How expensive are flights at the moment?! It’s into the thousands to fly almost anywhere with the whole family right now, especially during school holidays. So if you’ve got the travel blues, and need a few days away with the kids, here’s an idea…..why not have a staycation right here, at home, in the fabulous CITY OF ADELAIDE!
Within the four terraces of Adelaide City there is literally DAYS worth of family fun to be had, and we’ve even found great family friendly accommodation option so you can really get those holiday feels without completely blowing the budget.
Once you play tourist in your own town, you realise that we are so lucky to live in Adelaide – chances are we take it for granted most of the time, but with fantastic family friendly accommodation and some great places to visit such as the Adelaide Central Market, Treeclimb, BBQ Buoys, and the Adelaide Zoo, it’s a no brainer to have a few nights away from home in our fine city of Adelaide with the kids!
Here’s our suggestions of how to spend a fun couple of nights “on holidays'” with the kids right here in Adelaide City.
Where to Stay
HotelMOTEL
Located in the South Terrace Precinct HotelMOTEL is the perfect family accommodation for your city holiday with the kids. Offering exceptional value for money. Drive right up to your door and then leave the car there because it’s so easy to either walk or jump on public transport to anywhere in the city, right from the hotel. Parking is FREE! (one car per room)
With it’s pops of colour and the two story layout, it’s really got that Palm Springs retro feel about it.
Rooms start from a king room with one bed up to their Family Room perfect for family adventures with a king bed for Mum & Dad a bunk bed for the kids and a cot available (on request)
Every room has a bathroom, aircon and a large TV with Netflix, free WiFi and even a coffee machine!
Terrace Bar & Kitchen is just a few steps away where you’ll find a a la carte breakfast, coffee and evening dining 7 days a week. You can also have menu items delivered to your room.
This really is the perfect place to base yourself for a city holiday at home.
Find it at 216-225 South Terrace, Adelaide
Book online at www.independentcollection.com.au
What to Do
TreeClimb
The ultimate for family fun! Located in the South Parklands, the younger members of the family can conquer Treeclimb’s Kids Course, while the older kids and adults take on the Grand Course. Enjoy the challenges through the treetops with the whole family as you cheer each other on. There is a cafe onsite or you can BYO food and drinks and setup on one of their picnic tables or with a rug under the trees. Treeclimb is super fun – every course ends with a zipline, wheeeee!
Visit a few of our wonderful city playspaces
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.
Adelaide Central Market
Foodie heaven for kids and adults! It’s no secret that South Australia is home to some of the best produce in the world and you’ll find it all under one roof at the Adelaide Central Market. You’ll find fruits and veggies, Italian delicacies, turkish delight, so much cheese and some wonderful cafes within the precinct. It’s great quality food at excellent prices. We bet the kids will discover at least one food they have never seen in a supermarket before! Time your visit right and you could visit on a Saturday morning when they have lots of family fun such as entertainment and face painters to keep the kids happy!
Adelaide Oval Tour
Adelaide Oval is so steeped in South Australian history, but do your kids know that? If not, time to educate them! The whole family will love an Adelaide Oval Tour, led by one of their fantastic Tour Guides. Hear about the sporting and entertainment history of the Adelaide Oval, while taking part in interactive activities such as the chance to sit behind the commentator desk, be the coach and of course operate the famous Adelaide Oval scoreboard.
Find out more here about Adelaide Oval Tours & the Kids Trail.
MOD
This is the perfect spot to visit with older kids! If your kids are into hands on, interactive activities focused around all things STEM, then put MOD Adelaide on your staycation itinerary! Located on North Terrace, MOD is completely FREE – there are seven gallery spaces to explore with exhibitions that change every six months or so. Your kids will be having so much fun, they won’t even realise how much they are learning!
BBQ Buoys
SO.MUCH.FUN. Chances are you have seen these donut shaped boats cruising along the River Torrens – why not treat the family to a truly unique experience and hire one for a two hour session? Each Buoy has a BBQ on board and you can BYO meat or pre-order a grill pack or grazing platter. You can also pre-order your drinks, both alcohol and non-alcoholic. Each BBQ Buoy comes with a bluetooth speaker, so connect it to your own tunes and get the party started! Your kids will be talking about this for years to come!
