Kia ora whānau! It’s school holidays time and that means plenty of time for activities for the whole family!
Auckland Council have a variety of activities available for a short time or a long time, to keep the tamariki and rangatahi happy.
So what are you waiting for? Plan your epic school holiday activities today!
Auckland Council school holiday programme
Sign your kids up for our school holiday programme for 5 – 13-year-olds and relax, knowing that they’re safe, happy and having a blast!
Our school holiday programmes are full of active adventures and include team sports, games, cooking, and arts and crafts.
We also go on trips around Auckland to places like Rainbow's End, Butterfly Creek, mini-golf and much more!
Bookings essential, head to aucklandleisure.co.nz for locations and booking details.
Step back in time
PHOTO: Ron Clark. The Clarks and their Humber Hawk, about 1956. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections, 1207-0014.
Head to Auckland Central City Library for a captivating exhibition showcasing the evolution of fashion throughout Aotearoa in a new showcase titled ‘That’s So Last Century: What We Wore 1950s-90s’.
Suited for older tamariki and rangatahi, take a trip down memory lane to see the fashion of the 1950s – 1990s and get involved with an interactive experience to learn more about sustainable fashion.
Become an underwater adventurer
Head into your local library this April school holidays for a special 'Under The Sea' themed reading challenge, and fun and free events!
To take part in the reading challenge, download the Beanstack App so tamariki can log and review books and get digital badges for each day they log their reading!
Head along to Pakuranga Library or St Heliers Library to meet the team from Kelly Tarltons and learn more about underwater exploration. Or register online to experience underwater New Zealand through Virtual Reality at Pakuranga Library, or to join in an Under The Sea-themed 3D printing activity at Avondale Library.
Visit your local library to see what they have planned this April school holidays!
Explore the outdoors
Students on a nature trail.
There are over 4000 local and regional parks across Tāmaki Makaurau, and we have some special school holiday events, to get our young Aucklanders exploring the great outdoors!
In partnership with Craftlab NZ and the Auckland Council Parks Team, there’s an awesome nature-based day programme for kids aged 8-12 at five different parks around Tāmaki Makaurau.
Young adventurers will build confidence in the outdoors, increase their conservation knowledge and bushcraft skills that will allow your child to survive and thrive in the parks around you. Bookings can be made via Eventbrite.
Extend their knowledge even further with Adventure Into Nature, a free two-day course at Tōtara Park aged for 10-13 year olds.
The focus is on outdoor safety, bushcraft, camping knowledge and enhancing leadership skills in this special school holiday programme. Bookings for Adventure Into Nature can be made here.
Visit local attractions
Learn what makes takahē unique and what Auckland Zoo is doing to protect this species from being lost again. Enjoy interactive activities, keeper talks and Tamariki Time these school holidays!
Or head to Auckland War Memorial Museum to explore their Weird & Wonderful gallery and discover the delights of the natural world. The Auckland Musuem Learn team are excited to host crafts, storytelling and songs in this immersive and amazing space filled with awe-inspiring collections.
And don’t miss a special school holiday event at New Zealand Maritime Museum! Meet Pania the Starfish and her underwater friends in an interactive play about the power of friendship. Then, get busy with an activity book which explores our galleries and earn your very own sailor’s patch!
Learn more at a Maunga
Looking for something to do these holidays that won’t break the bank? Why not take the kids to Te Ipu Kōrero o Maungawhau (The Maungawhau Visitor Experience Centre) to learn about the rich history of the Tūpuna Maunga (ancestral mountains).
It is located at Friend & Whau Café, based at the midpoint of Maungawhau / Mt Eden. It features a video experience, story panels, and an interactive augmented reality model.
CultureFest
CultureFest
One of Auckland’s most iconic festivals, CultureFest, is celebrating 25 years with a day of food, music, dance, stalls and more at Mount Roskill War Memorial Park on 14 April.
With more than 100 stalls offering traditional foods from around the world, arts and crafts, clothing and fair trade goods, don’t miss your annual opportunity to experience more than 60 cultures celebrating their uniqueness in one place, on one day.
For kids big and small
After a successful summer entertaining all ages, the Pop Up Play has one final event in Myers Park, brought to you in partnership with Out and About, with support from the city centre targeted rate.
Pop Up Play aims to bring everyone together through the power of play. Spot the water spouts, playful public art and even poetry, and join in for games such as multisport, capture the flag, ultimate Frisbee lawn games and more!
Meet at Myers Park on Saturday 27 April at 2pm for an afternoon of fun.
