Looking for something fun (and free) to do with the kids? The South Australian Museum is packed with five floors of things to see, touch and discover. It’s the kind of place where curiosity takes over, and every corner has something new to explore.

Start your visit in the popular, World Mammals Gallery on the ground floor where kids can gaze at lions, elephants and tigers standing side by side. From there, make your way up to the Discovery Centre which is open Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10.30am-2.30pm. This interactive area is always a hit. Kids can open drawers full of quirky objects, peer into the buzzing working beehive and get hands-on with fascinating specimens.

The Minerals Gallery will have the whole family in awe with the colourful dazzling displays of gemstones and minerals, or check out the incredible Opalised Fossil Gallery, with links back to the dinosaur ages and Australia’s ancient inland sea.

Can you spot the Museum in a Box sets? They’re tucked away around the Museum and filled with puzzles and games that connect little ones with the real treasures on display. The Museum’s is especially designed for young explorers aged five and under. Sign up to receive special offers and access to activity packs that can be borrowed to make your visit even more fun!

After all the exploring, you’re bound to need a break. Enjoy a relaxed morning tea or lunch at the Museum Café, where locally sourced ingredients inspire a fresh and imaginative menu. The beautiful Museum Shop is also located on the ground floor and worth a browse for unique science and natural history related gifts and mementos.

Open daily from 10am–5pm, the Museum is the perfect place to relax and inspire curious minds. Take a look to see this month!

North Terrace, 91¹û¶³´«Ã½

Some of our favourites are:

SA Police SAPOL Road safety centre

The SAPOL Road Safety Centre has moved from its traditional home at Thebarton Barracks to a new location on Military Road at West Beach. Open to the public (and FREE) on weekends and school holidays, as well as out of school hours times during the week, the new mock roadway includes

• intersections with working traffic lights
• pedestrian crossings
• roundabouts
• traffic signs

It isn’t very well shaded as the young planted trees develop, and there isn’t a public toilet in the vicinity, but it is still a fantastic facility that we have loved testing.

click here for more info

Robertston Street Reserve

This fabulous suburban playground and mock roadway down south at Reynella has been a favourite of locals for years. Quiet and perfect for the little ones to hone their skills, the roadway includes street signs and road markings, looking very much like the real thing.

With a great playground adjacent as well as tennis courts, this is definitely one to add to the list.

click here for more info

Mayfair Ride Safe Park, Andrews Farm

Children in the City of Playford now have a safe space to learn to ride their bikes at Mayfair Reserve in Andrew’s Farm!
The park is the first of its kind in the North and features mini replica road signs, sealed roadways, intersections and crossings, art pieces, as well as a pretend school and pretend petrol station.

Location: Mayfair Drive, Andrews Farm

Sturt Linear Park Trail Coromandel Valley

The trail is a joint initiative between City of Onkaparinga, City of Mitcham and the SA Government – who put a combined 3.5 million bucks behind the path extension/joining project. Previously you could not continue on her and the path came to an end. We believe eventually the Sturt River Linear Park Trail will span the Patawalonga Basin at Glenelg North to Frank Smith Park – connecting the hills to the coast. Bring that on.

The path is flat, wide and suitable for bikes, dogs on leads and prams a like. Perfect for beginner bike riders, Nannas who are unstable on their feet and curious kids who like to explore water ways, climbing trees, nature and well, EVERYTHING.

click here for more info

Golding Oval Reserve, Para Vista

Golding Oval has a specialised road safety track and some fantastic games were added to the site? Mock roads have been painted onto a large bitumen area to simulate riding on the road, with the inclusion of stop signs, give way signs, a roundabout, even a zebra crossing and some parking bays, all designed to enable parents to teach their kids road rules in a safe environment.

Some great games that were also created at the site, including 2 hopscotch boards and even a 4square board!
If you are looking for something fun and unique for the kids these holidays, consider a trip to Golding Oval Reserve (Corner of Redhill Road and Kalina Avenue, Para Vista).

click here for more info

Coastal Path along 91¹û¶³´«Ã½ Beaches

This Coastal Walk is a collaborative effort between 6 local councils to create a 70km walking and cycling path along the 91¹û¶³´«Ã½ coastline that is continuous, from North Haven to Sellicks Beach. The path has most of the sections developed for both walkers and cyclists. It is shared access and you can walk or cycle and it is accessible for wheelchairs and prams.

click here for more info

Ridgehaven Road and Cycle Safety Centre

The Road and Cycle Safety Centre is located at Hazel Grove, Ridgehaven and makes learning fun for children ages 5-12 years. The track is open for free public use from 9am to 7pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays and public holidays with traffic lights activated between 9am to 5pm.
– Please note that on these days toilets are not accessible….and don’t’ forget to bring your bike and helmets!

