Brisbane with a Toddler

Finding things to do in Brisbane with a toddler is like a fun bucket list waiting to be discovered from outdoor fun to museums and other indoor activities to pass the days away.

With just a short time to enjoy the toddler years, we hope this list of things to do in Brisbane with a toddler is enough to keep you and your little one engaged, giggling and learning, even if naps are a thing of the past.

Visit a Gorgeous Garden

Free activities with a toddler are beneficial as you won’t waste money if they fall asleep, have a tantrum or run out of energy. In Brisbane we are lucky to have several gardens which are beautifully landscaped, feature an array of activities and are free to enter.

Pack the pram, a picnic and energy when you visit the stunning surroundings of these parks. Exploring a section on each visit is a good way to save tired legs and really discover all there is on offer. Free guided tours, playgrounds, hide and seek trails, hidden gems and lots of pretty flowers await you on each visit, plus lots more.

Read our detailed reviews to see what is on offer at Brisbane City Botanic Gardens, Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha or the Roma Street Parklands.

Take your Toddler to Southbank

Catching a bus or train makes the journey so much more of an adventure for toddlers! Make South Brisbane your next destination and enjoy the multitude of experiences at your disposal. Southbank is just gorgeous in the autumn, and the free venues like the Corner at the Queensland State Library, the Queensland Art Gallery and GOMA and the Queensland Museum are the perfect places to stay warm while also having a great time with your toddler. They also often put on great activities for the younger kids on weekdays.

Pack a picnic lunch to eat in one of the many sunny spots at Southbank to keep the excursion costs to a minimum. Of course, not everything at Southbank is free. Some other low-cost and toddler-friendly places include the Wheel of Brisbane, the very cool Science Centre or the Maritime Museum, which is heaven for your little ocean fanatics.

Discover a Local Nature Centre

Appreciating and playing in nature is a great gift we can give our children. It is free and teaches them the importance of looking after our environment. What better way to enhance this learning then venturing to one of the many nature and environment centres in and around Brisbane. These centres often have story times, free craft activities, guided tours, and other fun activities which are suitable for you and your toddler. Of course, you can always just enjoy a gentle walk in nature and see what you come across.

Some of our favourite nature centres include Karawatha Discovery Centre, Downfall Creek Bushland Centre, Boondall Wetlands Environment Centre and Osprey House.

Splash at a Free Waterpark

With warm weather almost year-round in Brisbane, splashing in a waterpark is a fun activity for toddlers. What makes it even better is when it’s free. Brisbane and surrounding areas have quite a few of these waterparks, with more popping up every year.

Most of these waterparks also have the added benefit of being beside or very near to a cool playground, ticking two boxes in the one outing. Some fabulous free waterparks include:

• Logan Gardens Waterpark
• The Mill Waterpark
• Rocks Riverside Park
• Darlington Parklands
• For reviews and more waterparks check out The Best Waterparks in Brisbane

Animal Adventures

Taking your toddler on an animal adventure needn’t cost any money thanks to the Ipswich Nature Centre. With animals including wombats, wallabies, emus and even a bilby this is a fun day out that your toddler will remember. The Ipswich Nature Centre is located in Queens Park at Ipswich and features all the facilities you could need in addition to an adventure playground.

If you are heading to Ipswich from Brisbane, then make the most of your drive and see if there are any kids activities on at the Ipswich Art Gallery or visit the Ipswich Workshops Rail Museum for some train inspired fun with your toddler.

Other free ideas for seeing animals in Brisbane with a toddler

• The Daisy Hill Koala Centre with resident koalas
• The Albany Creek Produce Centre (yes they sell farm animals) but your Brisbane toddler will love the array of chicken, birds and ducks.
• Discover the array of wild native animals in Brisbane in our where to find wild native animals in Brisbane article

Cruise the Brisbane River

Grab your toddler and jump on a CityCat or ferry and point out the city sights. There are even some free CityHopper ferries that let you see the CBD on the cheap and they go a lot slower that Citycats, so you have time to take in all the sights.

Autumn is the ideal time to see these sights, as the skies are bright and the sun shines without it being too hot. Point out the Kangaroo Point Cliffs, the mangroves around the City Botanic Gardens, even hop off and explore the Gardens themselves. Inspire in your toddler an interest in the beautiful natural sights that autumn brings. Just make sure you bring an extra jumper, as riding the river can get chilly.

Join a local Playgroup 

On any given day of the week, toddlers are having fun with their peers at a playgroup session. Held in Brisbane parks, community halls and homes, playgroups provide the opportunity for you to make new connections within your local community while your little one plays with other children.

To find a playgroup near you, check out the list of Brisbane Playgroups seeking members. Remember that all playgroups are different, with some focused on nature outings and others centred around local toddler playgrounds. If you go to one and it doesn’t seem like your kind of place, then try another because they are all very different.

Playgroups usually cost a couple of dollars to attend to cover insurance.

Enjoy a WOW toddler playground close to home

After your big adventure in the city, head towards home and stop at one of your local parks. Your toddler can burn off that last little bit of energy in one of the many amazing parks in Brisbane found on our Brisbane parks map.

Our favourite toddler-friendly playgrounds in Brisbane include:

• Ascot Park
• Carindale Recreation Reserve
• Funderwood Hollow
• Logan Gardens Park
• Milton Train Playground
• Scarborough Beach Park
• Sherwood Arbortoreum
• TC Beirne Park
• The Hills District All-Abilities Playground

Teach Your Toddler How to Ride or Scooter

A valuable skill among children is feeling comfortable and confident on wheels. In the toddler years when you have the time (and they have the energy) get out and teach them how to ride or scooter, or if they already know, take them to one of the wonderful scooter or learn to ride tracks that can often be found next to a great playground, such as Grinstead Park, Raby Bay Esplanade Park, or Kangaroo Gully Road Park.

During school hours these tracks are a lot quieter with bigger kids out of the way so little ones can have all the fun. Just remember all the safety gear and plenty of water and snacks!

First Five Forever

First Five Forever is about improving the outcomes for kids 0-5 concerning communication, learning while also helping to support parents during this critical development time.

We highlight this activity because it forms the foundation of many free activities across the library networks in Australia. Whether you prefer to head to your local library or to one of the bigger ones, like the State Library of Queensland or Brisbane Square Library you will like find a similar theme.

Most Brisbane libraries (across all councils) offer free activities, routinely allowing you to structure your week around attending with your toddler. It is so wonderful that we have these free programs designed especially for toddlers in Brisbane and we highly recommend you take advantage of them!

Take your toddler tumbling

Toddler tumbling classes and Kindergym are an excellent feature of PCYC Centres across Brisbane. The days and the times will vary, but the costs are usually well below what you would expect to pay in private classes. Kindergyms are a hive of activity, with toddlers, (supported by their parents), set loose to enjoy what looks to be a massive obstacle course of tumbling, climbing and moving. You will find this another way to meet local likeminded parents and is a lovely weekly outing for you and your toddler.

Paddle at a Local Aquatic Centre

One of the best things about Brisbane is almost all year round swimming conditions which is why local pools often resemble mini water parks. Wherever you are located in Brisbane there is likely a local pool a short distance away with the vast majority featuring splash pads and wading pools designed with families in mind.

Many council pools also offer a loyalty program whether it be buying ten visits at a reduced cost of a membership program which covers swimming for the year. Your toddler will look forward to a weekly swimming outing. 

We make every effort to ensure all of this information is up-to-date, but it should be used as a guide only. If you know of a change, then please let us know at info@brisbanekids.com.au.