Image source sydney.com

BLAK MARKETS
BARE ISLAND, LA PEROUSE

These markets are held on a Sunday around four times per year and showcase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island culture and products. There are free and ticketed performances, talks and workshops (book online). Entry is $2.50 with children under 5 free. www.firsthandsolutions.org/blak-markets-1

Image source http://ferdinandklein.blogspot.com

BONDI BEACH AND PAVILION
QUEEN ELIZABETH DR, BONDI

Bondi Beach runs 1 km with the Bondi Icebergs pool and clubhouse and the skate park at the south end, past the Bondi Pavilion in the middle to the North Bondi SLSC and rockpool at the north end. The beach is patrolled year-round and you can take surfing lessons. Bondi Park is a huge sloped grassy area behind the beach.

Bondi Pavilion is a venue for classes and school holiday activities plus it has a Gallery and a Theatre where shows for children and families play from time to time. It is also the venue for festivals throughout the year.

The Flickerfest short film festival screens in January with a special program for children FlickerKids: flickerfest.com.au.

The Bondi Beach Latin American Festival is held in February or March. It can include a parade, live performances including cultural, DJs, dance lessons, crafts and food stalls.

The Bondi Ocean Lovers Festival is in March with "Ideas, Art+Music and Actions" including activities for families: www.oceanloversfestival.com.

The Bondi WAVE is an annual song writing program for high school or primary and early high school students running in a couple of different terms and finishing with a showcase concert: www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/recreation/places_of_interest/bondi_pavilion/annual_attractions

Bondi Festival is held in July and past festivals have included an outside ice rink with public sessions and Ice Show Performances and Ice Hockey Demonstrations and cultural events such as Music on the Streets where amateur and professional musicians busk for charity: www.bondifestival.com.au

The Sydney Fringe Festival is in September and has used the Bondi Pavilion as a venue: sydneyfringe.com.

Festival of the Winds is held in September with kite flying on the beach including international kite flyers, live entertainment, activities for children and kite making workshops: www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/recreation/places_of_interest/bondi_pavilion/annual_attractions

Sculpture by the Sea starts in late October and runs for a couple of weeks. There are over 100 sculptures along the spectacular 2 km coastal walk starting at the south end of Bondi Beach to Tamarama Beach. You can purchase catalogues about the artists, there are free Artisit Talks, suggested routes for lower mobilty and free tactile tours for people with disabilities: free tactile tours for people with disabilities: sculpturebythesea.com/bondi/

Carols By The Sea is held in December with the Waverley Bondi Beach Band, children's entertainment and a visit from Santa: www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/recreation/places_of_interest/bondi_pavilion/annual_attractions

Image source Centennial Parklands

CENTENNIAL PARKLANDS
ENTRANCES TO CENTENNIAL PARK ARE AT THE ROBERTSON ROAD GATES, WOOLLAHRA GATES (OXFORD ST), YORK ROAD GATES, RANDWICK GATES (DARLEY RD), JERVOIS AV AND GOVETT ST GATES.

Centennial Parklands includes Centennial Park, Moore Park and Queens Park. In this section, we will concentrate on Centennial Park.

Centennial Park is open from sunrise to sunset (Robertson Rd Exit Gates, Jervois Avenue and Govett Street Gates are open 9am - 4pm). As well as picnics and BBQs, there is lots of open space, a pond with bird life, walking tracks and dedicated cycleways including the Learners Cycleway and cycle hire. Dogs are welcome and there is an off-leash area, rollerblading is welcome and there is rollerblade hire at Skater HQ in nearby Moore Park and there is a French medieval labyrinth you can walk. There is a cafe, a kiosk, a restaurant and a take away diner:   www.centennialparklands.com.au/visit/things-to-see-and-do

The Ian Potter Children’s Wild Play Garden near the the York Rd gates has a treehouse, an artesian water play area, a bamboo forest and banksia tunnels. It is open all year except in August, when the plants get a break to rejuvenate:   www.centennialparklands.com.au/wildplay

There are three children's playgounds including one at the Learners Cycleway near the southern edge of Centennial Park: www.centennialparklands.com.au/visit/our-parks/centennial-park/playgrounds

The Centennial Parklands Equestrian Centre has two riding schools offereing pony rides for kids, horse riding lessons and there is a path to ride in the park: www.centennialparklands.com.au/Sports/Sports-Horse-riding-equestrian

Sydney's Moonlight Cinema is at the Belvedere Amphitheatre, with the nearest entry at Woollahra Gates on Oxford Street. The cinema runs from December to February and there are are special Family Pass movies included in the program: www.moonlight.com.au/sydney/program

Examples of family tours include Park After Dark, an overninght experience of camping in the park including a nocturnal tour of the park and stories around the campfire. Spotlight Prowl for Families are held on Friday nights about once a month where you'll see the grey headed flying fox 'fly out' and other nocturnal creatures such as brushtail possums and tawny frogmouths. The Great CP Egg Hunt for ages 3 to 8 (accompanied by an adult) is an activity trail around Easter and Swamp Monsters is a Halloween trick and treat course for 4 -12 years on a weekend around Halloween. www.centennialparklands.com.au/whatson

For babies to 5 years
Bush School for 2.5 - 5 years is held during term and is led by education rangers. It is full of outdoor activities such as climbing trees and making mud pies with the aim to inspire a love for the natural world through games, bushcraft activities, stories and more.

