TOP 70 Rainy Day Ideas for Kids in Sydney

A whole day indoors with kids is always a L-O-N-G one, especially with toddlers and preschoolers – we suggest going out for at least a few hours to save your sanity and your home from looking like it’s been kid-bombed! Here are our favourite indoor and outdoor activities for chilly and wet weather days for kids in Sydney.

GO BOWLING: Strike and AMF have locations all over Sydney. And there’s a 1960’s style bowling alley in Mascot.

INDOOR MINI GOLF: Visit Putt Planet for some fun indoor mini golf, Miranda. This is one seriously quirky 18-hole putt putt course- you'll feel as if you've stepped into Mobasa as you golf through bustling marketplaces and even the sewers. 

GO SWIMMING: Find some of our favourite Sydney indoor pools here. as well as those pools that are heated throughout the year. Our top pick? Sydney Olympic Aquatic Centre's EPIC Splasher's Water Playground where it feels like Summer all year round. 

VISIT A KID FRIENDLY MUSEUM: We love The Powerhouse Museum, especially their recently renovated FREE Wiggles Exhibition (Ultimo), The Australian Museum plus their awesome Kidspace for 0-5’s (City Centre), the Justice and Police Museum (Circular Quay), Hyde Park Barracks (City Centre), and the Museum of Fire (Penrith).

GO TO A GALLERY: If you can keep the kiddies on reasonably low volume, have a wander ’round the MCA and their fantastic FREE family trail (Circular Quay), Art Gallery NSW (Botanic Gardens) or White Rabbit Gallery (Chippendale) often has interesting art on display as well as regular kid's activities.

VISIT A LIBRARY OR PLAYGROUP: Make a trip to your local library, toy library or join a Playgroup (weekdays in term time)

PLAY TOURIST AND VISIT: SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo for some awesome animal encounters, or Madame Tussauds for a celebrity sighting (All at Darling Harbour), Sydney Tower Eye for specatucular views (City Centre, access via Westfield), and Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary (Manly)

INDOOR PLAYCENTRES:  We have a HUGE list of epic indoor play centres in every corner of Sydney- check it out! 

GO CLIMBING: From around 4 years of age – kids can have a go at indoor rock climbing – check each centre for the minimum age: Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym at St Peters and Villawood, Climbfit at St Leonards, Rockhouse in Brookvale, The Edge Climbing Centre in Castle Hill or Climboz in Blacktown.
More Kid-Friendly Indoor Climbing Centres.

ICE SKATE: Sydney Ice Arena in Baulkham Hills is awesome as is Macquarie’s Ice Rink or go West for Penrith’s Ice Palace, Liverpool Catholic Club Ice Rink and Canterbury’s Olympic Ice Rink.
More of Sydney’s Best Place to Take the Kids Ice-Skating

MOVIES: See what’s on at EVENT CINEMAS, HOYTS, Mums and bubs movies run weekdays during term. Hoyts Junior shows preschooler movies on Saturdays and Sundays and some Tuesdays during term times. See what's on here.

ART & CRAFT CENTRES: Get messy and let someone else clean up! Paint and Play at Maroubra and Alexandria, Plaster Master Fun in Bondi, Plaster Painting Studios at EQ Moore Park, Colour Me Mine in Summer Hill or Jenny’s Painted Pots in the northern beaches. Make a furry friend at Build a Bear centre in Penrith, Miranda, Castle Hill, or Kotara.

SHOPPING CENTRES WITH INDOOR PLAY AREAS: There are play areas at Westfield in Chatswood, Burwood, Miranda, Parramatta, and Eastgardens, The Broadway Shopping Centre has a good one for under 6’s, The Homemaker’s Centre in Alexandria has a cute kids playground, the Macquarrie Centre has the fabulous Chipmunks within the complex, go to Ikea at Homebush or Tempe for super cheap meatballs and a play in Smaland, their supervised play area, Marrickville Metro has a cool new kids play area and Top Ryde City had a great enclosed play area with a cafe right next door! And if you’re in anywhere near Castle Hill, make sure you visit Jitterbugs Playcentre, in Castle Towers. Our favourite? Monkey Bar, the epic and FREE indoor play at Rhodes Waterside!
More Indoor Play Centres in Shopping Malls

PUBS WITH KIDS PLAY AREAS: Try Pennant Hills Hotel, Belrose Hotel and Five Dock RSL, Club Central in Menai, Tradies Club at Gymea, The Taren Point Hotel, North Ryde RSL, The Castle Hill RSL, Rouse Hill’s Australian Hotel and Brewery, or the incredible Coogee Pavilion!
Check out Sydney’s Best Kid-Friendly Pubs.

KIDS SHOWS: Check our listing to see if there’s a kids performance on today

GET CREATIVE AT HOME: Get the kids in the kitchen and bake away!

Crafty websites to inspire you: childhood 101, be a fun mum, no time for flashcards, make and takes. Make your own with this easy play dough recipe.

Paint: Cover the kitchen floor in butchers paper, strip the kids, get out all the paint and let them at it. The after mess bath is also a good way to fill in time!

Active: Set up an indoor obstacle course or build a cubby house or fort under the table. Tidy your kids bedroom with your kids - they’ll rediscover all the toys they’ve forgotten about.

Create: Go through your recylcling bin for cardboard boxes, cartons, tubs, give the kids glue, glitter, felt tips, crayons, paint, small dry pasta and foil and let them at it.

Movie time: Make real popcorn and snuggle up with stories or a family movie.

Build: Get the Lego, building blocks & jigsaws out.