On long weekends it's handy to have a few fun and free children's activities up your sleeve! These nature-inspired ideas are a great way to show children a new area of Melbourne, and will keep them busy for hours too.
1. A Day at the Zoo – Let your children roam Melbourne Zoo and see all the animals they have heard and read about. Melbourne Zoo is open 9am-5pm daily, with attractions including the Gorilla Rainforest, Australian Bush area and iconic
Butterfly House.
Kids enter the zoo free on weekends, public holidays and school holidays in Victoria. That's for Melbourne Zoo,
Werribee Open Range Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary. However, entry fees still apply to adults. Free entry is for children under 16 years.
See
www.zoo.org.au for my details.
2. A Garden Made For You – A visit to
The Ian Potter Foundation Children's Garden, at the Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens, is a great way to encourage appreciation of flora and show children new plants. The garden has been designed to delight children's senses with several feature gardens (including a wetland area, bamboo forest, plant tunnel and vegetable garden) to explore. The garden opens from 10am to sunset on public holidays, and entry is free.
See
www.rbg.vic.gov.au/rbg-melbourne/childrens-garden
3. Culture Meets Play – A
family walk along the Yarra River next to Federation Square will take you to Birrarung Marr.
This free public park area celebrates Victoria's indigenous culture with artworks to explore, plus there's a great playground with sand pits, activity panels, rock and rope climbing features and balance beams.
