“Oh, the places you’ll go!”
With the school holidays just around the corner (or any time, actually!), there’s lots of exciting things to do around our local Blacktown area.
No matter what the weather is, we have found some fun activities and locations to keep your little ones happy, with lots of laughs along the way.
Parks
We are very lucky in Blacktown to be blessed with lots of fantastic local parks and ovals. We found some extra special ones that would be fun on a sunny day and well worth the effort to pack up the car and make a day of it.
Bungarribee Park
Doonside Road, Bungarribe
This park is bound to impress any little one – it has a 14-metre-high climbing tower that you can see from the car park. Don’t be perturbed by its sheer size, the tower is suitable for all ages. Trust us, even parents will be tempted to climb it!
The park also has seesaws, balance beams, swings, a spinning chair and spinning dish as well as a 50m flying fox ride. In summer, when the temperature heats up, the toddlers and pre-schoolers will want to head to the water play area.
Don’t forget to pack the scooters, bikes and tricycles as there is a great sealed cycle/walk track just down from the tower.
It is best to pack a lunch and snacks as there are no shops or cafes nearby. They do provide BBQs around the park (hurry as these fill up fast!) and water fountains to fill up your water bottles.
Got a four-legged member of the family? There is a leash free dog park too – fun for everyone!
Fairwater Park, Blacktown
off Fairwater Boulevard, Richmond Road
Fairwater Park is especially designed for young children. The purpose-built bike and scooter track has its own road signs and pedestrian crossings – just like a real road.
Park yourself under the shade of a tree and watch your little ones obeying road rules as they scoot along the road. Part of the track has a little hill where you can lose sight of your little one but not for very long.
Once they tire of the dinky track, the children can enjoy nature-based play on the balancing obstacle logs, sandpit and climbing rocks.
Head to the pond to spot the animals, cross the bridge and stop at the docks to find the birds and animals hiding in the reeds. Stop and ponder on the park benches along the pond.
For those sticky and humid days, this park has water pumps under the shade of the trees.
Enjoy your own snacks or lunch (and pack some bread for the ducks!) at the picnic tables or visit the café for a meal or coffee.
Nurragingy Reserve, Doonside
You have to put Nurragingy Reserve on your must-see list. This reserve is 63 hectares with many hidden, fun activities. It is bound to wear out even the most energetic little one!
Let’s start with the playgrounds. There are four of them, well-spaced from each other, yet close enough to walk to each one. They have great playground equipment to keep your little ones amused but the favourite in summer is the water splash park.
The water splash park is covered by sunsails, a welcome relief from the heat and sun. It can become very crowded in summer, so best to arrive early in the morning or later in the afternoon.
The Chang Lai Yuan Chinese Garden is part of this park. It was designed and constructed as a symbolic gesture of friendship between Blacktown City Council and Liaochenk Municipal Government in China.
Stroll through the picturesque garden featuring the architectural style of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Have your little ones spot the Gateway, Seven Arch Stone Bridge, Light Mountain Pavillon and the Waterfall Gazebo.
Did we mention the beautiful lake where you can feed the ducks?
Piddington Street Playground, The Ponds
A giant treehouse, super slide, inground trampolines and climbing web – is that enough to get your little ones out of the house? This playground is fun for everyone and we mean everyone from toddlers through to tweens – we were impressed with the wheelchair accessible equipment as well.
Bring your own snacks or lunch as they provide picnic tables for your comfort. Bring hats and sunscreen for the little ones as the park offers no shade protection and there are no onsite toilets, so you won’t be able to stay for long.
What to do in the school holidays, when it’s cold and raining in Blacktown?
Liverpool Catholic Club Ice Rink,
424 / 458 Hoxton Park Road, Prestons
If the weather isn’t so good, maybe it’s time to soak up the winter wonderland with an ice skating session at Liverpool Catholic Club ice rink.
Ice skating is a fun activity to do together with your little ones – and with the help from the penguin skating aid, everyone can ice skate. These ‘penguins’ help your child balance on the skates and the slippery ice, as well being a great help for adults who don’t feel too steady on the ice either!
They also have playgroup and coffee club during the school term, so if your little ones enjoy it, you can make it a regular activity.
Check out the ice skating timetable here
Blacktown Leisure Centre
Cnr Stanhope Parkway and Sentry Drive, Stanhope Gardens
Time to head to the pool, you say? Yes, the Blacktown Leisure Centre.
The Blacktown Leisure Centre has a large leisure pool, a 25 metre pool, two shallow small baby pools with a waterfall and a toddler pool with a mushroom fountain. Each pool is clearly visible for parents and carers to easily keep an eye on their children.
