Enjoy science-related activities during the summer school holidays. Below are a selection of events held around New Zealand. Many of the providers have additional non-science activities that will be of interest. Follow the weblinks to see the full listings.
All events are subject to changes – see the event’s weblinks for the most up-to-date information.
NOTE: If you know of any science-related events we have missed, please get in touch: enquiries@sciencelearn.org.nz.
Summer is a wonderful time of year to explore science – UV light, solar power, beaches, the rocky shore, fire risks and more. Explore our articles, activities and interactives about all things Summer in this collection.
- Multiple locations or nationwide
- Northland
- Auckland
- Waikato
- Bay of Plenty
- Hawkes Bay
- Taranaki
- Manawatu
- Wellington
- Nelson
- Christchurch
- Otago
Multiple locations
Check out the free online IYM Anytime programme – great for anyone considering a STEMM career. The online content includes: interviews, presentations, recorded sessions, videos and blogs featuring a range of people who are involved in STEMM based careers.
For more information: https://anytime.iym.org.nz
Northland
Te Ahu Museum
Te Ahu Museum in Kaitaia hosts a remarkable collection telling the stories and histories of the Far North District (Te Hiku o te Ika) of Aotearoa. Treasures among the pre-European Māori collection include pounamu, early carvings and the 500 year-old skeletal remains of the extinct kuri.
Find out more: https://teahumuseum.nz.
Auckland
Auckland Botanic Gardens
Daily: Visit the Auckland Botanic gardens these summer holidays for fun for the whole family, including plant sales every Thursday.
Find out more here: www.aucklandbotanicgardens.co.nz.
Auckland Museum
Daily: A wide range of things to do and see. The two T-rex skeletons will be leaving on 10 December so get in quick. From 9 December visit the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibtion, this the longest running and most prestigious nature photography competition in the world, organised by London's Natural History Museum.
Find out more here: www.aucklandmuseum.com/whats-on.
Auckland Zoo
Daily: Auckland Zoo is a great place for the whole family, plan your trip around one of the keeper talks. Get closer to wildlife and make memories to last a lifetime with a Zoo Experiences and/or take an immersive journey through the six stunning habitats of Te Wao Nui.
Find out more here: www.aucklandzoo.co.nz.
Butterfly Creek
Daily: Visit Butterfly Creek these holidays for butterflies and lots more, suitable for all ages.
There are also two holiday programmes (places are booking up fast) running in January:
- Junior Keeper Rookie programme (aged 7–11) is an introductory programme where kids will learn the basics of animal care including feeding, cleaning and play with the animals.
- Junior Keeper Explorers programme (aged 11–14) is a more in-depth look into animal care designed for older kids where they will learn about conservation, behavior and health.
Find out more here: www.butterflycreek.co.nz.
- Want to know more, see our resources under our Butterflies and moths topic.
Little Scientists!
18 Dec–26 Jan: This science based school holiday programme in Auckland from Hillsborough Playcentres, a travelling science show in Auckland. The programmes are designed for 5–10 year old children, to encourage participation and increase engagement in science.
Find out more: www.littlescientists.co.nz/holiday-programme-auckland.
MOTAT
MOTAT is New Zealand's largest transport and technology museum and offers a fun and exciting learning experience for visitors of all ages. Uncover stories from the skies of Aotearoa with Te Kōtiu, the new immersive digital experience live at the Aviation Hall.
Find out more: www.motat.nz
- Want to know more, see our resources under our flight topic.
Summer Holiday Experience
3–26 January, 10am–4pm: Pull it together with the science of tension these summer holidays!
Find out more: www.motat.nz/events/summer-holiday-experience-jan-2024
Nanogirl
Various dates: The Nanogirl science team will be performing the Nanogirl Bubble Shows at various locations across the country over the holidays.
Find out where here: www.nanogirl.co/upcoming-appearances.
- For more on bubbles – check out our article Observing bubbles and activity Investigating bubbles.
SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium
Daily Explore over 30 live animal exhibits in spectacular habitat displays, including the world's largest Sub-Antarctic penguin colony and amazing underwater viewing tunnels.
Find out more: www.visitsealife.com/auckland.
