Things to do  |  5 Mar 2019

Parks Week begins on 9 March and to mark the event Christchurch City Council has organised five fun activities to help kids connect with nature.

  • A young girl slides down a mud slide.

    Take the kids for a fun mudslide during Parks Week.

    Take part in the Nature Play Challenge and be in to win one of three nature inspired prizes. The Nature Play Challenge sets nine different activities for kids to do in nature including balance on a log, roll down a hill, read a book outside, spot an insect, and dig in dirt. Complete as many challenges as you can and fill in an online entry form or send in a photo of your challenge sheet to be eligible to win.
  • Take the children for a playdate with wetland wildlife at Halswell Quarry Park on Tuesday, 12 March, 10am to midday. Christchurch City Council Park Rangers Nigel and Cate will be on hand to introduce the kids to tuna/eels and other local wildlife.
  • Put the children in old clothes and take them to Bottle Lake Forest Park on Thursday, 14 March where there will be lots of mud to play in, including an awesome mud slide. There will be two sessions – one from 10.30 to 11.30am for pre-school children and one from 3.30pm to 4.30pm for five to 10-year-olds. Numbers are limited so make sure you register early through Eventfinda.
  • READiscover your local park! Five book-filled treasure boxes have been hidden in five parks near five Christchurch libraries. A special treasure box has also been hidden in the roof gardens at Turanga. Find the treasure boxes and enjoy a good read in the great outdoors before putting it back for the next treasure hunter.  There are also special library storytimes at each of the libraries, outdoors if it’s fine. To find the treasure boxes grab a map from any participating library or download one from the Christchurch City Libraries website.
  • Take the kids along to the Botanic Gardens where a ‘pop-up nature play space’ is being set up for Parks Week. There will be lots of natural materials like flax stalks and log rounds for the kids to get creative with and let their imaginations run wild.

Parks Week is an annual event that celebrates the role parks play in keeping our communities and natural environment healthy. 

As part of Parks Week, Christchurch City Council’s Parks Unit is also supporting Little Kiwis Nature Play to present Christchurch’s second Nature Play Conference Take Me Outside: Connecting Children and Parks on Friday, 15 March.