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We've always loved giving you fun ideas for things to do with younger kids, but something inevitably happens to those kids. They grow up. So what happens when your little ones no longer jump at the idea of visiting an indoor playground? It's time to find things to do in Sydney for older kids, aka, tween-approved activities. 

Tween activities in Sydney cater to kids aged 9 to 12 who live in that sweet-but-tricky middle stage: they're not little kids anymore, but they're not ready to be lumped in with teenagers or adults either. Tweens want experiences that feel grown-up and exciting, with just enough freedom to feel independent without anything that screams "For little kids." The good news? Sydney is packed with tween activities that strike exactly the right balance, offering adventure, creativity and fun that tweens will actually be keen to do.

Add these tween activities that don't suck to your list and enjoy a day out with your not-so-little kid, while they still want to...

Tween-Approved Things to Do in Sydney For Older Kids

1. Hitch a Ride at Luna Park

 

Luna Park is a red-hot favourite tween activity in Sydney. They've finally (hopefully) earned their yellow wristband and can get their adrenaline pumping. From the giant slides in Coney Island to the free-falling Hair Raiser, and unparalleled views from the Ferris Wheel, they will have the time of their young lives with an Unlimited Rides Pass.

Luna Park is also a hub for immersive, pop-culture experiences and one-off events that go way beyond the fairground classics. Cool experiences such as Stranger Things: The Experience - a fully immersive adventure based on the hit Netflix series, where you can step inside Hawkins, explore fan-favourite locations, and even help solve story-driven challenges - are seriously tween-approved. 

Location: 1 Olympic Dr, Milsons Point
Opening hours: During busy periods and school holidays, Luna Park often runs daily, usually from around 10 am to 6 pm or later.
During quieter times outside holidays/peak season, they close midweek and run on weekends with similar daytime hours.
Pricing: Unlimited Rides Passes vary by date, but are usually $34-$65 for kids (13 and under) and $44-$75 for adults (14+).

2. Lose Yourself at Virtual Room Sydney

For a unique way to seriously wow your tweens (or even teens), Virtual Room Sydney is a next-level experience that will blow their minds. This award-winning VR escape room is perfect for kids aged 8+ and combines the thrill of a cinematic 3D world with the team-based challenges of a classic escape room.

Unlike most VR games that offer just a few minutes of solo play, Virtual Room gives your group a full 40-50 minutes of collaborative gameplay, and you'll be in the game, not just watching it. Tweens will be talking about their VR adventures for weeks as they travel through time to solve puzzles, battle zombies, or dive into retro video game worlds. Located on George Street in the heart of the city, it's the highest-rated VR experience in Sydney! Suitable for 2 to 12 players (split into teams), this indoor tweens activity is completely safe and kid-friendly, and it ticks all the boxes. 

Location: 5/393 George Street
Opening hours: Open daily from 10 am to 10 pm (last bookings at 9 pm).
Pricing: Standard VR experiences are $55 per person for the main 40-50 minute team-based VR game.

Most experiences run for about 40-50 minutes (plus briefing).

Book online and use ellaslist code ELLA15 for a 15% discount!

3. Enter a Topsy-Turvy Universe at Museum of Illusions

If your tween loves puzzles, visual tricks and experiences that feel a bit off-beat, Museum of Illusions Sydney is right up their alley.

Museum of Illusions is the kind of place tweens walk into thinking, "Okay, sure," and walk out fully obsessed. It's weird, trippy, slightly mind-bending and absolutely built for big kids who love anything that messes with their brain - in the best possible way. This place is all about optical illusions, warped rooms, impossible perspectives and exhibits that make you question whether the floor, the walls or your own eyes are lying to you. Tweens can shrink, grow, tilt, flip and disappear (camera roll evidence mandatory), all while running from room to room yelling "wait, come look at this one!"

Museum of Illusions is the kind of museum activity for tweens who don't usually like museums. There's science behind the illusions, but it's wrapped up in fun, visuals and hands-on moments that reward curiosity and chaos in equal measure. Tweens get to touch things, test theories, pose for ridiculous photos and work out how the illusions actually work - or just enjoy being totally confused!

Location: 413 George Street
Opening hours: Open daily from 10 am to 8 pm Sunday through Thursday, and 10 am to 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
Pricing: Adults (13+) $47; Kids (5-12 years) $36; Family Bundles (2 adults/2 kids) $152; Under 4s go FREE.

