Things To Do With Kids
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School holiday ideas, events, outings and mini adventures.
22 places
Oxenford · School Holidays
The full-scale water-park day: big slides, wave pool, junior slides and the H2Oasis splash zone. The park operates year-round except Christmas Day and Anzac Day, but individual rides close for maintenance.
Parent tip: Check the maintenance schedule and height restrictions before promising a particular ride.
West Burleigh · School Holidays
A compact native wildlife park set in bushland and wetlands, with boardwalks, threatened species and ranger presentations. Open 9am–4pm daily. Half-price admission is advertised until 5 October 2026: adult $13.50, child $6.15 and family $34.60; standard prices resume after the promotion.
Parent tip: Check the presentation schedule on arrival, then build the walk around the talks your child cares about most.
Currumbin · School Holidays
A large outdoor wildlife sanctuary with Australian animals, daily presentations, lorikeet feeding and conservation work. Open daily 9am–4pm with last entry at 3.30pm; closed Anzac Day and Christmas Day. Aircraft noise can be sudden because the sanctuary sits under the airport flight path.
Parent tip: Download the sanctuary map before arrival and choose three must-see presentations—trying to cover everything can make the day feel rushed.
Burleigh Heads · School Holidays
A guided cultural walk around Burleigh Headland sharing Yugambeh stories, bush foods, sacred sites and local history. The guided walk runs for about two hours and must be booked. Current published prices are $59 adult and $29 child aged 5–14.
Parent tip: Leave time before or after the tour to explore the cultural centre rather than squeezing the walk between beach plans.
Currumbin · School Holidays
A high-ropes course inside Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary with ziplines and progressively harder challenges through the trees. Participants must be at least 8. Under-12s need an adult on the course. Reach requirements are 165 cm for green, purple and red courses and 185 cm for blue and black; maximum weight is 120 kg.
Parent tip: Measure your child's overhead reach at home and book the earliest suitable session for cooler conditions and better energy.
Surfers Paradise · School Holidays
A hop-on hop-off Broadwater ferry linking Surfers Paradise with HOTA, Marina Mirage, Sea World and Broadwater Parklands. Services run daily except Christmas Day. Ferries leave Surfers Paradise hourly from about 9.15am to 4.15pm; a full sightseeing loop takes around two hours. There is no public toilet on board.
Parent tip: For toddlers, do one full loop without hopping off. For older children, choose one stop in advance rather than trying to use the entire network.
Surfers Paradise · School Holidays
An indoor oddities museum with 15 themed galleries, hundreds of artefacts and hands-on illusions in the heart of Surfers Paradise. Allow roughly 1–2 hours. It opens daily from morning until late, and walk-ins are usually possible; combination tickets may suit families pairing it with another attraction.
Parent tip: Save the Vortex Tunnel for last if anyone gets motion sick, and let younger children bypass displays that feel spooky or macabre.
Surfers Paradise · School Holidays
A walk-through maze of light, sound, mirrors and special effects designed as a compact sensory adventure. Most visits take about 30–40 minutes. The venue recommends the experience for ages 8 and over and extends opening during Queensland school holidays.
Parent tip: Choose another option for children who dislike darkness, loud sound or enclosed spaces; the experience is deliberately disorienting.
Surfers Paradise · School Holidays
A fully enclosed Level 77 observation deck with 360-degree Gold Coast views and a bistro inside Q1. A view-only visit can take 30–60 minutes; stay longer for food. Hours and deck access can change for private events, so check the live calendar.
Parent tip: Go in clear weather or around sunset—the deck is indoors, but persistent rain can hide the view that makes the trip worthwhile.
Robina · School Holidays
An interactive 3D art gallery where families step into eight rooms of optical-illusion murals and photograph themselves inside the scenes. Allow 1–2 hours. Tickets permit all-day entry; opening is longer on weekends and during school holidays. Walk-ins are possible, but busy sessions are safer booked.
Parent tip: Charge your phone, use the suggested floor markers for the best camera angle and let each child direct one family photo.
Burleigh Waters · School Holidays
A large indoor action venue with more than 50 trampolines, a giant airbag, dodgeball and basketball zones, cliff jumps and an X-Park obstacle course. Standard sessions are usually one hour. Online booking is strongly recommended for weekends and holidays, and activity access varies by age and height.
Parent tip: Book the first session of the day for younger children or anyone sensitive to crowds, and arrive early enough to complete check-in without losing jump time.
