Family Activities in The Basin
Parks, playgrounds and things to do with kids in The Basin, Victoria
📍 The Basin · east
chris's hotdogs
This hotdog van in The Basin offers a family-friendly spot for takeaway or casual dining with tables and shade. The menu includes hotdogs with a variety of toppings, steamed dumplings, drinks, and fun gift items like face mugs.
📍 The Basin · east
the basin bakery
The Basin Bakery offers a wide range of sweet and savoury baked goods, plus fresh bread and rolls to take home. Choose from pies, pastries, sandwiches, donuts, and more, with seating out front or nearby picnic spots.
📍 The Basin · east
1 in 20 cafe
1 in 20 Café in The Basin. Sitting right by the park in the Basin Triangle, this spot is super kid-friendly with indoor and outdoor seating and relaxed, feel-good vibes. The menu is stacked with brunch favourites, sweet treats in the window, and solid kids options (the bacon and eggs were a hit), while Mamma’s pick is the souvlaki bowl. Bonus points: it’s licensed, so if coffee isn’t the vibe, grab a wine or a locally made gin, rum or Bayswater-brewed beer and settle in.
📍 The Basin · east
doongalla picnic ground
Doongalla Homestead Picnic Ground is a peaceful and picturesque spot tucked away in the Dandenong Ranges, where the stone steps of a once-grand 32-room mansion (built in 1892 and lost to fire decades later) now lead to a beautifully maintained picnic area that feels calm, quiet and a world away from the crowds of the nearby 1000 Steps. True to its meaning, “place of peace,” Doongalla offers flat grassy spaces perfect for picnics and little legs to roam, stunning trees, sweeping mountain views and well-kept gardens that delight toddlers and adventurers alike, with two picnic levels connected by steep-but-manageable walks and nearby bush tracks like the Stables Track for those keen to explore a little further.