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Carlton, VIC Family Guide

Kids' activities, schools, parks and events in and around Carlton · updated 3 Oct

This guide brings together what AroundSchools lists for families in and around Carlton: 134 kids' activities within 5 km, 2 schools in Carlton, and parks and playgrounds.

Family Snapshot

Sports
Martial arts, Tennis, Other sports, Swimming, Gymnastics & cheer + 5 more
Kids' activities
Arts & dance, Tutoring & STEM, Kids' activities & play, Music, Yoga & wellbeing
Schools
2 in Carlton · 2 primary
Parks & places
3 parks · 15 verified playgrounds · 17 libraries · 3 public pools
Explore nearby
Carlton South, Abeckett Street, and Carlton North

What can families do in Carlton?

Martial arts37 within 5 kmTennis25 within 5 kmOther sports17 within 5 kmSwimming16 within 5 kmGymnastics & cheer15 within 5 kmSoccer15 within 5 kmBasketball5 within 5 kmNetball5 within 5 kmFootball (AFL)3 within 5 kmAthletics2 within 5 kmArts & dance33 within 5 kmTutoring & STEM27 within 5 kmKids' activities & play11 within 5 kmMusic6 within 5 kmYoga & wellbeing6 within 5 km

Sports & local clubs around Carlton

Martial arts around Carlton

37 listed within 5 km of Carlton · 1 in Carlton

Ipoh Jaya

Carlton

Karate
ParkingCafé nearby

In Carlton

Blue Moon Bar

Melbourne

Karate
ParkingCafé nearby

0.8 km from central Carlton

Kbox

Melbourne

Karate
ParkingCafé nearby

0.8 km from central Carlton

All martial arts in Carlton (1) →
See all 37 within 5 km

Tennis around Carlton

25 listed within 5 km of Carlton · 1 in Carlton

Carlton Gardens

Carlton

ParkTennis
PlaygroundPicnic tablesSports courts / fields

In Carlton

University of Melbourne-Parkville

Parkville

Tennis
ParkingBBQ facilitiesSports courts / fields

0.9 km from central Carlton

Tennis Australia

Melbourne

Tennis
ToiletsParkingSports courts / fields

1.4 km from central Carlton

All tennis in Carlton (1) →
See all 25 within 5 km

Other sports around Carlton

17 listed within 5 km of Carlton

Apsis VR Melbourne

Melbourne

Play centreEvent EntertainmentAbseiling

1.7 km from central Carlton

Hardrock

Melbourne

AbseilingGymnastics

1.7 km from central Carlton

Holey Moley

Melbourne

Play centreGolfLanguage Learning

1.7 km from central Carlton

Not finding it in Carlton? Listed in East Melbourne (1 · 1.9 km), North Melbourne (2 · 2.5 km), Docklands (1 · 2.6 km)

See all 17 within 5 km

Swimming around Carlton

16 listed within 5 km of Carlton · 1 in Carlton

Carlton Baths

Carlton

Swimming
ParkingPicnic tablesWater play

In Carlton

Melbourne City Baths

Melbourne

Swimming
ToiletsParkingWater play

0.9 km from central Carlton

Melbourne Park

East Melbourne

BasketballSoccerAFL

1.9 km from central Carlton

All swimming in Carlton (1) →
See all 16 within 5 km

More sports

All sports listed in Carlton →

More things to do around Carlton

Arts & dance around Carlton

33 listed within 5 km of Carlton · 1 in Carlton

Carlton Arts Centre Pottery School

Carlton

Art Centre
ParkingBBQ facilities

In Carlton

Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute

Carlton South

TutoringMathsAdventure & Camping

0.3 km from central Carlton

Blak Pearl

Fitzroy

Art CentrePaintingPottery

0.8 km from central Carlton

All arts & dance in Carlton (1) →
See all 33 within 5 km

Tutoring & STEM around Carlton

27 listed within 5 km of Carlton · 3 in Carlton

Bonjour Babies (Carlton VIC)

Bonjour Babies (Carlton VIC)

Carlton

FrenchLanguage Learning

In Carlton

CIS - Centre of Italian Studies

CIS - Centre of Italian Studies

Carlton

Language Learning
Parking

In Carlton

Apex Tuition Australia

Apex Tuition Australia

Carlton

Learning CentreTutoring

In Carlton

All tutoring & stem in Carlton (3) →
See all 27 within 5 km

Schools in and near Carlton

Levels as each school is registered; distances are straight-line from central Carlton.

Government school zones covering central Carlton:

Carlton Gardens Primary SchoolUniversity High School

Parks, playgrounds & community places

Within 3 km (pools 5 km). Features shown only where verified.