Burleigh Heads · School Holidays
An indoor roped-climbing gym with beginner routes, equipment hire and free first-visit belay instruction. Children from 4 can climb. Under-16s need parental supervision; belayers must be at least 12, and an adult must sign every minor's waiver.
Parent tip: Complete waivers before arrival. If no adult can belay, ask the venue which staffed or kids' session is suitable rather than assuming casual entry will work.
Helensvale · School Holidays
An indoor action centre combining electric go-karts, Clip 'n Climb, laser tag and the elevated Meat Hook zip coaster under one roof. Activities are booked and priced separately, with combo and family options. Clip 'n Climb is from age 4; karting has age and height rules.
Parent tip: Choose one or two headline activities instead of overbooking the day, and reserve kart sessions early during holidays.
Surfers Paradise · School Holidays
An indoor skydiving wind tunnel where children and adults fly with a trained instructor in a controlled chamber. Allow about 1 hour 45 minutes for check-in, training, gearing up and flights; each individual flight is brief. Booking is essential and guests arrive one hour early.
Parent tip: Book an off-peak family session if possible, and explain to children that most of the visit is preparation for a few intense flight moments.
Surfers Paradise · School Holidays
A compact indoor ice rink at Paradise Resort that is open to both resort guests and the general public in booked sessions. Sessions are timed and should be booked. Admission includes skate and helmet hire; the public can attend without staying at the resort.
Parent tip: Wear long socks and book a quieter daytime session for beginners. Spectators enter free, so one adult can watch without paying to skate.
Burleigh Heads · School Holidays
A specialist indoor skateboard-only training park offering open sessions and coached pathways from micro-grom beginners to high-performance teens. Public open skate is currently limited to Friday 4–6pm and Saturday 9am–3pm; lesson and holiday-program times are booked separately. All participants complete a waiver.
Parent tip: For a beginner, book a coached lesson rather than open skate. Confirm the session on the website because this structured facility can close for events.
Surfers Paradise · School Holidays
A set of colourful challenge rooms where teams complete rapid physical, puzzle and skill tasks, five rooms at a time. Teams of 2–6 play five rooms in about 30 minutes. Walk-ins are limited, so book ahead; participants must be over 5 and children need a responsible adult.
Parent tip: Five rooms are enough for a first visit. Wear active clothes and avoid late evening sessions if you want a more family-focused atmosphere.
Surfers Paradise · School Holidays
A large Surfers Paradise escape-room operator with multiple family-friendly themes alongside clearly labelled horror rooms. Most rooms run for 60 minutes and require advance booking. Padlock'd operates across two nearby Surfers Paradise locations, so check the confirmation carefully.
Parent tip: Choose a family room such as School of Magic, Forgotten Arcade or Museum Heist and avoid horror-labelled rooms for younger or sensitive players.
Surfers Paradise · School Holidays
A very large indoor arcade with more than 300 games plus laser tag and headline attractions inside Paradise Centre. Entry is free but games require a Powercard. It opens daily until late; attraction sessions and height rules differ from ordinary arcade games.
Parent tip: Set a card budget before entering, use the quieter morning hours for younger children and skip prize-redemption pressure if time is tight.
Robina · School Holidays
An indoor play centre for children 0–11 with separate toddler and bigger-kid zones plus a café positioned for parent supervision. Sessions are casual entry during opening hours, but weekends and holidays can be busy. Adults and babies under 1 enter free; public-holiday surcharges may apply.
Parent tip: A school-term weekday morning is calmer for toddlers. Keep one adult at the café-side sightline while the other helps younger children transition between zones.
Oxenford · School Holidays
An indoor arena dinner show combining horses, live performance, projection effects and a three-course meal. The show runs about 1 hour 45 minutes. Doors and pre-show entertainment begin roughly 1 hour 15 minutes earlier; advance booking is essential.
Parent tip: Choose the occasional Sunday matinee for younger children, advise dietary requirements when booking and leave the pram in the designated foyer area.
Helensvale · School Holidays
A 1,500-square-metre indoor play centre with toddler space, multi-level soft play and climbing challenges for children up to 12. Online booking, Area 51 grip socks and a signed waiver are essential for guaranteed entry. Tickets are sold by age and timed at 1–2 hours.
Parent tip: Book one hour for a first visit or toddlers, two hours for energetic older children, and arrive 15 minutes early with waivers already completed.