Kid Friendly Picks in Sydney❜s Hills District

Parks and Playgrounds:

Fred Caterson Reserve Gilbert Road, Castle Hill: This reserve is is a large multiple sports facility covering a total of 58 hectares! There are five soccer fields or three cricket fields, cricket practice nets, baseball field, ten tennis courts, a BMX track, remote control car track and a basketball stadium tables and a junior children’s playground.

Marramarra National Park Canoelands, NSW: This is one of the Hawkesbury’s best-kept secrets, a peaceful pocket of Aussie  just waiting to be explored. Go boating, kayaking cycling and canoeing or enjoy bushwalking on the many walking tracks. Take in spectacular views while discovering more about the area’s Aboriginal heritage and see historic heritage sites from early European settlement. If you want to spend more time exploring the park, there are plenty of spots to camp.

Rouse Hill Regional Park Worcester Road Rouse Hill: Large, dog friendly regional park originally owned by the Deerubbin People and later the Rouse family, pioneers of the area. When the kids have tired themselves out on on the swings, slides, maze, playhouses and rope bridge, they can ride their bikes or rollerblade around the paths, play ball games or relax at the picnic shelters while their lunch cooks on the barbecue. Older children will enjoy the separate adventure playground and there is plenty of space for bikes and scooters. Great spot for kids parties with pavillions you can hire.

Wisemans Ferry Park Old Northern Road, Wisemans Ferry:  Features include walking tracks, electric and wood (bring your own wood) barbecues, picnic areas, children’s playground and public toilets and there is also a Kiosk on site.  It’s a great barbecue and picnic spot for day boat hires. There is a take away kiosk located in the park near the main entrance.

Animal Parks and Farms:

Featherdale Wildlife Park 217-229 Kildare Road, Doonside: Situated on 7 acres of natural bush setting and home to the world’s largest collection of Australian native animals, you are able to get up close and personal with over 2,200 animals from more than 330 different species. Its way cheaper than Taronga Zoo and a lot more hands-on.

Koala Park Sanctuary 84 Castle Hill Road, West Pennant Hills: 10 acres of lush Rainforest, Eucalypt Groves and Native Gardens with Koalas, Red & Grey Kangaroos, Dingoes, Wombats, Echidnas, Emus, many Wallaby species and a large collection of Australian Native Birds.

Golden Ridge Animal Farm 686 Old Northern Road, Dural: We absolutely love this family fun animal farm. They have everything from teeny tiny mice to enormous bulls. Families have the chance to be involved in all activities on the farm including holding the baby chicks, ducks and rabbits, feeding little lambs and kids and milking cows.

Rouse Hill House and Farm Guntawong Rd, via Rouse Rd, Rouse Hill: This amazingly preserved historic house offers city slickers the opportunity to gain a unique insight into the hopes and dreams of six generations of family life in rural New South Wales. On weekends, kids can also tour the farm to feed chickens, collect eggs, pump water for watering cans and throw horseshoes, just like the farm hands in the 1800’s.

Kids Friendly Eats:

Tuesdays at Castle Hill RSL 77 Castle Rd, Castle Hill: Looking for a relaxing coffee or lunch? Every Tuesday, bring the kids along to be entertained in the play area by a face painter and clown in their new courtyard. Its free!

The Fiddler Corner of Commercial Road and Windsor Road, Rouse Hill: This great Irish pub has a fantastic kids playground for the young ones, a video game room for the older kids and their very own ice creamery right on site!

Gourmet Pizza Kitchen Shop 10 Castle Towers/Old Castle Hill Rd  Castle HillLocated in the Piazza at Castle Tower, you’ll always find this place full of young families. There’s a good kids menu and a family friendly atmosphere.

Arthur Street Cafe: 26 Arthur Street Baulkham Hills: Fabulous new kid friendly cafe that has it all-really great food and cofee for mum and dad, fab kids menu, highchairs, change table and a play area with loads of toys.

Indoor Fun:

Peak Pursuits Unit 49/5 Gladstone Rd, Castle Hill: Get the kids off the couch and go to Peak Pursuits for some healthy, cool climbing fun! Activities includei a SkyTrail ropes course – a first in Australia, vertical activities, Leap of Faith, Fun walls, Big Drop Slide, Giant Spider Web and more. Activities are designed with varying degrees of difficulty and are themed for fun to bring joy and laughter to participants of all ages.

Sydney Ice Arena 11 Solent Circle, Baulkham Hills: Olympic sized ice arena overlooking a beautiful waterfront. Activities include public skating (make sure you check public session times to avoid disappointment!), ice hockey, learn-to-skate program which caters for skaters from 3 yrs to Adults and for older kids, each Friday and Saturday night the lights are dimmed, the music videos are shown on the big screen and the Disco lights are switched on. There are also party rooms, cafes and shops.

Castle Hill Indoor Sports Centre Unit 3, 18 Anella Ave, Castle Hill: The Centre itself offers indoor cricket, netball and soccer and their Kids Play Land is a dedicated indoor play centre for children up to 5. There are games and toys, ball pits, cars, climbing equipment, jumping castles and much more.

Lollipops Playland Unit 8 / 10 Hudson Ave, Castlle Hill: Even on the hottest or rainiest of days, your children will wear themselves out on the huge 6 metre high 3 level adventure playframe with 3 slippery dips, ball pit, climbing areas plus heaps more.  There is a Merry-Go-Round, Play Believe shops, small basketball area, PC’s with games for different ages, a fenced in toddler area with its own Bouncy Castle and Ball Pit, a fenced in Ride on Cars area for littlies, a quiet area surrounded by sofas plus heaps heaps more. Best for the under 12’s.

The Powerhouse Discovery Centre 172 Showground Rd – Castle Hill: The Powerhouse Discovery Centre is Ultimo’s Powerhouse Museum’s off-site storage and collection care facility with a unique and diverse collection of 385,000 objects spanning history, science, technology, design, industry, decorative arts, music, transport and space exploration. You can book to visit Tuesday- Friday and the Centre is open every weekend for general admission. The museum gives a great behind the scenes view of a museum collection and has really interesting special exhibitions monthly as well as great school holiday programs.

Other Fun Stuff:

Castle Hill Farmers & Fine Food Markets: Castle Hill Showground, enter off Carrington Road, Castle Hill: On the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month, come and enjoy the freshest produce the Hills has to offer. The perfect spot to grab breakfast, so bring your appetite!

Galston Valley Railway 29 Mid Dural Rd, Galston: This miniature railway operates the second Sunday of every month from 10am-4pm. Ride behind scale model locomotives on over 1 km of track in a bushland setting. Picnic tables, BBQ, food, drinks and toilets on site. Be aware that this attraction can be tricky with a pram-there a few steps and  uneven ground to traverse.