School Holidays
There are many programs in school holidays including Wild Play for 5 - 12 years with different themes like Bush Rangers, Kids vs Wild and The Big Bug Bash and sport programs.

Image source EQ

ENTERTAINMENT QUARTER / EQ
122 LANG RD, MOORE PARK

There are many eateries at EQ plus attractions for families including Strike Bowling, Hoyts Cinemas, Plaster Fun Time, Off-Piste Ski & Snowboard Simulators, Monkey Mania play centre, Flymotion, and the Choo Choo Train (not all attractions are open every day): www.eqmoorepark.com.au/explore-eq

The Cambridge Markets are produce markets under the Canopy on Wednesdays and Saturdays: www.eqmoorepark.com.au/event/cambridge-markets and the Sydney Vegan Market is on the third Sunday of every month: www.eqmoorepark.com.au/event/sydney-vegan-markets

EQ is also the venue for shows and performances. For example, Cirque de Soleil will set up their 'Grand Chapiteau' here when visiting Sydney and Pop-up Globe erected their temporary replica of Shakespeare’s theatre here for a 6 week season of Shakespeare.

The Sydney Family Show takes up residence around Easter with free performances, carnival rides, carnicval games, an animal nursery and showbags: www.sydneyfamilyshow.com.au.

Image source Harbour Trust

MACQUARIE LIGHTSTATION
OLD SOUTH HEAD RD, VAUCLUSE

Macquarie Lightstation is open on a Sunday around four times a year with guided tours starting every 30 mins (book online). Learn about the history and workings of the lightstation and climb the 100 steps to enjoy the magnificent views on the balcony: www.harbourtrust.gov.au/en/see-and-do/tours/macquarie-lighthouse

Image source Sydney Living Museums

ELIZABETH BAY HOUSE
7 ONSLOW ST, ELIZABETH BAY

This mansion was built between 1835 and 1839 for Colonial Secretary Alexander Macleay and his family and was described as the 'finest house in the colony'. See huge, elegantly furnished rooms and some natural history exhibits including butterfly and insect collections from the family whose collection is now in the Macleay Museum at the University of Sydney: sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/elizabeth-bay-house This property is one of 12 Sydney Living Museums' historic houses and museums and included in the 'Sydney Museums Pass'.

School Holidays
Family tours run on some days in the school holidays, such as 'Children's Tour - Science & Specimens' or the 'Macleay Family Tour' about what life was like over a century ago (included in admission).

Image source Sydney Coastal Councils

SUMMERAMMA
SYDNEY'S SEASIDE

Summerama is presented by Sydney's local seaside councils and includes events for kids and families such as 'Ocean Fit for Families', Dr Rip's Science of the Surf Talk', 'Rockpool Rambles' and 'Kids Learn to Surf'. In past years, you could also share your experiences by posting your photo to the Summerama Facebook page wall: www.sydneycoastalcouncils.com.au/summerama

Image source Sydney Coastal Walks

SYDNEY'S GREAT COASTAL WALK
FROM PALM BEACH TO CRONULLA

Sydney's Great Coastal Walk runs 200 km from Palm Beach to Cronulla but this distance can be broken down into day walks or even walks that take only 2 or 4 hours. They include a selection of beach walks, harbour walks, cliff walks, bush walks and walks to see Aboriginal sites: /www.sydneycoastwalks.com.au

Image source Sydney Living Museums

VAUCLUSE HOUSE
WENTWORTH RD, VAUCLUSE

Vaucluse House is an example of a complete 19th century harbour-side estate. It was the family home of William Charles Wentworth - explorer and founder of the Australian constitution. Extensive gardens survive including the kitchen garden and the 'beach paddock' across the road, which is great for paddling. You can take a self-guided tour. Estate Vaucluse House (formerly the Tearooms) is open for breakfast, coffee, lunch and high tea and is popular, so you might like to book ahead.

This property is one of 12 Sydney Living Museums' historic houses and museums and included in the 'Sydney Museums Pass': sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/vaucluse-house

School Holidays
Family tours run on some days in the school holidays, such as 'Children's Tour - Farmyard to Table' and the 'Wentworth Family Tour' (included in admission). Other past family events have included 'Egg-cellent Easter Trail' with traditional Easter games and meeting the chooks and 'Earn Your Tucker' where you try some farm activities like feeding the chooks, collecting the eggs, grinding the corn, making butter and pumping water: sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/events-exhibitions