Summer days are here, and for tamariki that means hours and hours of uninterrupted play time. If you’re looking for some low-cost inspiration to suit kids of all ages, check out our round-up of cool places to go and things to do.
Māra hūpara at Te Pane o Mataoho / Te Ara Pueru / Māngere Mountain
There are playgrounds aplenty across the region, but the māra hūpara at Te Pane o Mataoho / Te Ara Pueru / Māngere Mountain’s Whānau Ātea (community gathering space) is special because it features traditional Māori play elements. There are tūpekepeke (upright logs for jumping practice), and wiwi wawa (grassed play mounds). It comes with a wheel-chair accessible carousel, a basketball court and a range of play elements. The playground’s colourful design was inspired by Uenuku, god of rainbows, with valuable input and context from local iwi Te Ākitai Waiohua.
The whānau ātea at Te Pane o Mataoho / Te Ara Pueru / Māngere Mountain includes a māra hūpara (traditional Māori playground) and a basketball court.
David Lange Park, Māngere
After you’ve played on the maunga, why not continue the fun by heading to the brand-spanking-new destination playground at David Lange Park. The orange, yellow and red playground – which is based on a story gifted by the Te Waiohua iwi – features trampolines, spinners and a double flying fox.
Waterview Reserve
There’s something for kids of all ages at Waterview Reserve. This expansive park includes a playground, waterplay area, basketball court, beach volleyball court and skateboard, BMX and scooter tracks. If it’s a hot day, head to nearby Point Chevalier Beach for an ice cream and swim to the pontoon.
Cool down while rolling by Waterview Reserve’s water play area.
Tūī Glen Reserve, Henderson
Kids love this playground because the tall triangular towers surrounded by trees make it feel like you’re in a treehouse. This is a great spot for older kids because there’s lots of climbing involved. They’ll also love the giant saucer-shaped swing and the flying foxes.
Hayman Park Playground, Manukau
Put Auckland’s tallest playground tower on your bucket list these school holidays. Hayman Park Playground’s four-storey tower will have your tamariki climbing to new heights then whizzing down the twisting and turning shining silver slides and crossing the four rope bridges. There’s also a nature playground and a dedicated area for toddlers.
Hayman Park playground in Manukau has fun tunnels to run through in its massive tower.
Silo Park, Wynyard Quarter
Experience summer in the city by bringing the kids downtown to play in this maritime-themed playspace with its sandy surface, shell-shaped structures and swings. Leave the car at home and take the train or bus into town. If you bring the kids’ scooters, they’ll love zooming around the smooth concrete paths of this pedestrian-only waterfront area – and they won’t get tired from walking!
Takapuna Beach Reserve Playground
Head to one of the city’s most beloved beaches and combine swimming and sandcastle-building with some playground action. There’s a tower with five slides, swings, a see-saw and a giant hamster wheel.
Explore rock pools
Become marine biologists for a day and explore the watery ecosystems within rock pools. Look out for starfish, sea anemones and crabs. Great spots to find rock pools include the southern end of Campbells Bay and Shakespear Regional Park. If you visit Tāwharanui Regional Park at low tide, you can climb up onto the rocky shelf where there are rock pools deep enough to swim in. Rocky surfaces can be sharp on your feet so make sure everyone’s wearing old sneakers or rubber-soled aqua shoes and remember to look in the pools but not touch.
Go rock pooling at Tāwharanui Regional Park and discover mini marine ecosystems - you might even spot an octopus!
Let’s go fly a kite
The El Niño weather pattern means there’ll be stronger winds from the west this summer – perfect for kite flying. All you need is a kite, an open space and some wind. Great spots for kite flying include Puketāpapa / Mt Roskill, Heron Park in Waterview, and Takaparawhau / Bastion Point.
Go on a scavenger hunt at Auckland Botanic Gardens, Manurewa
There are loads of places where kids can run free at Auckland Botanic Gardens, but the Potter Children’s Garden is made especially for tamariki. Let them get lost in Maui’s magical maze, explore secret paths or find the miniature desert, jungle, meadow and bog. You can also print off self-guided activity sheets so kids can do scavenger hunts and other fun activities throughout the gardens.
Get wet at a pool or splash pad
Water play is one of the joys of being a kid in summer, and Auckland Council has free pools and splash pads across the region. Potters Park, at the intersection of Dominion and Balmoral Roads in Mt Eden, has fun tip buckets and unexpected water jets. Kids will love psyching themselves up to stand under the giant bucket at Stanmore Bay Pool and Leisure Centre in Whangaparāoa.
Out south, Ōtāhuhu Pool and Leisure Centre’s water playground has colourful flower-shaped fountains and a tipping bucket that looks like a giant water wheel. Moana Nui-a-Kiwa in Māngere has a splash pad, as well as a waterslide and a bombing pool. For the best spots to perfect your bomb in the city, head to Point Erin Pool in Herne Bay – there’s also a fun family spa pool and an inflatable adventure course in the main pool.
If water slides are your thing, then slide on down to Glenfield Leisure Centre between 12-4 every day this summer to check out their flumes for $7.50 for children and $16 for adults with pool entry. There may be a fee at some locations for supervising adults, so check the Auckland Council Leisure website or your local leisure centre’s Facebook page for more details on cost, opening hours, and availability of special features such as dive pools and slides.
