Weekend Activities for Kids in Chennai (2026 Parents' Guide)
Updated 2026-10-12 · 8 min read · by the chennai2go team
The short answer for parents: on a normal weekend in Chennai, the planetarium and the Anna Centenary Library cover a rainy or hot day, Kalaignar Centenary Park and the beaches cover a cool evening, and Vandalur Zoo, DakshinaChitra or Wonderla fill a whole day. This guide lists the outings that work, with timings, closed days and the nearest station, plus how to find workshops and shows. For what is on this Saturday and Sunday, see our live kids and family events page.
Quick planner
| Outing | Area | Best age | Time needed | Timings | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birla Planetarium and science centre | Kotturpuram | 5+ | 2–3 hours | 10 am–5:45 pm | National holidays |
| Anna Centenary Library, children’s section | Kotturpuram | 4–14 | 1–2 hours | 8 am–8 pm | Major public holidays |
| Kalaignar Centenary Park | Cathedral Road | 4+ | 2–3 hours | Check before you go | — |
| Semmozhi Poonga | Cathedral Road | All | 1 hour | 10 am–8 pm | Tuesday |
| Guindy Children’s Park and Snake Park | Guindy | 3+ | 2 hours | 9 am–6 pm | Tuesday |
| Vandalur Zoo | Vandalur | 4+ | 4–5 hours | 8:30 am–5:30 pm | Tuesday |
| DakshinaChitra | ECR, Muttukadu | 6+ | 3 hours | 10 am–6 pm (7 pm weekends) | Tuesday |
| Wonderla Chennai | OMR, Thiruporur | 5+ | Full day | Check the park’s site | — |
Science and space
The B. M. Birla Planetarium on Gandhi Mandapam Road is part of the state’s Periyar Science and Technology Centre. The domed theatre, inaugurated in 1988, seats about 250 and runs sky shows at set times in English and Tamil. Around it are eight galleries, including physical science, energy, transport, life science and an international dolls and children’s gallery, with more than 500 exhibits. The centre is open from 10 am to 5:45 pm on all days except national holidays. Buy the show ticket first, then fill the wait in the galleries. Very young children can find the dark dome unsettling, so sit near an aisle.
The planetarium pairs naturally with the library a kilometre up the same road. Both are in our Kotturpuram guide.
Books and quiet time
The Anna Centenary Library is one of the best free things to do with children in any Indian city. It opened in 2010 with nine floors, and the first floor of one wing is a 15,000 sq ft children’s section designed for ages 4 to 14, with picture books, low furniture and activity corners. The library is open from 8 am to 8 pm and runs a summer programme called Kodai Kondattam, along with competitions and events through the year. Entry is free. It closes on major public holidays, including Pongal, Deepavali and Christmas.
Bookshops and cultural centres add storytelling sessions and puppet shows on weekends. We list them under kids’ events this weekend.
Parks and play
Kalaignar Centenary Park on Cathedral Road is the newest and the most popular. Opened on 7 October 2024 on 13.29 acres, it has a zipline, a walk-through aviary, a glass garden of rare plants and an evening musical fountain. Entry is ₹100 for adults and ₹50 for children, and each attraction has its own ticket, so decide in advance which ones matter. Go in the late afternoon and stay for the fountain.
Semmozhi Poonga, directly across the road, is a 20-acre botanical garden with shaded paths and a pond. Entry is ₹15 for visitors over ten, it is open from 10 am to 8 pm, and it is closed on Tuesdays. The two parks together make an easy half-day; Thousand Lights and AG-DMS metro stations are each about a kilometre away. Both are in our Cathedral Road guide.
The Guindy Children’s Park and Snake Park sit at the edge of Guindy National Park, one of the smallest national parks in India at about 2.7 sq km. Each has its own entrance and ticket on Sardar Patel Road, and both are open from 9 am to 6 pm except on Tuesdays. The Snake Park’s enclosures and talks suit children who like reptiles; the Children’s Park has animals, birds and play equipment under old trees. Guindy metro and Kasturba Nagar MRTS stations are the nearest.
The beaches are the free option. Elliot’s Beach in Besant Nagar is the calmer choice for small children, with ice-cream shops behind the sand. Do not let children into the water at either Elliot’s or the Marina: currents are strong and swimming is prohibited at the Marina.
Animals
Arignar Anna Zoological Park at Vandalur, universally called Vandalur Zoo, is a full day. It covers 602 hectares, about 32 km from the city centre, with large moated enclosures, a lion safari and a deer park. It is open from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm and closed on Tuesdays. Arrive at opening time, when the animals are active and the paths are cool, and hire a battery vehicle or cycles at the gate, because the full circuit on foot is long for short legs. Suburban trains run to Vandalur station from Chennai Beach, Egmore and Tambaram.
On the East Coast Road, the Madras Crocodile Bank south of Kovalam is a long-standing favourite for its crocodiles, turtles and snakes. Check its opening days and timings before you set out, and combine it with DakshinaChitra or Mahabalipuram.
Heritage that children enjoy
DakshinaChitra at Muttukadu works well for ages six and up. Eighteen traditional houses from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have been rebuilt on a ten-acre site, and children can watch potters, weavers and glass-blowers at work and try some crafts for a small extra fee. It is open from 10 am to 6 pm on weekdays and until 7 pm on weekends, and closed on Tuesdays. Entry is ₹200 for adults and ₹100 for children aged 5 to 15. Outside food is not allowed inside; there is a restaurant and an eating area by the car park. MTC buses 109, 588 and 599 stop about 200 metres away.
