Auckland Council is proud to support Play Week Aotearoa from 6 – 12 November, and encourages tamariki, whānau and communities to get out and play!
The Sport NZ-led initiative celebrates the value and importance of play. Play contributes the largest number of physically active hours for five to eighteen year olds on a weekly basis, and a child’s earliest physical experiences are through play.
This year’s theme ‘Play is Everywhere’ promotes the importance of finding new and creative ways to engage in play, whatever your environment.
Auckland Council’s Play Advocacy Advisor Jacquelyn Collins is passionate about promoting ways for children to safely play in medium-to-high level density housing.
“Auckland Council’s Local Boards are committed to supporting their communities to enjoy the city playfully – playgrounds are amazing spaces, but they should be a starting point for play, and not the only place for play!”
“Play Week is a great opportunity for families to get out and explore their backyards and their wider neighbourhoods to look for unexpected places to engage in play.”
Get your hands dirty
Get outdoors and explore our local parks and reserves with a Wild Families Nature Play session in Flat Bush with Craftlab NZ, thanks to Out and About and Howick Local Board. Set up a hammock village or make cabbage tree dolls from fallen leaves – it’s time to get creative with nature!
Or if you’re out West, don’t miss adventurous nature play sessions in Henderson to bring out the inner child in all of us, supported by Henderson-Massey Local Board. Bring the whole whānau along to explore the bush, trees and grassy spaces at our local parks and reserves.
Learn more about how we can look after our planet with JUNK PLAY ‘Pop Up Adventure Playground’ in Takapuna for a unique and creative play experience made entirely from recycled materials! Together, we can design and create play spaces made from ‘loose parts’ otherwise destined for landfill, supported by Devonport-Takapuna Local Board.
Try something new
Take part in a special Circus in the Square in Takapuna, or Circus in the Parks in Hobsonville to play and learn circus skills like juggling, hula hoop, acrobatics, ribbons and spinning plates – supported by Devonport-Takapuna Local Board and Upper Harbour Local Board respectively.
Join a free boys’ and girls’ skateboarding class in Flatbush with Young Guns Skate School! Suitable for beginners and intermediate skaters – all levels are welcome, and spare helmets and skateboards are available too – thanks to Howick Local Board. While Girl Skate NZ is holding a special skateboarding sessions for girls in Greenhithe and Henderson, proudly supported by Upper Harbour Local Board and Henderson-Massey Local Board respectively.
Or enjoy an after-school kite flying session in Pakuranga hosted by Out and About, thanks to Howick Local Board; or take part in an after-school play event supported by Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board.
Head to an old favourite
Auckland Council Libraries are a great space for children to learn and play. Reading, listening to stories, doing puzzles and building with Lego are all forms of play that nurture language development and fosters a love of reading.
This Play Week bring your babies, toddlers and tamariki along to some playful programming with sessions taking place at libraries across Tāmaki Makaurau.
Check out the Auckland Council Libraries website to see what your local library is doing.
Whether it’s Wriggle and Rhyme (for 0–2-year-olds), Rhymetime (18 months – 3-years-old), Storytime (for 3-5-year-olds), or lego club (primary school aged children), there’s plenty on to inspire our tamariki.
Auckland Council is celebrating Play Week with a variety of playful events taking place across the week. Don’t miss your chance to join in the fun - check out all Play Week Events happening in your area of Auckland at playweek.co.nz.
