10 activities to keep the kids busy this summer

Long summer days of exploring means bedtime often gets stretched out that extra hour – or two.

Luckily there are plenty of activities in Geelong and The Bellarine for kids (big and small) to fill the day before their heads hit the pillow.

Here are our favourites to get your feet wet, meet a cute critter or learn something new.

The giant gnome at the entrance to Fairy Park has been welcoming and delighting children on this granite hill for generations. The magic of storytelling and traditional fairy tales is shared throughout the grounds and the medieval Camelot themed adventure playground is a highlight.

2388 Geelong-Ballan Rd, Anakie

Adventure Park is a huge water playground and theme park – arrive early for a good spot or book a cabana, it’s going to be a big day! Epic waterslides twist and turn, splash parks keep everyone cool and toddler-friendly areas are just perfect for the smallest guests. There’s fun without swimwear too, with swing chairs, ferris wheel and bumper cars to name a few. The season runs from November to March, check days and times online.

1249 Bellarine Hwy, Wallington

Tell the kids to get lost! The Barrabool Maze Estate is a traditional hedge maze, but the grounds are far bigger. There are delightful formal gardens and grounds to wander around including a lakeside walk, plus a great café overlooking the scenes and surrounding Barrabool Hills.

35 Walter Rd, Barrabool

For fun and games, there’s a playground next to a huge and spectacularly located skate park near Cunningham Pier. The Carousel is a vintage merry-go-round at the bottom of Moorabool Street, and there’s a Giant Sky Wheel near the Royal Geelong Yacht Club. GoBoat is the latest addition to the waterfront: self-driving, electric picnic boats for you and up to 7 others – kids and pooches welcome!

For those little creative minds and hands, Museum of Play and Art immerses children from age 1-7 in play-based learning. The space stimulates curiosity and creative play.

51 McKillop St, Geelong

Ocean Grove Main Beach, patrolled at busy times, is popular with families as a safe place to swim and learn to surf. Skilled instructors at Go Ride a Wave, SeaEarth Adventures or Great Ocean Road Surf Tours can get beginners standing up in no time.

Surf Beach Rd, Ocean Grove

Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre offers cultural education programs, an art gallery, native gardens with wildlife plus a café and retail space. ‘Narana’ means deep listening and understanding, and the Centre has a focus on developing a better understanding of culture.

410 Surf Coast Hwy, Grovedale

A menacing museum space that’s a stark reminder of our brutal recent history, there are also regular ghost tours.

202 Myers St, Geelong

Mini golf goes big at Bellarine Adventure Golf. 36 holes, lots of tricky putts to make and plenty of bragging rights for the winner. There’s also a very cheeky cockatoo, some friendly neighbouring animals and loads of picnic space.

1532 – 1540 Bellarine Hwy, Wallington

Whilst our local nature parks are home to much wildlife, the Werribee Open Range Zoo is a wonderful opportunity to learn about species and conservation. Much of the zoo footprint has African savannah animals free ranging while visitors watch from safari style buses. There’s a fabulous program of events and animal encounters, on-site safari accommodation, a great native animal section and everyone’s favourite lookout monitors, the meerkats.

K Rd, Werribee South