Mahabalipuram, further down the same road, turns history into climbing and exploring: the Pancha Rathas, the huge carved rock face of Arjuna’s Penance and the balanced boulder called Krishna’s Butter Ball. Go early; there is little shade. Our ECR weekend guide has the route.
In the city, the Government Museum in Egmore has a children’s museum, but its website currently lists the children’s gallery among those temporarily closed for renovation. Check before promising it. The museum is closed on Fridays.
Theme parks
Wonderla Chennai opened on 2 December 2025 near Thiruporur at the southern end of the OMR, on about 55 acres, with 43 rides at launch across thrill, family, children’s and water categories. Tickets are dated and priced differently for weekdays, weekends and peak days, so check the park’s website for current rates and height limits. Water rides require synthetic swimwear. Allow at least 90 minutes each way from central Chennai.
Closer in, the VGP parks at Injambakkam on the ECR are the older generation of Chennai amusement parks. In October 2026, VGP Wonder World had an evening ‘night theme park’ ticket listed from ₹499 covering dry rides, trampoline zones and the water park, for visitors aged three and above.
Malls and indoor play
When the weather is against you, the malls take over. Express Avenue in Royapettah has a children’s play zone and uses its atria for holiday carnivals; Phoenix Marketcity in Velachery and Nexus Vijaya Mall in Vadapalani have IMAX screens; and VR Chennai in Anna Nagar has open courtyards with weekend activities and a Sunday farmers’ market. Nexus Vijaya Mall is beside Vadapalani metro and VR Chennai is about ten minutes’ walk from Thirumangalam.
Workshops and shows
Weekend workshops for children run in studios across Adyar, Alwarpet, Anna Nagar and the OMR: art and pottery, baking, coding and robotics, theatre and dance. Before Navaratri and Pongal, look for golu-doll painting, kolam and pot-painting sessions. School holidays in April–May and late December bring children’s theatre, summer camps and winter camps. Check the age band on each listing, since most are designed for a narrow range such as 4–7 or 8–12. Current options are under workshops and on the indoor things to do page.
Picking by age
| Age | Good bets |
|---|---|
| Under 4 | Elliot’s Beach in the evening, Semmozhi Poonga, mall play zones, the library’s picture-book corner |
| 4–7 | Guindy Children’s Park, Kalaignar Centenary Park’s aviary and fountain, Vandalur Zoo with a battery vehicle |
| 8–12 | Planetarium and science galleries, DakshinaChitra crafts, Snake Park, Wonderla family rides, robotics workshops |
| Teens | Wonderla thrill rides, a surf lesson at Kovalam, Mahabalipuram, stand-up shows rated 16+ |
Practical tips for parents
- Tuesday is the trap. The zoo, the Guindy parks, Semmozhi Poonga and DakshinaChitra are all shut. On a Tuesday holiday, choose the planetarium, the library or Kalaignar Centenary Park.
- Plan around the heat. From March to June, keep outdoor outings to before 10 am and after 4 pm.
- Have a monsoon plan. Between October and December, heavy rain can arrive with little warning. The Kotturpuram pair of planetarium and library is the safest fallback.
- Carry water, caps and a change of clothes for parks with fountains and for the water rides.
- Book ahead on holidays. Kalaignar Centenary Park, Wonderla and the zoo all sell tickets online, which saves queueing with small children.
- Kaanum Pongal (17 January 2027) is the busiest day of the year at the zoo, the beaches and Mahabalipuram. Go on another day if you can.
For more ideas across the city, see our Chennai weekend guide and the list of free things to do.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I take kids in Chennai on a weekend?
The Birla Planetarium and the Anna Centenary Library in Kotturpuram, Kalaignar Centenary Park and Semmozhi Poonga on Cathedral Road, Vandalur Zoo, the Guindy Children's Park, DakshinaChitra on the ECR and Wonderla on the OMR are the dependable choices.
Which kids' attractions in Chennai are closed on Tuesday?
Vandalur Zoo, the Guindy Children's Park and Snake Park, Semmozhi Poonga and DakshinaChitra are all closed on Tuesdays. The Government Museum is closed on Fridays.
What can children do in Chennai when it rains?
The Birla Planetarium and its science galleries, the children's section of the Anna Centenary Library, mall play zones, IMAX films and indoor art, baking or robotics workshops all work on wet days.
Is the Anna Centenary Library free for children?
Yes. The library is free to enter and has a 15,000 sq ft children's section on the first floor for ages 4 to 14. It is open from 8 am to 8 pm and closed on major public holidays.
How much does Kalaignar Centenary Park cost?
General entry is ₹100 for adults and ₹50 for children. The zipline, aviary, glass garden and musical fountain show are charged separately.
Sources checked
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birla_Planetarium
- www.annacentenarylibrary.org/
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Centenary_Library
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalaignar_Centenary_Park
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semmozhi_Poonga
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guindy_National_Park
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliot%27s_Beach
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Beach
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arignar_Anna_Zoological_Park
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Coast_Road
- www.dakshinachitra.net/visit-Dakshinachitra
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DakshinaChitra
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_of_Monuments_at_Mahabalipuram
- www.govtmuseumchennai.org/
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_Museum
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonderla
- www.district.in/events/chennais-first-ever-night-theme-park-party-vgp-wonde
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Express_Avenue
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Marketcity_(Chennai)
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nexus_Vijaya_Mall
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VR_Chennai
- www.drikpanchang.com/festivals/pongal/thai-pongal-date-time.html?year=2027
Researched and written by the chennai2go editors. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
