Photo / Geoff Hedley Photography Ltd
It may feel like the kids just returned to school following the long summer break, but the Easter holidays are here. Once again, there are heaps of activities to keep everyone busy and entertained, no matter what the weather.
Lolly Witches, bizarre plants and greedy cats are coming to a theatre near you for the holidays.
Auckland Theatre Company revisits Mumuland following last year's hugely popular Polly Hood in Mumuland.
This time, writers Lauren Jackson and Lolo Fonua have been inspired by Hansel and Gretel. Thoroughly modern kids Hans and Gertie, hungry for food and adventure, take off on a journey to save their family from the breadline but end up in the hands of a wicked Zumba-dancing witch. Can talking pigs, magical fairies and racing snails help them sing and dance their way out of trouble in the Lolly Witch of Mumuland?
Across the harbour town grump Mrs McGinty deals with rambunctious neighbourhood kids Zoe and Zac, who constantly play pranks on her. But maybe the joke will be on them when Mrs McGinty puts in a bizarre plant which turns her into a celebrity. Based on the book by Gavin Bishop, Mrs McGinty and the Bizarre Plant includes fabulous sets, puppetry and great songs as well as a treasure trail with an imagination playground, face painting and crafts.
There's also a Greedy Cat stalking the stage of the PumpHouse. Children's theatre maestro Tim Bray has adapted the much-loved Joy Cowley stories about Greedy Cat, who sits by the fridge wanting more, more, more.
If the kids want more there are half and full-day workshops for kids keen to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes of the current show.
Auckland Art Gallery has a series of workshops based on current exhibitions. Two of the most popular are Hands-on, Hands in paint for caregivers and children where the under-5s (and their grown-ups) explore paint and create their own artwork (dress for mess).
For the older kids, Expanded Creativity includes a range of quickfire art-making projects. Monster Sculpture lets kids experiment with various materials to craft their own fantasy creations. And on weekdays there are free screenings of children's animated short films (in French).
Ponsonby's Studio One Toi Tu (formerly ArtStation) has an amazing range of school holiday classes including a Zines and Comics Workshop, a support programme for students doing NCEA Level 1 art and classes which explore object theatre and stop-motion animation.
We like the sounds of Mugs 'n Jugs where children aged 7 to 14 can have a go at making colourful mugs inspired by New Zealand birds.
If photography is more your thing, you can spend the day at Auckland Zoo learning and working alongside professional photographers to make the most of your digital camera.
Also at Auckland Zoo, because it's Easter there is a special programme of egg-sploring. Kids get a case and clue-cracking kit then venture through the zoo to find amazing facts about egg-laying animals and join hands-on activities like digging for eggs and nest building.
There are eggs aplenty at Mangere's Butterfly Creek where, from Monday, you can join the Daily Dino Dig in the boneyard at Dinosaur Kingdom. Be a palaeontologist and you could dig up prizes such as dinosaur figurines.
If the Wild West is the place for you, head to the Sky Tower to hunt down Scotty Sky Tower's evil twin. There's a series of clues, activities and a Wild West-themed photo station plus a reward for those who track down Scotty's evil twin. You can explore the past at Highwic, the historic homestead in Newmarket, where The Puppet Man's Amazing Marionette Circus Show is on for two shows.
Auckland puppeteer John Rew was inspired as a child by a cowboy marionette he received so began making his own puppets for a miniature circus.
Highwic also has indoor games such as Blind Man's Bluff and musical cushions and, depending on the weather, timeless outdoor activities such as egg and spoon races, sack races and three-legged races.
In Arty Easter Eggs and Biscuits, kids and adults get to bake their own biscuits on Highwic's coal range and then decorate an egg.
The coal range fires up again for Soldier Biscuits and Poppy Making where children can make traditional Anzac biscuits. Highwic's Peter Rabbit Trail is on through the holidays where kids can hunt for images of Peter Rabbit hidden in the house and grounds.
At the Auckland Botanic Gardens, there are workshops and discovery stations themed around April's Earth Day. Kids will learn how to recycle household objects into fun crafts and explore the importance of soil.
Protecting our environment is also the theme of the Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum's holiday programme, Save Our Seas. Activities include an explorers' trail, arts and crafts, a chance to chat with Sandy the Surfer about what lives in our oceans and seafaring stories and nautical narratives. Check out the Plastic Bottle Kayak Crew, just returned from an adventure in Abel Tasman National Park.
Want to spend the holidays brushing up on your coding knowhow? Interested in developing your Minecraft world or making your own animated films? Ever wondered how building your own lava lamp could teach you about chemistry?
At The Mind Lab, students can choose from a range of full-day camps to learn new technological and creative skills while Bubble Dome offers the chance to learn new skills in the ever-growing Stem (science, technology, engineering and maths) field.
The Flash Bang Science Club is designed to inspire curious kids aged 7 and over by taking them through hands-on experiments.
We like the sound of Bubbling Boo Bags and Bottle Rockets, where vinegar and baking soda are combined to create certain chemical reactions; and there's the chance to explore liquid density and chemical reactions by making bubbling lava lamps.
These holidays, Motat teams with Bubble Dome for an amazing Minecraft architecture workshop, using Minecraft to invent original buildings with secret underground passageways, hidden chambers and contemporary architecture.
Kids can unleash their inner designer in We Built This City, or they can build modular futuristic pods in the Discovery Dome. This weekend and next, Doug the Digger roadshows let kids operate a mini CAT, while Easter weekend has the marvellous constructions of the Lego User Group.
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The Lolly Witch of Mumuland, Mangere Arts Centre
, April 11-18. Ph (09) 309 0390
• Mrs McGinty and the Bizarre Plant, Bruce Mason Centre, April 16-18. Ph (09) 970 9700
• Greedy Cat, Takapuna PumpHouse, April 4-18. Ph (09) 489 8360.
• Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki: Workshop runs twice, April 7-17. Bookings essential eventfinder.co.nz
• Studio One Toi Tu: From April 7, course fees vary. Ph (09) 376 3221
• Auckland Zoo: Egg-splorer throughout the holidays from 9.30am to 3pm with prizes up for grabs. Young Photographers workshops, April 8 & 15, $95 each person. Ph (09) 360-3805
• Butterfly Creek: Daily Dinosaur Dig, April 6-17, 12-2pm (purchase entry to Dinosaur Kingdom ).
• Sky Tower: School holiday activities, April 3-19, 10am to 3pm. Admission fees apply.
• Highwic: The Puppet Man's Amazing Marionette Circus Show, April 9 and 16, 10.30am.
• Fun Days, Arty Easter Eggs and Biscuits, April 8 (10am, 1pm); Soldier Biscuits and Poppy Making, April 15. Places are limited, bookings encouraged. heritage.org.nz/places
• Auckland Botanic Gardens: 102 Hill Rd, Manurewa. Ph (09) 267 1457 ext 3
• Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum: Save our Seas, April 7-18. They'll visit on Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, 12. (09) 373 0800.
• The Mind Lab: 69 Carlton Gore Rd, Newmarket. Holiday programmes April 7-17. Bookings ph 0800 MIND LAB or (09) 964 4444
• Bubble Dome: Holiday courses, April 7-16. Bookings and information, bubbledome.co.nz
• Motat: Minecraft Architecture April 13, 14, 15. $55 per participant. Doug the Digger Roadshow, weekends April 11, 18.
• The Flash Bang Science Club: Locations across Auckland. Holiday courses, April 10-16. Bookings essential. Contact admin@flashbangscienceclub. co.nz Ph 0297 712 923.
A live cook-off featured ox heart, wapiti, wild boar and plenty of edible wildlife.