What to Do with Toddlers on a Rainy Day in Sydney

Sydney is a beautiful city with plenty of activities to do for families. However, it can be tough to entertain toddlers when it’s raining outside. Don’t let the rain keep you and your little ones from having a good day. There are numerous things you can do indoors and outdoors that you’ll love.

Visit an Indoor Play Centre

Indoor play centres are kid-friendly recreation centres designed to keep your toddlers entertained for hours. There are plenty of them in Sydney, and the majority have cafes for parents to relax and enjoy a hot beverage while their children play. Here are some of Sydney’s most popular indoor play centres:

• Monkey Mania: has multiple locations that offer various play activities for all ages, including an obstacle course, slides, and ball pools.
• Chipmunks Playland & Cafe: offers an interactive experience for kids, including a huge climbing structure, slippery dips, ball pit, and flying fox.
• Bizzy Kidz: has plenty of activities for toddlers, including a designated area with soft play equipment, a mini ball pit, ride-on toys, and an interactive playpen.
• Nubo: combines education, creativity, and cinema to give your kids an unforgettable experience. The centre is divided into different areas, including a play gym, block room, and art studio.

Go to a Museum or Aquarium

Sydney has a plethora of museums and aquariums that are ideal for toddlers. It’s an enjoyable and educational experience for them to discover and learn about wildlife and science, and it can keep them occupied all day long. Here are some of the best Sydney museums and aquariums for toddlers:

• SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium: is home to a diverse range of aquatic life, including sea turtles, sharks, stingrays, and clownfish. Toddlers will enjoy watching the on-site divers feed marine life and get hands-on experience in the Rockpool Discovery Zone.
• Australian Museum: is a natural history museum with numerous exhibitions, including the Australian Megafauna and the Skeleton Gallery. You can also drop by the Kidspace area, which is suitable for children under five years old, with plenty of interactive displays and puzzles.
• Museum of Contemporary Art: offers free admission and an experience in contemporary art, interactive displays, and multimedia installations that may surprise and stimulate your toddler’s imagination.
• Powerhouse Museum: is an unusual museum with interactive exhibits, virtual reality machines, and old-school video games that cater to children of all ages. The Wiggles exhibit is a favourite among toddlers.

Visit a Library or Bookstore

A trip to the library or a bookstore on a rainy day can be fantastic for your toddler. You can introduce them to new books and immerse them in a world of fantasy and imagination. Here are some great libraries and bookstores in Sydney that you can visit:

• State Library of New South Wales: is a significant library in Sydney, housing about two million books, newspapers, maps, and manuscripts. The Children’s Library is designed to attract children of all ages with engaging exhibits and interactive activities.
• The Children’s Bookshop: is a specialty bookshop located in Beecroft. They offer a wide range of excellent books for children of all ages and share a love of books and reading.
• Gleebooks: is an independent bookstore in Glebe. It is famous for its collection of children’s books, including popular and rare books and an on-site dog named Bosco.
• The Little Bookroom: is a children’s bookstore in Carlton with a fantastic collection of books that is sure to capture your child’s imagination.

Try Art and Crafts Activities at Home

There is nothing more enjoyable than engaging with your child in art and craft activities at home on a rainy day. Here are some of the fantastic art and craft activities that you can try with your toddler:

• Painting watercolours: watercolour painting is simple and allows your child to explore different shapes, colours, and textures. You can paint on paper or canvas, and your toddler will have a great time playing with the colours.
• Make homemade slime: making slime is easy, exciting and fun, and requires only a few household ingredients. Your toddler will love the texture and the mesmerising effect.
• Create a sensory bottle: a sensory bottle helps stimulate your toddler’s senses of sight, sound, and touch. You can fill the bottle with colourful beads, pom-poms, water, and glitter.
• Build with playdough: playdough is an excellent activity for your toddler to express their creativity by building different shapes, animals, letters, and numbers with dough.
• Make a paper plate mask: this activity will encourage your toddler’s imagination by creating a mask of their favourite animal, superhero, or character using paper plates and colourful decorations.

Conclusion

Rainy days in Sydney with toddlers can be challenging, but there are plenty of enjoyable and creative things that you and your toddler can do indoors and outdoors. You can visit an indoor play centre, go to a museum or aquarium, visit a library or bookstore, or try art and crafts activities at home. Ensure that you and your toddler are happy and entertained, no matter how hard the rain is falling.