Things To Do With Kids in New South Wales

Animal parks are the biggest cluster here, and they split by how close the kids get. Taronga Zoo Sydney is the big set piece: reviews keep coming back to harbour views, the seal and bird shows, and a top-to-bottom layout that works with prams if you ride the Sky Safari up first. Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park, Symbio Wildlife Park and Hunter Valley Wildlife Park are smaller and hands-on, with kangaroo feeding at the centre; Symbio adds a splash park, and Hunter Valley's grounds are open and exposed, so mornings suit warm months. Sydney Zoo at Eastern Creek has child-height enclosures and misting zones, and reviewers rate its annual pass for Western Sydney families. Australian Reptile Park on the Central Coast is the one where adults get as involved as kids, thanks to the venom milking and alligator shows.

For a wet day, the Australian Museum and Australian National Maritime Museum are both free to enter. The Burra area on level 2 holds younger kids longest at the museum; the submarine and destroyer tours suit school-age children but some vessels close by midday. SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium is ticketed and its penguin area is kept cold, though one Sydney guide singles out Pig the dugong as one of only five on display anywhere.

Further afield, Scenic World in Katoomba fills a day with four rides and a rainforest walk, with under-threes free. Jamberoo Action Park covers ages 4 and up with thrill and gentle slides but sells out on peak summer days, while Raging Waters Sydney is listed as temporarily closed. The Big Banana Fun Park in Coffs Harbour and Old Dubbo Gaol, with its theatrical tours and tunnels, anchor regional trips. For free outdoor play, Fagan Park has two playgrounds and bike paths, and Blaxland Riverside Park has a flying fox and water play but very little shade.