The best things to do with kids around Brisbane that won’t cost a cent

An enduring Gold Coast tradition began in the 1940s as the solution to a pest problem. Currumbin flower grower and beekeeper Alex Griffiths was bedevilled by rainbow lorikeets – birds with bright, multicoloured plumage and an insatiable appetite for pollen and nectar.

“He began feeding the lorikeets to keep them from feasting on the plants in his garden,” says Anthony Molyneux.

“In 1947, he decided to open a small-scale lorikeet-feeding display to the public. He called it Currumbin Bird Sanctuary.”

The daily lorikeet feeding at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is free to both watch and take part in.Credit: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

Molyneux is life sciences manager at what’s now known as Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, and he’s responsible for the welfare of all the animals. He says the two daily lorikeet-feeding sessions remain free to observe or take part in, and have become an iconic experience.

“We constantly hear visitors say they haven’t been to the sanctuary since they were a little child, and now they are bringing their grandchildren along to keep the tradition alive.”

It’s just one of many things you can do with your kids in our corner of south-east Queensland without spending any money. Here’s our list:

Feed the lorikeets at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
The feeding of the lorikeets takes place every day at 8am and 4pm in the main entrance area of the sanctuary. Guides hand out plates of feed to visitors and the birds descend in a multicoloured cacophony – sometimes on your arms, shoulders or head. The experience is free, but a gold coin donation is asked, and if you’re moneyed up, you can get tickets to the sanctuary itself, which is home to koalas, pelicans, possums, echidnas, red pandas, lemurs and more.
28 Tomewin St, Currumbin. Daily 8am & 4pm.

Swing, slide, and climb at a spectacular playground
Forget old-fashioned swings: today’s playgrounds are a world of flying foxes, skywalks, tube slides and mouse wheels. Brisbane City Council has spent millions on colourful, exciting and unique playgrounds such as Bradbury Park in Kedron, Frew Park in Milton, Calamvale District Park, Riverside Green Playground at South Bank, Hercules Street Park in Hamilton, and Ken Fletcher Park in Tennyson. Your kids can play for hours at these places – and it won’t cost a red cent.

Enjoy some splashy fun at Robelle Domain Water Park in Springfield.Credit: Mike Hilburger

Get wet at a free outdoor water park
On a hot day, there’s nothing more enticing to a kid than getting splashed unexpectedly by a giant tipping bucket. And that’s just what you’ll find at Wynnum Whale Park, The Mill Petrie Waterpark, Ferny Grove Aqua Park, and Robelle Domain in Springfield, to name a few. You can also find splashy fun at Logan Gardens Water Park, and in the Aquativity zone at South Bank. Perhaps the ultimate in free splashy fun is to be found at Logan’s Flagstone Water Play Park, which has enormous tree-like structures that spurt, splash, spray, dump and shower.

Ride like the wind at an awesome scooter park
Scooter tracks around Brisbane take one of two approaches: learning the rules of the road (with stop signs and roundabouts), or just going for broke. The upgraded track at Colmslie Beach Reserve in Murarrie is an example of the former, with road signs and a scooter repair station, while the track at Bradbury Park with jumps, hills, bumps and quarter pipes typifies the latter. The Hemmant Scooter Track in Paul Conti Park even has a “ferry” for crossing a pretend creek bed. Don’t forget your helmet.

Visit the Store of Requirement for all your wizarding needs
Whether or not you have galleons to spend on wands, Gryffindor robes, puzzles or mugs, a visit to the Store of Requirement is a must for fans of the Boy Who Lived. The shop has been opened inside a former church and has Australia’s largest range of licensed Harry Potter merchandise. Browse huge soft toys of Fluffy the three-headed hound and Buckbeak the Hippogriff; gawp at the blue Ford Anglia and the re-creation of a Hogwarts classroom; and order a Butterbeer from the cafe.
20 Station St, Samford Village. Wed-Sun 10am-4pm.

