How to entertain the kids these school holidays!  

It only seems like two minutes since the last school holidays, but it’s that time again and luckily this time it’s Spring, so hopefully you’ll be able to get out and about a little more and enjoy the sunshine.  

Wanting to get out and about? Our friends at ParkMate has your parking covered with 30% OFF* parking from 28th September – 13th October, enabling you to Do More with the kids & stay sane these school Holidays! Now if you’re after some creative and fun ideas on how to keep the kids entertained, we have you covered with a handy checklist to keep the kids busy. To help with the cost we will be sharing a mixture of FREE events and paid picks below for Auckland, Christchurch & Wellington. 

AUCKLAND 

A way to entertain kids of all ages for FREE in Auckland 

Head to Takapuna library on Fridays over the school holidays for school holiday arts and crafts. This free event is on at 3:30pm and allows kids to get creative while learning about the world. You can make this a longer day by arriving early and having a walk on the beach before or heading to the playground to burn off some energy. Or stay after and have a picnic on the beach. If you’re happy to spend a little finish of the day by heading to Hustmere road after for ice-cream at Movenpick.  

Best Carparks: Takapuna Strand, Bloomfield Spa, Carpark by the Sea,  11 Northcote Road 

Take the older kids to Twilight Tuesdays at Auckland Museum. Here you can enjoy a relaxed atmosphere walking around the museum until 8:30pm. This includes all the galleries and exhibitions.   

Best carparks: Parnell Road (Lower), Parnell Road (Upper), 80 Broadway 
 
Flight Club at Maritime Museum – on from the 30th October daily until the 11th October, this free event is perfect for little ones to explore the world of seabirds. Little explorers can follow the trail map and complete seabird missions to learn more about our NZ seabirds' epic journeys. Upon completion your little explorers will receive a special seabird scientist certificate.  

Best carparks: Princes Wharf, Viaduct Carpark  
 
 

Other FREE Auckland events: 
Parnell Market – Take the kids to Parnell Market to explore the foods, live music and coffee at the Saturday Parnell Market.  

Albert Park – take a picnic and enjoy lunch at Albert Park. Perfect for if you’re meeting a parent at work in the city.  

Auckland Art Gallery – For older kids head to Auckland art gallery.  

Silo Park – perfect to take bikes or scooters for a morning walk and playground or follow the Art trail.  

 

Auckland cost-friendly events: 

Calling all LEGO fan families! Auckland Museum is bringing a LEGO experience like no other with Australian LEGO masters – Jackson Harvey & Alex Towler having created an exhibition called. Relics: A New World Rises – Experience Lego Like Never Before. Suitable for all ages, this will be a winner for everyone in the family, but make sure you go during these school holidays as they end on the 15th October!  

Best carparks: Parnell Road (Lower), Parnell Road (Upper), 80 Broadway 
  

Mrs Wishy Washy - This funny farmyard adventure is heading to The Pump House in Takapuna for the school holidays. The tale tells the lessons of friendship, determination, and the consequences of one’s actions with plenty of laughs along the way.  

Best carparks: Takapuna Police, Como Street carpark, The Hustmere Road carpark.  
 

The Wild Robot Wonders at Sky Tower – To celebrate Universal’s new movie Wild Robot released in September, the Sky Tower is bringing fun and interactive school holiday Wild Robot activities. Kids can head to the build a bot kids' zone on the ground floor to build their own robots and play with giant building blocks. Kids can then head up to the 51st floor to try and find Roz hiding somewhere in the Sky Tower and along the way kids are encouraged to draw their favourite animals to ill up Roz’s Island. You can then take advantage of the many restaurants and cafes close to Sky Tower for lunch or an early dinner.  

Best carparks: Vogel Lane, Finance Centre, Elliott Stables, 205 Queen Street 
 

Weta Workshop: Create your own Family Crest - For older kids, head to Sky City where they can create their own family crest at the Weta Workshop! Kids can craft and colour their creations & come up with their family motto with the help of the expert crew! There’s also lots of restaurants and cafes in and around Sky City, our favourite is Federal Street Deli.   