Most visitors spend around 45-60 minutes exploring the museum.

4. Go Quad Biking at Glenworth Valley

Calling all adventurous tweens - are you ready to hit the dirt?! Quad Biking at Glenworth Valley is a seriously cool off-road adventure made just for tweens (and adventurous adults!).

Quad biking is a big hit with tweens who are ready for something a little more grown-up but still want a guided, safe experience. This adventure lets them swap screens for helmets as they ride automatic quad bikes along bush tracks, rolling hills, and wide-open paddocks, just over an hour north of Sydney. It feels adventurous and exciting without being overwhelming, which is exactly the sweet spot for this age group.

Before heading out, everyone is given a clear safety briefing and time to practise, so first-time riders can build confidence before hitting the trails. The bikes are easy to handle, and the guided tour keeps things moving at a pace that's thrilling but controlled. Tweens love the feeling of independence as they steer their own bike, tackle twists and bumps, and follow the track through real Australian bushland.

The setting is a big part of the appeal. Riding through natural valleys, open fields and dirt tracks feels like a proper escape from the city, and it's the kind of adventure that makes tweens feel trusted and capable. It's also a great option for families with mixed ages, as it delivers that "cool" factor tweens crave while still being well supervised - win-win!

Quad biking sessions usually run for 1.5 hours and include helmets.

Location: 69 Cooks Rd, Glenworth Valley
Opening hours: Glenworth Valley is open daily. Quad biking sessions run from 10 am to 3.30 pm (last session).
Pricing: $130 per participant for 1.5-hour sessions.

5. Head to the Art Gallery of NSW

Perfect for creative tweens, kids can dive into a world of boundless inspiration at the Art Gallery of New South Wales!

Families can enjoy free, exclusive roving art-making tours for kids, or find a quiet spot in the Ashley Dawson-Damer Children's Art Library to relax and browse a collection of books about art and artists. 

Guided by a dynamic team of volunteers, these tours blend exploration, education, and artistic expression. Discover captivating exhibitions, learn the stories behind intriguing artworks, and unleash your inner artist with engaging activities.

A fun outing for the whole family, this lively adventure at the Art Gallery of New South Wales promises to inspire and ignite everyone's imaginations. 

Location: Art Gallery Rd, Sydney
Opening hours: Open daily from 10 am to 5 pm.
Pricing: FREE general entry. Entry fees apply to some exhibitions.

6. Jump, Flip and Fly at Flip Out

Flip Out offers endless activities for Sydney tweens and is the ideal spot to head, rain or shine - especially when it's raining!

Flip Out is exactly the kind of place tweens actually want to go. They're old enough to tackle high-energy challenges and still young enough to love letting loose, so bouncing through a maze of trampolines, sliding down warped walls and launching off airbags feels genuinely exciting - not babyish and definitely not boring. 

Ninja courses, foam pits, dodgeball arenas and sometimes even climbing challenges are available at most venues, meaning every visit feels like a new adventure. Tweens can choose what they're into that day - practise tricks, race friends across obstacle sections, or just bounce about with their crew - so it doesn't feel like an activity designed for little kids or toddlers.

It's also a brilliant way for tweens to burn energy and build confidence. It's physical without being a competitive sport, social without needing screens, and it gives them a sense of independence while still being safely contained in a supervised space. And for parents, Flip Out ticks all the boxes - it's easy to book a session online, has flexible session times across multiple Sydney locations, and offers a chance to let your tween crash out (literally) after all that bouncing.

Locations: Multiple across Sydney - find your nearest venue.
Opening hours: Varies per venue, but most Flip Outs are open from 9.30 am to 7 pm during the week and 9 am to 9 pm on Friday and Saturday.
Pricing: Varies per venue, but usually 1 Hour General Admission from $39 per kid.

7. Fly Through the Trees at TreeTops Adventure Park

Spread across multiple scenic forest sites, TreeTops Adventure turns a day out into a real-life action course where you climb, balance and zip above the ground through the trees.

Trust us, this is a 100% approved tween activity in Sydney for several reasons: it's active without being a sport they "have to do", it's outdoors without feeling like a boring nature walk, and it's just challenging enough to give them that I did that glow without being too scary. The courses are tiered by difficulty, so they can start with easier bridges and walkways and work up to longer ziplines, nets, swinging logs and sky bridges that thread through the canopy - all while feeling totally in control.