Picnic on the Torrens
Is there anything better than a picnic where there is plenty to watch and plenty of grass for the kids to run around on? Elder Park on the banks of the River Torrens is the perfect spot to setup a picnic and watch the world go by. Wave to the people on the Popeye or BBQ Buoys as you look across to Adelaide Oval. If you need to burn off your picnic, there is a lovely Linear Park trail that runs alongside the Torrens for a stroll.
SA Museum
Whether your child is interested in dinosaurs, gems and minerals, birdlife or Aboriginal culture, you can’t go past a visit to the South Australian Museum! Located on North Tce, the SA Museum is home to some wonderful exhibits that kids and adults alike will enjoy. The cafe and gift shop is also worth a look, especially if you are looking for some unique gift ideas!
Visit before Feb 2023 to check out Six Extinctions exhibition
Adelaide Zoo
Lions and pandas and komodo dragons, oh my! No staycation in Adelaide is complete without a trip to the Adelaide Zoo! Watch our resident pandas, Wang Wang and Fu Ni chill out in the panda enclosure, laugh at the meerkats, be awed by the giraffes and of course spend some time in the Variety Children’s Zoo, including the fantastic playground. There are hundreds of animals to see at the Zoo and if you feel like you have seen it all a million times, consider booking into one of their behind the scenes animal experiences for a real treat!
EcoCaddy
If you have ever been to any major event in the city of Adelaide, you have probably seen these cool little EcoCaddys cruising around! They are best way to see the city and they aren’t just a way to get from point A to point B – the EcoCaddy drivers (cyclists?) are so knowledgeable about Adelaide and will give you lots of little tidbits along the way that you probably didn’t know about the city.
Keep an eye on their socials for details of when they will be out and about, otherwise book a tour with them and learn something new about our town! You’ll also feel like a celeb as everyone watches you be chuaffeur- pedalled around!
Botanic Garden
No matter the season, the Botanic Garden is the perfect free family activity for your Adelaide staycation! Wander down the purple wisteria arch in Spring, stay cool under the giant fig trees in summer, watch the leaves change colour in Autumn and visit the indoor Palm House, Waterlilly Pavilion or Conservatory in winter. There are three eateries onsite, ranging from very casual to very fancy. The Botanic Garden also hosts a range of events throughout the year so be sure to check their website before your visit to see what is on.
Find out more about our lovely Botanic Gardens at this link.
Space Discovery Centre
Every kids goes through a space and astronaut phase, right? Harness that energy and curiosity and take them to the Space Discovery Centre, part of Lot Fourteen on North Terrace. It’s a hands on learning experience where kids can find out more about the latest innovation in space technologies. This one is probably better suited to older kids, however if you take your younger kids, who knows – maybe that phase will turn into a full blown career?! They also run some fantasic school holiday programs for younger kids, so they do have all ages covered.
Where to Eat
Hello Harry
Can you go past burgers for a good family feed? Probably not. Be sure to head to Hello Harry on the corner of King William and Hindley Streets. The menu is great, the vibe is laid back and on Sundays, kids eat free! So go ahead and book that city stay now!
Cafe Bonython
Cafe Bonython is hands down one of our favourite places to go, not just in Adelaide but anywhere! Visit the Bonython Park Playspace and don’t pack a bag full of snacks – just grab breakfast, lunch, coffee or snack at this onsite cafe. They have great, affordable meal options including rainbow toasties, plus the cutest cupcakes, milkshakes and babycinos you ever did see! There is indoor and outdoor seating, so you can visit anytime of year!
Remy’s
Is it a pizza? Is it mac and cheese? IT’S BOTH! The deep dish pizzas at Remys are not your usual pizzas – they come with some incredible toppings plus the drinks list is INCREDIBLE. You enter Remy’s from Rundle Mall into No Fixed Address Lane, so you are smack bang in the middle of the city. There is so much cheesey goodness here, it’s hard to know what to order. Just get one of everything.
Uniqorn Eats
Once upon a time, a unicorn vomited and Uniqorn Eats was born. Well, not really but with all the colour in this place, you’d be excused for thinking this might’ve happened. Crazy shakes to die for, rainbow pancakes, this is a kids idea of HEAVEN. Adults haven’t been forgotten about with cocktails and a great food menu. Find Uniqorn Eats on Grenfell St or catch the tram down to Glenelg to visit their new beachside store.
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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.
