5 Sydney Beaches That Are Great With Kids

A beach day with kids is so much easier when there’s more than just the beach. Think calm water, a playground nearby, somewhere to grab a coffee and space for a picnic. Here are five Sydney beaches we’ve visited and would go back to with little kids.

1. Clifton Gardens, Mosman Clifton Gardens is such an easy one with little kids. The water is generally calm, there’s a playground right near the beach and a huge grassy area with plenty of space for a picnic. There’s also a cafe nearby for coffee or food, so you can easily spend the whole morning here.

2. Bronte Beach, Bronte If the surf at Bronte is looking a bit big, head to the rock pool for a swim instead. There’s a playground in Bronte Park, but one of the best bits with kids is the little train that’s been running through the park since 1947. When we visited, rides were $5 and it was running on weekends from 11am to 4pm. Have a swim, ride the train, stop at the playground and grab some fish and chips afterwards. Such a fun beach morning with kids.

3. Balmoral Beach, Mosman Balmoral has pretty much everything you need for an easy beach day with kids. The water is calm and sheltered, there’s a fully fenced playground right near the beach and lots of grass if you want to bring a picnic. There are also plenty of cafes and places to grab food nearby, which means you don’t have to pack the entire house just to go to the beach.

4. Parsley Bay, Vaucluse Parsley Bay is a hidden little beach tucked away in the harbour. The water is calm, there’s a playground and kiosk nearby and plenty of shady spots to set up for the morning. We parked on The Crescent and walked down to the beach. Just a heads up, the way down isn’t pram friendly, so if you’ve got a little one we’d leave the pram behind and bring a carrier instead.

5. Nielsen Park and Shark Beach, Vaucluse Nielsen Park is a good one if you want to turn a beach trip into a whole morning. Grab breakfast or coffee at The Nielsen, then head down to Shark Beach for a swim. There’s beautiful harbour water, plenty of grass for a picnic and a little kiosk right on the sand for coffee, drinks and ice creams. We’ll be sharing a new Top 5 every Sunday, with more of our favourite Sydney spots to visit with kids.