The best cheap family activities in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs

The numbers on our receipts keep climbing, and our bank accounts keep shrinking. Look, I won't bang on about cost of living. We all know that things are tight right now. But here's the thing: Melbourne's eastern suburbs are brimming with affordable family adventures, and we're about to show you how to find them.

Get creative at Box Hill Community Arts Centre 

Box Hill Community Arts Centre is the gift that keeps on giving when it comes to free activities that stimulate the mind, fuel creativity, and provide endless fun on a budget. It offers a diverse range of workshops, term classes, and a pretty beefy school holiday program. Hot tip: head to the Creative Whitehorse website and filter events and workshops by 'free' — super easy to browse along with the fam and pick something fun for everyone.

Play all day at Croydon’s Lollipops Playland

Lollipops have locations all around Melbourne, and for good reason. They know how to show kids a good time, or rather, how to create a large and diverse space that fosters kids creating their own good times. Adults aren't left out either, with a cafe on-site with a front-row view of the giant play area, so you can enjoy the chaos and keep a watchful eye.

Here’s the best part — kids over 3 years old can play all day for just $13.90, while those under 3 years can do so for $11.90. If you can manage to go on a school day, both prices get knocked down by $2. Now, here’s where things get really enticing — adults enter for free. That’s right, nada. Not a bad way to spend the day.

Enter the Realm

Much like Box Hill Community Arts Centre, the Realm at Eastland Shopping Centre in Ringwood is home to a host of activities and workshops the whole family can enjoy for the cost of nothing at all. Storytimes, book clubs, writers groups, origami, colouring book club, movie sessions, board games, a dedicated Dungeons & Dragons club — there's something for everyone. Too often libraries get overlooked as sources of fun, so here's your sign to enter the Realm.

Hit the Knox Skate and BMX Park 

Skate parks have a bad rap for being hotbeds of teenagers lying in wait to make fun of any unsuspecting pedestrian who may wander too close. The reality is very different. Skate parks are welcoming places.. Depending on your family dynamic, you can let the kids do their thing while the adults enjoy a takeaway coffee from one of the nearby cafes — or chuck on a helmet and show the little ones how it's done. Either way, it's guaranteed fun and it won't cost you a dime.

Burwood Brickworks Rooftop Farm 

Here's an activity you might not expect: the Burwood Brickworks shopping centre has a 2500-square-metre rooftop farm open to visitors. It's a very cute space that blends sustainability with modern design, showcasing how food can be grown in urban areas. We're not just talking plants — up here you'll find working beehives, worm farms, and even a quail coop. You can wander the farm for free, and if you're feeling peckish, you can grab a snack at the rooftop café that uses produce grown on location.