Best carpark: Finance Centre, Elliott Street 
 

All Blacks Experience – A great option for rugby mad teens, take them to The All Blacks experience a 45 minute guided tour where you can learn what it takes and makes to be an All Black. It’ll also show you a special behind the scenes of all things All Black including the story behind the haka.    

Best carpark: Finance Centre, Elliott Street  

Other paid Auckland events: 
Escape Masters – 300 Queen Street   

  

WELLINGTON  
 
A way to entertain kids of all ages for FREE in Wellington  

 
If you’ve got little ones, head to Topsy Turvey Play Space for Under 5s on in central Wellington at Capital E at 4 Queens Wharf/. Designed for 0 –5 years olds Topy Turvey is a play event for little ones to explore their senses with their hands, feet, eyes and ears! The space is open from 9.30am - 3.30pm. 

Best carparks: Queens Wharf, VSPC, HSBC Tower 
 

Get out and about cycling – the school holidays are a great time to explore with bikes and don’t just think locally, if you have a bike rack it’s a great opportunity to load the bikes and explore a new area or park. We’d recommend cycling along Oriental Bay in Wellington. 

Best carparks: Chaffers Street, Lower Tory Street, 25a Taranaki Street 
 

Head to Frank Kitts Park for kids to enjoy the playground then follow the waterfront and walk to Te Papa. The playpark will entertain little ones for hours with slides, climbing frames and a fun coastal landscape theme.  

Best carparks: VSPC Victoria Street Parking Centre, Queens Wharf, 80 Boulcott Street, Capital   
 

Have a photo shoot with some of the amazing street art in Wellington CBD. Wellington has some amazing street art, take little ones and pose with the art, if you make this a yearly event, you’ll have awesome yearly photos showing how fast the kids grow!   

We’d recommend walking along Cuba Street (plus you can grab a coffee here), Eva Street, Opera House Lane, Cable Street between Te Papa and Waitangi Park and Egmont Street.   

Best carparks: Cuba Street, Bute Street, Ghuznee Street, Left bank  
 

Other FREE Wellington events: 
Visit Tots to Teens for more school holiday ideas. 

 

Wellington cost-friendly events: 

Eva Street Chocolate Factory school holiday tour - All kids will love this! Chocolate and learning it’s a win win! Kids can head to the Wellington Chocolate factory to learn about how to make chocolate. They’ll then follow the whole process by decorating their own milk chocolate block and get creative making their very own chocolate wrapper.  Best of all while the kids are getting creative you can relax and have some alone time in the café next door or take advantage of the free wifi and work with a yummy hot chocolate!  

Best carparks: Ghuznee Street, Cuba Street, 25a Taranaki Street, Leftbank 

 

Bad Jelly the Witch Glow Show – For a fun show for older kids with a fun glow in the dark twist, take the kids to Bad Jelly the Witch show. Here kids and parents can enjoy the creative genius of Spike Milligan with his fun and utterly Lonny beloved children’s stories.  

Best carparks: 25a Taranaki Street, Bond Street, Lombard, Ghuznee Street  

 

The Wiggles Groover Tour – Australia’s favourite kid's entertainers are grooving back to Wellington for their latest tour get a wiggle on. The Wiggles will be joined by all your favourite characters including Dorothy the Dinosaurs, Wags the Dog, Henry the Octopus and Captain Feathersword. Head to The Michal Fowler Centre for all your favourite songs and dances and stories.   

Best carparks: Bond Street, Lombard, 25a Taranaki Street, VSPC Victoria Street Parking Centre.  

 

For a rainy-day activity and great for creative kids head to Capital E for their October school holiday event Rainbow Kaleidoscopes. In this 2-hour workshop little ones can make their own kaleidoscope to take home. Bookings are essential and this event is best suited for 6–8-year-olds.  

Best carparks: Queens Wharf, VSPC Victoria Street Parking Centre, HSBC Tower, 8 Gilmer (ParkMate only).  

