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20 things to do with older kids in Adelaide

First we had the ’80 things to do in Adelaide with kids’ guide, and now we have a guide for the older kids! Here are 20 things to keep them entertained.

If you have younger children, you may be familiar with our ’80 things to do in Adelaide with kids’ guide, however as the kids get older, doing family-friendly things becomes more challenging, as the tried and true activities fail to keep them entertained.

Luckily for families in South Australia, there is an abundance of incredible events, activities, and destinations suitable for older kids.

Adelaide Oval Roof Climb & Stadium Tour

Whether you choose a day, night or yoga climb, seeing Adelaide from the rooftop of Adelaide Oval is a unique experience.

Complete with a 90-minute climb experience, post-climb beverage, souvenir RoofClimb hat, achievement certificate, digital photo pack, and a seriously great mix of party tunes. There is no denying that this is an experience like no other.

ATV Tours

Kangaroo Island Outdoor Action hosts epic, off-road ATV tours, taking groups to deserted beaches and hard-to-reach viewpoints that many visitors don’t get to see. Depending on how game your family is, you can try out a family-friendly route, an adventurous all-terrain excursion, a beach ride, or a scenic sunset tour.

BBQ Buoys

BBQ Buoys are exactly what the title infers; for any occasion, you can ride these doughnut-shaped boats through the River Torrens and experience Adelaide from a new angle, with a group of friends.

Beyond Bouldering

If you’re into bouldering or rock-climbing, Beyond Bouldering might just be right up your alley. It’s definitely tough, but fun at the same time. Some of the courses are for experienced rock-climbers though, so keep to stuff that’s in your physical ability.

Chocolate making at the Barossa Valley Chocolate Company

Located in the Barossa Valley region, just outside Tanunda, the Barossa Valley Chocolate Company offers your older kids the opportunity to make some chocolate in their state-of-the-art chocolate kitchen. Suitable for ages 6-13, the Chocolate Company can host birthday parties where they’ll learn about chocolate, make their own custom chocolate creation to take home, play games and have lunch!

Dolphin Kayak Tours

The Dolphin Sanctuary Kayak Tours operate an eco-friendly tour up and down one of SA’s most beautiful waterways. You can give your teens the opportunity to view one of the oceans most playful and friendly creatures. Paddle past spectacular, abandoned shipwrecks through mangrove forests, all conveniently in a central Adelaide location.

Escaplex Escape Rooms

Escape rooms have become one of the best experiences to date, testing their participants’ knowledge and problem-solving skills. Escaplex Escape Rooms does not disappoint, with several rooms available to explore and escape.

Feeding the lions at Monarto Safari Park (among other activities)

If your teen has a keen sense of adventure, take them to the Monarto Safari Park to check out the 360 degree lion experience. See one of Australia’s largest lion prides in a jaw-dropping (and absolutely safe) encounter. Buy one of six lion feed packages and get even closer! Note, the minimum age for the Lion Feed is 10 years.

Flight Experience Adelaide

A little way north of inner Adelaide is Flight Experience Adelaide, an immersive flight experience in an exact replica of the Boeing 737’s cockpit. It’s a fully functional flight simulator with available instructors, so you get to know the ropes of aeroplane flight, like take-offs and landing.

IceArenA Ice Skating

Welcome to the coolest place in town! The IceArenA in Thebarton is Adelaide’s ice sports and recreational ice skating venue, open 7 days a week. While the ice skating arena does host ice hockey, figure staking, and broomball, it also hosts public skating, suitable for people of all ages.

The IceArenA also offers awesome birthday party options, as well as school, OSCHC, community and work group packages.

Jetty Journey with the Teens

Throw a fishing line off one of SA’s many jetties, and sit waiting patiently for the pull and tug from below the water’s surface. There’s jetties that stretch across the state to check out from the circular Whyalla jetty to one of SAs longest jetties located in Beachport.

Kingpin Bowling in Norwood

Kingpin Norwood is a great place to take the older kids if you’re stumped for ideas. With arcade games, 16 ten-pin bowling lanes, and laser tag arenas, there is bound to be something here to keep them entertained! A bonus for the parents as well is that Kingpin Norwood is equipped with a restaurant and full licensed bar.

Kuitpo Forest

Popular among today’s young population in the Adelaide Hills, the mountain bike-riding trails situated in Kuitpo Forest both offer a free, fun, and unguided experience to those who want more freedom in their adventures.

Mountain bike tours

Escapegoat Adventures offers small-group mountain bike tours in and around South Australia. Their regular day trips will give your older kids a taste of mountain biking and an opportunity to explore the SA countryside.

Sandboarding on Kangaroo Island or Eyre Peninsula

If your older kids are little aspiring sandboarders, you’re in luck! Lincoln National Park and Coffin Bay National Parks have designated areas where sandboarding can be performed without disturbing the natural environment of the dunes. The most popular sand surfing destination in SA is Little Sahara in Kangaroo Island.

The Shadow Initiation at the SA Museum

The Shadow Initiation is a part-escape room, part-scavenger hunt, part behind-the-scenes Museum tour. Facilitated by a tablet, the name of the game is to solve as many puzzles and tasks as possible within the one hour time limit… all in the attempt to prove that you are worthy of joining a mysterious, top-secret society: The Secret Order of Quill & Compass.

Swim with Dolphins at Glenelg and Kangaroo Island

Swimming with dolphins continues to be one of the world’s ultimate wildlife encounters, and SA is lucky enough to have plenty of locations to swim with them. For something central, Temptation Sailing hosts Glenelg-based dolphin swims. You can also experience swimming with dolphins at Kangaroo Island via Island Marine Adventures or Kangaroo Island Ocean Safari.

Swim with Sealions at Port Lincoln

One must-do if you ever visit Port Lincoln is to play with the ‘puppy dogs of the sea’, AKA the sealions! Sealions love interacting with humans, so the teens will love it. These sea puppies are not shy and will jump into the water to greet you.

TreeClimb

TreeClimb is a fun experience located just outside of the Adelaide CBD. Participants navigate their way through several courses and obstacles while attached to a zipline. This one’s a must-do in Adelaide, having opened only a few years ago, but with so much to do.

West Beach Adventure

West Beach Adventure’s insane aerial structure seems almost like it was ripped straight out of a science-fiction book, but this is for real. Metres high in the air, you can experience the giant swing, slide down a 20-meter drop, and navigate a winding obstacle course.

Have we missed your favourite? Email [email protected]

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