Exploring Adelaide with kids is a great way to spend an afternoon, a full day, or even a weekend. When’s the last time you caught a train, tram, or bus in the CBD?
It’s even easy to drive in and park the car. Visiting the city screams adventure, the kids love it, and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. We’ve compiled some of the best things to see and do and places to eat and stay in the Adelaide CBD and North Adelaide with your family this winter.
EVENT: Illuminate 2025
Illuminate Adelaide, held annualy every July transforms Adelaide into a vibrant tapestry of art, music, and innovation.
This captivating winter festival brings together local, national, and international talent to illuminate the city’s streets and landmarks with awe-inspiring displays and immersive experiences.
From free to ticketed events, this is one of the KiA team’s favourite festivals of the year!
to check out the full program and book tickets – click here
EAT: Peter Rabbit Cafe, Hindley St
FAMILY FUN: TreeClimb Adelaide
TreeClimb Adelaide is a must do! Don’t worry if it’s a bit chilly, you’ll soon be up in the trees and working up a sweat!
Kids can tackle the Kids Course while adults or kids that are tall enough can do the Grand Course or Family Experience. If you don’t want to climb, don’t worry, there is an onsite cafe with plenty of delicious food and decent coffee.
DISCOVER: Adelaide Central Market
The sights, the sounds, the smells!
The Adelaide Central Market is a must visit while you are in the city – your family will get to indulge in delicious local South Australian produce including fruit & veg, desserts, cheese, meals and cuisines from around the world and if you time your visit well, your kids can join in with free weekend activities such as cooking classes or face painting.
EVENT: Cirque du Soleil: Corteo
Cirque du Soleil returns to Australia with its most unique production CORTEO, set to charm audiences for the very first time.
Heading to Adelaide from October 2-5, 2025, this exceptional show, directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca (who also directed LUZIA), first premiered in Montreal under the Big Top in April 2005.
Corteo, which means cortege in Italian, is a joyous procession, a festive parade imagined by a clown. The show brings together the passion of the artist with the grace and power of the acrobat to plunge the audience into a theatrical world of fun, comedy and spontaneity situated in a mysterious space between heaven and earth.
EVENT: Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live™: Glow-N-Fire Presented By BIG W
Get ready for an action-packed weekend as the Adelaide Entertainment Centre transforms into a monster truck mayhem zone this 2–3 August 2025!
Watch fan favourites like Mega Wrex™, Tiger Shark™, Bone Shaker™, Bigfoot®, and more come to life in a spectacular glow-in-the-dark experience – plus, meet the fierce new villain, Skelesaurus™!
With special kids pricing, this high-octane show is a must for families looking to turn up the heat this winter!
FREE: Adelaide City Library
The City Library is always a great spot to find kid-friendly programs and events right in the heart of Adelaide. Check out LEGO Club, Family Story Time or the Something@ program that runs every Saturday offering a range of activities including board games and LEGO, badge-making and bracelets, to puzzles and crafts.
You’ll find it at Level 3, Rundle Place, Rundle Mall,
DISCOVER: Up close and personal with animals at Adelaide Zoo
Adelaide Zoo is a must-visit destination for families exploring the city. Just a short stroll from the heart of Adelaide, the zoo offers a full day of animal encounters, hands-on experiences, and fun for kids of all ages. With over 250 native and exotic species, including three playful Sumatran tiger cubs and the adorable new panda pair, Xing Qiu and Yi Lan, there’s always something exciting to see.
Families can enjoy shady picnic spots, adventure through Nature’s Playground, or catch a live animal presentation. Whether it’s your first visit or your fifth, Adelaide Zoo is a place where imaginations run wild and memories are made.
PLAY: Explore the Quentin Kenihan Accessible Playground
Named for the iconic South Australian, the accessible playground in Rymill Park is fully fenced, spacious and is full of equipment suitable for all abilities.
EVENT: Disney On Ice presents Find Your Hero
Get ready for a magical family day out as Disney On Ice presents Find Your Hero hits the ice at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre from 20–22 June!
