Your toddler’s new pet needs no feeding

Fast 5

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

Event Picks

🌟 Featured Event

​PAW Patrol™ Live! Race to the Rescue (Saturday 22 – Sunday 23 Aug) Ryder and the pups hit the stage in an action-packed musical adventure, plus your chance to win a family holiday to Sea World. 📍CBD

🗓️ Melbourne CBD ➝ More CBD picks

​Melbourne Winter Night Market (Wednesdays until 26 Aug) Queen Victoria Market’s Wednesday night market returns with street food, fire pits and free entry all winter. 📍CBD

​Imaginator Melbourne (Wednesdays – Sundays until 30 Sep) An immersive light and sound experience with a colour therapy room and a giant rotating bean bag for little ones. 📍Docklands

​Children’s Play at NGV (Daily until Sunday 4 Oct) A playful, theatrical exhibition where kids become actors and creators on their own miniature stage. 📍CBD

🗓️ Melbourne NORTH ➝ More north-side picks ​

​Rainbow Family Storytime (Tuesday 4 Aug) Songs, stories and bubbles for rainbow families with kids aged 0–6, on the first Tuesday of the month. No booking needed. 📍Brunswick

​Brush, Book, Bed (Thursday 6 Aug) An interactive dental hygiene session with songs and play, plus a gift bag of dental products to take home. 📍Reservoir

​Curiosity: Building Breakthroughs in LEGO® Bricks (Tuesdays – Sundays during term) Hands-on LEGO® building meets engineering, maths and science at Bendigo’s Discovery Science & Technology Centre. 📍Bendigo

🗓️ Melbourne SOUTH ➝ More south-side picks ​

​National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day (Thursday 6 Aug) A morning of Welcome to Country, storytelling and children’s activities celebrating culture and community. Free, no bookings required. 📍Rosebud

​Mother & Bubba Pilates (Mondays during term) A physio-led Pilates class for mums rebuilding strength postpartum, bub in tow, at Brighton Town Hall. 📍Brighton

​Storytime (Wednesdays during term) Stories, songs and playful moments for kids aged 0–5 and their grown-ups — the whole family is welcome. 📍Frankston

🗓️ Melbourne EAST ➝ More east-side picks ​

​Bookaburra Storytime (Various weekdays during term) Free volunteer-run storytelling sessions with rhymes and songs for kids aged 0–5. No booking required. 📍Yarra Ranges

​Greek Storytime (Mondays during term) Stories and songs in Greek for families keen to maintain or build a family language, best suited to ages 1–5. 📍Oakleigh

​The Bridge Community Playgroup (Wednesdays during term) An educator-led playgroup in a garden setting, with tea and coffee for grown-ups while littlies explore outdoors. 📍Kilsyth

🗓️ Melbourne WEST ➝ More west-side picks ​

​Kids Art in the Library: Pet Rocks (Wednesday 5 Aug) A calm, no-clean-up-required art playgroup where kids aged 1–5 decorate their own pet rock. 📍Williamstown

​Wiggle & Bloom (Mondays + Thursdays during term) Music, movement and play for kids aged 0–5 in 50-minute sessions built to spark confidence and connection. 📍Caroline Springs

​B Minor Music for Kids (Wednesdays during term) Singing, puppetry and instruments for ages 8 months–5 years; under-12-months attend free with a paying sibling. 📍Taylors Hill

New + Noteworthy

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​Built for Every Kind of Kid​

We sent a mum and her toddler to check out this sensory-friendly play gym, and here’s what they found.

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​Parks We’ve Played At​

Thirty playgrounds across Melbourne’s west, every one picked because our kids have actually played there.

​Gym Spots That’ll Watch the Tots​

These Melbourne gyms come complete with creche or occasional care, so a workout doesn’t need a backup babysitter.

​20 Reasons to Road-Trip​

Looking for somewhere new in regional VIC? This destination has more than you’d expect for little ones.

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​Touch Down at Landing​

We visited in opening week – here’s what to expect at Landing’s newest site.

Hot Off the Feed

Your next low-cost adventure

💸 Who says a great day out needs a big budget?

These three Melbourne spots max out the fun without going over $20 – one’s even completely free.

Think bubble domes, dinosaur digs and enough sensory play to tire out the littlest legs.

Save the reel for your next low-cost family day out!

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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