INNER WEST SYDNEY


THINGS TO DO

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Main description here: The Art Gallery of NSW has a collection of Australian, Aboriginal, European, Asian and contemporary art. Admission to the Gallery is free, including the permanent galleries: www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au

Drop In and Make is a free artmaking activity for families fortnightly on Sundays from 11am to 3.30pm with a new theme each month.
Art Club for ages 9 to 13 focuses on a medium and a technique and runs for 90 mins monthly on a Saturday and Sunday. It costs members $35, non-members $45, bookings essential.
Kids Club for ages 5 to 8 is an introduction to art and artmaking. It runs for 90 mins monthly on a Saturday and Sunday and costs members $35, non-members $45, bookings essential.
For babies to 5 years
Tours for Tots is an artmaking tour for 3 to 5 years held on a Tuesday and Thursday toward the end of the month. It runs for 60 min and costs $30 for one child and one adult, bookings essential.
School Holidays
Drop In and Make is also on selected weekdays in the school holidays.
School Holiday Workshops for ages 5 to 8 run for 90 mins on a couple of days in the school holidays, with a new theme each holiday. It costs members $35, non-members $45, bookings essential.
Children's Access Workshops are a free artmaking activity running 90 min for children with specific needs and their families and carers, held one morning of the school holidays, bookings essential. Auslan interpretation and assisted access for individuals or groups with specific requirements can be requested when booking.
Art Gallery Rd, The Domain https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/calendar/type/kids/


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The Australian Ballet is a resident company at the Sydney Opera House and perform four works each year in April, May, November and December. They also present Storytime Ballet, a narrated version of a fairytale ballet created especially for children aged three and up and run Boys Day workshops for boys aged 9 – 14 with a foundation in ballet: https://australianballet.com.au/kids
The Friends of the Australian Ballet is a not-for-profit fundraising organisation to which you can subscribe and purchase tickets to attend the Dress Rehearsals of each work: https://fab.org.au.


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This is Australia's oldest museum and permanent exhibits include dinosaurs, gemstones, Birds of Australia and cultural treasures from Australia and the Pacific, including the exhibit 200 Treasures featuring 100 treasures from the collections alongside the stories of 100 of Australia’s most-influential people: https://australianmuseum.net.au/
The Search & Discover Centre is the public research centre where you can ask staff and researchers Natural History questions, meet live animals and touch and interact with museum objects.
Dinosnore is a sleepover at the museum for families with children aged 6 to 12 held montly, starting on a Friday night. After dinner, go on a torchlight tour, watch a family movie and sleep in the Dinosaurs Gallery: "https://australianmuseum.net.au/event/dinosnore/
For babies to 5 years
Kidspace is a learning space designed for 0 to 5 year olds and their families. The four main themes of Kidspace are represented in our interactive pods in which babies and toddlers are encouraged to discover a range of simple concepts. In addition to the pods, education activities run daily including experiments, specimen observation, story-telling, water or sand play, art based activities and literacy/numeracy games.https://australianmuseum.net.au/exhibition/kidspace/
Playgroups for preschoolers and their parents or carers are on Fridays in term time. Tiny Tots at 9.45am is for ages 9 months to 3 years and Mini Explorers at 11am is for ages 3 to 5 years: https://australianmuseum.net.au/event/playgroups-for-preschoolers
School Holidays
Every school holiday there are free drop-in activities, theatre and science workshops, behind-the-scenes tours, craft activities, live shows, film screenings and talks: https://australianmuseum.net.au/event/school-holiday/


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Here you can go aboard and explore tall ships, warships and a submarine (minimum height 90cm, no prams and baby carriers). Permanent exhibitions include the Eora First People, Navy and the Sea Science Pontoon with its reverse periscope, There is a PLAY gallery for under 5s, interactive displays and some exhibitions have Kids Activity Trails:https://www.sea.museum/visit/kids
Every Sunday during term (11am - 3pm) and daily in school holidays (10.30am - 4pm), the Kids on Deck Activity Space has art making, interactive games and dress ups: https://www.sea.museum/whats-on/events/kids-on-deck. The Cabinet of Curiosities has maritime artefacts to touch and discover on Sundays during term (11am – 12pm and 2pm – 3pm) and daily in school holidays (11 am–12 noon and 2–3 pm): https://www.sea.museum/whats-on/events/cabinet-of-curiosities.
For babies to 5 years
Mini Mariners has creative free play, craft, games, dress-ups and story time for ages 2 to 5 on Tuesdays in term time (and one Saturday each month) at 10am and 11am, with a new theme each month, bookings essential: https://www.sea.museum/whats-on/events/mini-mariners.
Seaside Stroller Tours for babies & carers include an educator-led tour through new exhibitions, treats from Yots Café and baby play time in a sensory space. They are held montly for carers with children 0-18mths, bookings essential: https://www.sea.museum/whats-on/events/stroller-tours.
School Holidays
The Kids on Deck Activity Space (see above) is open daily in school holidays. There are workshops, live performances, 3D film screenings and activities themed around a current exhibition: https://www.sea.museum/whats-on/events/school-holidays


