With its sunny climate, fabulous beaches and wide-open spaces, Sydney is a great place to holiday with kids. There are lots of parks, playgrounds, sheltered bays and public pools for safe swimming, and a range of indoor options for rainy days. Museums are mostly child-friendly, in particular the Powerhouse Museum and the Australian Museum , both of which have exhibits and activities designed to entertain as well as educate. The Historic Houses Trust , consisting of Elizabeth Bay House, Vaucluse House, Government House, Susannah Place, the Justice and Police Museum, Hyde Park Barracks, the Sydney Museum and Elizabeth Farm, offer a huge range of school holiday programmes for ages 6-12 ($7-10; details tel 9518 6866, www.hhtnsw.gov.au ).

Darling Harbour is never short of kids' amusements, with rides and games, free basketball and outdoor entertainment, while Fox Studios has two free well-padded children's adventure playgrounds, an indoor play area and the Fox Studios Backlot Tour. The Rocks offers lots of free activities during the school holidays.
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Sydney's Child is an excellent free monthly magazine with detailed listings of what's on, and adverts for a range of services including babysitting; pick up a copy at libraries and major museums, or check out www.sydneyschild.com.au.
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School holidays
Summer , six weeks, beginning roughly ten days before Christmas, to last week in Jan; Autumn , two weeks coinciding with Easter (normally early to mid-April); Winter , two weeks, beginning the second week of July; Spring ...
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Museums and galleries
The Art Gallery of NSW , The Domain. Martin Place or St James CityRail. Daily 10am-5pm. Free, except for special exhibitions. Free Sunday performances (2.30pm) for families: art appreciation through drama, storytelling, dance and mime. During school...
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Parks and wildlife
Sydney and the surrounding area provides plenty of opportunities to see - and in some cases touch - native wildlife. You can visit the original filming locations for the famous television series Skippy at Waratah Park , cuddle...
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Shops
ABC Shop , Level 1, Albert Walk, QVB. Town Hall CityRail. Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm (Thurs to 8pm), Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 11am-5pm. ABC (and BBC) television's merchandizing outlet - books, audio, video, toys, clothing and accessories - sells all the Australian...
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Swimming and water sports
Beware Sydney's strong surf - young children are safer swimming at sheltered harbour beaches or ocean pools. Public swimming pools (typically outdoor and unheated), generally have a toddlers' paddling pool . For year-round swimming...
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Theatre
Marian Street Theatre , 2 Marian St, Killara tel 9498 3166. Killara CityRail. Popular 1pm Saturday kids' matinee, often involving audience participation; also school holiday weekdays at 10.30am & 1pm (suitable for 3-10-year-olds; $9.50, child...
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Theme parks and playgrounds
Sydney's first theme park, harbourfront Luna Park , opened in the 1930s but has been shutting down and re-opening off and on since the 1980s and is currently closed. An alternative seaside fun fair is found at Manly Wharf ...
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