5 Family Friendly Activities to do on a Budget

10 min read

published: 29 Jan 2020

Typically, when people think of family friendly activities, amusement parks, zoos or holidays will come to mind. However, spending quality time with your family does not always have to be expensive. Luckily, Sydney has many options for families who are tight on a budget, so you can spend time with your family without any guilt.

Visit an art gallery

Taking your children to art galleries and exhibitions can be a fun, creative and educational experience for your children. Particularly during the school holidays, there will be plenty of art galleries and exhibitions catered towards children. While some exhibitions may ask for entry fees, they tend to be relatively affordable, and in some cases, completely free. For example, the On the Move exhibition is an interactive exhibition at the Museum of Sydney that specifically caters towards children as it has plenty of hands on activities to get the children involved. Or if you want an exhibition that is completely free, then the Guan Wei collection at the Museum of Contemporary Arts is another great option to consider.

National Parks

If the options above sound too expensive for you, then perhaps national parks would be a good, cheaper alternative. Sydney has plenty of national parks on offer that cater to different preferences. For example, if you want to see waterfront views of the Darling Habour, then the Sydney Harbour National Park is for you. Or is you want to learn more about Aboriginal history, then the Dharawal National Park offer tours with an Aboriginal Discovery Ranger. National Parks are relatively affordable to access (and in some places entry is free!), and allows you to have the flexibility to choose what activities you want to do with the kids. You can choose to hold a picnic, hike, play games with them or have a camp.

Eat at some family friendly eateries

There has been a growing number of eateries offering kids menu and allowing space for children to eat with their parents or play around. While a common eatery that comes to mind is McDonalds and their dedicated playground for kids, there are also many other options in Sydney that you can take your children to. For example, the Newport, located in Newport, has a games room with a giant Scrabble for the kids. Another option the Grounds of Alexandria, which has attracted many families to its farm/café hybrid ever since its opening in 2012.

Visit a beach

It would not be a complete summer holiday without visiting at least one beach. There is an endless number of beaches that line Sydney shores so you are bound to find a few that you can take your children to. If you prefer busier beaches, then the beaches at Bondi, Manly, Coogee or Cronulla would be suitable. Or if you prefer seclusion so you can spend time with your family in peace, then the Resolute Beach at Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park, or Milk Beach at Vaucluse may be more up your alley.

4DX Cinema

With its swaying and rumbling chairs, water spraying effects and 3D screen, children are bound to be enraptured with the 4DX cinema experience. Ever since its launch in 2018, it has been attracting families and moviegoers due to its novel experience. Additionally, the movies often shown with 4DX cinema experience are rated as PG, so it is appropriate enough for older children to view. Tickets for 4DX movies are marginally more expensive than regular movie tickets, however they are still relatively cheap, and to many it is worth the price tag.