Got the rainy day blues and wondering how to keep kids from being bored? Here are some rainy day indoor activities to keeping toddlers, preschoolers and school-age kids from getting bored in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Hunter.
Visit Newcastle Museum
With free entry, Newcastle Museum (open Tuesday to Sunday or 7 days a week during school holidays) is a top spot to visit on a rainy day.
Hop on the tram. It’s just one of the fun exhibits you’ll see at the museum. The interactive Supernova science exhibits will keep children entertained while the Newcastle and Fire and Earth’s exhibitions will educate them on the history of the region.
Visit your local library
Another place to visit is your local library. Your local library will have lots of children’s picture books, chapter books and kids magazines, perfect to keep kids occupied on a rainy day. Check library hours before you leave. Wallsend Library is the only library open on Sundays from 1:30pm to 5pm.
Enquire at the desk to see if there are any programs for kids as libraries often run story time sessions during the week. During the school holidays, there’s lots of special activities and events for school-aged kids.
Visit an art gallery
Another rainy day option is to visit an art gallery such as Newcastle Art Gallery (CURRENTLY CLOSED DUE TO RENOVATION), Museum of Art & Culture (MAC) Lake Macquarie or the Maitland Regional Art Gallery (MRAG). All are open from Tuesday to Sunday. Take your kids on a tour of the gallery and point out interesting artworks. Then provide them with some crayons and a sketchpad and let them create their own works of art.
On the weekend, check out Free Art Sundays at MRAG for free art activities for children and their families/carers.
If you’re close to the Lake, visit the Museum of Art & Culture (MAC) Lake Macquarie. As well as having interesting exhibitions and great views, the gallery has an outdoor sculpture garden to keep kids occupied if the rain lessens. They also run ARTSPACE, free art workshops on the third Sunday of every month, for children and their families/carers.
Indoor centres
If you don’t mind paying, indoor play centres like Chipmunks at Belmont, Kids World Playland Green Hills, EMF jnr at Westfield Kotara and Flip Out Junior at Charlestown Square are great destinations when it’s rainy outside.
Kids have plenty of room and equipment to run around and play and use up all of that excess energy while mums can relax with a coffee or meal. Most centres cater for children up to 10 with separate areas for toddlers. Just don’t forget socks or else kids won’t be able to play.
A new play centre is LEAP Museum in Morisset. Designed and opened in 2024 by local parents Ryan and Alice, LEAP Museum offers six inspiring rooms of creative and imaginative play for all ages and their families. It’s a place where grown-ups and children can play and learn together, unplugged and engaged!
The bespoke wooden games, many designed and crafted by Ryan himself, are incredibly unique and captivating. Think pinball, marble run, and LEGO-inspired creations – but on a whole new level! These games aren’t just fun; they encourage critical thinking, spatial reasoning, and fine motor skills.
Visit an indoor shopping centre
If Mum or Dad need to do some shopping, let the kids play in the playgrounds inside shopping centres. Charlestown Square has an indoor playground, The Secret Garden on Level 2 conveniently located near children’s shops, perfect for a mum who feels like shopping or a coffee. This playground, for kids aged 1 to 6 is a unique play area featuring caterpillars and snails in a garden of giant toadstools and plants.
Westfield Kotara features a kids’ playworld located outside Target on Level 2 in the Kids precinct.
Bunnings also have indoor play areas as well as a café so you can get all your home and garden stuff, entertain your kids and grab a coffee.
You can also visit your local Maccas or Hungry Jacks with an indoor playground and let the kids play while you enjoy a coffee and/or a snack.
Head to a kid-friendly cafe or restaurant
If you’re hungry or in need of caffeine on a rainy day, head to a local cafe or restaurant. Here’s a list of local venues where kids eat free, organised by day of the week.
And here’s a selection of family-friendly cafes and restaurants in Newcastle, Maitland and Lake Macquarie that offer playgrounds or a kids area. Most also offer high chairs, a kids menu and baby-changing facilities.
