Child Friendly Places To Shop with Play Areas

Shopping with Brisbane Kids is an event in itself.. it can take days of planning.. and taking boys to clothing shops? Forget it! You can avoid the shops by shopping online or take advantage of the shops that have child-friendly activities running or play areas provided to make an outing of it.

On this page, you will find some shopping centres that have helped mums out with either daycare facilities, indoor playgrounds or other child-friendly features to make the journey easier. Here are our top tips for heading to any shopping centre with kids

Make sure they are fed and watered before you go and take snacks.
Have a plan and let them know what it is. Shopping with kids is not the time to be spontaneous with finding the perfect top for Saturday night. If you plan to go to three shops to find three things, then tell them, count it down with them. The pre-planning with structure will make a huge difference.
End with the fun stuff (not the other way round), aka, if there is a play area, use it as a reward for good behaviour (don’t position as a threat removal for bad behaviour)
Talk to them about things as you walk around. It will keep their little minds occupied and time will go quicker for them.

Child-Friendly Brisbane Shopping Centres

Westfield Chermside

Westfield Chermside has transformed the upper floor of their centre in the outdoor dining precinct into a kids paradise. Astroturfed in glorious green with hills and valleys, tunnels and slides, Chermside’s play area is an example of everything kids need in a play space. It is isn’t so structured that kids run out of things to do and we love the ample parent seating through the expansive area.

Child-friendly facilities at Westfield Chermside

8 parents rooms (across 2 levels)
An additional parents room at the back of David Jones
Multi-level indoor play area on level 2 near JB HiFi
Outdoor play area in the dining precinct on level 2
Free school holiday activities
Designated car parks for pram parking
Kiddy cars for hire
Event Cinemas and an indoor entertainment venue featuring arcades, bowling, pool, escape rooms and laser tag
Free school holiday activities

Find out more about Westfield Chermside.

Westfield North Lakes

Westfield North Lakes has an indoor playground for younger kids and boasts an amazing outdoor fenced playground with a 9-metre tower, climbing frames and slides.

Child-friendly facilities at Westfield North Lakes

6 parents rooms with private feeding cubicles, changing benches, adult and kid-sized toilets, microwaves and sinks
Indoor playground with soft padding in front of BIG W (crawling age to 6 years recommended)
Outdoor playground near the Food Court with mini climbing frame for toddlers, slides and a 9-metre tower for older children
Parents with pram parking
Complimentary pram hire
Single and double Kiddy Cars for hire
Free school holiday activities
Additional children’s play area within IKEA North Lakes
Event Cinemas and Planet Arcades in the outdoor precinct

Find out more about Westfield North Lakes.

Westfield Carindale

Westfield Carindale is another big Westfield offering an array of child-friendly services. Their playground, located on the Ground Level in the Glasshouse Dining Precinct, includes an artificial grass mound with climbing stones, an embedded tunnel, slide and interactive illuminated stepping stones.

Child-friendly facilities at Westfield Carindale

5 modern parents’ rooms with bottle warmers, microwaves, change tables, private baby feeding rooms, and child-friendly toilets.
Outdoor (covered) playground with an artificial grass mound with climbing stones, embedded tunnel, slide and interactive illuminated stepping stones.
Single and double Kiddy Cars for hire (for a fee) to make it easier for parents and carers to get around (located on Level 1, near The Coffee Club).
Designated ‘Parents With Prams’ carparking spaces and ‘Parents With Prams’ Valet Parking service.

Find out more on the Westfield Carindale website.

Westfield Mount Gravatt

Westfield Mount Gravatt features two indoor play areas for kids, along with a variety of services to make your shopping trip with children just a little bit easier.

Child-friendly facilities at Westfield Mount Gravatt

5 parents’ rooms featuring private feeding cubicles, large changing benches, microwaves and sinks, as well as both an adult size and child size toilet (located on Level 1 next to Just Jeans, Level 1 Food Court near Hungry Jacks, Level 2 next to Target, Level 2 opposite Big W, and Level 2 Food Court (smaller space with no feeding cubicles and no play area).
Two indoor play spaces – the Jungle Play Area and Activity Zone located on Level 2 near Harvey Norman, featuring interactive screens and a play area, and the Mount Gravatt Garden Play Area located on Level 1 near Daiso, featuring interactive games and a play area.
Kiddy Cars for hire (for a fee) to make it easier for parents and carers to get around.
Designated Parents With Prams carparking spaces.
Event Cinemas, Timezone and Garden City Library (BCC).

Find out more on the Westfield Garden City website.

Toowong Village

Toowong Village features an enclosed playground within a cafe, which is popular with families. Paris Play Cafe on the Gallery level next to Woolworths serves coffee, cakes, breakfast, lunch and kids meals. There’s lots of seating for groups with little ones who will enjoy playing in their enclosed playground.

Child-friendly facilities at Toowong Village

2 parents rooms with facilities for mums and dads.
Pram parking spaces available on the basement level 1 near the Toowong Village main entrance.

Find out more on the Toowong Village website.

Strathpine Centre

Strathpine Centre has two playgrounds for kids – a 2-storey playground and a smaller soft playground for younger kids.

Child-friendly facilities at Strathpine Centre

2 parents’ rooms located near the restrooms that include multiple private feeding areas, child and adult toilets, nappyy change areas, play equipment, microwaves and TVs in a comfortable, clean environment.
Two indoor play spaces open during core trading hours.
Designated parents’ parking spaces.
Free, fun activities for kids every Sunday, as part of Strathpine Centre’s ‘Sunday Funday’ program.
Free school holiday activities.
Hoyts Cinemas and bowling venue.

Find out more about visiting Strathpine Centre with kids.

Robina Town Centre

Robina Town Centre has a reputation for hosting some of the best free school holiday activities in South East Queensland and they also have a ‘Treetop’ play area suited to kids aged between 3 and 7 years.

Child-friendly facilities at Robina Town Centre

4 parents’ rooms with microwave, change tables, secure children’s play area and quiet feeding areas (The parents’ room near the Food Atrium has been given a 5 star rating by The Australian Breastfeeding Association).
Treetop play area.
Free holiday activities for kids.
Designated extra wide pram carparks.
Indoor activity venues offering mini golf, bowling and laser skirmish.
Event Cinemas.

Find out more about the latest happenings at Robina Town Centre.

Mount Ommaney Centre

Mount Ommaney Centre has an indoor play area that caters for all younger children.

Child-friendly facilities at Mount Ommaney Centre

3 parents’ rooms with multiple feeding rooms, nappy changing areas, televisions, play equipment, child and adult toilets, and a microwave. A change table is also available in the restrooms next to JB Hi-Fi.
Enclosed indoor play area for kids.
Designated parents with prams parking spaces.

Find out more about visiting Mount Ommaney Centre with kids.

IKEA

IKEA provides the ultimate destination for many Brisbane families because of its family-friendly environment.

NOTE: As a precautionary measure, IKEA Australia has temporarily closed Småland in all stores (except Perth and Logan*)

IKEA offers wide aisles and an amazing eating area with ridiculously low-priced food where many families head for a cheap breakfast followed by a browse and buy.

IKEA in Logan has an amazing free playroom, SMÅLAND, where kids can play to their heart’s content. Whilst this area used to be supervised, we note that the area is no longer staffed and parent supervision is required.

Find out more on the IKEA website.