Adelaide

Adelaide: Bring the kids

Max Anderson
Rumble in the jungle... sorry Adelaide Hills! (Photo: Tourism SA)
Holidays with the family don't need to be stressful; Adelaide has some great options for kids. Check out our family-friendly suggestions.

Port Adelaide

Port Adelaide is awash with family distractions, including the Seahorse Farm (stroke a shark), National Railway Museum (train rides, plus kids get to clamber over near-indestructible exhibits), and the wonderful Maritime Museum with the replica ketch, Active II — a super scramble-space where kids can become a heave-ho hearty. There's also impossibly cheap Port River Cruises to spot dolphins, plus newly-minted Kids Port Walks for eight- to 12-year-olds.

The Beach House, Glenelg

The Beach House kind of flies in the face of being beside the sea, but this indoor collection of wet rides, wild rides and old-fashioned fairground rides will feed their insatiable appetite for "more". Don't get suckered into buying separate ride tokens — buy a package. And remember, the electric blaster boats rock.

Farmer's Market Kids Club

Every Sunday, kids get up to their elbows in mucky stuff at the Adelaide Showgrounds at the Farmer's Market Kids Club with cooking classes, gardening and general energy-sapping activities. Plenty of stalls offering free yummy stuff mean they get to try lots of new food.

Nocturnal walks

Kids get excited by the dark and love animals. So it's a double-score when the ranger kits up with a spotlight and leads them on a 90-minute nocturnal walk at either Cleland or Warrawong wildlife parks. It's all about spotting pairs of eyes glinting in the trees and undergrowth.

SA Museum's kids programs

Run during school holidays, these programs have included mask making, painting and bug catching. Lively, well-received and cheap at only $2-$5.

Pandas!

The big news is the black and white bears at Adelaide Zoo which took up residence last year — the only P-bears in the southern hemisphere. Catch them at this beautiful zoo daily but be aware you have to book online. Up the ante by arriving at the zoo aboard the Popeye boat, a leisurely pleasure-craft excursion on the Torrens that's whooped up by young'uns.

Something on Saturday

Run by the Adelaide Festival Centre; this program has been keeping kids happy for 23 years. SOS shows run over 16 Saturdays between May and September, offering live performances and workshops to entertain kids aged three to 10 years. Performances include music, dance, puppetry, pantomime, film, cabaret and a free show to celebrate Reconciliation week; free Kids Corner Craft Workshops take place before and after the paid performances.

Mmm, chocolate

Free factory tour of Haigh's Chocolates! Expose your offspring to the mechanics of assembling some of the world's finest gourmet chocs — then listen patiently as they demand giant chocolate frogs afterwards. Defuse the subsequent sugar-hit in the South Parklands just across the road.

Adelaide playgrounds

Sometimes the smallest ones need nothing more than to let off steam on swings and slides. Adelaide City Council has rated all the play parks in the city and surrounds so you can check out the best playground nearest to you.

Teens

Only one thing for it — send them out to do grown-up business. Kite-surfing in Largs Bay, swimming with dolphins and jet-boating off Glenelg, kayaking around shipwrecks near Port Adelaide, City Sk8 Park on North Terrace, ice skating at Ice Arena, beach volleyball in the heart of the city.

Got any more places to recommend for the kids? Have your say using the comments form below.

Next: 36-hour itinerary

 
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User comments
LAYGO is a great place to go in the school holidays. LAYGO has sessions for school holidays 1 hour of fun for only $6.50 per child group bookings can be arranged.. At LAYGO you can also arrange your next LEGO birthday party or buy your lego products from Adelaides LAYGO shop. www.laygo.com.au
There is a fantastic wood playground in Pt Noarlunga. It is free and has great facilities including BBQ's, undercover areas and toilets. It gets busy in the holidays and weekends but the kids love it.

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