Thriving During Lockdown 6

Let's be thankful for small mercies because the lockdown restrictions at the moment are less than last year. Even so, it might be easier to find hens teeth than family activities over the coming weeks unless you make use of Melbourne Playground's extensive set of reviews and information.

The freedoms for the holidays (updated on 29/9/21) are:

Outdoor gatherings are allowed, but the gathering size will depend on your vaccination level. Fully vaccinated residents can gather in groups of five from up to two different households and unvaccinated people are limited to groups of two.
Exercise time is a maximum of four hours (that 4 hours includes any time spent outdoors socialising in limited groups)
You can only travel within 15km of your home for exercise.
Playgrounds are open to children of all ages. There are no limits to number of adults accompanying them; social gathering limits apply. Adults can remove their mask to eat or drink. Playgrounds have QR codes for checking in.
Skate parks and outdoor communal gym equipment are open.
You can play contactless outdoor recreation activities such as golf, tennis, boating and fishing.
Personal training can take place with five fully vaccinated people outside plus a fully vaccinated trainer.
There is a stay-at-home curfew between 9pm and 5am.

Keeping everyone entertained during the school holiday period, especially when the weather is nice, is going to be tough but we have a huge number of resources to find suitable activities such as playgrounds, local walks, picnics, skate parks, BMX tracks, fishing spots, nature reserves, outdoor gyms, beaches, local street art, water play parks, free public tennis courts, parkour, kids bike parks, remote control car tracks, free golf practice cages, frisbee golf and parks for the family dog.

How far is 15km from Your Home?

We've got more than 5000 playground reviews which cover almost every playground in Victoria. The best place to start to find a suitable playground is the Playgrounds Home Page

Make use of the extensive search facilities on the website to find a suitable activity.

Suburb Search (Find all activities/playgrounds in a suburb)
Fast Find (Quickly find all activities/playgrounds within a specified distance of a suburb)
Extended Search (Find playgrounds in a certain area with particular facilities such as shade, secure fencing, BBQ, shelter or toilets. It also offers searching based on rating)
Sport & Recreation Activity Fast Finder (Find recreational activities including outdoor gyms in a specified suburb or area)
Playground Maps (Use Google maps showing playground locations with links to the reviews)

Our friends at Only Melbourne have produced a Spring School Holiday Guide for kids activities in Melbourne over the school holiday period. Be sure to check in regularly for updates on things to do during the school holiday period. There will be a big emphasis on virtual events.

Other possible sources of activities to keep the kids entertained are:

200 Things for Families and Kids to do in Melbourne

100 Free Activities in Melbourne

Water Play Spaces in Melbourne

The Best Family Walks in Melbourne

The Best 30 Picnic Spots in Melbourne

Find a Skatepark or BMX Track

Find an Outdoor Gym

Find a Free Public Tennis Court

Find an Outdoor Table Tennis Table

Find a Public Velodrome or Cycling Track

Find a Parkour Location

Find a Nature Activity

Find a Mountain Bike (MTB) Park

Find a Bike Park for Kids

Find a Fishing Spot

Find a Remote Control Car Track

Find a Free Golf Practice Cage

Find a Disc Golf (Frisbee) Course

Melbourne Street and Public Art

Find Street and Public Art

Exercise the dog at a Fenced Dog Park or a Dog Off Leash Area. We have more than 800 reviews of dog off leash areas. Note: Some of the fenced dog parks may be closed by the council.

Find a Fenced Dog Park

Find a Dog Off-leash Area

The Best Dog Friendly Walks in Melbourne

Melbourne Beaches with Year Round Dog Off-Leash Access

Melbourne Dog Parks

Our friends who reside outside Melbourne have far fewer COVID restrictions and can travel throughout the rest of the state outside Melbourne. We've got more than a thousand activities listed for these lucky people.

Family Activity ideas in Regional Victoria

The Best National, Regional, Historic and Coastal Parks in Victoria

Family Activity ideas for Holidays and Day trips

Not everything in life is free and that's where Small Ideas comes in. They provide big discounts on admission to hundreds of family friendly places around Melbourne and regional Victoria. Check out their special COVID guide to the school holidays which highlights where Small Ideas discounts can still be used.