Dreading the school holidays? Never fear – with our quick guide to the best child-friendly activities in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, your little ones will have plenty of fun getting out and about during their break.
From puppet-making workshops to ice skating, there’s something for every child to enjoy.
Auckland
From September 25 – October 11, Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium is teaming up with LEGO ANZ to celebrate the new City Deep Sea Explorer range. There’s a treasure hunt to find the LEGO creations hidden amongst the marine life displays, giveaways, and plenty of LEGO in the activity room so your kids can let their imaginations run wild with their own sculptures.
It’s all about aliens these school holidays at the Stardome Observatory & Planetarium, where kids can colour in a huge alien landscape wall, watch a planetarium show, make an alien mask to take home and even watch a rocket launch.
The Auckland Libraries are running a variety of activities with workshops covering everything from how to make a robot to green screen play – click here for more info and to find the programme for the library nearest you.
Wellington
From September 26 – October 26, the Dowse Square in Lower Hutt will be home to a fully covered ice rink so your kids can skate away come rain or shine. Look out for themed days and other promotions!
On October 3, the Wellington Botanic Garden is hosting a special Kids’ Day Out, where children can take part in a scavenger hunt with prizes, watch an explorers’ parade and even a yoga session at the Soundshell. Click here for the full itinerary.
Capital E has your school holiday ideas sorted, with puppet-making workshops, a special virtual reality session in the MediaLab, and the theatre show Kiwi Moon, based on the classic New Zealand story by author Gavin Bishop. Find out more here.
Christchurch
The Christchurch Art Gallery is hosting clay lantern-making sessions from now until October 9. Click here for more information.
Science Alive! are running a variety of holiday programmes where kids can learn all about the stars and planets, robotics, computer science and engineering – click here for prices and booking information.
From September 26 – October 11, take your kids along to the activity-packed Tell Tale Trees Discovery Trail at the Christchurch Botanic Gardens. The event is free of charge and runs from 8.30am to 4.30pm.
