50+ Fantastic Things to do in Wellington during the School Holidays
Updated 9 October 2023
School holidays need not be stressful - our guide to over FIFTY activities will easily get you through two weeks, and even all of December and January too. Best of all, most of the activities listed below are free or have minimal cost. And if you want to be financially savvy, annual passes for a number of animal and nature parks pay for themselves after two visits, so the kids can go as often as you let them.
This is the first edition of this guide, please email us if you would like to have a suggestion included - our team would love to hear from you.
Our activity ideas are listed in the following categories:
This is the first edition of this guide, please email us if you would like to have a suggestion included - our team would love to hear from you.
Our activity ideas are listed in the following categories:
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Sports and Swimming PoolsLearning to swim is a great use of school holidays, and if the kids already can, there are plenty of pool days to be had. A number of good-value sporting activities also operate:
The Wellington City Council operates a number of pools, as does the Hutt City Council, with facilities such as wave pools, spas, outdoor pools, dive pools and hydro slides, for less than $4 per child. Learn to swim programs run periodically during the school holidays. Grab a Game of Mini Golf Both Treasure Island and Carlucci offer a round of mini golf for around $10. Go Bowling Bowling is a great afternoon or evening activity with a group of kids, and Bowlarama offers games for around $10 per child. |
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Explore the Wellington SurroundingsWellington has some fantastic scenery and nature waiting to be discovered. Best of all, it's all free...
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Visit Wellington's 'Big Three' FREE Attractions that Kids LoveTripadvisor's list, based on thousands of five-star reviews, puts these attractions as the most popular for kids:
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Garden and HarvestingGardening is a great way to get the kids outside with purpose, and if you don't have a vegetable garden, there are fun alternatives...
Get into the garden If you have a vegetable garden, the Tui New Zealand Planting Calendar guides you through what to plant at different times of the year. For example, April school holidays are a perfect time for planting parsnips, June works for carrots and September is great for beans, December/January works for cucumber. The kids will also appreciate eating them if they've planted them, and it is guaranteed to cut down on the grocery bills. Pick your own fruit December and January are when strawberries come into season, and pick-your-own is a great half-day activity. Best of all, it's much cheaper than the supermarket or fruit store. Pokémon Go While we don't advocate the extended use of phones and screens, Pokémon Go gets kids outside running around and getting outside the house. It's free to download, but the app does use data and there are in-app purchases - de-link your credit card and set a PIN to avoid nasty bills. |
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Zoo and Animal Park Deals, and Children's FarmsWellington is spoiled for choice when it comes to animal experiences. Annual passes for Zealandia, Staglands and Wellington Zoo make it less expensive if the kids can commit to going more than twice a year.
Zealandia The world’s first fully-fenced urban ecosanctuary, its massive 225 hectare (500+ acre) area is home to some of New Zealand's most rare and extraordinary wildlife - all thriving wild in a world-first protected sanctuary. Kids love roaming around, and there is plenty to see in the self-guided walks. The entry prices are $22 (Adults) and $10 (Children, up to 17 years of age), but an annual pass for $99 covers two adults and three children. This means it pays for itself after two visits within 12 months. Staglands Staglands is a Tripadvisor favourite, with hundreds of animals waiting to be fed and discovered. Adults and kids cost $27/$12 respectively, but the annual passes pay for themselves after three visits. Their cost is $75 for adults, $35 for kids, or $220 for a family pass (2 adults/3 kids). Best of all Staglands lets you 'upgrade' day tickets to annual passes so you can try before you buy an annual pass. Wellington Zoo Lions, monkeys, meerkats - what's not to like? Pricing is around $12 for kids, but you can get an annual pass for $39, which means it pays for itself after three visits within 12 months. An annual family pass costs $259 (2 adults, 3 kids). |
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Arts & CraftsCraft with purpose using our list below - top tips include volunteering for the SPCA by crafting (great for the CV) and letting the kids go crazy with the comic book albums.
