In winter, Corin Forest Mountain Resort, a 50-minute drive south-west of the CBD, is blanketed with fluffy but not too fluffy snow – perfect for building snowmen and tobogganing. Hire a toboggan at the resort and try to time your visit for midweek to avoid the crowds (these snowy slopes are within easy reach of Sydney and Canberra). In summer, get your no-chill thrills on the Alpine Slide (ages two and up), which races through 1.2 kilometres of majestic mountain ash forest.

Fancy eating a psychedelic-looking mushroom stuffed with strawberry mousse and lychee jelly, served on edible “dirt”? How about a river of chocolate or a purple cheesecake? Taste weird and wonderful desserts at Willy Wonka’s Afternoon Tea at Space Kitchen in Phillip, a 10-minute drive from the CBD. There’s a four-person minimum for Willy Wonka bookings but kids can show up at any time for a Unicorn Hotcake with brightly coloured maple custard, ice-cream and fairy floss.

Canberra: Always more than you imagine. Start planning your trip today

The five-hour Wonders of Wildlife tour at Yarralumla’s National Zoo & Aquarium is your backstage pass to the animal kingdom. Stroke a rhino’s rough skin, hide breakfast for the sun bears and dodge licks from a giraffe’s 45-centimetre-long tongue at feeding time. Bring a fully charged camera and walk away with a stack of animal facts.

Canberra's culinary scene has never looked better. Follow the sweet, smoky smell drifting from a charcoal grill to the laid-back City restaurant Terra, where easy family dining doesn’t feel like eating at a play centre. “Our food is a good bridge between kids’ meat-and-chips and adult dining, with options that aren’t too challenging but are super delicious,” says co-owner Anthony Iannelli. If hot dogs and burgers are a must, head to East Lake’s Dairy Road precinct, where you’ll find the Brodburger food van at Capital Brewing Co., a carbon-neutral outfit with a play area and lawn games. To wind down, go to LESS, a sculptural public space created for quiet contemplation, just a short walk away.

Canberra: Always more than you imagine. Start planning your trip today

Questacon, the science centre where you’re supposed to fiddle with stuff, has been a holiday highlight since it opened in 1988. Kids can feel the full force of an earthquake and then defy gravity on the two-storey Free Fall slide. Queue early to catch one of the Spectacular Science Shows, which run multiple times a day. Want more? Get the Questacon Walks of Wonder app for a science-y guide to the nearby National Triangle.

Robbie and Titan, the money-making robots, help the team at the Royal Australian Mint in Deakin crank out up to two million coins every day. See them in action on a guided tour and, for $3, mint your very own shiny dollar (entry is free, as are guided tours). There’s also Mini-Minties, a monthly hands-on session for children aged three to five. Big kids can sign up for Mintventures (ages six to 12; runs during the ACT school holidays) to learn all kinds of trivia, such as what makes the animals on Aussie coins so special.

Note: the Mint will be closed to visitors from February to August 2024 while the building gets a makeover; a pop-up shop will operate at Canberra Museum and Gallery, located in Civic Square.

The Ultimate Guide to Canberra’s Coolest Neighbourhoods