
Our Parents Guide Illawarra toddler guide, is written by a local mum. Here she shares great local insight on getting out and about with toddlers in the Illawarra. Discover the best things to do with toddler and young kids Wollongong wide. With our thanks to local mum Alyssa Vaartjes for her ‘best of Illawarra toddler entertainment wisdom’! Toddlers are such busy little people. Finding toddler-friendly places to go to burn off that energy can be tricky. Fortunately, here in the Illawarra, we have many great options. These range from playgrounds, parks, toddler classes, to cafes and play centres..
Location: Wollongong Central, (Level 1 – outside David Jones), 200 Crown Street, Wollongong NSW 2500
Dates & Time: 7 – 18 July, 11am to 3pm daily (Monday – Friday only)
Ages: All ages, family-friendly event.
Cost: FREE!
Book now/Learn more HERE
These school holidays, Wollongong Central is the ultimate destination for LEGO® lovers of all ages! From July 7 to 18, head to the interactive LEGO® Play Zone on Level 1 (outside David Jones) for a world of imagination, creativity, and fun.
Open Monday to Friday from 11am to 3pm, the LEGO® Play Zone features free play stations, exciting building challenges, and interactive activities for budding builders—big and small. Best of all, it’s completely FREE, with heaps of prizes up for grabs and 20% off all LEGO® at David Jones during the event. Don’t forget to scan the on-site QR codes for your chance to WIN a holiday to LEGOLAND Malaysia—just by playing!
Join Science Space Wollongong every Monday (during school terms) for a fun-filled morning of STEM exploration designed just for kids under 5. Enjoy guided activities and shows with their engaging educators, followed by free time to discover the wonders of the Science Space exhibits. Learn more here.
Looking for a day of family fun like no other? Look no further than Five Barrel Brewing’s monthly Family Fun Days. Join them for a fantastic day packed with games galore, messy play for the kids, a special Family Meal & Drinks Deal on the day – and all in a relaxing brewery atmosphere!
Soak up the sun while challenging your loved ones to epic battles of Giant Jenga, Connect Four, and Cornhole. It’s all about outdoor thrills and good vibes! Prefer to keep things cozy indoors? They’ve got you covered with card games, chess, and checkers.
Mark your calendars & see you there for some unforgettable family FUN! Bookings are recommended. Learn more here.
Stories, sing-alongs and smiles at Budding Bookworms at the Wollongong Botanic Garden! Join in for this free event of magical and engaging stories, sing-alongs, rhymes, wiggly dances and crafts on Fridays near the Garden’s Japanese Tea House (west of the Rose Garden) from 10am. Lots of fun for you and your pre-school aged children (3-5 years). Bookings not required. Learn more here.
I have a deep appreciation for a toddler-friendly playground. I generally look for uncovered slides, stairs and bridges without gaps. Accessible swings, spinners, cubby houses, rockers, and water play are always an amazing bonus. You can also read our dedicated article Best Wollongong & Illawarra Playgrounds for Toddlers .
It can feel risky to try out a new playground. What if it has too much inaccessible equipment, leading to a frustrated or bored toddler? Check out these tried and tested playgrounds. Especially if you and your toddler need a change of playground scenery.
What to do with Toddlers – Parent’s Guide Illawarra – Photo c/o Wollongong Botanic Garden
Cringilla Hills Playground: An excellent, free playground that is fenced is one of my favourite places now that I have a toddler. This large, fully fenced and NEW playground has some great covered seating, a wheelchair-accessible sway fun glider, water play, musical instruments and a cubby, amongst many other things.
All Abilities Playground, Wollongong Botanic Garden: Depending on your child’s interests, this playground may be more or less of a hit. There is a large sandpit which is usually a great drawcard, and a climbing net that my three-year-old can get up. However, with three gates into the playground, you do need to pay a bit more attention to where that run-away toddler is than at Cringilla Hills.
Splash Park, Albion Park Swimming Pool: We discovered this gem last summer. The toddler pool is fully fenced and includes a small but excellent splash park where toddlers can safely run around until their heart’s content. A small fee to enter, but totally worth it for the fun to be had.
Our family doesn’t frequent play centres often as they can be expensive. But if we’re all stir-crazy from rain or we want an easy way to guarantee a fun time, we hit up one of these play centres. My top tip is to head to these centres in the late morning if you can (e.g. if your toddler no longer naps). By then, the crowds have usually thinned out by then, and you can have a bit of a quieter time.
What to do with toddlers in the Illawarra – Parent’s Guide Illawarra – Tabatinga Dapto
What to do with toddlers in the Illawarra – Parent’s Guide Illawarra – Sharky’s Play
What to do with toddlers in the Illawarra – Parent’s Guide Illawarra – UOW’s Early Start Discovery Space
What to do with toddlers in the Illawarra – Parent’s Guide Illawarra – The Shellharbour Club
What to do with toddlers in the Illawarra – Parent’s Guide Illawarra – Air Born’s Daytime Playtime
A wonderful way for toddlers to develop gross and fine motor skills, enjoy activities and movement and for parents to meet other parents! Click here to read our comprehensive Baby, Toddler & Kids Classes across Wollongong & Illawarra.
