11 Dec 25 Best Gift-Giving Ideas For Melbourne Kids

Here’s our guide to some of the best events and experiences ideas for Melbourne kids this holiday season.

Giving Back

1. Barnados
Donate gifts to children affected by abuse, neglect, homelessness and poverty.

2. UNICEF
Buy an Inspired Gift of good health, education, play and disease protection to children in war-torn countries.

3. CARE Australia
Help families and communities overcome poverty by purchasing a CAREgift to provide food, clean water, education and more.

4. Scarf
Book a family dinner out and support this organisation, which takes an established restaurant and overruns it with their own staff as a way helping marginalised youth gain hospitality experience in a safe environment. There’s a new venue every season.

5. Feed Melbourne Appeal
Get your school involved in the Schools Big Breakfast Event. For just $5 a head, your school will be provided with cereal, fruit, yogurt, juice and hot cross buns, while raising money to help people less fortunate.

Membership

6. Zoos Victoria
Get unlimited entry to Healesville Sanctuary, Melbourne Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo, as well as free entry to interstate zoos: Taronga Zoo, Adelaide Zoo, Perth Zoo, Western Plains Zoo (NSW) and Monarto Zoo (SA).

7. Sea Life
Your budding marine biologist will love an annual membership to Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium.

8. Museum Victoria
Gain free general access to Melbourne Museum, Scienceworks and the Immigration Museum, as well as interstate venues such as Australian Science Centre (Brisbane), Australian National Maritime Museum (Sydney), Questacon (Canberra) and more.

9. Melbourne Chess Club
Develop your child’s logic, strategic and analytical skills.

10. Martial Arts
Classes include karate, boxing, kettlebells, kickboxing, Brazilian jiujitsu and more, helping develop core strength and technique.

Get Outdoors

11. Nippers
Give your kids safety and survival skills in the water this summer with Nippers life-saving courses.

12. Collingwood Children’s Farm
This not-for-profit community resource provides country experiences for city people, such as milking cows, bottle-feeding young lambs (seasonal), helping with farm chores and looking for eggs by the Yarra River.

13. Rentabike @ Federation Square
Discover new parts of Melbourne at your own pace by bicycle. Rentabike offers a range of child seats, tagalongs, two-child buggies and tandems amid a fleet of 21-speed bikes, perfect for a family outing.

14. Bounce Inc.
Take your kids to burn some of their pent-up energy. With more than 100 interconnected trampolines, Bounce Inc. is perfect for all abilities – from beginner to aerial artist.

15. Super Playgrounds
Sick of all your local haunts? Little Melbourne have put together a list of the top five adventure playgrounds in the city, with equipment such as flying foxes, pools, boardwalks, trampolines, chook pens, castle-like structures, Braille and sign-language facilities, dungeons, carousels, pirate ships and more.

Drama & Visual Arts

16. Arts Centre Melbourne
Enjoy the 2015 kids’ program with a range of theatre, concerts and workshops across all ages.

17. Polyglot
Give your kids a hands-on arts experience with a series of performances, art exhibitions and interactive installations.

18. NICA
With a range of holiday programs and general kids classes, the National Institute Of Circus Arts provides a variety of activities to get your little ones up and active.

19. Mini Maestros
Offering an assortment of classes, it’s a great way to introduce your pre-schoolers to music through song, dance and instruments. 03 9850 5566

20. Superspeak
Grow your kids confidence with a series of drama and public-speaking classes.

Family Day Out

21. Wonderland Fun Park
With a series of games, rides and showbags, as well a range of circus, comedy and kids’ shows in the Spiegeltent, Wonderland Fun Park has something for the whole family.

22. Federation Square
This public cultural hub includes everything from screenings, workshops, art installations and exhibitions to poetry readings, writing workshops, markets and showcases for kids and adults.

23. Eureka Skydeck
Take a look at Melbourne the way you’ve never seen it before – from the highest viewing deck in the Southern Hemisphere.

24. Hedgend
Enjoy a range of activities spread over 20 acres around the Yarra Valley, including a hedge maze, minigolf, frisbee golf and unearthing dinosaur bones.

25. Fairy Park
With three main areas comprising Fairytale Land, Camelot Adventure Playground and the Elephant Rock Picnic Grounds, Fairy Park has water features, castles, cottages and gardens, as well as over 20 interactive, handcrafted scenes from fairytale classics such as Cinderella, Jack And The Beanstalk, Goldilocks And The Three Bears and more.

Words by Charlotte Karp / Photography by Dimitar Belchev