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14 Fun Toddler Activities in Auckland
Fun activities help children experience positive emotions, connect with other children, learn new things, gain self-confidence by exploring, and develop skills, such as fine or gross motor skills, that will help them throughout their life. Take a look at our list of Fun toddler activities in Auckland.
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Fun activities help children experience positive emotions, connect with other children, learn new things, gain self-confidence by exploring, and develop skills, such as fine or gross motor skills, that will help them throughout their life. Finding activities that keep toddlers engaged and entertained can sometimes be a challenge. In this article, we bring you 14 fun toddler activities in Auckland for the joy of your little one.
List of Fun Toddler Activities in Auckland
See amazing sea creatures
Hauraki Gulf hosts notable species of whales, dolphins and seals that your toddler can see up close on a cruise that will fascinate children and adults alike. More than 22 species of dolphins and whales cross the Hauraki Gulf and swim close to vessels delighting visitors aboard. In the summertime, you and your toddler can spot sea turtles in a fun adventure that you will both fondly remember.
Penguins, cormorants and gulls are also in this seabird spotting place, so get ready for an outstanding experience.
Take a look at Auckland Whale and Dolphin Safari to find out more.
Jump for joy on trampolines
Children love trampolines. It could have something to do with the feeling of freedom they experience when they are in the air, or this could give them the sensation that, like birds, they too can fly. Take your toddler to a safety-certified trampoline park and watch him have a great time while you enjoy a cup of coffee. The staff of these parks supervises every child playing on the trampolines so your toddler is safe.
Take a look at Jump to find out more.
More Fun Toddler Activities in Auckland
Experience the grace of butterflies
Watching living butterflies flying around or land on them can be a magical experience for any toddler. You can dress your little one in blue, orange or red, as butterflies are attracted by bright colours and will most likely land on your children’s clothes.
Butterfly Creek’s beautiful collection of tropical butterflies from Central America and Asia will delight the children. The butterfly house also hosts several fish species alongside water dragons and finches.
Take a look at Butterfly Creek to find out more, and add this to the list of your favourite toddler activities in Auckland.
Get on an ice cream factory tour
Ice cream is amongst the favourite desserts of children. Your toddler can have a lot of fun learning about the manufacturing of ice cream, and of course, by tasting it in its birthplace – an ice cream factory. From popsicles to scoops, these ice creams are manufactured in all shapes, sizes and flavours, with dairy, gluten and gelatin-free variants also available.
Take a look at Tip Top’s factory tour to find out more.
Enjoy the flora of Auckland Botanic Gardens
Auckland Botanic Gardens have the most amazing plants in the area and have created a special garden for children. This garden, called Potter Children’s Garden, is filled with different environments that show little ones just how diverse nature is. To keep the little one engaged while visiting, you can try activity sheets that the gardens provide for free. These activities must be among the most fun toddler activities in Auckland, as they are accessible, create positive emotions and enable children to connect more with the surrounding environment.
Take a look at Auckland Botanic Gardens Potter Children’s Garden to find out more.
Embark on a choo-choo ride
All aboard! For explorers, the whistle of a train is among the most exciting sounds in the world. A ride in a steam train can keep toddlers caught up in admiring the steam locomotive, the rails and all the other amazing things that make trains work. These rides often feature fun activities and games that keep the little ones entertained and open to learning new things.
Take a look at the Museum of Transport and Technology to find out more.
Visit a puppetry studio
Auckland is the home of a live-action puppetry studio, provided with a unique playground. Here, your toddler can explore movie sets like Rocket Ship and Mission Control, the Pirates Cove and the Dragons Castle and try one or more of the playground’s attractions. The venue offers the audience full-of-colour-and-music puppets movies that light the imagination and spark the interest of little ones for stage productions.
Take a look at Whoa! Studios to find out more.
Meet the animals at the Auckland Zoo
The list of toddler activities in Auckland cannot skip one of the most loved attractions of the area: the Zoo.
Home to more than 1,400 animals, the Zoo is the perfect place for your toddler to meet mammals like elephants, meerkats, lions, giraffes, red pandas and rhinos, fish, reptiles, birds and amphibians.
Your toddler can have fun and learn, as the Zoo provides free online activity sheets you can use during your visit to discover unique native plants.
Moreover, the venue performs a program – Tamariki Time, designed for all children under 5. During the sessions of this program, the education team involves the kids in fun activities, games, dances and songs that will help them learn through play, make new friends and develop their cognitive skills.
Take a look at the Auckland Zoo and Auckland Zoo’s Tamariki Time to find out more.
But Wait There's More Toddler Activities in Auckland
Spend an afternoon at the beach
Beautiful beaches surround Auckland. Spending an afternoon with your toddler in such a location will provide the chance to do amazing things together. You can organize a picnic, have a long, relaxing walk along the beach, hold a photo shoot, or have a swim session. Or you can have a running contest to help the little one healthily use his energy, followed by a bath in the sun to provide him with vitamins that will help him develop harmoniously.
When choosing the beach, look for one that is families-with-kids-friendly, as they are less crowded and offer various facilities such as nearby playgrounds.
Take a look at a list of Auckland’s best beaches to explore to find out more.
Pick berries at a farm
Berries are cute, delicious and filled with healthy nutrients. Taking your toddler to a sustainable farm that enables visitors to pick berries by themselves is a fun and educational activity: your little one can see how strawberries, for example, are grown and harvested before reaching his breakfast or snack. It also helps develop fine motor skills and cultivates self-confidence, as this is a task he will take pride in performing.
