Your Melbourne fun starts here ๐ŸŒธ

Fast 5

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

The Door’s Still Open

โ€‹Tot Perks Autumn/Winter 2026 is open โ€” and if you’ve been meaning to join, there’s still time. ๐Ÿ™Œ

For $59, you get 6 months of member-only events, automatic entry into every giveaway we run this season, and everyday savings on fuel, movies, groceries and attractions.

Doors close Thursday 5 March at 9pm.

Not interested in Tot Perks updates? You can opt out of Autumn/Winter and we’ll keep things to your regular Tot Hot or Not content.

Weekday Event Picks

๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Melbourne CBD โž See More

โ€‹ColdVoice (Tuesday 3 โ€“ Monday 9 Mar, excl. Friday) Watch ice transform into music in this magical free outdoor installation where little ones can touch, hear and explore a living, melting instrument. ๐Ÿ“ Southbank

โ€‹Play School: Come and Play (Wednesday 4 Mar โ€“ Friday 17 Jul) Celebrate 60 years of Play School with a free, hands-on behind-the-scenes experience at ACMI where your little one can be a presenter, climb the Rocket Clock, and explore beloved songs and stories. ๐Ÿ“ Melbourne CBD

โ€‹Stompers at narrm ngarrgu Library (Fridays during term) A free weekly program for toddlers aged 18 months to three years filled with books, movement and fun to spark a lifelong love of reading. ๐Ÿ“ Melbourne CBD

๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Melbourne NORTH โž See More โ€‹

โ€‹Sensory Tray Session (Friday 6 Mar) Pour, scoop, splash and explore at this unstructured sensory play session where the setup and cleanup are taken care of so you can focus on the fun. ๐Ÿ“ Fairfield

โ€‹Tiny Tours: Rainforest to Reef (Tuesdays) Take your little explorer on a guided adventure through some of the world’s most incredible animal habitats, from rainforests to the ocean, with interactive storytelling along the way. ๐Ÿ“ Carlton

โ€‹Sing, Play, Move Intergenerational Playgroup (Fridays during term) A joyful free weekly music playgroup where families with children birth to five years connect with community members through song, movement and play. ๐Ÿ“ Clifton Hill

๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Melbourne SOUTH โž See More โ€‹

โ€‹Story Time (Tuesdays during term) A weekly 45-minute session of stories, rhymes and craft to build early literacy skills, with a bilingual English/Korean session every second Tuesday for children aged three and up. ๐Ÿ“ Point Cook

โ€‹Baby Time (Tuesdays and Thursdays during term) Drop in for a free, fun-filled session of songs and rhymes designed especially for babies and their carers, no bookings required. ๐Ÿ“ Waurn Ponds

โ€‹Toddler Time (Wednesdays during term) An active and joyful 30-minute weekly session of songs, stories, dancing and rhymes for children aged one to three and their families, siblings always welcome. ๐Ÿ“ Hampton Park

๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Melbourne EAST โž See More โ€‹

โ€‹Treasure Island (Various dates until Sunday 15 Mar) Set sail on a swashbuckling outdoor musical adventure for ages 3+, where young pirates join Jim Hawkins on a quest for buried treasure. ๐Ÿ“ Malvern East

โ€‹Toddler Time at Ashburton Library (Mondays and Wednesdays during term) A free weekly session of stories, songs and rhymes for children aged 12 months to three years to socialise, move and develop early literacy skills. ๐Ÿ“ Ashburton

โ€‹Children’s Playgroup at Niรฑo Chadstone (Tuesdays during term) A free weekly playgroup led by an Early Childhood Educator for ages 6 weeks – 5yrs, featuring sensory play, craft, music, outdoor exploration. ๐Ÿ“ Chadstone

๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Melbourne WEST โž See More โ€‹

โ€‹Imagination Magic: Polynesian Infusion (Monday 2 Mar) Celebrate Harmony Week with an immersive 45-minute Polynesian cultural experience featuring chanting, ukulele, traditional dance and drumming for tots. ๐Ÿ“ Truganina

โ€‹Iramoo Community Centre Playgroup (Tuesdays during term) A weekly playgroup where little ones explore arts and crafts, story time, music and play-based learning while making new friends. ๐Ÿ“ Wyndham Vale

โ€‹Maidstone Community Playgroup (Wednesdays during term) Run by an experienced facilitator, this lovely garden-based playgroup offers painting, play dough, dress-ups, water play and planting for curious little ones. ๐Ÿ“ Maidstone

New + Noteworthy

PERKS EXCLUSIVE

โ€‹City Sleepoverโ€‹

Nestled between Docklands and the CBD, Dorsett Melbourne is the perfect family base for a city adventure. Tot Perks members automatically go in the draw to win a hotel stay.

โ€‹Little Growlersโ€‹

Great coffee, a dreamy play area and kids’ books on tap – this cafe is one of the west’s best family pit stops.

g8zk38dgy8ZSfS3Eqretn7

โ€‹Taste + Playโ€‹

Culture, colour, cuisine and a playground? Check. This market delivers a seriously good family day out.

agzoKLm6W8pWfPa3U4qbif

โ€‹In Full KaBloomโ€‹

KaBloom is back with a flower circus twist for 2026, and Tot Perks members automatically go in the draw to score family passes to this magical seasonal festival.

q3adQsYcCcsJu1GzXfm5ZX

โ€‹Time Well Takenโ€‹

Make the most of every day off with our guide to maximising your 2026 and 2027 annual leave for more family adventures and some well-earned rest.

Hot Off the Feed

25 tonnes of pure fun
โ€‹
โ€‹
Is this Melbourneโ€™s Biggest Indoor Sandpit?

Little Diggers a fun-filled indoor sandbox contains 25 tonnes of safe, clean sand and 100+ interactive toys such as ride-on diggers to themed zones โš ๏ธ

Kids can dig, build and let their imaginations run wild – the construction-themed indoor play area is the ultimate space for creative, hands-on play.

Tot Community Exclusive: Use code LITTLEBUILDERS10 to get 10% off your tickets!

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.

We see you, scrolling straight to the bottom!

You got to the end of the page without signing up to receive our weekly tips for the best things to do in Melbourne and surrounds with kids.

Stop hunting and pecking all through Google or scrolling through social mediaโ€ฆ.and start creating more happy memories with your family. 

Enter your info below and receive the best 5-minute read every week for creating quality family time! Promise.