My equal fave nature place in the Northern burbs is Queen's Park. It's frequented by families,…read morechildren, the elderly and fitness fans who take advantage of the many perks about this tranquil park. There are two playgrounds either side of the lake, walking and bike tracks, a gorgeous pergola/gazebo complete with white turret roof. Situated right on the lake, this magnificent area is perfect for wedding photos and is quite often used as a place to get married or to have wedding pics taken. When the giant water feature display comes on in the background the beauty of the scene it creates, particularly from the pergola with ferns and lush greenery in the background, truly takes your breath away. The Queen's Lake Cafe is situated on the opposite side of the gazebo next to one of the two playgrounds. They serve up delicious, homely and oh-so-worth-not-packing-a-picnic sort of food. Fresh rolls, focaccia and hot food, as well as perfecto tea and coffee, this is one playground you won't mind taking the kids to! Even though it gets busy here and not as big as Coburg Lake it's always seemed to be more serene and peaceful each time I've been. Seating a plenty, picnic tables, swimming complex, cafe, playgrounds, free BBQ facilities, walking and biking tracks, peace, wildlife, romantic.... The list goes on and on. The best thing to do is come and experience it for yourself, particularly if you live on this side of Melbs.

Ive been going to Queens Park for over 30 years! I used to go there as a little kid with my parents…read moreand now Im still going there as a parent with my little kids now! Queens Park is a beautiful park and is more of a "botanical gardens" than a regular or wooded park. It contains a beautiful lake with 3 man-made islands and a large water fountain in the lake. Many different species of bird live on the islands including ducks, coots, black swans and others. Turtles can also be spotted. The walk around the lake can be done in 10 minutes but its nicer to amble slowly! There are 2 playgrounds in the park - on either side of the lake and have different equipment to each other - meaning that the kids get 2 playground experiences rather than one generic one. Parking is also remarkably easy around the perimeter of the park and it is quite normal to see joggers running through the park or newly weds having their wedding photos taken in the lush setting. The park borders a swimming pool (open in summer) and the Moonee Ponds bowling club and contains a small cafe near the western side playground. The park is perfect for a romantic walk around the lake at twilight with your lover (it is well lit with lamp posts and is not dangerous at night) yet is also a perfect place for taking the kids to burn off some of their excess energy in the daytime and is also a great place for a jog or exercise session!

I strongly believe that Crocs playcentre is the most fun playcentre in Australia. Firstly the…read moreslides are amazing there are different varieties of slides. Secondly when you don't know what to get your kids to eat get the crocs meal it is really yum. Thirdly there is a baby area so babies can play to. That is why I think you should go to crocs playcentre. Written by RH - aged 8

Absolutely disgusting, do not go here. Do not waste your time. It is the dirtiest place I have ever…read morebeen to. As for the toddler area, all the toys are broken and dirty. I have been here twice and contacted them, but had no response. Do not go here; it is the most disgusting, dirtiest place I have ever been to.

This park has not come up in my radar before despite its location, and what a shame that was!!!…read moreI managed to visit on a day off and sunny winter Melbourne day with the dog. Amazing great space and there's access to the water for the water loving dogs to dip in and out as they please. There's a few different sport zones ( soccer field, golf ) so you have to be mindful of visiting when there's a sporting event/ match. Otherwise it's a free run for the dog. There is also a no dog golf zone so watch out for stray golf balls of around this zone. Bike path runs next to the river and lots of benches to sit on. Love it and I will definitely visit more!

A firm favourite with our dogs! A truly enjoyable experience for all. Our dogs have many regular…read morefriends who visit, from Cavaliers to English Mastiff's! All dog owners are respectful.

Bounce like it's 1999 children. Neon colours, no shoes allowed and pretty much do whatever you want…read more(within reason and only if you follow the safety rules) place of happiness. Bounce Inc brings out the youthful, well respected rebel in us all. The basic facilities are well kept. The seating areas are clean and there's a hipster inspired Tuck shop. As well as a gift store. The staff are here to help you be happy. Whether that's some helpful advice on how to do basic tricks or jumping into a game of dodgeball to help even the scores. Maybe it's all the brain shaking that goes on here but these were seriously the happiest staff and most helpful staff I've ever come across. You truly learn to appreciate The Big Ass Fans as you bouncing around. Near silent but providing such welcome cool relief. There's 5/6 areas to explore including a dodgeball arena, basketball hoops, The wall and my personal favourite the track work and huge air bag. That's for your pleasure when your doing flips and stuff. A word of warning. You'll have a lot of fun here. Don't spoil your fun with incorrect clothing. Try avoid any stuff materials like denim (jeans) or super floaty yoga style tops. A basic close fitting tee and shorts or cropped leggings work well.

