Sydney❜s Best Indoor Swimming Pools for Kids

Stuck indoors with the kids on a crazy hot day? Or a rainy day? Head to your local indoor swimming pool for a fun, low-cost, weather-proof kid's activity. Here’s our pick of the best in Sydney, be sure to check your suburb’s ellaslist Swimming Directory listings for more pools and learn-to-swim in your area.

City

Cook and Phillip Park Aquatic Centre located right in the middle of the city, this is easy to get to and well served by public transport. There is a decent sized children’s pool with a water slide and cute mosaic sculptures to swim around, plus a 33-degree heated baby pool that you can use when there are no classes going on (afternoons are best). Plus it’s right across the road from The Australian Museum so splash around then head to the museum for a few more hours of indoor fun. Read the review here. 

For more museum+swimming fun, plan a visit to the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre followed by the Powerhouse Museum next door. There’s a good-sized leisure pool, shallow at one end, excellent for babies, plus fountains and bubbles for the kiddies to play with.

Inner West

The Annette Kellerman Aquatic Centre is a great place to spend a rainy or hot summer day. There’s a fab toddler splash pool with fountains and water features to keep the littlies endlessly amused. Once you have worked up an appetite, stop in at the kid-friendly cafe next to the pool for a post-swim snack.

Leichhardt Aquatic Centre has six swimming pools which including two children’s pools – a shallow-heated indoor toddler pool and an outdoor mushroom play pool specifically designed as a kid's aquatic playground with a nice lawn area adjacent to it.

North Shore

Lane Cove Aquatic Centre - this place is great for families. The indoor leisure pool is really big and there are lots of fun water features (the fountain tunnel is a real favourite!). Parking is easy with a council carpark just across the road.

via Lane Cove Aquatic Leisure Centre

Willoughby Leisure Centre has a great big indoor kids pool which often has giant inflatable fun sessions-call ahead to see if the giant slides are up.

The Hornsby Aquatic and Leisure Centre has a heated leisure pool with zero depth entry leading into a walking zone and fun water features for kids, a two metre high enclosed water slide for children and heated, 10-metre by 25-metre indoor pool for learn-to-swim activities. There is also a creche!

Northern Beaches

The Warringah Aquatic Centre is the place to be on a rainy day. The indoor heated Olympic sized pool has a designated Fun & Splash area for the kids and when they are worn out, mum can drop them off at the excellent on-site creche and swim a few laps!

Source: Northern Beaches Council

North West

Head to Ryde Aquatic and Leisure Centre for loads of watery fun for big and small. Waterslides, wave pool (weekends and school holidays), bubble whirlpools, wading pools and rapid river are the main attractions here.

South Sydney/St George

Hurstville Aquatic and Leisure Centre is another great indoor pool for kids. With a nice sized indoor leisure pool with a slide and an onsite cafe and creche, it’s an easy place to spend a few damp hours.

via Hurstville Aquatic

Sutherland Shire

The Sutherland Leisure Centre is massive with heated indoor (outdoor pools), family fun areas, cafe, creche plus fitness facilities.

Greater West

Ripples Leisure Centre, St Mary’s has an indoor pool is heated all year round to a temperature of 29 degrees. The children’s area is such a big hit with its slide, water buckets, plus a mini spa for everyone to enjoy.

TOP PICK: Sydney Olympic Park is our ultimate favourite! It has the very best pool in Sydney with amazing water play areas, a whirlpool and a giant waterslide. The Olympic Park’s Aquatic Centre’s amazing Splasher's Water Playground will keep all ages happy for hours and there’s plenty of parking plus a couple of indoor cafes as well. Read the review here. 

The Springwood Aquatic Centre is more than just a leisure centre! With an amazing leisure pool with children’s beach area, a cute Noddy water car, a huge waterslide and turbo pool – the little ones will enjoy their splash-about for hours.