Other paid Wellington events: 
Escape Masters – 109 – 125 Willis Street   

 

CHRISTCHURCH 

A way to entertain kids of all ages for FREE in Christchurch 

For a fun day activity, take the kids to Christchurch Botanic Gardens, where you can walk around the gardens, take a picnic and take a football! There is also a free event on over the holidays Spring Super Senses Discovery Trail. Here you need to help Heron and her friends use all their senses as they discover the secrets of the gardens. The event is on daily until Sunday 13h September.  

Best carparks: Tu Waka Waipapa, 56 Worcester Boulevard, 63 Worcester Boulevard 
 

With Spring finally here, it’s a great time to take advantage of the warmer days and head to The Margaret Mahy playground in central Christchurch. The playground is a favourite for kids of all ages and features something for everyone with towers, climbing slopes, slides, trampolines, flying foxes and even a large waterplay area so be sure to take a change of clothes.  

Best carparks: 182-196 Armagh Street, 245 Manchester Street, 155 Kilmore Street, 227-235 Manchester Street  

  

For creative kids go to a FREE: Ceramic Painter Workshop: with guidance from artist Emma Turner have a go at making a pottery planter.  All moulds, seed pressings and ideas will be supplied in this hour-long creative workshop for kids. On at The Arts Centre on the 3rd October between 1pm-2pm and 3pm – 4pm. Bookings are essential.  

Best carparks: 76 Armagh Street, 38 Oxford Terrace, 78 Worcester Boulevard   

Other FREE Christchurch events:  
Make a Clay Pendant – Canterbury Museum CoCA    

 

Christchurch cost-friendly events: 
 
Superhero Circus – For a fun and entertaining way to kick off the school holidays head to The Arts Centre Te Matariki Toi Ora for Superhero Circus. This family friendly event for kids of all ages will have little ones amazed with a variety of thrilling stunts and tricks.  

Best carparks: 63 Worcester Boulevard, The West End carpark, 76 Armagh Street   

  

If your kids love comedy, take them to the Carrot and Pickle Clown Show on at The Art Gallery Te Puna. The Christchurch legendary clowns will be performing dynamic and fantastic family friendly show with all the classic clown acts and gravity defying acrobatics.  

Best carparks: 63 Worchester Boulevard, 56 Worchester Boulevard, The Cranmer Carpark 

  

For older kids who love musicals, The Issac Theatre is showing Mama Mia over the school holidays. This feel-good musical will have you singing, and the kids memorised with dances and songs from Abba.  

Best carparks: 148 Gloucester Street, 160 Gloucester Street, 50 Cathedral Square, 105 Worcester Street  

  

For creative little ones drop them off at the Imagination Station Holiday brick school. Held at the Creative Space at Tūranga. This day school holiday programme will see little ones enjoy a variety of events and activities including fun with LEGO, but with challenges, building and lots of learning. They’ll be different themes and challenges to keep little ones busy and having fun.   

Best carparks: 50 Cathedral, Square, 148 Gloucester Street, 160 Gloucester Street, 105 Worcester Street  

  

Explore Christchurch city centre by the Heritage Tram, The tram will explore the cities best loved attractions, and the best part is kids go free with a paying adult. The trip is 50 minutes in length, but you can hop on and off at any stage, making it the perfect day to explore the city.  

Best carparks: 105 Worcester Street, 160 Gloucester Street, 227-235 Manchester Street, 148 Gloucester Street  

Other paid Christchurch events: 

School Holiday Programme: Donut decoration – Tuesday 1st October, Tearooms, Ballantynes Department Store  

School Holiday Programme: Get ready for a Slimy, Gooey Adventure! – Monday 7th October, Tearooms, Ballantynes Department Store 

Awesome Antarctica Days Of Ice Explore Antarctica – Saturday 12th October, Tūranga, 60 Cathedral Square  

 

If you are heading out and about over the October school holidays don’t forget our friends at ParkMate have a fabulous casual parking offer to enjoy 30% OFF during the school holidays between 10am – 4pm, Monday- Sunday. Just enter the promo code SCHOOL into your ParkMate app.   

T&C’S apply - School Holidays (parkmate.co.nz)  

 

We’re always looking for new ways to Do More for the school holidays, if you're a business looking to partner up for the school holidays and you have  Wilson Parking carparks close by, get in touch with us at marketing@wilsonparking.co.nz