Brave rides such as the “Mouse Wheel” at South Bank’s Riverside Green Playground.Credit: Kara Hamilton

Spend a day at South Bank
Streets Beach, Brisbane’s famous artificial beach, teems with families in hot weather – it’s a summertime must, but far from the only thing for families at South Bank. Walk along the Grand Arbour, with its vibrant bougainvillea canopy, and look out for water dragons and fish as you take the boardwalk along the Rainforest Walk. Splash around the Aquativity zone, and brave rides such as the “Mouse Wheel” at Riverside Green Playground. Play under the figs at Picnic Island Playground, or among the giant BRISBANE sign near QPAC. It’s free to visit the Queensland Art Gallery, the Gallery of Modern Art, and the Queensland Museum too, but special attractions are ticketed.

Dinosaurs Unearthed recreates the giants of prehistoric Queensland.Credit: Queensland Museum

See dinosaurs at the Queensland Museum
There’s a world of things to see at the museum, but let’s not kid ourselves – it’s the dinos that are going to get kids through the door. Happily, a new free permanent exhibition, Dinosaurs Unearthed, recreates the giants of prehistoric Queensland via new technology and research by the museum’s scientists. Highlights include Queensland’s own “velociraptor” Australovenator, and Megalania, the world’s largest lizard.
Corner of Grey & Melbourne streets, South Bank. Daily 9.30am-5pm.

Admire the koalas at Daisy Hill Koala Centre
You can’t cuddle them, but you can still observe koalas up close at this Queensland government-funded mini zoo and educational centre. There are daily keeper talks at 2pm, and interactive displays that round out the experience. The kids will get a kick out of trying to match different droppings to the animals that made them.
253 Daisy Hill Road, Daisy Hill. Mon-Sun 10am–4pm. Wheelchair accessible.

View a wide range of native Australian animals at Ipswich Nature Centre.Credit: Nick Dent

See native Australian animals at Ipswich Nature Centre
Ipswich residents, meanwhile, are spoiled to have a fully fledged zoo in Queens Park they can visit for free (gold coin donations accepted). There are red-necked and swamp wallabies, kangaroos, dingoes, bats, an emu, lizards, farm animals, a hairy-nosed wombat, and bilbies. Other unforgettable characters include the mischievous spotted-tail quoll and “Mirrigin”, the majestic wedge-tailed eagle. There’s also a walk-through aviary.
Goleby Avenue, Queens Park. Tue-Sun 9.30am-4pm (daily in school holidays).

Celebrate books and enjoy craft at a Brisbane library
Brisbane City Council runs 34 libraries across town, all of which run free activities most weeks for kids of all ages. First 5 Forever storytime sessions take place every week, and there are extra activities during school holidays spanning craft, illustration, chess, robotics, dinosaurs, Star Wars, magic and more. Check the website for your local library’s events, or pick up a copy of their bimonthly What’s On brochure – it could be your saviour.

HOTA Gallery in Surfers Paradise has a large children’s room.Credit: Brett Boardman

Have a picnic at HOTA and explore the gallery
The epic contemporary art gallery in Surfers Paradise has a large children’s room with activities themed to touring exhibitions. If the kids aren’t into the permanent collection, go outside and picnic on the lawn, follow the adventure trail, do the Sculpture Walk, and paddle in Evandale Lake if it’s a scorcher.
135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise.

Walk to King Island/Yerra-bin at low tide
The island, one kilometre off Wellington Point, is a mangrove-covered nature reserve worth exploring – but the fun part is getting there. For a few hours each day, the waters of Moreton Bay recede, revealing a sandy track that can be easily walked. Check the tides before you go and if you time it right, you’ll get a spectacular sunset into the bargain.