Go to the movies
Don’t forget about the movies. For those with babies who need to get out the house, go to a baby-friendly session. Each Wednesday morning, Reading Cinemas at Charlestown Square presents Baby’s Day Out sessions for parents and babies. Event Cinemas in Glendale and Kotara offer Bring Your Baby sessions weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. For older kids, there are usually family movies screening at the cinemas, especially during the school holidays.
See a kids show
On a rainy day, check out what kids shows are on in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Hunter. There’s a range of kids shows for families to enjoy at the Civic Theatre, Cessnock Performing Arts Centre, The Art House in Wyong as well as other venues around town.
Check out our list of upcoming kids shows including family-friendly concerts, plays, musical shows and theatre performances. No matter what the age of your child or their interests, you’re bound to find a show to entertain them.
Go bowling or play laser tag
Bowling is another activity which will keep kids busy. Visit Dullboys in Warners Bay and Rutherford. As well as tenpin bowling, they have video arcades and indoor mini golf at Rutherford. Other bowling spots include SuperStrike in Maitland or Salamander Bay.
For laser tag there’s Red Alert Laser Tag at Warners Bay. If the kids can’t decide between bowling and laser tag, do both. Strike Charlestown Square offers both bowling and laser tag and provides a special deal to let your family do both.
Visit a local indoor place
If the kids are bored at home and you need to get them out of the house, here’s our list of 30+ indoor places you can take them. There’s something for all ages, from babies to teenagers. We’ve included museums, galleries, indoor play centres, movie cinemas and more.
Visit a local park that has undercover seating
One of our favourite spots on a rainy day when we need to get out of the house is Foreshore Park in Newcastle. The nearby historical railway Carriage Sheds provide plenty of shelter when it’s raining with plenty of room undercover for kids to ride scooters or bikes or draw pictures with chalk. (The playground at Foreshore Park has been removed and there’s ongoing construction to build a new amenities block).
From here, you can walk to Pacific Park and jump on light rail and go for a ride in the rain to Newcastle Interchange.
At-home activities
If leaving the house isn’t an option, don’t despair. There’s plenty to keep kids occupied at home. We’ve put together a new Newy with Kids Rainy Day At Home Guide for those wanting inspiration on rainy day fun that you can do at home.
Some of the ideas include:
- Organise a movie day and sit and watch children’s movies with a big bowl of popcorn. Another option is to play kids board games or crank up the video games.
- Do crafts with your child. Finger painting is a fun activity. Use items like cut up sponges or old toothbrushes to make different patterns with the paint.
- More craft ideas include stringing pasta shapes onto string and making necklaces and bracelets, making sock puppets out of old socks or gluing fabric or paper scraps onto paper. Tip: Buy a bucket of craft supplies. They contain a variety of things like coloured paper, glitter and pipe cleaners that can be used in craft activities.
- Cooking is a fun indoor activity with kids. Even toddlers can participate in mixing and throwing ingredients in the bowl. Make cookies or cupcakes and let kids go wild decorating them with icing and sprinkles. You could even make mini pizzas. Lots of fun to make and to eat.
- Get kids to use their imagination. Create an indoor cubby house using chairs and sheets or set up a tent and camp indoors. Playing dress ups is always fun and can lead to a fashion show or drama production.
- If you have instruments, get children to perform an impromptu concert. Don’t underestimate the fun of indoor games like hide and seek, treasure hunts (especially involving chocolate coins) and a sock or stuffed animal toss into a laundry basket.
Get outside and enjoy the rain
When all else fails, embrace the rain and go splash in the puddles with your kids.
Throw some rain jackets and gumboots on the kids and yourself and have fun jumping in puddles, counting worms and slugs, making mud cakes and catching raindrops on your tongue. Yes, you will all get wet and likely very muddy but at least you will have heaps of fun on a rainy day.
You might also enjoy:
100+ Best Kids Movies to Watch with your Family
9 Places to See a Family Movie With Your Kids in Newcastle
Visit Museums and Galleries in Newcastle & Hunter region