- Discover more about penguins and browse the wide range of content we have under the fish, oceans and Antarctica topics.
Stardome
Daily: Astronomy shows, live science demonstrations and, if the weather is clear, rocket launches outside. Come and enjoy the magic! See the newest planaterium show from 1 December The Year in Space 2023 at Stardome.
Find out more here: www.stardome.org.nz.
Waikato
Hamilton Gardens
Daily: Visit the Hamilton gardens these holidays for fun for the whole family. Download the free Discovery Trail sheet here to help explore an enchanting world of secret-themed gardens.
Find out more here: https://hamiltongardens.co.nz.
Te Parapara Garden
Kūmara plants, growing in Te Taupa at Te Parapara Garden.
Te Parapara is designed to incorporate two realms representative of both wild, uncultivated foods and cultivated or farmed foods. Te Ara Whakatauki (Path of Proverbs) lies between the Piazza (section of garden) and the waharoa (gateway). This realm represents the unculivated foods under the care of Haumiatiketike. Te Taupa sits beyond the waharoa and is under the care of Rongomātane renowned as atua of cultivated foods such as the kūmara.
The garden takes its name from the pre-European Māori settlement that occupied the site.
Mahi Aroha Summer Programme 2024
Presented by Project Tongariro and Department of Conservation Central Plateau visitors and communities are invited to explore, protect and enjoy their local natural environments this summer. There are a range of nature-based experiences for the whole family, such as Waihaha wilding conifer control working bee, a wander around Te Matapuna wetland, or a Ohinetonga bat evening tour and various bird species' Aversion Training for your dog.
Find out more here: www.tongariro.org.nz/mahi-aroha.
Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari
Daily: This 3,400 hectares of fenced sanctuary offers a safe haven for many of New Zealand’s most endangered species – from birds to bats, frogs to reptiles, tuatara to giant weta. Explore on your own or take a guided walk.
Find out more here: www.sanctuarymountain.co.nz
Te Awamutu Space Centre
Daily: Museum and activity centre suitable for all ages. Note you need to book in advance.
Find out more here: www.spacecentre.nz.
- Want to know more, see our resources under our astronomy topic.
Waikato Museum
Daily: Get more from your visit! Have fun playing I-Spy, use the entertaining Cue Cards, or take part in a free craft event. Visit the interactive science exhibition – the Exscite science gallery.
For a complete list of events at Waikato Museum, see: https://waikatomuseum.co.nz/exhibitions-and-events/current-exhibitions.
Bay of Plenty
The National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa
9:30am–2pm daily: join one of their experiences during hatching season (September–March), you'll get to see kiwi eggs being incubated, the hatching process and newly hatched kiwi chicks.
Find out more: www.nationalkiwihatchery.org.nz/visit.
Hawkes Bay
MTG Hawke's Bay
Daily: Visit this award-winning museum, home of the Hawke’s Bay region's taonga and other treasures, including the 1931 Hawke’s Bay Earthquake Exhibition.
Find out more: www.mtghawkesbay.com.
National Aquarium
Daily: Visit the National Aquarium of New Zealand – it's home to a wide range of saltwater, freshwater and land animal exhibits from New Zealand and around the world. Plan your visit around the keeper talks and animal feeding.
Find out more: www.nationalaquarium.co.nz.
Taranaki
Puke Ariki
There is loads to keep everyone entertained – be captivated by the exhibition Te Kitenga o Hina as it shares the sacred seasons of Aotearoa and Reef Alive is great for anyone curious about the Taranaki's fascinating reef biodiversity.
Find out more: https://pukeariki.com.
Manawatu
Te Manawa Museum
Daily: Visiting Palmerston North? – why not visit the Te Awa – The River exhibition. From 16 December visit the Six Extinctions exhibition. There are also many more things to see for all the family.
Find out more: www.temanawa.co.nz.
Wellington
Capital E
Daily: These school holidays visit Tamariki Markets with your youngest (suitable for ages 0–5) and help them learn where our food comes from.
For more about what's on at Capital E: www.capitale.org.nz/whats-on-at-capital-e.
Citizen Ruru
1 Dec–29 Feb: Help out this citizen science project and listen for ruru to find out how well they are doing in the Wellington region.
