17 fun things to do in Perth with kids

Travel & Touring| WA Things To Do

By: Tatum Stafford

Fruit picking, high ropes courses and underwater tunnels are just the beginning when it comes to keeping Perth kids busy.

No matter the time of year, there are countless activities in and around Perth that are sure to keep kids of all ages entertained. Whether it’s free or cheap, adventurous or tame, indoors or outdoors – there's an activity on this list that your kids will love.

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1. Check out the summer school holiday events

Perth’s summers are packed with family-friendly events. From outdoor cinemas to music festivals and cultural celebrations, there’s something for everyone. Take the kids to explore pop-up markets, art festivals, or book them in for an adventurous summer day camp. Check out our full guide to what’s on in Perth this summer for kids.

2. Cool off at a kid-friendly beach

We’re lucky to have such an epic coastline in WA with plenty of family-friendly beaches. Whether you’re after calm waters for younger swimmers, or beaches with nearby playgrounds, we're pretty spoilt for choice here. There are also plenty with snorkelling and BBQ facilities for a full family day out. Find the perfect spot for your family with our list of the top kid-friendly beaches in WA.

3. Beat your kids at mini golf

Mini golf can be a fun, low-pressure way to entertain kids of all ages, or get competitive. There are plenty of places in Perth with different themes. Plus, if you're heading on a road trip down south, there are some good ones on the way to break up the drive. We’ve tested them, and this is our pick of the 10 best mini golf courses in WA.

4. Explore family-friendly bike trails

Perth has a range of scenic bike trails perfect for getting the kids outdoors. From riverside paths to bushland tracks, these routes are designed to be safe and enjoyable for cyclists of all ages. Ride along the Swan River, through Kings Park, or take the scenic coastal route. See our guide to Perth's best family-friendly bike rides to find one near you. We've also got a list of the best bike parks for kids in Perth.

5. Go snorkelling

If you want to take the beach trip a bit further, choose one of Perth's beaches or bays that are prime spots for snorkelling. Due to swells and currents, some locations require a bit of snorkelling experience, but there are several areas suitable for beginners and kids.

Mettams Pool in Trigg is a good spot for beginners and families. With a natural rock pool that’s less than two metres deep, the area is protected by a surrounding reef and is home to buffalo bream, red-lip morwongs and even sea anenomes. There are similar shallow rock pools at Point Peron in Rockingham, which is home to more diverse marine life including sea sponges, spider crabs and tropical fish.

If you’re keen to snorkel further offshore, book a family snorkelling tour out to Carnac Island from Fremantle. The island is famous for its colony of Australian sea lions but is also an important habitat for bottlenose dolphins and tropical fish, making its surrounding reef a haven for snorkellers. There are a few different tour operators to choose from, with average prices from $99 per person.

RELATED:10 of Perth's best snorkelling spots »

6. Go fruit picking

No matter the time of year, there are plenty of orchards within the Perth Hills and Perth’s northern suburbs that open their gates for visitors to pick fresh apples, grapes, strawberries, mangoes, cherries, pears, pomegranates, and more. A popular spot in the Perth Hills is the S&R Orchard in Walliston, which hosts a ‘pick your own summer fruit’ festival between December and March each year.

Grumpy Grapes vineyard offers pick-your-own grapes sessions over summer. There are plenty of strawberry picking locations, typically open in the later half of the year. Check the websites or social media for opening times of the place you're wanting to visit, as demand can be high for the seasons.

RELATED:Where to go fruit picking in and around Perth »

7. Explore Naturescape at Kings Park

The Rio Tinto Naturescape in King’s Park is a space that gives city kids the opportunity to have a ‘bush experience’ in the heart of Perth. It features aerial walkways, a creek and waterhole for paddling, and a web of climbing ropes called The Tangle. During wildflower season, continue down the nature path and take the kids wildflower spotting.

8. Tackle an escape room

Varying in difficulty and themes, escape rooms are a fantastic family-friendly activity perfect for any time of year and there are quite a few to choose from in Perth.

Some of the best escape rooms around Perth for kids include Escape Hunt in Fremantle, offering a series of Disney-themed rooms suitable for all ages, Time’s Up in Wanneroo and Bunbury, hosting a mix of indoor and outdoor experiences, and Escape This in Northbridge and the Hay St Mall, with family-friendly rooms themed around pirates and wizards.

Some escape rooms in Perth have minimum age limits, and some may require adult supervision for children. Check the website T&Cs before booking a session.

9. Pull on some ice skates

If it's a really hot day where being outside is unbearable, head to the ice rink at Cockburn Ice Arena. They have special school holiday sessions, which include a demonstration of ice-skating basics. Ice marshals patrol the rink throughout the session to help you and your kids get the hang of things, with a DJ providing music and running games. RAC members save on a range of ice skating packages at Cockburn Ice Arena.

10. Tackle a high ropes course

If your kids are thrill-seekers, consider an excursion to a high ropes course. Take a drive 45 minutes from Perth to Treetops Adventure in Yanchep National Park. The course weaves through the park’s tuart trees and features seven levels of difficulty that include wooden bridges, tight ropes, cargo nets, and ziplines.

Each session is 2.5 hours long (including training and a safety briefing), and kids’ pricing, for 3 to 7-year-olds, starts at $33. Family discounts are also available. Bookings are essential.

If it's too hot outside, head for the indoor high ropes at Bounce Inc in Joondalup, Osborne Park, or Cannington. Dubbed an ‘indoor aerial super park’, Bounce is home to more than 3,000 square meters of interconnected trampolines and other adventure features. Toddlers and pre-schoolers get two hours of bounce time for just $14 on weekdays, and for kids over 110cm in height, prices start at $17 when booked online. Book your session in advance.

