Experience Gift Ideas for Kids this Christmas

Children and sharks have two things in common. One is a voracious appetite (ever seen a toddler dispatch a bowl of spaghetti in seconds?) The other is a surprisingly long memory. While sharks can be trained to recognise specific shapes or even get a snack, kids aren’t so easily entertained! So, how do you plan an exciting family day out the kids will remember forever?

 

The Gift That Keeps Giving

A Merlin Annual Pass is a gift for both kids and parents. Unlock 12 months of fun at 11 top attractions. Here’s the mind-boggling list of excellent adventures your family can access: SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium, LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre, Otway Fly Treetop Adventures, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, Madame Tussauds Sydney, Sydney Tower Eye, Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures, Kelly Tarlton’s SEA LIFE Aquarium Auckland, SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast, and WILD LIFE Hamilton Island.

Along with 12 month’s entry to our top attractions, you’ll also enjoy additional benefits, such as 25% off admission for family and friends, 20% off food and drink, 10% off gift shop purchases, 10% off Magic Memories photo items, invitations to exclusive preview events and discounts for Shark Dive, Penguin Passport and birthday parties. You can even bring a friend for free to SEA LIFE Nights.

 

Gift An Experience

There’s great value in gifting an experience. By ‘doing,’ kids learn about the amazing world they’re growing up in. An experience allows them to make new discoveries while encouraging educational development. A Merlin Annual Pass is a unique gift idea for children, from toddlers to teens, and you can use it rain, hail or shine.

 

Pleased To Sea You

Come and meet the incredible sea life at our SEA LIFE Aquariums in Sydney, Melbourne, Sunshine Coast and Auckland, New Zealand. Each experience is subtly different, with hundreds of marine species to help you discover the secrets of our reefs and ocean environments. Book your Penguin Passport at SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium, and meet our playful friends up close. Take the plunge with sharks and rays. Take a behind the scenes VIP tour with a marine biologist as your guide, and glide gently across the surface of our ocean exhibits in a glass-bottomed boat. Note that these activities are at additional cost to a Merlin Annual Pass, however, you'll get access to exclusive discounts as a passholder!

 

High Times

If thrilling adventure is your thing, then stop in at our exciting treetop adventure parks. There’s one in the Otway region, 3.5-hours from Melbourne (near the Great Ocean Road) and one in the Illawarra region near Sydney. The 600m Treetop walk at Otway is an incredible experience; 30m above the ground, it takes you through stunning scenery and enchanting old-growth forests – it’s breathtaking! At both locations, the Treetop walk is included in the Annual Pass, and you also get a discount on your Zipline experience. Another high point is the Sydney Tower Eye, where you’ll have an eagle’s view across the harbour city.

 

Bricks and Wax

At Madame Tussauds Sydney, you can pose for pics with stunningly lifelike figures of your favourite celebrities, and even record your hit song. Or get creative and deactivate your stress levels at LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre in Melbourne, where you’re free to play with unlimited bricks and ‘reconnect’ with your inner child. And don’t forget the wildlife waiting to meet you at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo and WILD LIFE Hamilton Island, home to the Aussie Big 5! That’s koalas, kangaroos, wombats, platypus and crocodiles, plus a whole cuddly bunch of your favourite animals.

It couldn’t be easier to purchase your Merlin Annual Pass, whether it’s for your family, or to give as a gift. If this is your first annual pass purchase, you’ll also receive the Merlin Rewards booklet, filled with discounts. Go here to purchase, then thank yourself for the next 12 months, as you and your family enjoy making new memories together.