Bali with a 9-Year-Old and a Toddler: What We'd Do (and What We'd Skip)

Why We Made This Bali List Before Going

As a Queenslander, I grew up with Bali just a few hours’ flight away. Friends, cousins, school mates: most of them have been at least once. I haven’t. In fact, none of us has been yet: not me, not Marty, and not the boys.

We came close when we were planning our time in Southeast Asia. Why we picked Chiang Mai instead is a story for our Chiang Mai vs Bali guide, and the honest trade-offs are in 7 Downsides of Living in Bali with Kids.

So this isn’t a “what we did” list. It’s the list we’d use ourselves. We built it from research and from what families in our groups share, then filtered it through what our boys actually love.

That part is easy to predict. Louie is nine, and he’d head straight for the waterpark. Leo is two, and he’s happy to follow along wherever his big brother goes. 😄 Most of our days on the road look like that: one kid choosing, one tagging along, and us looking for things that work for both.

You’ll notice some of Bali’s best-known animal attractions are missing. The island has plenty of zoos, animal parks and close-up wildlife encounters. We’d rather skip them, so they’re not on our list.

For the bigger picture on family life on the island, start with our Bali guide for nomad families. 🌴

The Short Answer

• With a toddler: Sanur’s beach and beachfront path, plus indoor play cafés like Peekaboo and Parklife.
• With kids aged about 7 to 12: Waterbom, surf lessons, snorkelling in Amed, Trans Studio and a Bali United match.
• Free: the Sanur path, the Campuhan Ridge Walk in Ubud, beaches and the big festivals.
• On rainy days: Trans Studio, bowling and trampolines at Finns Recreation Club, and indoor play centres.
• Before you plan anything: choose activities near your base. Traffic in Bali is slow, so a short distance on the map can take far longer than you expect. Our guide to the best places to live in Bali compares the main areas.

Living in Bali, Not Holidaying

Holiday lists assume you’ll do something big every day. When you live somewhere for a month or three, that falls apart fast. It’s tiring, it’s expensive and it leaves no room for school or work.

On longer stays, our rhythm is usually one bigger paid outing a week. The rest of the time it’s free or cheap things: the beach, a playground, a walk, the market. Bali suits this well, because so much of the good stuff costs nothing.

A few things make the island easier to live in, not just visit:

• Memberships instead of day passes. Finns Recreation Club in Canggu offers weekly, monthly and annual memberships, and Parklife has offered monthly passes too. Check current prices before committing.
• Regular classes. Dance, gamelan, surf and art classes run week to week, and they’re one of the easiest ways for kids to meet local and expat children. Our community in Bali guide covers where families connect.
• Childcare when you need it. Some play centres offer supervised sessions, and our schools and childcare in Bali guide covers longer-term options.
• One base, not five. A day trip across the island with a two-year-old is a very different thing to a day trip with a nine-year-old.

For how we fit learning around outings, see Homeschooling on the Move.

💦 Water Fun & Splash Zones

Waterbom Bali (Kuta)

Waterbom is Bali’s best-known waterpark, with big slides, a lazy river and shaded spots to rest. This is where Louie would want to start. With Leo, we’d stick to the smaller slides and shallow areas, and check age and height rules before booking. Go early, before the crowds and the heat.
🔗 Waterbom Bali website

Splash Waterpark (Canggu)

Splash is smaller and easier to manage with toddlers. It’s part of Finns Recreation Club, which also has the Bounce trampoline centre and Strike Bowling, so you can fill a whole day in one place.

Snorkelling in Amed and Pemuteran

Amed, on Bali’s east coast, has coral close to shore and is popular with beginners. In the north-west, Pemuteran has snorkelling from the beach, and boat trips run out to Menjangan Island in West Bali National Park. Conditions change with the weather, so ask locally before kids go in.

Bring reef-safe sunscreen, and see why we think the ocean makes a great classroom.

Surf Lessons (Kuta or Canggu)

Many surf schools run kids’ lessons on soft boards in shallow water. Look for small groups and instructors who are used to teaching children. It’s a better fit for Louie’s age than Leo’s.

🌿 Outdoors and Cycling

Cycle Sanur’s Beachfront Path 🚲

We cycle wherever we can, and Sanur’s beachfront path is the best family cycling we’ve found in our Bali research. The dedicated path runs about 5 km along the shore, and the wider promenade continues beyond it. Motorbikes and cars aren’t allowed on the main path, which is rare in Bali.

