When we took our first trip to Brisbane last year, we did like any tourists and made a beeline for the South Bank district. South Bank is an expansive public space situated on Brisbane River. It is home to everything from playgrounds to restaurants to water parks, a Ferris wheel, outdoor markets, and even its own beach. In addition, South Bank is home to Brisbane’s Culture Precinct, including the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, the Queensland Art Gallery, the Queensland Museum, the State Library of Queensland, and the Gallery of Modern Art.
Naturally, and after we’d pried the kids away from the water playground, we set ourselves on an artsploring mission to see what the arts spaces in the cultural precinct held for kids – and we were impressed!
Queensland Gallery of Modern Art
Our first stop was the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, mostly because I am always admiring pictures from their exhibits on Instagram, and I wanted to make a beeline to see for myself.
Little Miss 2 was squirmy, so I only shuffled the kids ever so quickly through one gallery before we headed for the Children’s Art Centre, which covered two different rooms on two levels. There is pram parking outside.
The exhibits change regularly in conjunction with local artists and in relation to the exhibitions happening in the gallery, so I won’t go too much into the details of what we did on the day, as that exhibit was preparing to close soon. What I found was a nice range of imaginative activities that were well thought out in terms of engaging children in creative thinking and connecting with the themes on display in the gallery. There was a mix of low and high tech activities.
Ou experience was that most of the activities held much more appeal for Miss 6 than Miss 2, and the toddler was bored long before big sister was ready to finish. The focus is definitely more on kids about 5+. (I do note one the website that there are specific programs for babies and toddlers, which would probably be more suitable if you’re attending with young ones.)
Overall, I thought the Children’s Art Centre was excellent for Miss 6. Having such a large space dedicated to children is so appreciated. When we were finished, she was also ready to engage more with the works in the gallery, having gotten a bit more context (and gotten her “squirmies” out).
Throughout GOMA, kids can find information just for them on certain art works – keep your eyes peeled for the tags!
And, no matter where you are located, young artsplorers can find artsy content on the QAGOMA kids website, which includes games, videos, and activities.
GOMA is open daily from 10a.m. – 5p.m. (closed Christmas and Boxing Day)
Entry to the museum and Children’s Arts Space is free.
There are family accessible toilet facilities and pram parking.
Details on children’s program are on the website.
Queensland Art Gallery
The Queensland Art Gallery is aligned with GOMA, and only a few steps away. You’ll find that GOMA’s Children’s Centre is by far the more extensive children’s space within these sister museums. However, we did find a small space dedicated to kids activities that our girls enjoyed for half an hour or so. This space was primarily self-directed, but there was an educator on staff to give instructions for craft space.
Miss 6 stayed busy at the long craft table, on which she made jewelry related to a Pacific Island exhibit.
Miss 2 (and Mr. Artsplorer) stayed busy on a magnet board based on a large scale piece in the entry.
And, we all loved playing with a wall of interactive frames. The family space is small, and probably won’t keep your kids entertained for a long time, but we found it well thought out and welcoming – a nice, bright, contextual space to stop while you’re taking in the QAG.
Toilets and a parent’s room are located adjacent to this space.
QAC is open daily from 10a.m. – 5p.m. (closed Christmas and Boxing Day)
Entry is free.
The State Library of Queesnland
Most of our activities on our Brisbane trip had favored big sister, as seems to happen often, so I set aside a morning to let little sister have a turn by taking her to “Hickory Dickory Rock” rhyme time at the State Library of Queensland.
Maybe libraries aren’t the first place you think to visit while on vacation, but the State Library of Queensland is so centrally located in the Cultural Precinct, and so welcoming to kids. Plus, the day that we went, Brisbane was under a huge rainstorm. It’s not always sunny in the Sunshine State, and you need somewhere dry to go!
We found our way out of the rain and into The Corner, a spacious, sunken nook full of gorgeous children’s books and activities, and places to curl up and read. (It was beautifully full of kids, so I didn’t get an excellent photo).
There were also tables set up with coloring/activities for drop in, as well as a creative place space.
Down in The Corner, we found so many gorgeous books for kids to look at in various sitting spaces. It’s sort of the ultimate book nook. On the day we went (a Saturday), it was quite busy in The Corner, ahead of the children’s program. Tim Jackman clearly has an avid pre-school following for his Hickory Dickory Rock sessions.
While his clientele are the little ones, it was school holidays on the day we went, so there were a number of older siblings in attendance (including my Miss 6). Jackman cleverly pre-empted any distraction by the big kids by asking them to join him on stage to “help” the young ones with the songs. And so it was that Big Sister came to enjoy the toddler session possibly even more than her sister. It’s a charming session of mostly nursery rhymes (and bubbles – cannot forget the bubbles) in a beautiful, bookish space.
The Corner at the State Library of Queensland is open for drop in daily from 10a.m. – 3p.m. Hickory Dickory Rock runs Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 11a.m. (check their Facebook page for any updates). There are also rhyme time sessions and school holidays activities – full schedule on the website.
Queensland Performing Arts Centre
Also in the Cultural Precinct is the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC). There was not any children’s programming on when we were in town, but if you will be visiting Brisbane, it is worth checking their schedule of events. They host a full schedule of theatrical performances, both plays and musicals, family concerts, dance performances, and more.
We loved visiting Brisbane for a lot of reasons, and having high quality arts for kids so easily accessible was a big one!
Cover image credit via Creative Commons
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