Join Mickey, Minnie, Mirabel, Moana, Elsa, Ariel, and more as they skate through unforgettable Disney adventures, dazzling costumes, and iconic songs.
It’s the ultimate feel-good show that will have the whole family smiling from start to finish!
PLAY: Check out one of Adelaide’s Best Playspaces
Adelaide’s Park Lands are home to unique play spaces where kids and families can be active and let their imaginations run wild. We’ve compiled a list to make it quick and easy to pick a city playground that will please kids of all ages and abilities.
DISCOVER: Adelaide Botanic Garden
How lucky are we to have such a gorgeous big botanic garden right in the heart of our city? Explore the gardens and the glasshouses, pack a picnic, climb a tree, enjoy a guided tour, or stop and smell the roses (literally).
If you go later in winter you might be lucky enough to see the wisteria tunnel starting to bloom.
EAT: Café Bonython
A recent finalist in our 2021 Babyccino Competition, Cafe Bonython is a great spot to enjoy a delicious cup of coffee in the parklands. With lawns as far as the eye can see, the kids can run around and burn off their energy!
Read our review
kidsinadelaide.com.au/cafe-bonython
FAMILY FUN: Escape Hunt
Choose from a range of themed rooms and work together as a team with your family to get out in time!
They even have an outdoor adventure – think Amazing Race style!
Escape Hunt is in the heart of Rundle Mall and perfect for some quality family time with heaps of fun and laughs thrown in.
DISCOVER: Check out Some street art
Street art is here, there and everywhere all over the walls of the Adelaide CBD for all to see and admire (and take many many selfies in front of)
From Indigenous Art Murals, pop art, rainbows, patterns and everything in between this is a growing scene in Adelaide that art lovers can discover, explore and be amazed by (and take many many selfies in front of)
PLAY: Explore Marshmallow Park
A fully fenced nature playground under the shade of a stunning Morton Bay Fig, Marshmallow Park is a favourite for families to relax together in the parklands surrounding the city. With everything you need for a post city trip leg-stretch, this will quickly become a fave of yours too.
DISCOVER: Take a kids tour of Adelaide Oval
Adelaide Oval is one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, blending rich sporting history with stunning architecture and riverbank views. Whether you’re a cricket or AFL fan, a music lover, or just keen to explore behind the scenes, it’s a must-visit for locals and tourists alike. You can catch a game, enjoy fine dining with a view, or simply soak up the atmosphere on a stroll around the precinct. For families, the Kids Adventure Tour offers an interactive and fun way for children to explore the Oval, with daily sessions available, or for something a bit more adventures for the big kids, why not try their iconic Roof Climb?
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So we know that lots of families have kids ranging from toddler to teens so we've tried to find some great playgrounds we think your older kids will enjoy, while still offering some play space for younger children. For those of you with only older children, these playground spaces are still great and you just get the added bonus of sitting down instead of chasing a toddler around trying to put their hat on! We have a soft spot for some on these list, here are our faves (in no particular order) Glenthorne Adventure Playground GT Fisher Nature Playground Morialta Adventure Playground Jubilee Playground Port Noarlunga Monash Adventure Playground Thorndon Park Karoonda Playground Goldenfields Playground
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The Adelaide Park Lands are home to unique playspaces where kids and families can be active and let their imaginations run wild. We’ve compiled a list to make it quick and easy to pick a city playground that will please kids of all ages and abilities.
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Looking for the perfect winter weekend escape with the kids? Adelaide’s CBD has everything you need for a fun-filled family adventure without leaving the city. Check into a hotel for a night or two and step straight into the heart of the action. Winter is the perfect time to find a cosy cafe, check out the museum and of course, discover the magic of Illuminate Adelaide. Watch the kids' faces light up as the city comes alive after dark with stunning light installations, immersive art, and interactive experiences dotted throughout the streets and laneways. And then after all that, stroll back to your room and snuggle into a comfy bed for a movie night. Whether it’s day or night, rain or shine, the Adelaide CBD is full of family fun this winter. Here’s our suggestions of how to spend a fun couple of nights “on holidays'” with the kids right here in the Adelaide CBD.
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