex and the other teens we visited with took longer exploring the galleries than I did!

This is an easy one to combine with another CBD activity, and because you haven’t paid an admission fee, there’s no pressure to stay for hours if the kids have had enough.

Go window shopping with older kids

For tweens and teenagers, a Sydney shopping centre can provide a few hours of inexpensive entertainment, provided you don’t accidentally turn “window shopping” into actual shopping.

Combine a wander through the shops with lunch or another activity, give older kids a little independence if you’re comfortable doing so, and agree on a meeting place and time.

Obviously, this one stops being cheap the moment someone discovers a pair of shoes they absolutely cannot live without.

Our tip: Always check the current exhibitions, workshops and school holiday programs at Sydney’s museums, galleries and libraries before you visit. A free venue can become a much better day out when there’s a hands-on activity or exhibition your kids are genuinely interested in.

Looking for more ways to save? Head to our guide to free things to do in Sydney with kids for more ideas that won’t hammer the holiday budget.

What to do in Sydney when it rains

Rain in Sydney doesn’t necessarily mean abandoning your plans and retreating inside. The trick is choosing an indoor activity that suits the age of your kids, where you are in Sydney and how many hours you need to fill.

If the forecast is looking particularly grim, I’d also avoid planning a day that involves travelling backwards and forwards across Sydney. Pick one area with several indoor options and stay there.

Rainy days with toddlers and preschoolers

With little kids, keep it simple. You don’t need to fill eight hours with activities, and getting wet repeatedly while wrestling a toddler, pram and assorted snacks in and out of the car or onto public transport isn’t anyone’s idea of a good day.

I’d choose somewhere like the Australian Museum, an indoor play centre or kids café, or an EVENT Junior movie session. If you’ve got an energetic little person, somewhere they can actually move and play is probably going to work better than expecting them to quietly admire exhibits all afternoon.

Rainy days with primary school kids and tweens

Once kids reach primary-school age, you’ve got considerably more options.

The Australian National Maritime Museum is particularly worth checking during the school holidays because of its hands-on activities, while SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo are easy choices if your kids love animals.

For kids who need to do something, look at bowling, laser tag, indoor climbing, ninja courses, pottery or swimming.

My advice with this age group is to choose one main activity they’re genuinely excited about rather than trying to cram five attractions into one rainy day.

Rainy days with teenagers

Teenagers are where Sydney’s indoor options get really interesting.

We’ve had the most success with activities that involve competition, problem solving, gaming or a physical challenge. Think Hijinx Hotel, VR, escape rooms, Immersive Gamebox, Archie Brothers, Holey Moley, indoor go karting or rock climbing.

And with older teenagers, let them help choose. An activity they’ve picked themselves already has a considerably better chance of being declared acceptable.

When it’s going to rain all day

If the forecast says rain from breakfast until dinner, this is when I’d choose a rainy-day precinct rather than one isolated attraction.

• Darling Harbour is probably the easiest example. You’ve got SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, Madame Tussauds, Immersive Gamebox and the Australian National Maritime Museum in the same general area, plus plenty of places to eat. You don’t need to visit them all. Choose one or two and you’ve got an easy day without spending hours travelling across Sydney.
• Alexandria is another good option for older kids and teenagers, particularly if you’re after entertainment rather than sightseeing. You can find activities including Archie Brothers, Hijinx Hotel, bowling, mini golf and VR in the area.
• Macquarie Centre also works well when the weather is awful because you can combine an activity with food, shopping or a movie. Depending on the ages of your kids, options include ice skating, Holey Moley, EVENT Cinemas and EVENT Junior.

Our tip: If rain is forecast for the Sydney school holidays, book ahead. Everyone else has seen the same weather forecast you have, and the best indoor activities can become very busy. Have a rough Plan B before you wake up to the sound of rain hammering against the window.

FAQ

Finding the best indoor activities in Sydney for your kids

Sydney weather doesn’t always get the memo that you’ve made plans. Fortunately, whether it’s bucketing down, ridiculously hot or you simply fancy doing something indoors, there are plenty of ways to keep the kids entertained.

After years of testing activities with Alex from toddlerhood right through to his teens, I’ve learnt that the best activity isn’t necessarily the biggest or most expensive. It’s the one that suits your kids, their ages and what they actually enjoy doing.

So pick something from the list, book ahead if you need to and go make some memories.

And if it all goes horribly wrong? There’s always bowling. Just remember my rule: eat the hot chips afterwards. Nobody needs greasy fingers in communal bowling-ball holes.

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