These farms sometimes encourage visitors to bring their containers to deposit the berries they will pick and offer juice or ice cream made from “real” fruits.
Take a look at Bells Berries to find out more.
Try pony riding
Children like ponies because they are small, gentle and have funny teeth.
Riding a horse can be an authentic experience for your child as it nurtures his affection for animals, helps him improve his balance skills and increases his self-confidence. There are several locations in and around Auckland where children can ride gentle ponies in beautiful landscapes. You can turn this activity into regular riding lessons if your toddler enjoys it.
Take a look at Horse Riding Warkworth to find out more, and add this to the list of your favourite toddler activities in Auckland.
Dance like nobody is watching
Dancing is a great way to keep your little one healthy: it improves his heart and lung condition, increases endurance and muscle strength, it improves flexibility, overall balance and agility. Better than that, dancing is a fun activity that enables children to experience all sorts of body movements and positively consumes their energy. Try one or two lessons at a dancing school. Chances are he will like it since most schools use different rhythms, fun settings and a wide range of musical genres to get the little ones engaged and entertained.
Take a look at Dance Classes in Auckland to find out more.
Go camping
Camping is an excellent idea to create or strengthen your child’s connection to nature. There are a lot of activities that you can try while camping, from bird spotting to studying various bugs or kite flying. You can try fishing or a long stroll along the beach. Admiring landscapes can be fun, especially if your little one likes beautiful visuals. Some campsites in Auckland provide various facilities to entertain their little guests, like playgrounds or basketball courts. Meanwhile, grown-ups can have fun preparing a delicious barbecue in specially designed areas.
Take a look at a list of the best campgrounds in Auckland to pitch a tent to find out more.
Try swimming lessons
Swimming is an individual, fun activity with tremendous benefits for children: it helps develop muscle, promotes heart health, improves the quality of sleep, and it teaches the mind to stay calm and relaxed. The best advantage is that it enables the little ones to associate sports with fun, which can help them stay connected to sports as they grow up. Moving freely in the pool, with arms and legs feeling light as a feather, might encourage your child to ask to come back for more swimming sessions. Remember that these sessions must always be performed under the constant supervision of trained staff.
Take a look at a list of available swimming lessons and classes to find out more.
No matter which of these toddler activities in Auckland you choose, the most important is that your child has a fun time in a positive and safe environment.
If you are visiting Hamilton, check out our suggestions for fun toddler activities in Hamilton.
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Our Early Learning Centres
Our early childhood centre environments strongly reflects our inspiration – The Reggio Emilia philosophy, from Reggio Emilia, Italy.
We provide a creative and open ended environment that encourages infinite learning for the children and strong relationships between teachers, children and families.
The day’s routines are flexible. At the same time, care is taken to recognise and respect each child’s needs.
Why Choose a Bright Beginnings Early Learning Centre?
- Encouraging the use of natural materials
- A strong transition into school
- Teaching team inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach supports your child’s creative potential.
- Healthy, tasty hot meals cooked fresh on site
- 20 ECE hours available/free sessions for 3 year olds
- A boutique, homely feel to our centres
- Strong connections between teachers and whanau.
Here's what our parents say about our childcare centres
We are so happy that our son is a part of the Bright Beginnings family. The staff have been so welcoming and caring since the day he joined here. He has the freedom to explore and experiment as he learns about the world around him. With each passing day, he is growing into a confident and independent young boy, while building friendships and learning important life skills. We are also especially happy that he gets nutritious meals everyday, an important concern for us as parents. Most importantly, he loves it so much here that he can't wait to be back at the Centre every morning! As parents, we can go about our day with the assurance that our son is in good hands within a safe environment. Thank you to the entire BBELC team for that, Devika.
Bright Beginnings has and is a second home to both my son and now my daughter. Amber loves coming to the centre everyday and to see the relationship she has with the teachers is very special. We love everything Bright Beginnings embodies and are thankful to have found this centre.
- Best price
- Best service. From Jade Tavita
I was absolutely blown away by the presentation and the effort that went into the parent teacher interviews. I have not seen anything like it before and it made me feel very comfortable and welcome as a parent. From Darren Masters
Super duper loving, caring teachers. Awesome environment where our boy can flourish everyday. Thank you, Brad and Joanna.
Dillon absolutely loves his new big boy class. He even asks us if he can go on a Saturday and Sunday. Thanks all for making going to school so easy for us. Thanks, Anika.
I love and enjoy watching April develop and grow, I am so happy and grateful that she is in an amazing environment filled with people who care and look out for each other.
Beautiful Daycare. Thank you all.- Best price from Zara.
- Best service
Cherry: Our family is very grateful that we found BBELC. So far it is the best daycare we have seen. We are glad to enrol our kids here. Having peace of mind that our kids are safe, well fed, looked after and enjoy activities with the teachers and other kids is PRICELESS!!!
THANK YOU for helping my kids explore new things. You are all amazing. Like what I always say to the teacher, I don't know how you all do it but the teachers here at BBELC are SUPERHEROES! As parents we feel your passion, dedication and love.
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What are the Core Values of the Reggio Emilia Approach?
The Reggio Emilia Approach sees children as valuable members of communities where they are encouraged to explore, wonder, question and learn to understand the world around them and reach their full potential in the first five years of life.