Kids get crafty at gallery day

Merrill Borthwick with her three children (from left) Miller, 4, Hanna, 2, and Kieran, 6, enjoying a crafty day out. Photo / Rebecca Savory

The Tauranga Art Gallery was humming with excitement on Saturday as kids got hands-on with art at the Down the Garden Path Family Fun Day.

More than 500 adults and energetic children filed through the doors of the gallery, its director Penelope Jackson said.

The theme was based on the Garden and Arts Festival - launching today in Tauranga - as well as a new exhibition in the gallery called Garden of the Forking Paths.

Kids enjoyed face-painting, music recitals, storytelling, making headbands, flower pots and greeting cards or an art hunt.

"It's just a way for families to get involved in the gallery and see the exhibitions while they're here," Mrs Jackson said.

Merrill Borthwick took her three children Kieran, 6, Miller, 4, and Hanna, 2, along to enjoy the artwork.

"It's been an absolutely brilliant day. They've been crafting and story listening ... and now we're ladened with crafts," she laughed, with colourful flower pots exploding out of the stroller.

Nine-year-old Daniel Skarratt was looking forward to taking home his colourful creations to show his Dad after his day out.

His favourite part of the day was the art hunt "because it was fun looking at all the art and finding all the different things," he said.

His older sister Chloe, 10, had taken part in the Emma Prill art workshop.

"We've been making gardens," she said, holding up her picture.

Daniel and Chloe said it was a great way to spend the rainy weekend and were keen to go along again.

The next family day out at the gallery is expected to be in March 2015, and will be based around birds to match an exhibition on its way from the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.