Ngā Manu Nature Reserve
Daily: A great day out with hands-on experience with nature and education with free eel feeding talks and guided forest walks. Book a special ranger tour, covering native birds, a ranger experience, a kiwi night experience and more.
Find out more: https://ngamanu.org.nz.
Ōtari-Wilton Bush
Ōtari Native Botanic Garden and Wilton's Bush Reserve is the only public botanic garden in New Zealand dedicated solely to native plants. Experience a stunning array of native flowers that create a feast for New Zealand birdlife. Immerse yourself in forests of large tree ferns including the silver tree fern and view spectacular displays of rātā trees in full bloom over summer.
Find out more: https://wellingtongardens.nz/our-gardens/otari-wiltons-bush.
Police Museum
This museum takes visitors 'up close and personal' with policing methods of the past, present, and future. Your tamariki could participate in the Junior and/or Senior Detective Mystery trails and there are daily museum tours.
Find out more about the museum events and activities: www.police.govt.nz/about-us/history-museum/museum.
- Use our activity DNA detective and the Mobile forensic kit – unit plan to explore the use of forensics in crime scene investigations.
Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre
Daily: Pūkaha manages an unfenced 942-hectare forest as a breeding sanctuary for native wildlife. Inside the aviaries kiwi, kākā and kākāriki are hatched for release across Aotearoa New Zealand. Either enjoy a self-guided walk around or join one of the special tours. See their article Get your kids into nature these school holidays for some inspiration.
Find out more here: https://pukaha.org.nz.
Star Safari
Various: Experience the best telescope equipment in Wairarapa and explore the night sky from one of the best places for stargazing in the world, the Wairarapa Dark Sky Reserve and discover New Zealand’s most famous constellations.
Find out more: https://star-safari.nz.
Te Ara Whānui ki te Rangi | Space Place
Daily: Visit Space Place these summer holidays for lots of resources on astronomy and fun for the whole family.
Find out more here: www.museumswellington.org.nz/space-place.
- Want to know more, see our resources under our astronomy topic.
Te Papa
Daily: A great place to take the kids during the holidays with a huge range of exhibitions. Visit the family-friendly exhibition Ngā Taniwha o Rūpapa | Dinosaurs of Patagonia that opens on 16 December.
For a list of events at Te Papa, please visit: www.tepapa.govt.nz/visit/events.
Wellington Botanic garden
Daily: Visit the Wellington Botanic Gardens these holidays for fun for the whole family. Visit the Treehouse to see one of the pictorial displays Botanical Insights – research into plant diseases (1–28 December) and Botanical Insights – women in botany (1–31 January).
Find out more here: https://wellingtongardens.nz/our-gardens/wellington-botanic-garden.
Wellington Museum
Daily: For fascinating stories of the Wellington region, visit: www.museumswellington.org.nz/wellington-museum.
Wellington Zoo
Daily: Wellington Zoo is a great place for the whole family to visit.
Find out the talk times and more: https://wellingtonzoo.com.
Holiday program
18 Dec–26 Jan: The Wellington Zoo School Holiday Programme is perfect for kids who want to learn about animals and conservation. Each session will explore a different side of the Zoo and its inhabitants. Be in quick to book a place: https://wellingtonzoo.com/visit/plan-your-day/things-to-do/holiday-programmes.
Zealandia
Daily: An awesome place to visit with the whole family to see New Zealand’s native wildlife, open 9am–5pm. Check out the daily talks and tours about New Zealand's unique wildlife. Tamariki partake in the Ngahere! E Tū! – Superhero scavenger hunt and explore the sanctuary with your booklet and map and and learn incredible skills from the creatures of the ngahere/forest. Return with your completed booklet to the Visitor Centre at the end of your walk to claim your reward.
Find out more: www.visitzealandia.com and www.visitzealandia.com/Visit#Experiences.
ZEALANDIA
ZEALANDIA in the heart of Wellington City was conceived in 1995 and opened in 2000 after the erection of an 8.6 kilometre long predator proof-fence. The sanctuary has a 500 year plan to restore the reserve to how it would have appeared before humans arrived in New Zealand. It is already home to many endangered species of birds, plants and animals such as saddleback, tuatara, giant wētā and little spotted kiwi.
