Best Things to Do with Kids in Canberra: Family Activities and Attractions

Canberra is one of Australia's most underappreciated family destinations because the city's extraordinary collection of national institutions (Questacon, the National Museum, the National Gallery, the Australian War Memorial) are all free or low-cost and world-class, creating a family activity landscape that rewards repeated visits. Many Canberra families use the national institutions as regular weekend destinations rather than occasional events.

Questacon — National Science and Technology Centre — Questacon in the Parliamentary Triangle is one of Australia's best children's attractions: a hands-on science centre with 200+ interactive exhibits across eight galleries covering physics, biology, technology, and emergency management. The Free Fall exhibit (a vertical drop slide through a fibreglass tube) is a genuine thrill for children aged 9+. Questacon's programmes are calibrated from early childhood through secondary school and the institution is consistently rated among Australia's top family attractions.

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve — the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve (40 kilometres south-west of the CBD) has free entry to the native animal enclosures and walking tracks, with free-ranging platypus viewing (a very rare experience), koalas in the eucalyptus grove, wallabies and kangaroos accessible along the walking tracks, and the Birrigai Shelter historical site. Tidbinbilla is one of Australia's finest nature reserves for accessible native wildlife.

National Zoo and Aquarium — the National Zoo and Aquarium at Yarralumla (ticketed) has an unusual mix of exotic animals (cheetah, lion, bear, tiger) alongside Australian native species and a substantial aquarium, making it one of the most diverse collection zoos in Australia relative to its size. The keeper experience programmes allow close-up animal encounters for older children.

Australian War Memorial — the Australian War Memorial (free entry) has surprisingly excellent programming for older primary school children and teenagers, with the Anzac Hall fighter aircraft and the interactive galleries providing engagement that extends beyond the memorial's primary commemorative purpose.

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