Fun Water-Based Activities for Kids Near Brisbane

In Moreton Bay, we’re no strangers to the hot and humid summers of Queensland. We are, however, privileged to be in proximity to the Moreton Bay Marine Park and many of the beaches that run along it. Make a splash this summer and check out these water-based activities near Brisbane.

#1

Pop this spot high on your 'must-visit' list as it is one of the best water-park playgrounds Brisbane has to offer.

Located within The Mill at Moreton Bay precinct at Petrie this space is home to Moreton Bay’s first free water park, with splash pad and water bucket. Petrie Mill Adventure Playground is fast-becoming a popular recreation park in the Moreton Bay Region.

Petrie Mill Adventure Playground not only has a free water park, it also features two playgrounds for younger and older children, flying fox, a large cricket pitch and green space, and sheltered barbecue area.

#2

Slipping, Sliding, Diving

For a few hours of slipping, sliding, climbing, diving fun, visit Aqua Warrior at Pelican Park, Clontarf. Safe for the kids and entertaining even for the adults, Aqua Warrior has a range of runways, ladders, swings and towers to keep you occupied and exhaust your energy while soaking up some Vitamin D.

Utilising a Uninet system to ensure all marine life stay on the outside of the waterpark enclosure, you can rest assured you and your little ones are safe to enjoy a splash around on the inside!

#3

Swimming in Paradise

Located right on the Moreton Bay and across from the Redcliffe beach is a little slice of paradise known as Settlement Cove Lagoon. Featuring a large, open-area pool that stretches almost 100m and a smaller, fenced pool just for the younger ones, Settlement Cove Lagoon is one of the ideal water-based activities for kids near Brisbane. With mushroom fountains, squirting lizards, an island in the centre, a riverbed, inlets and sandy bays, there is plenty of play opportunities.

The lagoon also features BBQs, picnic shelters, changing rooms and toilets, and a qualified lifeguard during summer for extra safety. The area is wheelchair accessible and has a shaded children’s playground right beside the lagoon and a basketball court just down the way. The best thing? It operates all year round and doesn’t cost a thing!

#4

A Pool for Thrill Seekers

It’s hard to say no to a nice, refreshing dip in the pool on a hot, Queensland summer day. Now, imagine trying to say no to a pool with a water slide, wild rapids and water spouts. Impossible, right?

The Albany Creek Leisure Centre features three pool types including the Little Swimmer’s pool for your young ones still learning to paddle or the 50m Lap Pool for fitness training, the Leisure Pool is by far the crowd favourite. Bringing all the thrills of a theme park down to a smaller, more convenient scale, the Leisure Pool has a spiralling water slide that leads into a splash pool with waterfalls and a mini slide for the younger visitors and a unique Rapid River powered by jets of water and operating like a riptide.

The array of choices has made the Albany Creek Leisure Centre a recommended summer water-based activity for kids near Brisbane.

#5

Moreton Bay’s Surf Beach

Part of Moreton Bay's picturesque Bribie Island beaches is Woorim Ocean Beach, an ideal location for surfing, fishing, swimming and sand play. You can spend your day four-wheel driving (with a valid permit) and letting your little ones build sandcastles or draw in the sand. As the closest surf beach north of Brisbane, the waves average between 0.5 and 1.0m and, as such, we recommend keeping an eye on your kids if they want to take a dip.

Woorim Beach is the only patrolled surf beach in north Brisbane during the summer months.

#6

Gentle Waves of Nature’s Playground

The small waves of Suttons Beach, Redcliffe, make for a relaxing day of paddling. Splash about in the water for refreshment or lay back on the sandy shore to enjoy the stunning backdrop that is Moreton Island. There’s plenty of free parking, local restaurants and cafes or BBQ shelters to cook your own feed and ample grass areas for a family picnic. The beach offers the ideal calm waters to get your kids out and playing around but also offers lifeguards for extra safety during the summer months. You can also take advantage of the beach showers to ensure you’re not taking home any of those pesky small grains of sand.

Pirate Park | Scarborough

Pumicestone Passage | Bribie Island

Looking for more local hot spots? Pop into one of the region's Accredited Visitor Information Centres, the volunteers have a wealth of knowledge about things to do and see in the Moreton Bay Region.

Hashtag your Moreton Bay Region family water adventures on Insta #visitmoretonbay or tag us @visitmoretonbay on Facebook!

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Acknowledgement of Country - We would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands and waterways of the Moreton Bay Region, the Kabi Kabi/Gubbi Gubbi, Jinibara, and Turrbal people and pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging. We recognise the ongoing connection that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have to this land and recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the original custodians of this land.