Activities For Teens on the Gold Coast

If you want to show teens a good time on the Gold Coast (plus win some cool parent cred in the process) read on. We've scoured the streets, parks and coastline to come up with the ultimate list of activities for teens to try. You're welcome!

But first, hit Harbourtown

We all know teens love to shop, but head to Harbourtown Premium Outlets and your hip pocket won’t be hit so hard. With outlet bargains across clothing, surf, sportswear, footwear, beauty and even designer brands, they can stock up on sporting favourites from Nike, Adidas, Converse and New Balance or hit the surf and skate shops for a haul of discounted boardies, bikinis, kicks, and caps. Make a day of it with a trip to the movies by treating them to a stadium seat at Readings Cinemas where the latest movies, mega wall-to-wall screens and the very latest in sound will blow their minds. 

Give them wings at iFLY

When it comes to flying, there's nothing better than using your own wings, so enlist them for flight training at iFLY's a state-of-the-art wind tunnel. Expert instructors will guide them on all things aerodynamic with pre-flight training, correct use of gear and give them the all-important encouragement to fly sky high. At a fraction of the cost of skydiving - join them and make it a family flight. 

Get your skates on at Pizzey Park

As one of the best skate parks in the state, Pizzey Park Skate Park rolls out over 4800 square metres specifically designed for skating. Bring the skateboards, bikes, roller-skates and scooters and, because whatever their choice of wheels, there’s park and street elements to tackle. And if you’ve got some budding teen skate pros - sign them up for some lessons with some of the best instructors in the world working alongside athletes aspiring to reach Olympic level.  

Embrace their inner Vikings at Maniax

For a teen activity on the Gold Coast with a twist, get them down to Maniax Axe-Throwing for a session where they'll be hurling hatchets like a Viking in no time. A team of axe-perts will show them how it's done so they can challenge their mates to a throw-down. With more axes than you can…well, swing an axe at, teens aged 13-17 are welcome, but they’ll need to have an adult present, so why not throw yourself into some axe-throwing action too? 

TreeTop Challenge

Soaring 70 metres high into the forest canopy in Mount Tamborine, a circuit of ropes, beams, nets, wires and zip lines will encourage teens to push themselves further, navigating a course ranging from beginner green level right through to an expert black. With over 120 challenges and 10 zip lines, Treetop Challenge will give teens a workout, along with the kind of thrill that will have them smiling wide all day.

Escape the Escape Rooms

Get their pulse racing and adrenaline pumping with 60 minutes on the clock to solve puzzles, untangle riddles and open locks in a series of rooms before they can ‘escape’. Working in teams, teens have a choice of 6 rooms to conquer, but must find hidden clues, overcome cryptic challenges and work around obstacles before time runs out. For brave souls aged 15 and over, there’s scary fright rooms too - to take thrills up a chilling notch.

Holey Moley just hits different 

Holey Moley is mini golf’s cheeky sibling. A multi-sensory 18-hole course designed with hilarious surprises in mind. Teens will love dedications to pop culture, sassy Donald Trump tributes and a nostalgic wink to the '80s and ‘90s. Add bowling to the mix also with Strike Bowling stationed right alongside, or if belting out some tunes is more your teens' style, the karaoke room has their name on it. 

Give them a wake-up call

If chasing new thrills is their favourite adventure, GC Wake Park’s world-class water arena with cable skiing, wakeboarding and knee boarding night be one of the best rides of their lives. All gear can be hired (including mandatory helmets), and with expert instructors on hand, they’ll be airborne in no time. Less adventurous souls can still find some fun on the inflatable Aqua Park onsite, while mum and dad can chill in the fully licensed restaurant.

To Infinity and beyond!

Buzz Lightyear may be the original, but there’s a new Infinity in town that blows good old Buzz right out of the universe. Cue a 30-minute journey into a futuristic maze where 20 different environments filled with multi-sensory special effects, sounds and aromas create a mind-bending illusionary experience designed to go beyond the realm of infinity. Different worlds lead to bizarre and intriguing experiences that teens can explore at their own pace.

Jump to it at GC Aqua Park

Let them go nuts climbing, bouncing and jumping over 600 metres of inflatable obstacles in between leaping into the refreshing waters of the Gold Coast Broadwater at GC Aqua Park. Slides, ladders and jumping mats combine to connect one of the tallest and largest inflatable worlds in Australia. And because it’s more fun with friends, book 50-minute sessions together so they can share the hilarious slips and spills. 

Surf's Up

Sign your teens up to surf lessons at Currumbin Alley, one of the best beginner breaks on the Gold Coast. Besides friendly instructors, they’ll learn all about water and surf safety too and with a few tips, should be standing up on their very first lesson. Rashies, wetsuits and soft surfboards, are provided, so all they’ll have to do is turn up in their swimmers and be ready to carve up some waves. 

This list will make it easy to create an amazing holiday with teens in tow.. and we haven't even got started on the theme parks yet! For some handy hacks on how to make the most of your time at these meccas for fun, head to theme park hacks.