Join in at the Green Connect Farm each Thursday from 9am-11am during the school term, for a wonderful morning of nature-based learning and play.
Each week they’ll enjoy the sandpit, mudpit, and changing loose-parts, meet the farm animals and explore different parts of our beautiful farm. There’ll be a big focus on using natural materials to understand the world around us. They’ll build, draw, make and create, as well as get dirty and immerse themselves in the great outdoors.
Farm Kindy is aimed at children aged 2-5 years. Younger children are very welcome to join, though activities may be aimed at slightly older children. Secure your child’s spot here now.
Miss Zoe’s School of Dance is an award-winning dance school operating for over 17 years with locations in Wollongong, Kiama & Coledale. They run a number of fun, casual and relaxed dance classes for toddlers and preschoolers – from ballet, hip hop, tap and more!
Their popular “MONKEY MOVERS” program for ages 1 – 8 is an awesome dance and movement program with lots of high energy and kids are grouped into specific age groups so they are with children the same age. It’s a magical journey of music, movement, and bonding.
Get in touch with Miss Zoe and her team to learn more and discover the best class for your toddler.
Time for the little ones to experience the Art Museum! These sessions include a 30 minute art making activity with Bundanon’s Learning team. Please be sun-smart, bring a water bottle and a smock for your mini artist (or ask them to wear clothes you don’t mind getting stained).
Activities are suitable for children up to the age of 5. The art making activity is weather dependent. In rainy weather, children will complete guided activities in the Art Museum with Bundanon’s learning team. Children must remain accompanied by an adult throughout the program. Click here to learn more.
What to do with toddlers in the Illawarra – Parent’s Guide Illawarra – Bundanon Mini
Wollongong City Libraries are an inclusive, welcoming group of 7 library locations from Helensburgh to Warrawong and everywhere in between – and each library runs free baby and toddler programs.
Their Preschool Programs run during school term aim to support your child’s early literacy and social development through engaging stories, lively songs, and fun play. No need to book—just drop in! Programs include Baby Beats, Baby Bookworms, Drop in Duplo, Preschool Storytime, Toddlertime and Wriggle & Jiggle. For babies – 2 years.
Find out more about activities for toddlers at Wollongong City Libraries here.
What to do with toddlers in the Illawarra – Parent’s Guide Illawarra – c/o Wollongong City Libraries
Wollongong Art Gallery has a variety of fun programs to nurture your child’s curiosity in the arts!
Located in the heart of Wollongong CBD with easy access to great cafes, restaurants, public transport, and parking – it’s a wonderful and unique family activity.
Entry is free, and there are a range of specialised tours, workshops, and programs for toddler and kids to enjoy all year round.
This includes our free monthly Junior Art Trail for kids aged 3 to 5 years old! The Junior Art Trail is a free, fun tour of the Gallery for children aged 3 to 5 years old. Explore artwork through storytelling, art making, songs and games. Learn more here now.
What to do with toddlers in the Illawarra – Parent’s Guide Illawarra – c/o Wollongong Art Gallery
Designed for children aged 2-5 years, circus classes aren’t just fun—they’re a great way to build essential skills. Activities like tumbling, climbing, balancing, and throwing help kids develop gross motor skills, improving core strength, balance, and coordination.
Their Microbats classes also focus on fine motor skills with juggling and other circus props, boosting hand-eye coordination, dexterity, and spatial awareness—skills needed for drawing, writing, and even tying shoes!
Parents are welcome to join in, and younger siblings are welcome too! This is one of the few places where little kids can go wild—being silly, free, and exploring in a safe and creative way. Ask about a free trial class. Learn more here about Microbats classes!
Playgroups: A playgroup has to be one of the easiest and best ways to meet other parents in your local area. The only real challenge is finding one, but a search on Facebook or Google should offer some suggestions. Many churches or community centres will have a playgroup operating out of their premises. It’s worth focusing a search on those spots too.
Our daughter loves a good cafe trip for a milkshake and banana bread. But a trip to a cafe (let alone a restaurant) can be quite challenging. There are a few things that make it easier. Knowing the kids’ food will come quickly, having space to move around or play both help. You’ll also like reading our dedicated article Wollongong Restaurants & Dining with Indoor & Outdoor Play Areas, PLUS Best Family Friendly Pubs & Clubs Wollongong & Illawarra.
What to do with toddlers in the Illawarra – Parent’s Guide Illawarra – The Fraternity Club. Fairy Meadow
If you are looking for even more kid-friendly, fun (and free) activities to do in the Illawarra, check out our Fun Places To Take Kids page on our site HERE.
After even more local playground inspo? Check out Play Illawarra’s guide to free outdoor play spaces for kids in Wollongong, Kiama, Shellharbour & Shoalhaven
Finally, make the most of family life in our stunning Illawarra – Subscribe to the ultimate guide to family living weekly email by Parents Guide. Say NO to bored kids and get inspired! Click and sign up for our Parents Newsletter here. Get all the local inspo!
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