Nelson
The Nelson Provincial Museum
Daily: This museum is the kaitiaki (guardian) of social and natural history and Taonga from the Nelson and Tasman regions.
Find out more here: www.nelsonmuseum.co.nz.
Christchurch
Canterbury museum
Daily: Whilst a new museum is being build you can still get a taste of Canterbury Museum at the pop-up at CoCA (66 Gloucester Street) – see the fascinating family-friendly exhibition Bugs at the museum and associated activities.
Visit Quake City, a special exhibition telling stories from the Canterbury earthquakes and Ravenscar House Museum, an extraordinary collection of New Zealand art and objects house in a purpose-built contemporary house.
You'll also find smaller Canterbury Museum exhibitions in locations around Waimakariri, Hurunui and Selwyn Districts.
Find out more here: www.canterburymuseum.com
Christchurch Botanic gardens
Daily: Visit the Christchurch Botanic Gardens these holidays, for fun for the whole family. Check our the various tour options.
Find out more here: www.ccc.govt.nz/parks-and-gardens/christchurch-botanic-gardens.
International Antarctic Centre
The Antarctic Academy Programme offers daily and multi–day programmes with Antarctic themes. With Science Alive learn about the important role Antarctica plays in scientific discovery, including fun activities focused on electricity, astronomy, and technology. Join a behind the scenes tour, take a Hägglund field trip and more.
Find out more here: www.iceberg.co.nz.
- Want to know more, see our resources under our Antarctica topic.
Orana Wildlife Park
Daily: A great place to visit during the holidays for an animal adventure the whole family will enjoy. You could have the chance to get up close and personal with the animals.
Find out more here: www.oranawildlifepark.co.nz.
Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
Daily, 9.30am–5pm: Visit this New Zealand themed wildlife park, including visiting the Nocturnal Kiwi House to see North Island Brown Kiwi. Check out the Junior keeper and the Junior keeper PLUS programmes during the school holidays.
Find out more here: www.willowbank.co.nz.
Otago
Dunedin Botanic Garden
Daily: Visit the Dunedin Botanic Gardens these holidays, for fun for the whole family. Take the 1-hour walk up an extinct volcano, view a wide range of birds and take one of the varied trails.
Find out more here: https://dunedinbotanicgarden.co.nz.
Kiwi Birdlife Park
Daily: Discover the captivating wildlife Sanctuary at the Kiwi Park and witness conservation in action, nestled in the heart of Queenstown.
Find out more: www.kiwibird.co.nz.
- Explore our resources on New Zealand’s iconic bird and on conserving our native birds.
Ōrokonui Ecosanctuary
Daily (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays): Orokonui is a 307 hectare biodiversity sanctuary near Dunedin and is home to many threatened species and habitats.
Find out more: https://orokonui.nz.
- Find out more about the creation of Ōrokonui Ecosanctuary.
Otago Museum
Otago Museum is always a fabulous place to visit with so much on offer, including a free daily science show all about the flight. Visit Tūhura – New Zealand's biggest science centre and the Tropical Forest with exotic butterflies and so much more.
Find out more: https://otagomuseum.nz/whats-on.
Sinclair Wetlands, Te Nohoaka O Tukiauau
Daily: Visit the Sinclair Wetlands these holidays and see if you can spot all 46 bird species that live there.
Find out more here: www.tenohoaka.org.nz.
- Read more about wetlands and see the Te repo/wetlands collection – it features our resources on repo/wetlands.
Vanished World
Daily: Take a walk along the vanished world trails or visit the Vanished World Centre and see a range of geological finds including fossils.
Find out more here: https://vanishedworld.co.nz.
- Want to know more, see our resources under the fossils topic.
Related content
Explore our articles, activities and interactives about all things Summer in this collection.
If you want to continue the learning at home during the holidays whilst still keeping it fun – see Learning science from home – ideas to deepen learning before you begin. Science for young learners is about discovery, curiosity and observation. Two key outcomes of any activity can simply be enjoyment and the conversations that arise from the experience.
