Top 10 Kid Friendly Things To Do and Attractions in Melbourne

"In 1844, Charles La Trobe, the colony’s first Lieutenant Governor, received a request from the Melbourne council asking for parks close to the town, ‘where they could conveniently take recreation therein after their daily labor.’. The 500 acres that La Trobe reserved included Royal Park, The Domain, Fitzroy Gardens, Fawkner Park and the Royal Botanic Gardens. The Royal Botanic Gardens is now one of Melbourne’s finest attractions; stretching over 89 acres, it is filled with 50,000 individual plants representing 8,500 different species."

"This fenced garden is within the Royal Botanic Gardens and provides opportunities for water play and nature play in a popular picnic spot. You can also take your under 5s on a Punt Tour for free!. Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra"

"Lookout north-westerly down the Ceremonial Avenue back toward the CBD as the light fades and the sun drops to the west and the twilight colours briefly fill the sky. Can you see someone staring back at you?. It’s the face of William Barak on the ‘Portrait Building’."

"One of the more lifeless buildings of Melbourne on the outside, the old Melbourne Gaol has quite a ghastly history to back it up. Sitting right on Russel street (another very famous Melbourne street) is an incredibly eerie, 3 story high former prison. While it’s no longer a prison (it was officially closed in 1924), it’s now a museum filled with relics of the past and the history of some of Australia’s most notorious criminals."

"For 87 years, Victoria’s Old Melbourne Gaol housed minor offenders and notorious criminals including gangster Squizzy Taylor. Among those executed were bushranger Ned Kelly and Jack the Ripper suspect Frederick Bailey Deeming. Today, the prison operates as a museum where visitors can see death masks, Kelly gang weapons and memorabilia from prisoners and staff."

"This is Melbourne's cultural heart, home to cutting-edge art at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) and an extensive range of Aboriginal works at the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia. Explore the galleries before sitting down to lunch at one of the many restaurants on nearby Flinders Lane – Chin Chin and Coda are both standouts."

"Art enthusiasts often find Melbourne’s cultural and art scene very fascinating. This is probably because the city’s vibrant cultural scene offers a range of top-class galleries, cutting-edge performance art..."

"When you first take a look around Melbourne City, you’d be hard-pressed not to be able to see this towering over you. Standing 297 meters tall, it was Australia’s tallest apartment block when completed in 2006 and remains the tallest high-rise building in Melbourne. It’s hard to imagine what Melbourne looks like from the Sky Deck at the top until you actually experience yourself."

"Another one of the cool activities for kids Melbourne has is the Eureka Skydeck. Get a bird’s eye view of the city from the southern hemisphere’s highest viewing platform. Travel up to floor 88 in less than 40 seconds and enjoy fantastic views of Melbourne."

"Eureka Tower – offers stunning views from the highest observation deck in the southern hemisphere, Eureka Skydeck at 297 metres/88 floors. I recommend going up just on sun down so you experience Melbourne by day and as it slips into night."

"Rippon Lea, cared for by the National Trust, is a beautiful historic mansion with gardens that are just wonderful to explore. The mansion was built in 1868 by a businessman who made his fortune selling soft-goods on the goldfields. Take a guided tour of the house, enjoy the lovely garden and finish up with tea and cake at the Gatehouse cafe."

"The calm waters of Elwood Beach make it great for swimming, and sometimes there’s enough surf for some boogie boarding. There’s the Bayside Trail bike and running track if you fancy a walk or cycle, plus cafes a’plenty. Getting there: Elwood Beach is 9km from the city centre."

"A little bit further south, Elwood Beach comes with plenty of parking and is less crowded than its famous neighbour St Kilda. Elwood has a great beachside vibe with quaint little shops and cute cafes. The promenade is great for prams and scooters."

"Specialising in custom designed quality wedding cakes, whether your theme be Vintage, Elegant, Rustic or Modern. Elegant & custom made wedding cakes and sweets, located in the Northern suburbs of Melbourne, Epping. My work is a reflection of what I've learned by well known decorators both locally and internationally."

"Known as either the Museum of Chinese Australian History, or just simply the Chinese Museum, the institution has the goal or preserving and presenting the impact of Chinese immigration on the country and the city. There are exhibitions dedicated to particularly influential times, such as the Gold Rush when thousands of Chinese people came to Victoria. But there’s also the world’s biggest processional Dai Loong Dragon and lots of other interesting memorabilia such as clothes and photographs."

"Established in 1985, the Chinese Australian museum is community-run, not-for-profit national institution that documents, preserves, collects and researches the history and culture of Chinese Australians and their following generations. Housed inside the late nineteenth century five-level warehouse, this museum delves into the Chinese migration in Australia.The collection here includes:"

"A visit to the Koorie Heritage Trust Cultural Centre is perfect to introduce the little ones to the Aboriginal culture and heritage or South Eastern Australia. Located right next to Federation Square it is easy to access and offers a range of ever changing child-friendly activities such as crafts, educational walks and exhibitions. http://koorieheritagetrust.com.au"

"you can get a a fascinating insight into the indigenous culture. It host galleries and exhibitions tracing Koorie history.It is located in 295 King Street."

"Showcasing Australian social history, Indigenous cultures, science and environment, Melbourne Museum is for geeks!. Although, this might be one of the very few geeky attractions that has been listed as Winner of Australian tourism award for being the best major tourist attraction in the country!. The museum celebrates Victoria’s local Koorie culture in Bunjilaka and also has a special secti...Read more"

"The children’s gallery at Melbourne Museum has so many experiences, both inside and out. In other parts of the museum, you can crawl along the dinosaur walk, see the various rocks and stones, explore the rainforest gallery or just stare at the tiny (and not so tiny) insects. Be sure to check their website to see what's on for Melbourne kids this week."