Five of the best: Indoor activities for kids

Ice skating at Aotea Square. Photo / File

School holidays are here and it’s cold outside, leaving parents with the tricky task of keeping kids entertained indoors for days at a time. We picked the brains of our parenting pals and came up with five favourite ways to keep your restless whippersnappers happy.

1: Ice skating at Aotea Square

It might not be cold enough for Auckland lakes to freeze over (although it feels as if it could be some mornings), but that doesn't have to stop us getting our skates on and gliding around a rink. The popular inner-city ice rink is fully covered and features cool multi-level ice slides and an enclosed Kids' Zone for beginners. There's a programme of special events and themed nights, check for more info online. Open daily 10am-10pm during school holidays. Entry, including skate hire, starts from $15 for children.

2: Auckland Museum

You can't go past the weird and wonderful discovery centre at Auckland Museum. Examine fossils, colour-in a gorgeous garden scene graphic, play on iPads and befriend a glowing pathfinder bug. It's heaps of fun for little ones and parents and check out the website for more educational activities. Bring a packed lunch to munch in the Kai Room. Open 10am-5pm, entry is free for New Zealand residents.

3: Ten-pin bowling

Admittedly, this is one of our favourite grown-up indoor activities, but we hear the younger people love lacing up their bowling shoes, too. Auckland has a bunch of alleys the biggest being Metrolanes, on Queen St, with space, dubbed Route 66, set aside for children. The loud disco music and the sound of pins crashing can't help but put everyone in a good mood, we reckon. Prices start from $8 for mini-bowling if you have a spin before 4pm.

4: Local libraries

We love a free, local activity that keeps kids smiling. Little bookworms can scour the shelves for hours and there are also games and puzzles to play with and borrow. Some centres offer free school holiday programmes as well as book clubs for readers, storytime for littlies and interactive rhyme time sessions with music and song. Check out
the Auckland Council website to find your local library and what they have on offer.

5: Butterfly Creek

Based next to Auckland Airport and mostly undercover, Butterfly Creek provides a day of family fun. There are farm animals, crocs big and small, creepy crawlies, monkeys and
a Dinosaur Kingdom. During school holidays, Butterfly Creek hosts mask-making, colouring-in competitions and a scavenger hunt. Prices vary depending on what option you're after. The whole shebang, including all animals and the Dinosaur Kingdom, will cost children $16 and under-3s are free. Open 9.30am-4pm.