Whoa, I forgot just how much Canberra has to offer for family fun. There is just so much to do in Canberra with kids and honestly in the end we couldn’t fit in half of the stuff we would have liked to do, but that just means we’ll have to come back!
I’ll start with a little back story. Two weeks before Christmas last year, while on a visit to Novotel Sydney City, our 4 year old stiched us up by asking “real Santa” for snow skiis for Christmas – peak Summer, completely out of the blue. And then, repeatedly told everyone afterwards that he would be getting snow skiis, because he asked real Santa. So, we hunted down a pair of skiis on marketplace and Santa came up with the goods. Fast forward to Winter and he starts asking “when are we going to the snow?”. We decide, given it has been a terrible snow season, that we would plan a mini-snow sesh at Corin forest for his birthday and make a weekend of it, at Novotel Canberra.
So, save this one for later – Novotel Canberra partner with Corin Forest during the winter season for a Stay & Play offer, making a visit to the snow super fun and easy with kids.
Corin Forest is located approx. 50 mins from the City and is home to a snow play slope, a toboggan slope, a beginners ski slope, and the 1.2km long downhill Alpine Slide. It’s a beautiful location, and great for an introduction to the snow, or for a fun family day out.
Corin Forest’s snow play is open until 11th of October and the Alpine Slide is open year round. You can book directly here. Novotel’s Stay & Play offer is now focused on Springtime and the world famous Floriade.
We chose the Novotel this time because of the location, walking distance to shops (i.e. the lego store), and because the facilities include a pool and spa. With breakfast included and a restaurant in-house it really brings ease to a stay in Canberra with kids. We had adjoining rooms which allows for added space, and underground on-site parking means we could easily dip in-and-out of activities. As always, my family hack for city stays is – bring the scooters.
And, as promised, here’s a bunch of other things to do in Canberra with kids:
We visited the National Dinosaur Museum, which was genuinely fascinating and the kids (age 5 & 7) loved it.
The National Zoo & Aquarium – We visited the zoo last time we visited Canberra and I can honestly say it’s the best zoo we’ve been to for accessibility with kids. It’s an easy walk around, and a fun and engaging experience.
The Royal Australian Mint – Our kids are at an age where this would really interest them. They offer a free 30 min public tour, to see the process and secrets of how coins are made!
The Observitory – Located at Mount Stromlo this is definitely on my list for next visit. They offer a guided stargazing night tour (which starts earlier during Winter) which would absolutely fascinate both us, and the kids.
Pod Playgournd & Arboretum – Also on the list for next time, this playground is exceptional and award winning, set among 40,000 rare and endangered trees, across 250 hectares.
Canberra Reptile Zoo is also on the list, as is Questacon!
We look forward to the next visit, Canberra!
N x