Make Crafts for the SPCA The SPCA always needs toys and play items for cats and dogs awaiting new homes. Their list of suggested items has instructions on how to make them. Any kids aged 16 or over can also volunteer their time to work at the SPCA. Buy a Craft kit Spotlight, Kmart and The Warehouse all sell dozens of craft kits, starting from around $5. Hours of fun assured. Create a Photo Comic Book Album for Free This nifty tool puts your kids in control of creating a quirky, personalised photo album from your existing photos, or encourages them to take more and put it all together. Make a box village Always reliable; you can get boxes from supermarkets and liquor shops - kids love putting together a mini city. Best of all, you can fold the boxes away for re-use. Paint stones and rocks This video guide makes it easy, with minimum craft supplies required. Will entertain kids for hours. |
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General Fun StuffAvoid the howls of 'I'm booooooooorrreeddd' with this list of 10 popular quick-win activities, with something for children of all ages.
Bonus - our list of kids eat free restaurants in Wellington can make an excellent reward for good behaviour. |
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CompetitionsMuch more fun than watching TV and a lot less emotional than a game of Monopoly, competitions are a great way to get the kids to develop their creativity. Our suggestions include:
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School Holiday ProgramsWellington puts on a number of school holiday programs, with something for kids of all ages and interests.
Wellington City Council This excellent listing details the WCC's school holiday programmes and activities at their sport and recreation centres, botanic gardens and pools, primarily aimed at children 5 to 12 with day prices ranging from $35 to around $45. Locations include:
Wellington Zoo Offering full-day activities for around $69, themes range from vet visits, Zoo Keeper apprenticeships, puzzle hunts and educational workshops. Wellington SPCA Aimed at kids between 6 and 16, the SPCA program offers a huge variety of animal workshops and events, including learning about pets in a 'fun, hands-on and safe environment'. Programs run throughout the holidays from 8am to 5pm, and cost around $40 to $60 per day. Artrageous Kids Artrageous Kids focuses on 'extending children's creativity through many different medias', providing new activities every day from 8:30am to around 3pm (around $79) with an after-care option. YMCA The reliable YMCA offers holiday programs in Belmont, Upper Hutt, Raroa, Silverstream, Khandallah, Titahi Bay and Mt Cook. Prices range from $36 to $65 per day and include Lego days, swimming, outdoor games and visits to popular attractions. Circus Hub Offering circus skills in a workshop environment, kids learn tumbling, balancing skills, aerials, and juggling, and include fun creative activities and lots of games. Sessions run from 9am until 3pm each day, and cost $72 per session. The Rock Academy Musical kids, specifically singers, guitarists, bass, keyboard and ukulele players, up to the age of 16, the program involves learning pop and rock songs, songwriting and going busking every day. Sessions run over three days, and the cost is $195 for 3 days (early bird and sibling discount available). Cricket Wellington Workshops for all levels, each session is run by a Cricket Wellington qualified coach and is recommended for children between 6-9 (beginner) and 10-12 (intermediate). Kids learn basic cricket skills using drills developed by New Zealand Cricket, while having lots of fun. Based at the Westpac Stadium, it's mornings-only (9am to 12pm) and costs $200 for a four-day program. Alliance Française Wellington Children are immersed in the French language through cooking, arts and crafts activities designed to educate and entertain, supervised by French teachers. The two programs include:
Log on to Eventfinda Eventfinda's Wellington activity listings are worth checking out, with plenty of fun runs, low-priced sporting tickets and activities for the kids. |
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Baking and CookingBaking and school holidays are synonymous, and our list of three recipes below are very popular. Pro tip - make sure you get the kids to agree to do the dishes after - things can get messy!
New Zealand Baking Classics Baking is guaranteed to fill a morning and popular recipes for kids, which conveniently don't require many ingredients, include:
MasterChef Pizza Competition Depending on the age, a pizza-making competition is a great idea to use up some stuff in the fridge and keep the kids entertained. You can award the winner with a blind test. Avoid store-bought pizza bases and get inspiration from Jamie Oliver's pizza dough recipe as well. |
Finally, last-minute ideas and events are advertised online or by visiting:
Related Guides:
- The Wellington Public library
- The Wellington Visitor Information Centre
- The Wellington City Council
Related Guides:
Know about a Wellington activity you think kids would love?
Email our research team today.