Enjoy the views from Mt Coot-tha or Mt Gravatt
The vista from the summit of Mt Coot-tha really is something – the skyscrapers of the city are so close, and you can see out to Moreton Bay, Stradbroke Island and the southern ranges. Make a day of it and hike up from JC Slaughter Falls. Mt Gravatt’s lookout is connected to Toohey Forest Park. See the city from the other side, along with Moreton Bay islands, the D’Aguilar Ranges, and the Glasshouse Mountains. There’s also a small playground.

Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium is named after the NSW governor, who was also an astronomer.Credit: Nick Dent

Blast off to the Planetarium
It costs nothing to enter the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium and see a replica of Neil Armstrong’s Apollo spacesuit, spacecraft models and real asteroid fragments. The Planetarium’s curved Display Zone is home to Skylore, a journey through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander astronomy. Access to the Cosmic Skydome is however ticketed. Book ahead for shows tailored to kids, such as Perfect Little Planet, followed by a brief night sky tour.
Mount Coot-tha Road, Mount Coot-tha. Tue-Sun 9am-4pm, free (Cosmic Skydome shows attract a charge). Wheelchair accessible.

Do the Hide ‘n’ Seek Children’s Trail at Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha
There are enough twists, turns, sculptures, bridges, ponds and hiding places to make a visit to the gardens fun for little ones, as well as plant-loving adults. Highlights include cacti, the Bonsai House, the Tropical Dome and Japanese Garden. The special Hide ‘n’ Seek Children’s Trail is a map children can follow to find plant and animal surprises hidden in the shady Exotic Rainforest section.
Mt Coot-tha Road, Mt Coot-tha. Daily 8am-6pm (Sep-Mar); 8am-5pm (Apr-Aug).

Settlement Cove Lagoon is a free open-air pool in Redcliffe.Credit: Kara Hamilton

Cool off in a free public pool
For summer 2023, Brisbane’s lord mayor has slashed public pool entry to just $2 per person, which means visits to your local pool won’t have to bust the budget. But you can do even better than that when it comes to shallow bathing pools for the kids. The famous Streets Beach at South Bank is always free (although parking is not – arriving by bus or train is recommended). Settlement Cove Lagoon in Redcliffe is another large, artificial sandy lagoon with a playground and water fountains that is great fun in warmer months. Or go old school and visit the heritage-listed Wynnum Wading Pool. This huge tidal pool, built in 1932 by unemployed workers during the Great Depression, features a small spiral slide.

Learn about frogs at Karawatha Forest Discovery Centre
Learning about ecosystems is a lot more fun than it sounds at this interactive museum within Karawatha Forest Park. The main attraction is a darkened room with lights that flash to reveal owls, possums and lizards, with sound effects mimicking a raging thunderstorm. When they get tired of the centre, there’s a Nature Play playground outside, as well as picnic spots and bushwalks.
149 Acacia Road, Karawatha. Tue-Sun 9am-4pm.

Museum of Brisbane runs free City Hall Clock Tower tours.Credit: Matt Dennien

Ascend the City Hall Clock Tower
Clock Tower tours run continuously from the Museum of Brisbane on Level 3. Join a guide inside the original cage lift built in the 1920s, ascend to the 10th floor, see behind the ornate clock faces with their vintage mechanisms, then up to the viewing platform to see the bells and take in 360-degree views of the city from what used to be the tower’s tallest perch. There’s a good chance there will be a kid-friendly art show on at the museum, and that’s free too.
Level 3, Brisbane City Hall, 64 Adelaide Street, Brisbane. Mon-Sun 10am-5pm.

Spend time in the Children’s Art Centre at GOMA
We’ll never forget when the Yayoi Kusama show was in town in 2018 and these rooms were completely covered in multicoloured dot stickers enthusiastically applied by child visitors in tribute to the Japanese dot lady. The Children’s Art Centre at GOMA always has fun free craft activities themed to current exhibitions, with all the materials provided. There are also weekly programs from Tuesday to Thursday, including Art Starters (for babies under one), Art Play Date (1-3 years), and Art Explorers (3-5 years).
Stanley Place, South Brisbane. Mon-Sun 10am-5pm.

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