Playbound Partners
ArtPlay
At ArtPlay, children are the drivers of their own creative adventures! With the guidance of artists, children (babies to 13) playfully explore how to express themselves through the arts. The program ranges from workshops, exhibitions, events and performances at Birrarung Marr city venue or online. Over 20 years, children have flocked to ArtPlay to explore themes ranging from climate crisis to what Melbourne may sound like in 100 years’ time. The creative experiences encompass many and varied art forms such as drawing, theatre, animation, sound-making and sculpture, to name a few. Look out for ArtPlay’s different program streams such as By Kids, For Kids where the creative ideas are led by the children and New Ideas Lab where adult artists collaborate with children and families to make new experiences for their peers to enjoy.
Family & Children Services at City of Melbourne
Our vision is to create a nurturing and empowering environment where every family and child thrives. We envision a community where families receive comprehensive support, where children are provided with opportunities to reach their full potential, and every individual feels valued and respected. Through collaboration, innovation, and dedication, we aim to build strong foundations for families, ensuring their well-being and success for generations to come.
For more information on all our services and programs see our websites:
City of Melbourne Libraries
City of Melbourne Libraries has seven libraries and two toy libraries, located in the CBD, Carlton, Docklands, East Melbourne, North Melbourne, Southbank and narrm ngarrgu Library and Family Services in the Queen Victoria Market precinct.
Our libraries are anchor points for our community. They connect local people, organisations and services by providing spaces to meet, offering programs that bring together people with similar interests, and providing access to local information. These services foster a sense of community belonging.
City of Melbourne Libraries provides programs for children and young people, including sessions for babies and toddlers, pre-schooler storytimes, school holiday programs, homework and after school clubs, all of these experiences create a love of live long love of books.
Melbourne Recital Centre
As part of the commitment to growing a lifelong engagement with music, Melbourne Recital Centre values the important role music plays for young families. Not only is participating in music fun for children, it also provides cognitive benefits that support a child’s early development. With weekly musical adventures, annual festivals for young maestros, and Relaxed Performances for children and audiences with sensory sensitivities, Melbourne Recital Centre is the perfect place for mini-music lovers and their families.
Museums Victoria
Museums Victoria is the largest museum organisation in the southern hemisphere, home to three museums – Melbourne Museum, Immigration Museum and Scienceworks – as well as IMAX Melbourne, a leading museum-based research institute and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building. Through transformative experiences, storytelling, collections and learning, people encounter wondrous discovery and trusted knowledge that compels them to act for a thriving future.
Early years learning is a cornerstone of Museums Victoria’s mission, informed by detailed and robust learning theories and specially designed museum spaces that cater to children's educational and developmental needs. Through our commitment to early childhood education, we strive to provide enriching experiences that lay the foundation for lifelong learning and curiosity.
As the custodian of more than 15 million collection items, Museums Victoria traces the natural, social and cultural records of the Australasian region. Cultivated over nearly two centuries, this invaluable collection enables nationally and globally significant research in support of our broader vision to help people better understand – and advocate for – the world we live in. Our natural history collections are especially vital to scientists shaping conservation strategies through research tracing the impacts of our changing environment on biodiversity.
Road to Zero
Road to Zero is a world leading road safety experience at Melbourne Museum. Developed by the TAC in partnership with Melbourne Museum, Road to Zero features the latest visual and digital technology to show the community how Victoria is moving towards a future where every journey is a safe one.
Road to Zero draws on decades of TAC research, and was co-created with road safety and education experts to help explain how we can prevent crashes and protect road users such as drivers, passengers, pedestrians and cyclists. Large-scale projections, interactive touch screens and virtual reality reveal the science of road safety and why human bodies aren’t built to survive major impacts.
For a thought-provoking experience, relevant to everyone who wants to make our roads safer, visit Road to Zero where entry is free and is open to the public year-round.
Gowrie Victoria
For over 80 years, Gowrie Victoria has been a champion for quality early learning. We are known for demonstrating quality and the place where generations of teachers and educators have come to observe, learn and be inspired. Gowrie is a non-profit organisation. Our belief in children as strong and capable citizens drives everything we do and we place children at the centre of our programs and practice. At our six services located in diverse communities across Melbourne, we celebrate the natural environment and our programs enable children to be active in the community and connect with the natural world around them.