Whether they're racing friends to the next zipline or discovering new confidence with each challenge, it's the kind of experience that sticks with them.

And for parents, it's a bonus too - you can join in if you want, or chill with a coffee while your big kid tackles the higher courses.

Standard Sessions run for 2.5 hours, and Express Sessions run for 1.5 hours.

Locations: Multiple across Sydney - find your nearest venue.
Opening hours: Varies per venue, but most TreeTops are open from 9 am to 5.30 pm. 
Pricing: Express Sessions from $38 per child (8-15 years); $48 per adult (16+).

8. Raid an Arcade

The lure of the lights, the challenge of the claw machine, and tickets spewing out of manic machines. Irresistible right? Tweens love these crazy amusement centres, and they are having a revival, with cool arcades popping up all over Sydney.

Sydney's retro and revamped arcades will keep tweens entertained for hours, and might even make grown-ups feel a little nostalgic. At Kingpin, you can grab a treat in the cafe while kids rack up time on dodgem cars, carousels, bowling, arcade games and prizes! TimeZone is a classic family-friendly funhouse with locations across Sydney, featuring all the latest attractions.

9. Be a Tourist For a Day

Get that holiday feeling in your own backyard and go day-tripping around our fabulous city.

With a load of tours across Sydney, you can act like a tourist and take in some of our celebrated sites. Free Tours Sydney and I'm Free Tours offer walking tours for nix (they survive on tips!) with passionate local guides. Cover more ground with a sightseeing bus tour on the Big Bus. You can hop on and off all day, exploring places you might not have seen before. If you prefer to freestyle it, you can hire an awesome electric bike from Bonza Bike Tours and choose your own adventure with hot tips from the experts.

10. Put Your Skills to the Test at Hijinx Hotel

If your tween is officially over playgrounds but not quite ready for full teen territory, Hijinx Hotel hits that chaotic-fun sweet spot.

Hijinx Hotel is basically what happens when a game show, an escape room and a fever dream check into the same building - and Sydney tweens are absolutely here for it! It's fast, chaotic, loud, colourful and built for big personalities who want to move, think and show off their skills without feeling like they're doing something kiddyish.

Instead of one long escape room, Hijinx Hotel is made up of short, high-energy challenge rooms that throw everything at you - puzzles, physical tasks, teamwork, time pressure and the occasional "wait, what just happened?" moment. Tweens get to race the clock, compete with friends or family, and bounce from room to room, which keeps the energy up and the boredom firmly locked out.

The best part is how balanced it feels for this age group. It's clever without being school-ish, physical without being sporty, and competitive without taking itself too seriously. Tweens get that rush of independence, teamwork and bragging rights, while parents don't have to worry about anything being too intense or inappropriate.

Location: 75 O'Riordan St, Alexandria
Opening hours:
Monday-Thursday from 12 to 10 pm
Fridays from 12 pm to 12 am
Saturdays 10 am to 12 am
Sundays from 10 am to 9 pm

Pricing: 
5 Challenge Rooms deal:
$27 from Monday-Wednesday 
$29 from Thursday-Sunday

10 Challenge Rooms deal:
$40 from Monday-Wednesday 
$54 from Thursday-Sunday

11. Take a Ghost Tour - If You Dare

Show your Hallotweens a frightfully good time with a spine-tingling ghost tour.

The heritage-listed Q Station is a beautiful site right on the harbour in Manly, but beware - it comes alive after dark when resident spooky spirits come out to play. The Ghost Trackers Family Tour has just the right fear factor for tweens. Cockatoo Island also has a Dark Past Tour for families that uncovers the skeletons and secrets of this historic site, and you can go right to the epicentre of Sydney’s spirited past with a Ghost Tour in The Rocks. 

12. Get Your Skate On

If they've sidelined their scooter and want more buzz than a bike ride, grab your tween and scope out one of Sydney's epic skateparks. And if they're not ready to plunge into the pipe themselves, there are always inspiring skaters showing off their skills.

The Bondi Beach skate bowl is a favourite for kids of all ages, where there's plenty of space to practise their tricks at the skate park and on the promenade. There are skate parks dotted all over Sydney, including Maroubra, Sydenham, Summer Hill, Waterloo, Five Dock, Cherrybrook, Sydney Park and Rushcutters Bay.

