Your under-5’s Term 2 social calendar 🗓️

Fast 5

Your top weekday events guide + the best posts for under 5s

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Weekday Event Picks

🗓️ Melbourne CBD ➝ See More

Japanese Storytime (Monday 20 Apr) A free, drop-in Japanese language storytime at City Library for children from birth to 5 years and their carers. 📍 Melbourne CBD

Little Builders (Daily until Thursday 30 Apr) An immersive indoor sandbox experience where kids dig, build and explore across 50 square metres of sand with 100-plus ride-on excavators and toys. 📍 Docklands

Top Arts 2026 (Daily until Sunday 19 Jul) The annual exhibition celebrating the outstanding creativity of 43 exceptional VCE student artists returns for its 32nd year. 📍 Melbourne CBD

🗓️ Melbourne NORTH ➝ See More

Incy Wincy Babies (Friday 24 Apr) A calm, guided visual art experience at the Gallery for babies under 2 and their carers – a lovely way to connect and meet other parents. 📍 Aberfeldie

ROME: Empire, Power, People (Daily until Sunday 25 Oct) Over 150 original Roman objects from the 1st to 3rd Century CE come to Melbourne for the first time in this immersive, multimedia exhibition. 📍 Carlton

CURIOSITY: Building Breakthroughs in LEGO Bricks (Tuesdays – Sundays until 29 Nov) A hands-on exhibition at the Discovery Centre where kids explore engineering, maths and science through LEGO. 📍 Bendigo

🗓️ Melbourne SOUTH ➝ See More

The Enchanted Realms (Daily until Sunday 26 Apr) World-class sand sculptors transform 400 tonnes of sand into fairytale castles, dragons and mythical creatures before your eyes. 📍 Frankston

Nature Play Every Day (Tuesdays during term) A Term 2 outdoor program at Cruden Farm with weekly nature-based activities including kite making, leaf crowns, tadpole exploring and boat building. 📍 Langwarrin

Family Storytime (Fridays during term) A free interactive program of stories and songs for ages 0-5 that builds early literacy, listening and social skills alongside other families. 📍 Clarinda

🗓️ Melbourne EAST ➝ See More

Baby Sing and Grow (Mondays during term) A gentle weekly singalong of simple songs and nursery rhymes for babies from birth to 12 months and their parents or carers. 📍 Box Hill

Monday Playgroup (Mondays during term) A relaxed, community-led weekly playgroup with rotating toys from the Maroondah Toy Library for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. 📍 Ringwood North

Thursday Playgroup (Thursdays during term) A fully facilitated free weekly session with music, art, craft, storytime and plenty of free play indoors and out. 📍 Glen Waverley

🗓️ Melbourne WEST ➝ See More

Start of Term 2 Art Playgroup (Tuesday 21 Apr) Kick off Term 2 with a Nature Play Week-themed art playgroup for kids aged 1-5, exploring leaves, gumnuts and flowers with no clean-up required. 📍 Newport

Colour: See the World in a New Light (Daily until Tuesday 26 Jan 2027) Twenty-one hands-on exhibits exploring colour, light, illusion and perception make this Scienceworks exhibition a brilliant outing for curious kids. 📍 Spotswood

Dinos at the Zoo (Daily until Sunday 12 Jul) A brand-new Dino Trail at Werribee Open Range Zoo lets little palaeontologists come face-to-face with their favourite prehistoric creatures. 📍 Werribee

New + Noteworthy

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Family-Friendly Eats

Pram-friendly, easy to get to and full of good options. This is your Docklands dining guide for families.

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Five-Star Fun

A five-star stay that actually works for families with shopping at your doorstep. Our staycation review is in.

After-Dark Adventure

A free after-dark light experience at Wyndham Park returns for 2026 – running 24 April to 3 May with a special Sensory Night included.

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Farm Day Done Right

This farmyard is a preschooler’s dream, with friendly animals, hands-on activities and lots of space to roam.

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Library Loving

Melbourne’s best libraries for kids go beyond books. Here are ones worth exploring with your little one.

Enter to Win

About Joyce Watts

Joyce Watts is a former intellectual property, IT and media lawyer turned serial entrepreneur.

As well as being the founder of TOT: HOT OR NOT she helps businesses with their SEO, email marketing & social media as BrightSmart.com.au; she owns an online bike store CycleStyle.com.au and develops and produces creative experiences for families via WheelieGoodFun.com. She used to publish another popular lifestyle and food blog called MEL: HOT OR NOT The decisive guide to Melbourne.

She lives in inner-city Melbourne with her husband, two children and seven bikes.

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