What an absolute hoot! Trying to get more active, and do it…read morein a fun way, I dragged 8 mates along with me for an hour at bounce. And by an hour, I mean we didn't get started until 5 past, and most of us were well and truly done by 10 mins to the hour. Jumping up and down is tiring man! (Come on, we were all aged from 26 to 36, the kids out there didn't break a single sweat!) They've got multiple styles of trampoline, from regular mats, to ones on the wall, ones with bends, a few to jump off the end into a giant pit thing (like my use of technical terms there?), some you can jump up onto actual wooden walls, a slam dunk area, and even a dodgeball section. For the real experts you can strap on a foam board, not dissimilar to a snowboard or wakeboard, and practice your jumps. It's $16 for an hour, or get together 10 of you and it drops to $13. Or get 9 of you and pay for 10 and still works out cheaper. The loss of 1 star is for the toilets. They were filthy, and stunk. And being a place with children, Unflushed every time I went. Im going to start doing something fun every week, and shall call it #wearekidswednesday so any ideas greatly appreciated! Fun Fact - you can pay $5 for a wrist band that you swipe before some of the areas, and it films you for 15 seconds, and then you can go and download / share you looking like a grown ass idiot with your friends! (Unfortunately mine isn't working though, so waiting on them to contact me)

Indoor play centers are a key item to have up your sleeve if you have young ones. This is one of…read morethe larger ones around. It has all the usual things * Ball Pit * Two Trampolines * Bikes, Trikes and cars for the little ones to drive around * Separate "Under 3's" area What sets this one apart is the HUGE three story plaything. Tunnels, slides, windows and lots of hidden areas for the little ones to get to. However a very smart designer has been involved by the look of it as there is a "happy path" that your average adult can use to get to most parts of the structure without crawling or the risk of getting stuck. There is a HUGE three lane, three story bumper slide at one end that the kids loved but the design is such that you can't just run back up and go again, you have to climb your way through the structure all over again! Perfect to make sure the little ones are very tired at the end and you get your $6 worth! A little more maintenance would be handy. I didn't see any sharp edges, just padding that is a little too worn to provide much relief in some spots. Note: There are at the back of an industrial estate. Set your GPS for the address and don't be put off when you can't see them at first. They are in the back right corner.

What a dive. All the play equipment is ripped and torn. Poorly repaired and everything seems dirty…read moreand sticky. Much better places around for the same price

Situated right in the middle of Mt Alexander road, this place is as central as it gets. Parking can…read morebe a little tricky but there can often be a spot in Mangalore St. It is the perfect place to take the kids on a rainy day or just when you need to get the rugrats out of the house for a few hours. Pros * this place is cheap! $6 per child and adults are free! * It is huge! I mean really huge! There is an indoor bouncy castle, a climbing maze thing, racetrack and a whole stack of other fun things to do! * There are 5 or 6 booths down the back wall that you can book for a party or for any reason really. Cons * If you have a baby, the babies corner is fairly small and bigger kids can jump the back of the chairs to get in so you will often see a 5 year old belly flop into the baby ball pit * Read their terms carefully, when they get busy they can throw you out after two hours. So make sure you ask before you hand over your cash. * All adults must be accompanied by a child. Don't you hate that? This is a great way to get the little ones all tuckered out so you can have a quiet night!

I'm pretty much a fan of anywhere I can take my kids on a rainy day where they can have fun, I can…read moresit down and watch and maybe read a magazine, and we can all eat. So I was grateful to find Tickety Boo, the oldest indoor play centre in Melbs and perhaps the last one I found. Not far out of the city, just up past the Royal Children's Hospital on Mt Alexander rd you'll find Tickety Boo. Open til 5 seven days per week, cheap play rates (around $5 entry for kids to play as long as they want), age appropriate play grounds and toys from babies right up to about 14. A great cafe inside offering healthy and fried foods, plenty of tables and seating for mums and dads, and a stack of mags to allow parents some down time as well. A couple of themed rooms for birthday parties (I prefer World of Kaos' set up in Roxburgh Park but the kids will love this one just the same). Honestly, you don't get this much rest and relaxation at home! And if your kids are 3 and over you won't need to supervise too much, and it's great because you can pretty much watch from any table or seat in the centre.