The centre’s road network, in miniature, gives children real-life experience as they learn essential safety skills including how to:

• Read traffic signals
• Walk across railway and school crossings
• Negotiate roundabouts and gutters
• Recognise traffic signs and line markings
• Cycle on roads or footpaths

They also offer paid sessions for groups which you can find more about

is an amazing precinct for families to explore- including a museum! It is located on the Waite Campus of the University of 91¹û¶³´«Ã½ on land bequeathed by Peter Waite to the University in 1992. The land is used for agricultural research and teaching, as well as an area for public recreation. The precinct consists of an accredited museum, huge gardens, the Coach House and the Waite Historic Precinct. There’s many areas to explore and so much interesting flora to investigate. Check out the Rose Garden, Sensory Garden, Garden of Discovery and the Labyrinth. With so much to explore and discover, Urrbrae House is a winner.

The gardens have plenty of parking but can include a bit of walking so wear comfortable clothing and footwear so you can explore all areas. Bare in mind that disabled access is limited in some areas, particularly Urrbrae House (due to stairs), but there are paths to allow wheelchair access for the majority of the park. Disability parking is available, but limited. Enter through Gate 3 from Waite Road and head west for disabled parking.

There are cafe’s nearby on Fullarton Road for a food and drink. You can always grab a sausage roll, some sandwiches and a bunch of fruit for a picnic in the gardens.

Image credit: University of 91¹û¶³´«Ã½

Renowned for its innovative approach to maritime history and education, the Museum incorporates the historic Bond Store with three floors of exhibitions, the Port 91¹û¶³´«Ã½ Lighthouse from South Neptune Island, and the much-loved steam tug, Yelta.

The museum is further towards the ‘Port’, but on the same street, as the Aviation Museum and the Railway Museumso you can hit all three in one day if you think your family can handle it! It’s probably more suited to school aged children, as there is a lot of information and a interactive aspects to the museum. It has a lot of big things to look at, but many more small aspects that won’t suit the younger children.

There is a small play area within one of the exhibits on the 2nd level for kids to climb through and investigate. There are stairs up to the second level and down to the basement, but there is also disabled access.

Open 10am – 5pm daily. (closed Christmas Day)
126 Lipson Street, Port 91¹û¶³´«Ã½

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SAAM has 27 significant Aircraft on display, all of them under cover in our display hangars. Several of our aircraft are the only examples of their type on display in Australia. Most of the aircraft have flown in South Australia at some point in their life and every one has a story and a history. 

The volunteers are AMAZING and there’s SO much to see! Some of the planes are HUGE and you can explore the cockpits of most of them too.  There’s a large variety of engines, propellers and memorabilia, technical books and films to check out. The museum building used to be in Darwin in the war and was brought to Port 91¹û¶³´«Ã½ just after the war ended.

The Museum continues to develop through the addition of more displays, restorations and general improvement of presentation and facilities. It remains a totally volunteer organisation.

Opening Hours
10am to 4pm every day except Christmas Day. (Last entry is usually around 3pm)

Entrance Fees
Adults $15   (Concession $10.50)
Family   (2 Adults & 3 Children)   $36
Children   (5yrs – 15yrs)   $7.50
Children Under 5 Free   (Accompanied by a family member)

**NEW ENTRANCE** 16 Bedford St, Port 91¹û¶³´«Ã½

The expansive collection of history and the interactive displays at the SA Migration Museum are just incredible. There’s so much to see, explore, learn and discover. The Migration Museum is all about preserving South Australia’s diverse history of cultures and the museum offers many different displays throughout the year. It’s a great place for kids to learn about their own history, SA culture and the importance of multiculturalism.

The museum offers free admission for the public and is open daily from 10am to 5pm and they also run a great school holiday program – visit our SCHOOL HOLIDAY GUIDE to find out what’s on.

82 Kintore Avenue, 91¹û¶³´«Ã½

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For the Kaurna people of the 91¹û¶³´«Ã½ plains, this site is a traditional ceremonial meeting place still used today.