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Monkey Baa Theatre Company is based at the ARA Darling Quarter Theatre. See family productions from Monkey Baa and others for a variety of ages. Workshops are also offered occasionally: https://www.monkeybaa.com.au/show_category/whats-on/
For babies to 5 years
Monkey Play is a playgroup for ages 0 to 5 on the first Monday of the month (starting in February) in the theatre foyer from 9.30am – 11.30am. There is a new theme each month. Bookings not required but capacity is limited: https://www.monkeybaa.com.au/shows/2019-monkeyplay
School Holidays
There are always shows in the school holidays: https://www.monkeybaa.com.au/show_category/whats-on/


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The MCA presents international and Australian art by living artists and the collection includes over 4000 works by Australian artists including painting, photography, sculpture, works on paper and moving image, as well as works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists: https://www.mca.com.au
For babies to 5 years
Art Baby is for adults with babies up to one year old. Go on a gallery tour before the smaller art lovers enjoy an interactive play session on a multisensory blanket. Prams/front packs and babies up to one year old welcome. It runs once a month on diferent days, bookings essential.
Art Safari is for children aged 3-5 years and their grown ups. Visit a current exhibition with an Artist Educator playing games and sharing stories and then do some art making activities. There is a different theme each month. It runs once a month on a Tuesday or a Friday, bookings essential.
ARTplay is creative play sessions for under 5s. Explore an interactive artwork, sing songs and play exhibition inspired games. It is on Wednesday mornings during school term, drop in. $5 donation per family welcome and bookings not required.
https://www.mca.com.au/plan-your-visit/kids-and-families/
School Holidays
Contemporary Kids for ages 4+ and their grown-ups runs from Tuesday to Saturday for one week of the school holidays. Explore art works and then join in collaborative art-making activities. Purchase tickets online or at the door. There may also be other events for families such as family gallery tours: https://www.mca.com.au/whats-on/school-holiday-programs/
For the disabled
Bella Family is available for family groups of all sizes. Join an Artist Educator for a sensory and social experience of the MCA. Visit current exhibitions, the Bella Room, and get hands-on with art making activities in the creative studios. The whole family is invited to participate in this inclusive and collaborative experience of contemporary art, bookings essential: https://www.mca.com.au/plan-your-visit/kids-and-families/access/
Bella Room Open Afternoon: occasionally the Bella Room is open on Sunday afternoons: https://www.mca.com.au/whats-on/bella-room-open-afternoons/


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The collection includes history, science, technology, design, industry, decorative arts, music, transport and space exploration and permanent exhibitions are Space, The Wiggles Exhibition, The Lab, Experimentations, Locomotive No 1 and EcoLogic. There are Family Days on selected Sundays either themed around current exhibitions or festivals: https://maas.museum/powerhouse-museum
School Holidays
There are free drop in activities for children and also an extensive range of workshops including Minecraft, coding, Game Design, Electronics and more, most;y fr primary aged children and some for families, bookings essential: https://maas.museum/whats-on/


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Royal Botanic Gardens image RBG Dandy Lions
Bordered by Mrs Macquaries Road, Art Gallery Rd, Hospital Rd and Macquarie St, Sydney
Gardens include Cadi Jam Ora - First Encounters Garden, the Palace Rose Garden, Palm Grove and the Australian Native Rockery. At The Calyx there are plant- themed exhibitions, often with workshops and events. The Choo Choo Express, a trackless train, takes you on a tour of the gardens with four stops that you can hop off and on at. The views of Farm Cove and Sydney Harbour are spectacular. In Summer, there is an open air cinema and in Autumn, Opera Australia presents an open air production. This is also a spectacular venue to view the New Year's Eve fireworks. There are a number of festivals throughout the year, for example, The Tomato Festival in February and World Storytelling Day in March: https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/
Garden Night-Life for Families is an evening event on every couple of months for families with children aged 5+ to spot nocturnal animals in the Garden, bookings essential: https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/whatson/Garden-Night-Life
For babies to 5 years
Dandy Lions for children under 5 and their carers has gardening, craft, singing and play. It's on Thursdays (except Public Holidays and in extreme weather), bookings essential: www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/whatson/dandy-lions
School Holidays
There are often family perfomances in the Gardens during the school holidays, for example, The Wind in the Willows by The Australian Shakespeare Company has been performed in January for the past 16 years!
The Gardens runs a program of activities for primary aged children including shows and workshops: https://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/whatson


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As well as the collection, the library has e-resources, reading rooms, free wi-fi, free computer use, printing and photocopying and study rooms. There are also spaces showing free exhibitions: https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/
Family Sunday at the State Library is on a few times a year with activities such as workshops, gallery adventure tours and creative activities: https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/family-sunday
School Holidays
Kids at the Library has workshops, a Drop in Activity Centre and free Kids tours: https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/learning/kids-and-families