11. Ride an Edwardian-era ferry on the Swan River

Looking for a truly unique school holiday experience? Catch The Little Ferry Co's solar-powered, Edwardian-styled ferry from Elizabeth Quay to Optus Stadium. 25 minutes of cruising along the Swan River will get you to the Stadium. Once you're there, visit the many playgrounds, have a picnic lunch on the riverbank, or eat at the family-friendly microbrewery, The Camfield. Re-embark for your return in the same spot, or walk over Matagarup bridge to Claisebrook Cove and catch the return ferry from there. Book online to reserve your seats as the ferry carries no more than eleven passengers on any journey.

12. Go for a paddle in a natural pool

If you need a break from the beach (and the sand), pack your bathers and head for a natural swimming hole instead.

Lake Leschenaultia in Chidlow is a hit with families, with plenty of shade thanks to surrounding tall trees. The lake has a white sand beach and the water here is calm, so it’s perfect for paddling or for little ones to splash around in the shallows. There’s also a pontoon kids can jump from into the water, and barbeque facilities if you’re eager to stay awhile.

If you want a day trip from Perth, try Scarp Pool near Dwellingup (popular for its picturesque picnic spots), Logue Brook Dam near Harvey, or Honeymoon Pool in the Wellington National Park.

Check the Parks and Wildlife Service webpage for any active water alerts before swimming at any of these spots.

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13. Get experimental at Scitech

No matter when you visit, there’s always something to keep the kids busy at Scitech. The centre in West Perth features exhibitions, puppet shows, live science experiments and even stargazing sessions in the Planetarium.

Within the permanent Science Centre, head for the Rio Tinto Innovation Central gallery to tinker with toys, the Scitech Lab to learn about forensics, robotics and animation, or the Kaartadijin Koorliny gallery for an immersive colour experience with a perception tunnel and musical lighting that responds to body movements.

Scitech is open daily from 9:30am to 4pm (early opening time of 9am during the school holidays). Tickets are free for kids under 4, and $17 from age 4-17. RAC members save 10% on tickets when booked in advance through the RAC online shop.

14. Make a splash at a water playground

There are plenty of free outdoor water playgrounds across Perth for kids to splash around in.

Maylands Waterland overlooking the Swan River is the perfect spot for a family day out. Enjoy the surrounding park, playground, BBQs and picnic areas too. The waterland runs from 9am - 5pm, and is open until the end of the April school holidays.

The Hyde Park Water Playground in North Perth has a massive spongey splash pad, tipping buckets, spray guns and plenty of water jets. It runs in the warmer months from November to March between 8am and 8pm.

There's also the Rainbow Waters Playground that sits opposite the library in Ellenbrook. Open from 9am to 7pm from September to May, the playground has different obstacles, tunnels and large open splash zones so you’re guaranteed to get wet.

If you’re looking for a spot near the city, there are two water playgrounds to try: the BHP Water Park in Elizabeth Quay, and the Water Labyrinth sculpture in Forrest Place - please note the Water Labyrinth is currently closed for maintenance and will not be operational this summer. The BHP Water Park sits at the entry point to Elizabeth Quay, and features water jets and lighting that showcases a beautiful mural at its base. Be mindful that both water areas are on top of brick and tiles, so kids should wear suitable footwear and avoid running at high speeds.

15. Tour the night sky at the Perth Observatory

The Perth Observatory offers fascinating night sky tours each month. You will have the chance to gaze through the observatory’s wide collection of telescopes to see dying stars, nebulas, giant star clusters, and the moon and other planets when they are visible. Sometimes, satellites and meteors can flash across the sky unexpectedly, too.

These tours are recommended for kids aged 8 and up, but bear in mind that children must be supervised by an adult at all times. As the star viewing part of the tour is held outdoors, make sure you bring extra layers as you’ll be out in bushland at night. Book in advance.

If you’re doing a day trip to the Bickley Valley, you can visit the observatory on Sundays for a guided day tour. You will get to tour the telescopes, learn about timekeeping, and explore the museum. Kids under 12 are free, and it’s $10 for kids aged 12-17.

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16. Feed and play with animals

The Swan Valley Cuddly Animal Farm is a popular local farm experience with plenty of activities offered in your entry price. A typical visit to the farm includes a tractor train ride, an animal feeding session, a jump on the bouncy castle and a turn on the merry-go-round. There are also picnic and barbeque facilities onsite if you want to make a day of it. Visitors can bucket-feed guinea pigs, rabbits and birds, bottle-feed lambs and piglets, and pat ponies, kangaroos, emus and even a miniature mule. Children's entry starts at $16.50.

If you’re eager to learn about animals from Australia and beyond, plan a trip to the nearby Caversham Wildlife Park. The park hosts daily koala meet-and-greets, kangaroo feeding sessions, and impressive farm shows complete with sheep shearing, whip cracking, cow milking, and sheep dog mustering. There’s also a reptile house onsite, with more than 150 creatures, including carpet pythons and olive pythons. The park is open daily from 9am to 4:30pm, and kids’ tickets start at $16. RAC members save up to 15% on general admission passes when booked in advance through the RAC online shop.

RELATED:Best family-friendly farm stays in WA »

17. Explore AQWA's underwater wonderland

There’s no shortage of things to do in a day at AQWA. Alongside the permanent exhibits, you can also take a ride across the top of the aquarium on a glass-bottom boat and go on a tour behind the scenes. Tickets can be purchased on arrival, with kids’ tickets starting at $19. Family passes are also available. RAC members save 10% on entry passes as well as cafe and gift shop purchases.

Check the AQWA website for their school holiday activities, which rotate throughout the year. The famous AQWA mermaids make an appearance a few times a year, so keep an eye out for them on the website also – they're a big hit with kids.

Last updated: December 2024