Whether it is a day filled with outdoor adventure, indoor musings, active play, or nature exploration that you are looking for with your kids, a trip to the Redlands area on Brisbane’s south-east will happily provide. With its long coastal stretch, off-shore islands, leafy bay side suburbs, and wildlife-filled parks, we really are spoilt for choice when it comes to fun things to do in Redlands with kids.
Fun Things To Do In Redlands With Kids – Stradbroke Island
Renowned for being one of the most breathtaking islands to visit in south-east Queensland, Stradbroke Island is only a short ferry ride across from the Redlands suburb of Cleveland. A day trip here with the kids will gift you white sandy beaches to explore, beach waves to surf, spectacular coastal walks and vistas, as well as some pretty unique wildlife encounters if you are lucky.
Markets
Redland City is home to some of the best weekend markets to visit with your kids. The Cleveland and Shoreline markets are two of the most popular, with each playing host to over 60 different stalls featuring food, arts, craft, childrenswear and more. The twilight markets are especially magical and the pop-up entertainment and scrumptious treats make this a fun casual shopping experience to share with the kids.
Redlands Youth Plaza
Redlands Youth Plaza is so much more than just a normal playground and park for kids. Designed with older children in mind, a visit here will give kids a choice of multiple play areas including a large skate park, rage cage for ball sports including basketball and soccer, numerous large grassy fields, and an entertainment stage, as well as the usual BBQs, sheltered tables and picnic spaces.
Aquatic Centres
On a hot, sunny day why not take the kids down to your local Redland City Council swimming pool to cool off? For a minimal entrance fee, most of the aquatic centres also have kids’ play areas, some with splash pads and even slides too.
Fun Things To Do In Redlands With Kids – Walk to King Island
Located just 1km of the coast of Wellington Point lies the small but delightful King Island. Climb the giant fig trees, play on the playground, and build a sand castle on the small beach at Wellington Point first, and then, when the tide goes out, watch as a magical sand pathway is revealed leading out to King Island. When it does, your kids will love being able to walk to the island, fossicking for shells and small mud crabs along the way. Just be sure to head back to the mainland before the tide comes back in and your natural pathway disappears again!
Paint Your Own Pottery
For a bit of crafty fun, take the kids to Colour My Pot, which is centrally located in Cleveland. Here, they can pick a pottery design of their liking, paint and decorate it, and then head back a week later to collect it once it has been fired in the kiln.
Heritage Trails
Did you know that the Redlands area is home to some pretty incredible heritage trails? Taking in the hundreds of different historic locations found in the region, you can follow the trail between Cleveland and Ormiston, or check out one of the many other trails located on the nearby islands. Find out more about the different Redland City heritage trails here.
Visit a Redland Beach
With over 330km of coastal land and numerous off-shore islands, there are a lot of choices when it comes to beaches that are worth visiting in the Redlands area. Of course, the most spectacular ones tend to be found on the islands, but we also love the small one at Wellington Point as, along with its sandy beach, playground and King Island walk, it is seasonally patrolled too.
Fun Things To Do In Redlands With Kids – Redland City Playgrounds
All kids love a good playground and in the Redlands area there are some pretty amazing ones to discover. Catering to all ages and abilities, whether it is the impressive 200m cycle track at Raby Bay Esplanade Park or the shipwreck-themed imaginative play areas at Beth Boyd Park, your kids are bound to fall in love with them all.
Ormiston House
Give your children a glimpse of the past with a visit to the heritage-listed Ormiston House. Built in 1862, it is not only the birthplace of the Australian sugar industry, but is also considered one of the finest examples of colonial architecture in Queensland. For just $8, you can even enjoy a Devonshire Tea with the kids on the deck.
Redland Art Gallery
The Redlands Art Gallery is a wonderful space to spend time with kids on a lazy weekend. Along with its carefully curated exhibitions, the gallery also has many workshops and sessions dedicated to families and young children. One Sunday every month is even dedicated to families, with craft activities set up for all ages to enjoy together.
