Things to Do With Kids in Geelong: A Local Parent's Guide
Looking for things to do with kids in Geelong? The short answer: start with the free stuff. Geelong has a swimming enclosure and playground right on the bay, a botanic garden with pram-friendly paths, and a waterfront lined with painted bollards that little ones love spotting. When the weather turns, the library, gallery and museum are all within a few blocks of each other in the city.
We've run CircArts, a circus school now based in Grovedale, since 2007, so we hear a lot from local parents about where they go on days off. This guide pulls those ideas together, sorted by weather and by age, with a note on what to check before you head out.
Free outdoor places to take kids in Geelong
Eastern Beach Reserve. The swimming enclosure on Corio Bay has a shallow children's pool with a fountain, a sandy beach, a big playground in the parkland next door and a kiosk for ice creams. Entry is free, and it gets very busy on warm days, so go early.
The waterfront and the Baywalk Bollards. More than 100 painted timber bollards by local artist Jan Mitchell line the waterfront between Rippleside and Limeburners Point. Give kids a "spot the bollard" challenge and the walk takes care of itself. The historic carousel, built in 1892, sits on Eastern Beach Road. Check its hours before you promise a ride.
Geelong Botanic Gardens. Free entry in Eastern Park, level paved paths that work for prams and scooters, the modern 21st Century Garden and a cafe on site. A good one for a slow morning with a toddler.
Balyang Sanctuary, Newtown. Nine hectares of lake and native bushland beside the Barwon River, with black swans, pelicans and ducks, picnic areas and toilets. It connects to the river path, so you can walk or ride as far as little legs will go.
Bellarine Rail Trail. About 35 km between South Geelong and Queenscliff, mostly flat and described by Visit Geelong & Bellarine as family friendly. You don't need to do it all. A short section on bikes or scooters is plenty.
Rainy day ideas in Geelong
Geelong weather can change in an hour. These indoor options are worth keeping in your back pocket.
Geelong Library and Heritage Centre. The Dome on Little Malop Street hosts Baby Time, Toddler Time and Preschool Story Time sessions, and so do many other Geelong Regional Libraries branches, including Waurn Ponds and Armstrong Creek. Bookings aren't needed for these sessions, so you can drop in on the day.
Geelong Gallery. Entry is free and the gallery is open every day from 10am to 5pm. It runs programs for little ones and families at different times of the year, such as Gallery Tots and school holiday family tours, so check its events page before you go.
National Wool Museum. On Moorabool Street, the museum runs Museum Explorers, an educator-designed playgroup for children aged 0 to 5 with stories, songs, art and play. Sessions run in blocks, so look up the current dates.
Indoor pools. Council's aquatic centres include Leisurelink, Norlane ARC and Splashdown, which all have waterslides. Opening hours and slide sessions vary, so check the centre's timetable.
A class with a roof over it. Our kids circus classes run after school from 4pm on weekdays and on Saturday mornings at our Grovedale studio. Wet weather doesn't touch a trapeze.
Bigger days out around Geelong
Adventure Park Geelong, Wallington. A water theme park with slides, rides and a lazy river that opens over the warmer months. Check its website for season dates and times.
Swan Bay Express, Queenscliff. The Bellarine Railway runs an eight kilometre return trip in heritage carriages along Swan Bay on most Sundays, with extra days in Victorian school holidays. Pre-booking is recommended.
You Yangs Regional Park. The Flinders Peak walk is steep, with uneven ground, so it suits older kids with some stamina. The reward is a view over Geelong and Melbourne.
Geelong Wonder Children's Festival. Produced by Geelong Arts Centre, the festival fills the city with shows, workshops and roving performers. The 2026 festival, its fourth, ran in September.
Things to do by age
Babies and toddlers. Library Baby Time and Toddler Time, the children's pool at Eastern Beach, and the Botanic Gardens paths. For a weekly class you do together, Tiny Circus runs on weekday mornings in Grovedale, with a parent beside their child the whole time, from 9 months.
Primary school kids. Bike and scooter paths along the river, the Bellarine Rail Trail and the gallery. This is also the age when a weekly activity starts to matter. Kids aged 5 to 11 can start circus in a Discover class, with a maximum of 8 students per class.
Teens. Give them the harder walks, like Flinders Peak, and let them plan the day. Teens who want a challenge can start circus at 12, and brand new teens usually book one private lesson first so a coach can place them in the right class.
Turning a good day out into a weekly habit
Days out are great. A weekly activity adds something different: a familiar coach, the same friends each week, and skills that build over months.
If you'd like to try that, the easiest way to start at CircArts is the Starter Pass: three beginner classes for $55, used within 14 days. And when the school holidays roll around, our school holiday programs run every break for ages 6 to 17. For more holiday ideas, read our school holiday activities guide.
Before you head out: a quick checklist
Check opening hours and seasonal dates, especially for the carousel, Adventure Park and the railway
Pack water, snacks, hats and sunscreen, even on cloudy days
Bring a spare set of clothes for anywhere near water
Have a rainy day backup within 15 minutes of where you're going
Frequently asked questions
What are some free things to do with kids in Geelong?
Eastern Beach Reserve, the Geelong Botanic Gardens, the waterfront bollards, Balyang Sanctuary and the Bellarine Rail Trail are all free, and so is entry to the Geelong Gallery. Library story times are drop-in, with no booking needed.
What can kids do in Geelong when it's raining?
Try a library story time, the Geelong Gallery, the National Wool Museum or one of council's indoor pools. An indoor class, like circus, gives them a way to burn energy whatever the weather.
What's on for toddlers in Geelong on weekday mornings?
Library Baby Time and Toddler Time sessions run across Geelong Regional Libraries branches, and Tiny Circus runs on weekday mornings at our Grovedale studio for babies and toddlers with a parent beside them.
Are there after school activities near Grovedale and Waurn Ponds?
Yes. CircArts is at 33/8 Lewalan Street, Grovedale, with kids classes after school on weekdays and Saturday mornings. Waurn Ponds and Armstrong Creek libraries are close by for quieter afternoons.
Find your family's weekly anchor
Geelong gives you the beaches, parks and pools for free. If you'd like a weekly activity your kids will count down to, come and try a class with us.