Playgrounds (verified features)

  • Atherton Gardens Reserve · Fitzroy · 0.9 km Sports courts / fields Playground Toilets Parking
  • Condell Reserve · Fitzroy · 1 km Sports courts / fields Playground Toilets Parking
  • Corporation Reserve · Fitzroy · 1.3 km Playground Parking
  • Curtain Square · Carlton North · 1.4 km Toilets Sports courts / fields Playground Parking

Libraries

Public pools

Sports grounds

  • University Square · Carlton · 0.9 km Parking BBQ facilities Picnic tables Sports courts / fields
  • South Lawn · Parkville · 0.9 km Parking BBQ facilities Sports courts / fields
  • Robot Playground · Melbourne · 1.4 km Toilets Parking Sports courts / fields
  • Crawford Oval · Carlton North · 1.4 km Sports courts / fields

Parks

How Carlton compares with nearby suburbs

  • Carlton

    Tutoring & STEM 3, Martial arts 1, Tennis 1, Swimming 1 +1

    2 schools · 3 parks

  • Carlton South0.3 km · same council

    Arts & dance 1, Kids' activities & play 1, Tutoring & STEM 1

    0 schools · 0 parks

  • Abeckett Street1.1 km · same council

    Arts & dance 2, Gymnastics & cheer 1, Tutoring & STEM 1

    0 schools · 0 parks

  • Carlton North1.8 km · same council

    Tutoring & STEM 1, Soccer 1, Tennis 1

    1 school · 4 parks

  • East Melbourne1.9 km · same council

    Soccer 2, Football (AFL) 1, Arts & dance 1, Athletics 1 +8

    0 schools · 7 parks

  • Parkville2.1 km · same council

    Tennis 3

    2 schools · 6 parks

Each row counts only what is listed in that suburb itself; distances are between suburb centres.

Explore nearby family guides

Carlton South family guide · 0.3 kmAbeckett Street family guide · 1.1 kmCarlton North family guide · 1.8 kmEast Melbourne family guide · 1.9 kmParkville family guide · 2.1 kmFitzroy family guide · 0.8 kmSouthbank family guide · 2.5 kmNorth Melbourne family guide · 2.5 kmDocklands family guide · 2.6 kmCollingwood family guide · 1.2 kmKensington family guide · 3.6 km

Homes in Carlton

A summary. Each home’s page shows the schools and activities around it.

$1.69m

Median, houses

$360k

Median, units

Medians are of settled sales (2025-Q4). Source: Victorian Property Sales Report © State of Victoria (Department of Transport and Planning), CC BY 4.0

Carlton within City of Melbourne

7 of the council area’s 58 activity providers · 2nd of 12 suburbs by number of providers

City of Melbourne guide

Written with AI from AroundSchools listings (refreshed 28 Sept 2026) and the sources below — what we've listed, not everywhere nearby, and it may be outdated. General information, not advice.

Something wrong here? Tell us and we'll correct or remove it.

Carlton: where the CBD keeps its kids' activities

Carlton sits just north of the city grid, and much of what a family living in or near the CBD looks for is here rather than among the towers: a museum built for small children, pools, and classes that go well beyond sport.

For babies and preschoolers

The Children's Gallery at Melbourne Museum, in Carlton Gardens, is designed for babies to preschoolers, with a dinosaur dig, a discovery garden and a camouflage disco (What's On Melbourne). It is a rainy-day option within walking distance of most of Carlton.

Languages and learning

Language and learning classes are listed alongside the sport within 2 km of Carlton:

ProviderSuburbActivities
Apex Tuition AustraliaCarltonLearning Centre, Tutoring
Bonjour Babies (Carlton VIC)CarltonFrench, Language Learning
CIS - Centre of Italian StudiesCarltonLanguage Learning

Live from the AroundSchools directory — 3 of 41 kids' activity providers we list in Carlton · correct as at 28 Sept 2026

Dance, clay and performance

The arts and dance providers we list within 2 km:

ProviderSuburbActivities
Passion StudioMelbourneDancing School
Carlton Arts Centre Pottery SchoolCarltonArt Centre
Collingwood College Performing Arts CentreCollingwoodArt Centre
May Downs School of DanceMelbourneDancing School
Rio Dance StudioMelbourneDancing School

Live from the AroundSchools directory — 5 of 41 kids' activity providers we list in Carlton · correct as at 28 Sept 2026

Swimming: the season turns in October

Carlton Baths on Rathdowne Street has an outdoor pool and a heated outdoor toddler pool with an aqua playground. Its lessons for infants, preschoolers and school-age children run in the outdoor pool through the warmer months, starting in October (Carlton Baths swimming lessons). The pools we list within 2 km:

ProviderSuburbActivities
Carlton BathsCarltonSwimming
Fitzroy Swimming PoolFitzroySwimming
Melbourne City BathsMelbourneSwimming

Live from the AroundSchools directory — 3 of 41 kids' activity providers we list in Carlton · correct as at 28 Sept 2026

Holidays and a bigger decision

Victoria's Spring holidays on the government calendar run 19 Sept 2026 to 4 Oct 2026, and the Victorian school holidays guide has ideas for filling them. If you are weighing a move to Carlton, the catchment checker shows the government school zones for any address, and Carlton Gardens Primary is the government primary at the heart of the suburb. Or keep browsing: Carlton's language and learning listings and sport around Carlton.

How we checked

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Private School Scholarships in Melbourne: the 2028 Entry Calendar

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All kids' activities listed in Carlton

Grouped by kind; only listings whose address is in Carlton.