13. Spend a Day at House of WOW

House of WOW has so much to keep tweens occupied! A haven for thrill-seekers and fun lovers, tweens will love stepping inside to discover a world of exhilarating entertainment.

From bowling in the cutting-edge Hyper Strike alley to challenging your climbing skills on our Turbo Climb wall, or immersing yourself in the thrills of Arcade Alley, this really is the perfect one-stop shop for tweens' activities in Sydney.

Location: 52 Bernera Rd, Prestons
Opening hours:
Monday to Wednesday from 9.30 am to 5 pm
Thursday from 9 am to 8 pm
Friday and Saturday from 9.30 am to 10 pm
Sunday from 9.30 am to 6 om
Pricing: Varies depending on activity - see more details on the website.

14. Put the pedal to the Metal Go Karting

Find a tween who doesn't love a round of go-karting... We'll wait... Go-karting is always top of our list of things to do in Sydney for tweens because, well, it's go-karting!

Go-karting in Sydney is peak tween energy. It's fast, loud, slightly chaotic and feels just grown-up enough to earn serious bragging rights. After a quick safety briefing, they're off - navigating tight corners, chasing lap times and getting very invested in who finishes first. It's competitive, but in a fun, low-pressure way, and the short race format keeps the adrenaline high without anyone zoning out or losing interest.

Sydney has loads of cool go-karting tracks to take your pick from any day of the week, so buckle your seatbelts and get ready for high-adrenaline fun!

15. Splash All Day at Sydney's Cool Water Parks

During the summer months, Sydney's water parks are THE places to be for Sydney tweens. Sydney's water parks are basically tween paradise in splash form - big slides, fast rides, wave pools and just the right amount of thrill so they feel way too cool for the kiddie splash pads. Whether it's Raging Waters, Aquatopia or Cables Aqua Park in Penrith, each has its own flavour of wet, wild fun that keeps tweens busy all day.

Raging Waters is the classic big-water park experience everyone imagines, with towering slides that twist and scream, lazy rivers for recovery, and splash zones that are more "wow" than "cute". Tweens can line up for the biggest drop slides they can find, race mates down multi-lane slides, or just hang out in the wave pool catching the bigger sets. 

Aquatopia has that slightly different energy - it feels a bit more looping and labyrinthine, with slides that wrap around each other, enclosed tubes that make you forget which way is up, and splash zones that are great for just bopping between rides. Tweens love the variety here: there's fast, there's twisty, there's relaxing, and there's plenty of room to chill between rides without feeling like their parents are hovering.

Then there's Cables Aqua Park in Penrith, the ultimate "let’s see how ridiculous we can get" water playground on the lake, thanks to the inflatable climbing walls, balance beams, slides and leap-offs that alternate between "I’ve got this" and "splash!"

16. Camp Out Overnight

Grab your tween, your overnight bag and your sense of adventure for a mini break right in the centre of Sydney!

A night away from the norm is a fun way to recharge the batteries and spend some quality time with your kids without the usual humdrum. Centennial Park runs Camping 101 several times a year, including dinner and breakfast, park tours and stories around the campfire. If you want to go the extra nautical mile, jump on a ferry to Cockatoo Island and spend the night in their waterfront campsite on the edge of Sydney Harbour. With five options from basic camping to luxury glamping, you can explore this amazing historical site, have a sunset barbecue and fall asleep to the sound of lapping waves. Ahh… the serenity.

17. Putt Your Stuff at Mini Golf 

For years, putt-putt golf has been a go-to family bonding experience that challenges gross motor skills, concentration, and geometry. You can take your pick between traditional mini-golf centres, such as Thornleigh Mini Golf, where you'll wind your way through rivers, across bridges, past ponds and waterfalls, or the new, trendy mini-golf bars like Holey Moley that offer pop culture-themed putt-putt alongside beer and cocktails for the adults.

No matter where you choose to go, tweens are guaranteed to have a great time! Check out our guide to the Best Places To Play Putt-Putt Golf around Sydney.

More Things to do With Tweens in Sydney

For more ways to spend time with your tweens in Sydney, take inspiration from our kid-friendly guides, such as Sydney Restaurants Where Kids Eat Free, Awesome Indoor Swimming Pools For All Ages, and Sydney's Best Mountain Bike Trails.
 

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