Fun Things To Do In Redlands With Kids – Redlands IndigiScapes Centre
One of the more popular destinations in Redlands for families with kids is the Redlands IndigiScapes Centre. Along with its newly renovated Discovery Centre, kids will also enjoy exploring the numerous nature trails, learning all about native plants in the botanical gardens section, and spending time in the nature playground space too.
Cleveland Point Lighthouse
Another fun thing to do with the kids in Redlands is visit its historical lighthouse at Cleveland Point. Built in 1864, this picturesque landmark has an information board kids can read that details its history, as well as a sweet nautical-themed playground for the kids nearby.
St Helena Island
A day tour of St Helena Island is not like your usual island getaway. Instead, a trip here will take the kids back in time as they learn all about the fascinating history of the island, dating back to when it functioned as a high-security colonial prison from 1867. Only ruins of the stone buildings remain, but, together with the museum and animated tours, it is a day trip the kids will remember!
Redland Museum
Another way to step back in time with the kids is through a visit to the Redland Museum. It’s not just about old bones and artefacts though – kids will love exploring the exhibitions of old-style toys and apparatuses, playing with the interactive model railway, and even ‘driving’ the Redlander railmotor.
Fun Things To Do In Redlands With Kids – Capalaba Produce
While the adults may head here to pick up some much-needed pet supplies or to visit the well-loved garden centre, it is ‘Ted’s Corner’ that draws the large crowds of children to Capalaba Produce. Here, a range of fun and friendly farmyard animals wait to be greeted and, for a small gold coin donation, kids can even purchase a feed bag to treat them with.
Mountain Biking
If your Brisbane Kids love to go mountain biking, then you will be hard-pressed not to have fun in Redlands with them. Billed as one of the best mountain-biking areas in Brisbane, places like Scribbly Gum and Bayview Conservation Areas contain kilometres of winding, bumpy and action-packed tracks and trails for keen riders.
Redlands Performing Arts Centre
If you are looking for a more cultural experience to share with your kids, check out a live show at the Redlands Performing Arts Centre. With a program dedicated to school-aged children, you are bound to find something entertaining and fun for them whatever time of year you plan to go.
Fun Things To Do In Redlands With Kids – Coochiemudlo Island
A favourite destination in the Redlands region is the family-friendly Coochiemudlo Island. Only a short 10 minute ferry ride from Victoria Point, the island features over 4km of clean, pristine beaches, with water sports, playgrounds, wildlife encounters, eateries, and more to explore.
Cycling
Long family bike rides on uninterrupted pathways with coastal views are exactly what you can expect when joining the Moreton Bay Cycleway. Running for 150km from Bribie Island to Redland Bay, it is one of the best ways to spend time with your active kids any time of the year.
Head to the Movies
Thanks to companies like Pixar and Disney, we are never short of highly entertaining blockbuster films our kids are begging to see. If you’re looking for something fun to do with the kids, taking them to finally see the one they have been asking about at your local Redlands cinema is bound to make you just as popular.
Fun Things To Do In Redlands With Kids – King Country Café
There are a lot of child-friendly cafés in the City of Redland, but one of our favourites here at Brisbane Kids has to be King Country Café in Thornlands. Not only does it have a fenced playground, kids’ play area, and scrumptious kids’ menu, but there are also some delightfully sweet farm animals waiting to be patted and exclaimed over too.
Inflatable World
Victoria Point is home to one of the largest indoor inflatable playgrounds in Australia. Filled with numerous large, bouncy and smile-inducing inflatable obstacles, Inflatable World is a clear winner for most kids looking for something fun to do.
Redlands Library
It’s last on our list, but is definitely not one of the least favourite options! Visiting your local library is so much more than just borrowing out some new books for the kids. Redland City Council libraries offer numerous free workshops and activities that you can sign your kids up to do too.
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