OK yes we are all original Adelaide Hills girls so we MAY be just a little bit bias BUT if you haven’t been up the hill for a while we definitely think you should put it on the “to do” list. Autumn is a great time of the year to visit because the weather is not too hot, not too cold and you can see the stunning red leaves in Stirling and Hahndorf. Plus the Bald Hills exit now makes it even easier to get to places like Mt Barker, Monarto Zoo, Nairne and Littlehampton.
Below are just a few of our favourite Adelaide Hills picks for kids, but make sure you check the HILLS categories of our website for Adelaide Hills Playgrounds, Places to Eat and our special Discover Stirling post linked below
PLACES TO PLAY
Hahndorf Farm Barn
Milk a cow, play in the new playground and sand pit, hold baby chicks, cuddle rabbits and guinea pigs and more! The Hahndorf Farm Barn is a a great way for children to learn about farm animals and farm life.
Click here for more info.
Lobethal Bushland Park
This fabulous new playground opened recently – it has sensory areas for the littlies & a HUGE three level tower & tube slide for the big kids. Add in easy parking, walking trails & toilets. Definitely worth the trip!
Click here for more info.
Monarto Safari Park
Get up close and personal with animals like lions, giraffes, cheetahs, zebras and lots more! Monarto Zoo is AWESOME! We recently did the lions 360 experience and can HIGHLY recommend it!
click here for more info.
Meadows Playground
An awesome playground, perfect spot for some lunch. Especially stunning in Autumn.
click here for more info.
Balhannah Playground
A great spot for a picnic. Perfectly situated between the Balhannah Oval, tennis courts and BMX track.
click here for more info.
Byethorne Park Nairne
Pack a picnic, play in the playground and feed the local ducks
click here for more info.
Aston Hills Adventure Park Mt Barker
Aston Hills Adventure Trail Park is essentially a mountain bike playground in the middle of the new housing development of Aston Hills in Mount Barker. If your little mountain bikers are a bit put off by the big hills (which to be fair are very reasonable for all ages), make sure you check out the pump track and skills track at the bottom of the trail.
click here for more info.
Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary
Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary is situated on 28 acres in the beautiful Adelaide Hills and is a safe haven for all manner of rare and endangered native wildlife. Kids and adults will love meandering around the tracks that criss cross the park and given the park is a sanctuary not a zoo, the animals are not in cages so you can make a really cool game of spot the animal. Warrawong also offer animal encounters which are well worth it, we highly recommend the koala encounter.
Click here for more info.
Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens
Stunning all year round, take a picnic rug and make a day of it.
click here for more info.
Eagle Mountain Bike Park Crafers
22kms of designated bike trails to suit every type of bike ride.
click here for more info.
Bridgewater Mill Playground
The flying fox is a HUGE HIT with the kids here at Kids in Adelaide.
click here for more info.
Stirling Steamroller Playground
Definitely a fave with the KiA kids! Not the biggest park, not the newest equipment but you can’t beat it for location. Lots of great coffee shops nearby too!
click here for more info.
Woodhouse Adventure Park
A 54 hectare property located in the Adelaide Hills suburb of Piccadilly (around 20 mins from the CBD) There’s so much do to you can easily spend a whole day or if you want to make a weekend of it, you can even camp there!
click here for more info.
Gorge Wildlife Park
Gorge Wildlife Park is one of our favourite animal experiences! It’s totally affordable for the whole family, kids (and adults) get to interact with camels, wallabies, kangaroos, koalas, meerkats, tortoises, wombats and tons more. It’s worth a visit for just the brand new spider monkey enclosure!
click here for more info.
Cleland Wildlife Park
Can you tell we love a wildlife park? The Adelaide Hills boast some of the best wildlife parks and Cleland is no exception. Located in Mt Lofty this is a beautful park and home to some of Australia’s most iconic animals. The park is mostly in sectioned paddocks where the animals roam free which allows for plenty of up close encounters, but don’t worry the animals here are used to people so they are friendly enough to be pat and fed. They also offer animal encounters, we especially love the koala one!
