Between Melbourne’s four-seasons-in-a-day weather and La Niña it can be tricky to organise a rainproof plan that the whole family can enjoy. Lucky for you, we’ve found a heap of activities you can do with the kids if the weather forecast is calling for a wet day timetable.
Here are 8 of the best rainy-day activities for kids in Melbourne for 2023:
Scienceworks
SPOTSWOOD
Scienceworks is a one-stop shop of activities to satisfy children's curious minds. This interactive museum combines scene and play to create a fun educational experience for both kids and guardians. The museum has earned a stellar reputation for its planetarium and lightning shows as well as limited edition featured exhibitions. Scienceworks is one of those few places where adults are just as captivated by the activities as the kids.
Sea Life Aquarium
CBD
If your little people have a fascination with all things under the sea an excursion to Sea Life Aquarium is the move for you. You can visit for a self-guided tour with a general admission ticket or you can add on extra experiences like a trip on a glass bottom boat that glides above the 2.2 million litre oceanarium. A trip to the aquarium strikes the perfect balance between education and entertainment, all while avoiding the rain.
VJunior At Village Cinemas
CHELTENHAM
Village Cinemas has redesigned the movie experience with little ones in mind if you’re looking for an activity to do on a rainy day. The VJunior cinema has an indoor playground that kids can enjoy before the movie starts, a ten-minute intermission during the film and adjusted volume and lighting levels. The snack bar is also serving up a kids' menu of hot food and milkshakes, with plenty of coffee on offer for the adults of course. As for the seats, you can pick between standard seats, recliner chairs or beanbags. Now you can book tickets knowing there’s a good chance your child won’t be the loudest in the movie theatre.
Museum of Play and Art
CBD
Galleries are often a nightmare family outing but not over at Museum of Play and Art. MOPA has curated immersive experiences and exhibits as a playful way to introduce kids to art. The museum focuses on play-based learning that will keep the kids entertained for a couple hours. From painting a real car to dance parties there's something to pique almost every child's interest. But bookings are essential so you’ll want to get your tickets for a session time beforehand.
DreamCity
DOCKLANDS
Combining tech and fun DreamCity encourages kids to explore different career paths through play. While adults don’t necessarily correlate work with fun, DreamCity opens children's minds to potential jobs through interactive games. Here they can operate flight simulators, fight virtual fires, perform surgeries and produce podcasts. This is a hands-on approach to kids to work out if they have a budding interest in various science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics fields.
MSAC Aquatics
ALBERT PARK
The MSAC wave pool and dedicated toddler pool are the perfect backup plan if your beach day has been rained out. You’ll want to book online for a leisure activity session to ensure there’s space for the whole family. MSAC’s infamous indoor wave pool brings the beach inside by simulating the ocean every twenty minutes. If your children are under ten years old you must accompany them in the pool so don’t forget to pack your togs.
Melbourne Museum
CARLTON
The Children’s Gallery is a permanent fixture at Melbourne Museum. Here budding palaeontologists can excavate for fossils in the dinosaur dig aspiring botanists can explore plants and stories in the discovery garden. Too often museums forget about creating an exhibit with little people in mind but the Children's Gallery at Melbourne Museum invites kids to get hands-on and not just observe from a distance. While you’re there, why not roam some of the other exciting exhibitions like the Milarri Garden Trail, The Melbourne Story, Triceratops: The Fate of the Dinosaurs and Bugs Alive!
ArtPlay At Fed Square
CBD
ArtPlay is tucked behind Fed Square by the Yarra River in an unassuming red brick building beside a playground. ArtPlay brings together children and artists to explore and create innovative art experiences that encourage self-expression and playful exchange. The programs on offer range from comedy sketches, and movement classes to messy painting sessions. But if the rain has you stuck inside, ArtPlay also offers a digital subscription of creative activities for you to run from your own home.
Check out the best kid-friendly cafes in Melbourne over here.
Image credit: Urban List