With school holidays just around the corner, it’s time to start planning the next two weeks of fun for the kids - and for you, too!
Whether you’re looking to take them on an adventure, get educational or just have a blast, we've rounded up a bunch of activities from around the country to do the trick.
Nationwide
Domino’s Pizza School
The whole family can join in on 45 minutes of learning how to make pizza from scratch, customising it with their fave toppings at Domino’s locations around the motu.
Hungry kiddos will get a ‘My Domino’s Box’ packed with a mini pizza and two sides for lunch, plus an apron and chef's hat to take away, so they can continue cooking up a storm at home.
When: Every Wednesday until the 9th of October, booking required.
Price: $10 per person.
Auckland
All Blacks Experience
Any young rugby fan can get the full All-Blacks experience in a 45-minute tour, learning about the team’s 120-year history, testing their own skills in training drills, and facing the players performing a mighty haka on a life-sized, realistic screen.
When: Any date, booking required.
Price: Family passes from $95 - kids under 5 get free entry.
Auckland City Council Events
The council’s offering a bunch of free artsy activities where kids can get creative, including a hands-on session sculpting their own garden gnomes out of clay at Te Toi Uku Crown Lynn.
When: Tuesday, 1st of October
Price: Free, may require booking ahead
There’s something for the teens too! The big kids can chill out at New Lynn Community Centre in a paint-and-sip session with non-alcoholic drinks and the promise of good vibes.
When: Wednesday, 9th of October, may require booking ahead.
Price: Free.
Auckland Museum
The whole family can head along for a night at Auckland Museum’s ‘Time Warp!’.
Dr. When and his assistant Dodo will be taking families on a time-travelling adventure through history to meet hunter-gatherers, learn some groovy dance moves, play traditional Māori games, and explore the Pacific using the stars.
When: Wednesday 2nd - Friday 4th October and Wednesday 9th - Friday 11th October.
Price: $40.
Rotorua
National Kiwi Hatchery
Kids and families who visit the hatchery can go 'behind the glass' for an up-close look at kiwi eggs, the hatching process, and fluffy newly hatched chicks - adorable!
These school holidays are right in the first half of the hatching season, so it seems like the timing couldn’t be beat to get up close and personal with some young kiwi chicks.
When: Any day between 9am and 2:30pm, booking required.
Price: Family pass $148 - Kids $30 - Adults $59.
Agrodome
Visit and feed all the cute baby animals at the Farmyard Nursery, ride in a tractor trailer, get involved in sheep-shearing, cow-milking and watch their talented pups show off their skills in a dog show.
With 26 different breeds of sheep and 10 breeds of cattle, plus alpacas, horses, goats, deer, and donkeys, there are enough farm animals to make Old Macdonald jealous.
When: Any day, booking required
Price: Family passes from $120 - Kids $25 - Adults $49
Wellington
Wellington Zoo holiday programme
Take the wild animals - ahem, kiddos - from their natural habitat to the zoo where they can spend their days among the wildlife.
The professional zoo keepers will take the kids off your hands from 8:30am - 4:30pm and they’ll spend the day doing activities like learning how to take care of (fake) animals in the Zoo triage clinic, becoming zoo keepers’ apprentices and exploring every corner the zoo.
When: 30th September - 11th October, booking required.
Price: $79 per day.
Te Papa School Holiday Events
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is giving a behind-the-scenes look into their production of ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream’, from warm-ups to rehearsals.
If you have an aspiring ballet dancer at your place, they can get their face painted, dress up and join in on some workshops to learn some moves from the pros.
When: Saturday 5th October - 10am - 3:30pm
Price: Free - $5 for workshops, booking required
Tamariki Toy Swap
Swap out some old favourites for someone else’s. Kids can bring 10 of their well-loved toys that are still in good condition and receive tickets to pick up 10 new additions to the toy box without having to spend a cent.
Te Papa says any toys left at the end of the day will be donated to the Koha Shed in Wainuiomata, so more kids can join in on the fun.
When: Tuesday 1st of October - 10am - 1pm.
Price: Free.
Christchurch
Christchurch Art Centre
Kid-friendly paint and sip sessions Paint & Sip Studio are putting on fun arts and crafts sessions for an hour and a half of creating a one-of-a-kind masterpiece from your own little Picasso.
The best part is they do all the clean up and you get a new artwork to hang on the wall at home.
When: Booking required for select kid-friendly sessions.
Price: $39.00 per seat.
Learning circus tricks
Get the whole family along to learn some new tricks, whether it’s flipping or tumbling in an all-ages circus class. I, for one, want to finally nail learning how to juggle!
When: Monday 7th and Wednesday 9th of October.
Price: Family passes from $40.
The Fudge Cottage decorating
If you’re brave enough to face the sugar rush, The Fudge Cottage is letting kids decorate fudge shapes with loads of chocolate, lollies, and sprinkles.
When: Wednesday 2nd - Wednesday 9th of October.
Price: $10 per shape.
Quail Island Pirate Hunt
If you’re looking for a bit of an adventure outside of the city, you and the kids can jump on a boat and set sail to Quail Island for a day of pirate hunting to find 6 hiding pirates on a map.
And what’s a pirate hunt without some treasure at the end? Every completed map will go in the draw for a family getaway in Akaroa - they’re calling it “a prize worth its weight in gold”.
When: Saturday 28th - Monday 30th September.
Price: $20 per person.
Dunedin
Dunedin Brick Show 2024
If you’re not familiar with the annual Brick Show, it’s a two-day event of all things Lego!
They’ve set up a car racing ramp, an interactive garden, and tile-making sessions and are ready to show off a bunch of talented Lego artists from around NZ.
When: Saturday 5th - Sunday 6th of October.
Price: Family passes from $15.
Pyjamarama
Tūhura Otago Museum is asking everyone to get into their PJs and bring a torch for a spooky night of games, challenges, crafts and stories in the museum.
Here’s hoping none of the old artefacts come to life as it gets dark outside!
When: Friday 25th of October - 6pm-8pm.
Price: $3 per person, booking required.
So, what will you be heading along to?
