Rainy Day Fun for Families

You don’t want to brave the weather, but you still want to enjoy your time in the Margaret River Region. Thankfully there are lots of fun and family friendly places you can visit, no matter what the weather is like.

Here are ten awesome indoor activities the whole family can enjoy.

Located in the heart of Metricup, Wow Illusions is a must-see, must-do when visiting the region with (or without) kids. You’ll find incredible 3D art, a mirror maze, life size pin art and the world’s wackiest toilet and plenty more that’ll leave anyone visiting in a cackle.

Get ready to spend a curious day in the world of the weird and wonderful, then go on and fuel up with delicious cake and hot drinks, fruity ice cream, or blend your own muesli in the Gift Shop & Café. For kids and parents who aren’t afraid of a little rain, there’s the big outdoor playground to explore too.

There is so much to do at Country Life Farm in Dunsborough you could easily spend the whole day there. They have the biggest indoor play centre in the Margaret River Region with toys for babies and toddlers, play equipment for big kids, a TV, seating and complimentary tea and coffee for mum and dad. To use the play centre your kids must wear socks, if you forgot to bring some you can buy some cheap ones from the front counter.

There are a few attractions at Country Life Farm that are also undercover like the Dodgem Cars, Giant Bouncy Castle and Guinea Pig, Chicken and Rabbit petting shed.

Outside there many farm animals waiting to be pat and fed. On arrival you will receive a bucket of carrots and you can walk around at your own pace feeding Alpaca’s, Ponies, Goats, Sheep, Donkeys, Llama and more.

When visiting Country Life Farm it’s a good idea to dress like you are going to a farm, with flat enclosed shoes and clothes you don’t mind getting a bit dirty.

If you are looking to do something fun, interactive and educational with the kids bring them to Discover Deadly in Carbunup. They have over 40 different species including snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, goannas, a crocodile and more.

Definitely try to plan your visit around one of the reptile feeding sessions, or for the full experience book in to be a ‘Reptile Keeper For A Day’ and take part in cleaning, feeding, and handling some of their reptiles under the watchful eye of their experienced senior keepers.

This is a fantastic indoor activity that will have kids mesmerised while learning about our incredible native wildlife, and the barista-made coffee from the on-site café (open until 2pm) is very welcome by the adults.

The Margaret River Chocolate Company is one of the most famous and sought after attractions in the Margaret River Region. It is a chocolate lover’s paradise!

When you first walk in the tantalising smell of chocolate wafts into your nose and your eyes will widen at the sight of all the different kinds of chocolate of offer.

There are tables and shelves stacked high of every type of chocolate product you could imagine and a chocolate truffle cabinet. At the back of the building there is a viewing room where you can watch delicious sweet treats being hand made by the chocolate artisans.

The Margaret River Chocolate Company has an amazing café featuring chocolate fondue, mousse and other treats made with their luxurious chocolate.

Their legendary hot chocolates and baby chinos are made with chocolate drops that you stir into the warm milk. The café has meal deals for kids, high chairs and baby change facilities. Outside there is grass, room to run around and a small nature based playground.

Yallingup Galleries is situated on a beautiful 1.5 acre bush block of gum trees with many varieties of native plants and flowers. It is home to a wide range of bird life, marsupials, reptiles and insects; and a trail meanders its way from the car park around the perimeter and into the gallery.

They’ve recently opened their new outdoor sculpture trail, a trail filled with beautiful and interesting sculptures by Australian artists. This is definitely worth chucking your gum boots on and defying a little shower for, the glorious smell from the gum trees and native plants after a little rain only elevates the experience.

The Yallingup Maze is a great place to visit no matter what the weather is like.

Outside there is a large ever-changing maze, nature-based playground, traditional playground, bouncy castle, sporting equipment, a few unique smaller mazes and lots of room to run around.

Inside there is a heated Puzzle Café Restaurant featuring lots of fun and educational puzzles and games for people aged 0 – 100. These games and puzzles are unique and have been handpicked by the family that runs the Yallingup Maze. They come with instructional booklets and the friendly staff is happy to help.

This indoor gem is perfect for little ninjas between 1 to 12 years old who like to run, jump, throw, hang, spin, slide, and crawl in a huge play area! With a Soft Playground and Ninja Zone making up for some 500m2 of action filled space, Ninjas In Mocean is waiting with hours of endless fun for the entire family to enjoy.

The soft playground has a wave slide, tube slide, ball pit, trampoline, steppingstones, spin plate and a crawl tunnel, and a separate toddler area right by the cafe will keep the little ones happy.

The Ninja Zone has three specially made ninja rigs, testing their strength, balance, agility and coordination. This space is forever growing and changing with all your favourite obstacles – rings, cannonball alley, rope swings, peg board, ninja steps, wing nuts and cliffhangers, to name a few. They also offer before and after school classes for kids who would like to develop their ninja skills.

But perhaps the icing on the cake, parents and guardians are welcome to enjoy equipment with their kids or stay in the cafe with coffee, drinks and snacks at hand, all while the little ninjas tire themselves out.

We love going to the movies, especially on rainy days. The Orana Cinemas in Busselton is very family friendly and features movies for all ages, a full candy bar, a Mums & Bubs discounted ticket on certain days, an elevator and baby change facilities. Movie and pop corn, anyone?

You’ll find everything you need to keep the kiddos entertained at Origins Market, Busselton.

Their all-weather venue is perfect for families to gather, play and learn and there really is something for all ages. This is the market where kids can be kids, grown-ups can do adult stuff (such as drink coffee and taste wine) and everyone’s happy.

Rain or no rain, they host a variety of kids workshops (especially during the school holidays) focusing on cookie decorating, crafty fun, jewellery making and much more – just make sure to book in advance, a small token fee usually applies.

Throughout the year, kids can enjoy the awesome indoor nature-based playground for a clamber, massive artwork, watch the beehive and try to spot the Queen B, meet the face painting fairy on weekends, and all the gelato, cakes, sours boys and milkshake you can possibly imagine under one roof.

When the weather takes a turn the best thing to do is head underground. There are four different ‘show caves’ open to the public in the Margaret River Region, each with it’s own unique drawcards.

If you have older kids then Jewel Cave in Augusta is a great activity, and includes a one hour fully guided tour into the depths of the cave. Younger kids might prefer Ngilgi or Mammoth Cave, which are semi-guided and self-guided respectively.

For more information on each cave check out this blog post Which Cave is Best For Me.

Big4 Taunton Farm Holiday Park in Cowaramup is a fantastic place to stay while you are visiting the Margaret River Region. They have accommodation options ranging from camping & caravan sites to fully self-contained family sized chalets.

Their chalets have everything you might need, and so does the park facilities with a lovely playground and massive bouncy pillow. One of the major highlights during your stay will likely also the farm animal feeding, and roasting marshmallows over the campfire in true winter cosiness.