FREE Summer Activities in Auckland for Kids
In Auckland, there are a ton of free activities for kids to do while on school holidays. We’re lucky that the weather is beautiful and we can take our kids out to a bunch of free places within the city.
School holidays are here! That means the weather is beautiful and the kids are on holiday until early February. It’s super special to have quality time together BUT it can be tough to entertain the kids for so many days in a row.
Read on for some fun FREE ideas to keep your kids entertained over the summer school holidays:
Splash Pads - a great way to beat the heat without having to get into a swimming pool with little ones!
The splash pad is one of my favorite FREE summer activities to do, especially with little ones. It’s a nice way to let them cool down without worrying about them being in a pool or the ocean. They’re free to play in the water, without me feeling panicked that they’re near water! Check out this list of some of the best splash pads in Auckland. My personal faves are Stanmore Bay and Potters Park!
Auckland Museum - FREE to Auckland residents!
General admission to the Auckland museum is FREE to Auckland residents! I just found this out recently and it blew my mind. You can pay to get into the special exhibits, but with my crew (3 young kids), the general admission was more than enough to keep them entertained for a LONG time!
Pro tip: eat a hearty meal or snack in the Kai Room before entering the galleries. Food and drink are not allowed in the galleries, so it’s best to enter on fully & happy tummies!
Libraries! Perfect for HOT, HOT summer days when you don’t want to be outside for too long.
Ahhh, the library. One of my personal favorite places ever. It’s free, relaxing, and a nice change of scenery when you’re getting cabin fever and the weather is a biiiit too hot to be in the sun for too long. We love stocking up on books. The kids have their own special library bags where they can get a set number of books (otherwise they’ll go nuts with 20 books each haha!)
It’s also nice to have the kids pick a special book and a special spot a read/look through picture books for a while. It’s a nice way to get a quiet minute to yourself ;)
Trail walks - there are soooo many beautiful spots around Auckland!
Some fresh air does the kids some good when they’ve spent just a liiiittttllleee too much time on screens (we’re all guilty during lazy school holidays!) So when you’re in need of some sunshine and fresh air, there are so many lovely walks around Auckland. This list is super great for walks with young kids!
A few of our faves:
Shakespeare Regional Park
Wenderholm Regional Park
Kite Kite Falls (near Piha)
Long Bay Regional Park
Good ol’ fashioned BEACH DAY! There are so many stunning beaches in Auckland or just north if you’re up for a day trip.
Yayyyy for beach days! Summer in New Zealand just cannot be beat. We are absolutely spoiled for choice with so many stunning beaches at our fingertips. Pack up the snacks, togs, beach towels, toys, shade tent, umbrella….whatever you need to post up at the beach for the day! We love to end a beach day with a chill takeaway dinner of fish & chips.
Some of our favorite spots are:
Orewa Beach
Red Beach
Long Bay
Mangawhai (a day trip for us)
I hope you’ve found some inspiration in our favorite FREE summer activities with the kids. We love getting out & about together as a family, especially in the summer months when the weather is glorious.
Are you in Auckland and in need of some family photos? Or maybe you want to book a session with you’re in Auckland for a family holiday? I’d love to photograph you!
Get in touch to book a family session with me!