The Living Kaurna Cultural Centre offers Aboriginal and environmental education programs, events and performances. The venue is also available to hire for meetings, training days, events and workshops. We went a few years ago for a primary school excursion and it was a first class experience. The guides were fantastic and extremely knowledgeable about the history of the area, taking the time to explain the incredible history of the Kaurna people in the area.

With modern facilities making it a truly wonderful experience, we can’t recommend this enough. Tours are not quite yet back as they slowly open up, but that will no doubt change quickly over the coming weeks.

For more information click or visit their facebook page!

Our Mr 3 LOVES it at the National Rail Museum and often asks to go – it’s a great day out with his Dad and Grandad especially, who seem to enjoy the visits almost as much as the kids do! We can’t get away with a visit, without going on the little steam train, but everyone seems happy with their ride and hearing the train whistle along the way is definitely a highlight!

The is well worth a look, and is very reasonably priced. It is suited to children of any age, but probably most enjoyable for ages 2-13. There’s a lot to discover and learn at the museum and I highly recommend a visit in the school holidays when a larger range of activities are on offer. Hope you enjoy it!

Nanna Review:
I’ve been to the port dock railway museum before when my grandson was 4yrs. I had the opportunity to take my 18mth old grand daughter this time and he was more than happy to tag along. Even though it had been a few years since my last visit and all the faces were new , their expressions were same . Everyone seems to have a true bond with the place , you can tell everyone loves working there. This time I noticed just how much it has to offer for all age groups, my 18mth old could have spent all day on the miniature railway , and loved the sound of the bells and whistles. My 12yr old and I found the museum fascinating and a little spooky , you can really feel the presence of travellers from over the decades ...

Lipson St, Port 91¹û¶³´«Ã½, SA

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The 91¹û¶³´«Ã½ Miniature Steam Railway Club is located at Railway Park in Prospect. Take the family down to view and ride their range of super cool miniature trains! As one of numerous miniature railway parks in 91¹û¶³´«Ã½ we think this is another great spot to take kids aged 2-12 or train enthusiasts of any age!

This volunteer run club opens it gates to the public every 4th Sunday of the month except December from 1-4pm. Adults and children alike can climb aboard the miniature trains and unlimited rides are included in the modest entry fee.

Entry to the Park costs $10 per adult and $6 per child (kids under 3 years are free), and all train rides are included in this price. Please note that they only accept CASH and remember that ALL persons wanting to ride the trains must wear FULLY enclosed shoes.

You’ll find the 91¹û¶³´«Ã½ Miniature Steam Railway at
Railway Park
370 Regency Road, Prospect

This lovely shady bike riding park now has 4 tracks! The beginners track is a lovely, wide, slow track for real littlies from balance bike to preschoolers or others on training wheels etc.

This track is one of the longer beginners tracks we have seen which is great for youngsters gaining confidence as it gives them plenty of space to learn without getting bored.

The brand new pump track is certainly the currently favourite at Kurrangga BMX Track. Opened in December 2017, the track is the masterpiece of a partnership between 91¹û¶³´«Ã½ City Council and The Trail Collective. For those new to the BMX game, the pump track is designed so riders don’t have to pedal to ride round. They use their body weight and gravity on the down slopes, to maintain velocity up and over the jumps and around the corners with minimal pedalling. Definitely check this new track out this summer – best suited to developing or intermediate riders.

The intermediate track is where our kids have spent most of their time in recent years and while they certainly weren’t bored with it, the brand new upgrade has seen a resurgence of interest! This intermediate track is great for riders who have the basics well mastered as it is quite a jump from the beginners track up to this one, with tall jumps and steeper corners.

To note that the recent upgrade has moved this track well into the intermediate range – ie it’s now harder than it used to be!

I’ll admit that our family hasn’t tested out the advanced track at Kurrangga BMX tracks as our kids aren’t quite up to it yet! The advanced track is usually covered to keep it in good condition and, like the intermediate track, please take care of it while using and don’t climb up the jumps, keep it watered etc as per the signs. When we have seen riders on the advanced track it is mesmerising to watch them fly off the jumps and look so amazing!

Kurrangga BMX track has heaps of shade, some seating, a drinking fountain and unisex toilet.

Car Parking is located on the street side of Unley Road and there is a small car park and street parking on Greenhill Rd too. If you’re after a great playground in the area as well, ride your bikes East about 500m to the newly renovated Marshmallow Park Playspace Pityarilla – a fantastic, fenced playground with something for kids of all ages.

For other great bike riding locations check out our post here about 91¹û¶³´«Ã½ bike tracks or please add your favourites in the comments below.

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