Click here for more info.
PLACES TO EAT
The Essence Cafe Stirling
Family friendly (including furry family members) delicious smashed avo and kids meals… need we say more?
Click here for more info.
Acre and Ash Murray Bridge
Winner of our 2020 babyccino competition with amazing coffee, budget friendly meals and an awesome play space for the little ones.
Click here for more info.
Barristers Block Woodside
One of our top picks for family friendly wineries in the hills, plenty for the kids to do and the pizzas are amazing!
Click here for more info.
Lobethal Bakery
Not only do they have one of the best donuts in Adelaide (click here to see our best donuts list) Lobethal bakery also do the typical bakery fare exceptionally well. With locations in Lobethal, Woodside, Balhannah, Stirling and Mt Barker you’ll definitely find them easily during your Adelaide Hills trip.
Click here for more info.
The Barker Hotel Mt Barker
We reckon this is one of the best pubs in the hills! Bonus if you visit on Wednesday between 6pm – 8pm you’ll catch Rich the magician who does balloon animals and card tricks to keep the kids (and adults) entertained.
click here for more info.
Oleaceae Mt Barker
Looking for something a little different than your standard pub fare? Oleaceae might just hit the spot! Mediterranean cuisine but with tons of options for even the fussiest of eaters.
click here for more info.
The Crafers Hotel
The Crafers Hotel is one of the prettiest hotels we have ever seen. Not only that, they serve amazing “pub” fare. Slightly french inspired and fancier than your normal pub feed but still able to please even the smallest members of your family it’s a definite win for us. The also have rooms to stay which are STUNNING with sheridan linen and aesop toiletries.
click here for more info.
The Pastel Teacup
The Pastel teacup is located in Strathalbyn and is a charming little tearoom/giftshop. They offer a huge range of teas and freshly made treats and also offer a high tea twice a day Thursday – Sunday.
click here for more info.
Image: The Pastel Teacup
OTHER THINGS TO DISCOVER
Melbas Chocolate Factory Woodside
Located just down the road from Barristers Block, it’s the perfect spot for a sweet treat.
Click here for more info.
The Fairy Garden Hahndorf
Ring the bell at the gate to let the fairies know you’ve arrived. Wander this cute little fairy garden and search for the fairies and dragons that are hiding. And make sure you take a look at the shop…..you probably won’t leave empty handed.
Click here for more info.
Mount Lofty Family Friendly Hike
Like the idea of a Mount Lofty walk but wanting a family (and pram) friendly option? The Steub trail is 3.8km and has a gentle incline from Cleland Wildlife Sanctuary to the top of the Mount Lofty Summit. This walk is definitely pram friendly and if you are after more pram friendly walks in Adelaide you’ll find our top picks here.
For more info on the Steub trail walk click here.
Harrisville Orchard
Located in Lenswood, Harrisville orchards grow some of the best apples and cherries you will ever taste. When in season Harrisville offer pick your own apples (selected weekends in January – May) and cherries (December) and also offer a drive thru service. These apples last weeks in the fridge so worth stocking up!
Click here for more info.
Beerenberg Farm Strawberry picking
From late October to April it’s strawberry picking season and we think there’s nothing better than a freshly picked strawberry you’ve picked yourself… yum!
Click here for more info.
@Lenswood Pick Your Own Apples
Keep your eye out for their PYO apple season which usually happens between March -May. It’s a wonderful family day out in Autumn & they even have a Kids Scavenger Hunt to keep the kids busy. Check out the farm machinery & they might even have the giant games out! Find out more.
The Big Rocking Horse
You can climb the worlds biggest rocking horse, visit the onsite toy factory as well as wander through the wildlife park all for under $5 per person. Great budget family day out!
Click here for more info.
The SteamRanger Heritage Railway
The SteamRanger is iconic in South Australia and it’s not hard to see why. It operates 140 days ayear and travels between Mt Barker and Victor Harbor making stops in Strathalbyn, Goolwa and Port Elliot. If you have train loving kids, this one is for you!
Click here for more info.
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