Bikes are easy to rent along the beachfront, and some places have child seats. That’s how we’d do it: Leo on the back, Louie on his own bike, and a stop for a fresh coconut halfway. Go early, before the heat builds.

Campuhan Ridge Walk (Ubud)

This free, paved walk runs about 2 km along a green ridge, starting a short walk from central Ubud. It’s easy enough for most kids. Go at sunrise or late afternoon, because midday is hot. With a toddler, we’d bring a carrier.

Bali Treetop Adventure Park (Bedugul)

Set in a cool mountain forest, this ropes course has zip lines, balancing ropes and swinging bridges at different heights. It suits adventurous older kids best. Check the minimum ages and heights for each course before you go.

Bali Butterfly Park (Tabanan)

A shady garden where you can watch butterflies up close, plus an insect room. It’s a short, gentle outing that works well with little ones.

Rice Field Walks (Ubud, Sidemen and Jatiluwih)

Walking through the rice fields is one of the simplest outings on the island. Go early, take water and hats, and stick to clear paths, because the edges between paddies can be narrow and slippery.

Sanur and Jimbaran Beaches

Sanur’s reef keeps the water calmer than on Bali’s west coast, which makes it easier with small children. At low tide the water goes a long way out, so check tide times if you want to swim. Jimbaran’s wide bay is a relaxed spot for an evening on the sand.

🎨 Culture, Creativity & Learning

Balinese Dance for Kids

Some studios in Ubud and Sanur run dance classes for children. It’s a lovely way to learn about Balinese culture through movement and music, especially on a longer stay.

Gamelan Music

Gamelan is Bali’s traditional percussion orchestra, built around bronze gongs and metal xylophone-style instruments. Some teachers and cultural centres offer lessons for families. Ask in local community groups to find one near your base.

Cooking Classes for Families

Kids can grind spices, chop vegetables and taste as they go. Pemulan Bali Farm Cooking School is on an organic farm in Taro, about 30 to 40 minutes north of Ubud, and it runs a vegetarian class. As a vegetarian, this is the one I’d book.

Lobong Culinary Experience is another option, but check current details. Our vegetarian travel with kids guide has more ideas.

Tirta Empul Temple

Tirta Empul is a sacred water temple, not a swimming spot. Everyone wears a sarong and sash, and the purification ritual (melukat) follows a set order with offerings and prayer. It’s a good chance to talk with kids about respect in someone else’s holy place. With a toddler, we’d watch rather than join.

Tanah Lot

This sea temple sits on a rock just offshore and is most famous at sunset, when it gets very busy. Go a little earlier if you want space for the kids to move around.

🪁 Festivals and Football

Bali Kite Festival

Every July or August, giant traditional kites fill the sky over Sanur’s beaches. Village teams build and fly them, and some are so big they need a whole crew. Dates depend on the wind and are often confirmed late, so check closer to the time. This is high on our list for Louie.

Ogoh-Ogoh Parade and Nyepi

On the night before Nyepi, the Balinese New Year, villages parade huge papier-mâché demon figures called ogoh-ogoh through the streets. In 2027, Nyepi falls on Monday 8 March, so the parades are on the evening of Sunday 7 March.

The next day, the whole island stops. Nyepi is the Day of Silence: no going out, minimal lights and noise, and even the airport closes. With kids, it’s worth planning ahead. Stock the fridge, download films and explain it beforehand. Louie would find it fascinating. Leo may have opinions about staying inside all day. 😅

A Bali United Match ⚽

Louie loves football. FC Barcelona is one of his favourite teams, so a local match was always going on our list. Bali United plays in Indonesia’s Super League at the Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium in Gianyar. Fun fact for Marty: the head coach, Johnny Jansen, is Dutch. 🇳🇱

Tickets are sold through the official Bali United app, and big games can sell out. Crowds are loud and passionate, and flares have been let off at matches, so we’d sit away from the supporters’ ends and bring ear protection for Leo.

🧗‍♀️ Rainy Day Fun Indoors

The wet season runs roughly from November to March. These are our backups for the days when the sky opens. Our month-by-month travel guide helps with timing.

Trans Studio Bali (Denpasar)

This indoor theme park sits inside Trans Studio Mall in Denpasar. It has family rides, go-karts, iFly indoor skydiving and a Boomerang roller coaster. Rides have height limits, so check them before promising anything to a nine-year-old.