The best part is the wave pool, where small waves are generated just like a beach, to add to the water fun. We recommend you check their website for the times when the wave pool is operating.
Blacktown Leisure Centre also has a school holiday Kidz Blitz program, and other facilities at the centre to explore. It is open every day and under threes get in free.
Fairfield City Museum
634 The Horsley Dr, Smithfield NSW 2164
A little further afield, the Fairfield City Museum and Gallery is known for its community involvement, where you can take in fun and breathtaking exhibitions programs and events. It showcases the diverse cultural heritage of Fairfield City with an extensive program of exhibitions and activities catering for all age groups.
Check online for the different activities (including what’s on during the school holidays) to find the perfect one for your little ones.
Blacktown Libraries
Blacktown libraries are a quiet, cosy place to hang out for a lazy afternoon. With plenty of libraries within the suburbs of Blacktown, there’s bound to be one near you – Lalor Park, Riverstone, Blacktown, Mount Druitt, Stanhope Gardens.
Their children’s section have a large array of books, videos, CDs, and music for your little ones to choose from.
During the school holidays they organise different activities for age groups from crafts, storytime to rhyme time, so be sure to check out their website to see if there is anything your children would be interested in.
Stanhope Gardens Shopping Centre
2 Sentry Drive, Stanhope Gardens 2768
With a play area for your little ones and special children’s events during the school holidays, head to Stanhope Gardens Shopping Centre.
The shopping centre organises new activities during the school holidays – these July 2019 holidays they have Archer the Koala from Featherdale visiting, as well as fun arts and crafts, and a slime workshop – who doesn’t love slime?
They have plenty of parking and facilities and you may be lucky and get your own chores done like food shopping or banking while you are there. They also have free Wi-Fi, so while the kids are playing you can catch up on your social media or emails.
Check out the fun at their Facebook page.
Rouse Hill Town Centre
Corner Windsor Road and White Hart Drive, Rouse Hill 2155
This shopping centre has different quads, each with interactive children’s activities to spinning, matching, watching, touching and generally keeping their interest as they walk along. The centre is also partially open, allowing for natural lighting and less noise, if you are looking for some holiday respite.
There are many restaurants and eating places as well as a huge variety of shops. This centre is enjoyable if you want to come and spend a couple of hours and not do any shopping.
Rouse Hill Town Centre also put on school holiday activities – these July 2019 school holidays they have a real ice rink as well as carnival rides.
Discover all their activities here.
Got the munchies these school holidays?
We have some favourite, relaxing eating places with activity centres for hungry little tums.
Blacktown Bowling Club
15 Lismore St Blacktown
Your little ones can explore the wonders of the deep sea at the fully enclosed (they can’t fall) children’s activity centre. The activities are perfect for 3-6 years, to jump, climb and slide with sharks, mermaids and dolphins.
There are tables and chairs next to the activity centre, so you can be close by to watch and supervise. With a wide variety of food to order, main meals, cakes or snacks, whatever you feel like, you can enjoy delicious food while chatting to friends and family or catching up on work with their free WiFi.
Bring the pram, as the club is level and spacious, and the car park is free. Blacktown Bowling Club has regular specials, so check out their website to find a deal.
The Marsden Brewhouse
Corner Hawthorne Avenue & Richmond Rd, Marsden Park
If you find it hard to impress your children, well, we think the Marsden Brewhouse playground may just fit the bill.
Brand new and shaded with cloth, it’s a great spot to head for the kids to run around, slide and climb while you sit close and sip on a cool drink. Head to the Northern Pavilion for a table, as it is closest to the activity to watch the children playing.
With plenty of parking, and a full menu to choose from, even a craft beer from their own brewery is on the menu.
They also have organised children’s activities like Easter egg hunts, reptile shows, and face painting, so sign up to follow their social media.
Ultimate Family Entertainment Centre
5/1B Redbank Rd, Northmead 2152
Drum roll please. Think softplay jungle gyms, interconnected trampolines, massive foam pit with climbing wall, and dodgem cars. This is kiddie heaven, at Australia’s largest indoor play centre, Ultimate Sydney.
The soft play jungle gym is split into years, so your little one is safe and can play with children their own age (0-3 years, 0-5 years and 5-12 years) or their friends.
While the children play, you can order a freshly roasted coffee at the café, or head upstairs to the parents retreat with lounges, TVs and air conditioning for those long, sticky summer days.
We do recommend you book, especially in the school holidays to secure your spot.
Oh, the places you will go in Blacktown!
We know there are lots of other fun things to do in Blacktown that we didn’t cover here, so if you have one (or two!) yourself, please do share it in the comments below.
And don’t forget to share this post to spread the word to our Grace Village community about your little one’s favourite place in Blacktown.