Bounce and Strike Bowling (Canggu)

Both are part of Finns Recreation Club. Bounce is an indoor trampoline centre and Strike is a ten-pin bowling alley, so they pair well for high-energy kids on a wet afternoon.

Play Cafés and Indoor Play

Peekaboo (Sanur) is an indoor and outdoor play café for babies and kids up to about 10. Parklife (Canggu) has a toddler room and an indoor play area called the Mad House, plus a garden and café.

Mookiland (Kerobokan) is one of the biggest playgrounds on the island, with outdoor and semi-covered play.

Paradiso Cinema (Ubud)

Paradiso is a relaxed cinema with sofas and food service, sharing a building with a vegan café. Check it’s still running and what’s showing before you go.

🧳 Weekend Trips Away from the South

Nusa Lembongan

This small island is about 30 minutes by fast boat from Sanur. There are very few cars: most people get around by scooter or golf buggy, and small trucks act as taxis. Families come for the beaches, snorkelling and boat trips to see manta rays off nearby Nusa Penida.

Munduk

Swap the beach for cool mountain air, coffee plantations and walks to waterfalls. Some waterfall trails are steep and slippery, so choose easier ones with younger kids.

Sidemen Valley

Sidemen is known for rice terraces, songket weaving and a slower pace than the south. It’s a calm place for a quiet weekend.

Lovina

On the north coast, Lovina has black-sand beaches, fewer tourists and hot springs nearby. It’s a long drive from the south, so it works better as a few nights away than a day trip.

Pemuteran

Pemuteran is a quiet north-west village with snorkelling from the beach and boat trips to Menjangan Island. It’s a good base for families who love the water.

Want to go further? Our Beyond Bali guide covers more of Indonesia.

🧭 Planning Tips for Bali with Kids

• Traffic decides your days. Plan around your base, not the map.
• Heat: do outdoor things before 10am or after 4pm.
• The tourist levy: IDR 150,000 per person, children included, paid once per trip. Pay only through the official Love Bali portal.
• Monkeys and rabies: macaques at temples like Uluwatu can bite or grab. Talk to your doctor about rabies vaccination, and see our travel vaccinations guide and staying healthy in Bali guide.
• Prices change often. We haven’t listed entry fees on purpose. Check current details before you go.
• Insurance: check that your family policy covers activities like surfing and snorkelling. Our health insurance guide explains what to look for.

Bali with Kids: FAQs

What’s the best area in Bali for families with young kids?

Sanur is the one we’d look at first. It has calmer water, a flat beachfront path and a slower pace. Ubud suits nature-loving families, and Canggu has the most kids’ venues but also the most traffic.

Is Bali good for toddlers?

For activities, yes: beaches, play cafés and gentle walks. Getting around is harder. Footpaths are often broken or missing, so a carrier works better than a pram in most places.

What can kids do in Bali when it rains?

Try Trans Studio Bali, bowling and trampolines at Finns Recreation Club, or indoor play centres like Peekaboo, Parklife and Mookiland. The wet season runs roughly from November to March.

What are the best free things to do in Bali with kids?

Sanur’s beachfront path, the Campuhan Ridge Walk, the beaches, and festivals like the Kite Festival and the Ogoh-Ogoh parade.

Why aren’t zoos or animal parks on your list?

We’ve chosen to leave out zoos, animal parks and close-up encounters with animals like elephants, orangutans and dolphins. The island has many of these attractions, and every family can make its own choice. They’re just not part of ours.

What happens on Nyepi with kids?

Everyone stays in their accommodation for 24 hours, with minimal lights and noise. The airport closes too. Plan food, films and quiet games, and go to an Ogoh-Ogoh parade the night before.

Can kids go to a Bali United match?

Yes, but expect loud crowds. Buy tickets in advance through the official app, sit away from the supporters’ ends and bring ear protection for little ones.

Do kids pay the Bali tourist levy?

Yes. It’s IDR 150,000 per person, including children, paid once per trip. Pay only through the official Love Bali portal.

Our Takeaways

Bali makes it easy to fill a week with things kids love. The trick, if you’re staying longer, is not filling every week.

If we go, our plan is simple. Base ourselves in Sanur, cycle the path most mornings, and save the big days for the waterpark (Louie’s pick), a kite festival and a Bali United match. Leo will come along for all of it, probably asleep on someone’s shoulder by the end.

Thinking about a longer stay? Our Bali cost of living guide and family accommodation guide are the next places to look.

We haven’t done any of this yet. When we do, we’ll come back and tell you what worked and what didn’t. 🌴