July school holidays 2018

Check out these science related school holiday events on around New Zealand during the upcoming July school holidays.

Contact us if you have an event that you’d like added here.

Auckland

Auckland Zoo

Amaze your senses! at Auckland Zoo
Grab your activity sheet before heading off on a sensory adventure, where you’ll not only learn about the zoos animals and their senses but also your own. You’ll be amazed by what you (and the animals) hear, see, touch, taste and smell at the zoo these holidays.
For further information: www.aucklandzoo.co.nz

MOTAT

The Mind Lab by Unitec school holiday workshops
The Mind Lab by Unitec at MOTAT offers a range of full day school holiday camps for 7-12 year-olds, all of which nurture that boundless, unwavering curiosity of theirs! Whether it’s their first session or their fiftieth, they’ll be faced with new, engaging challenges in a supportive, encouraging environment. These full-day workshops comprise two exciting activities (for instance Coding and Robotics) and cost $150 per day.
For further information: www.motat.org.nz/learn/mind-lab-by-unitec-at-motat/the-mind-lab-by-unitec-school-holiday-workshops/

Science Roadshow
The Science Roadshow is a mobile science discovery centre. Annually it travels the length of New Zealand in a 15 m truck and trailer, bringing a range of cool interactive science and technology exhibits into communities.
For further information: www.motat.org.nz/experience/holiday-experiences/science-roadshow-motat

Accelerate: driving New Zealand
Revved up, fully charged, and challenging the status quo! MOTAT’s latest exhibition, Accelerate: Driving New Zealand, delves into the past, present and future of New Zealand’s relationship with vehicles. From some uniquely Kiwi stories, to the search for sustainable alternatives, this exhibition breaks down complex technological processes and explores the innovative thinking and Kiwi-can-do attitude we’re renowned for.
For further information: www.motat.org.nz/exhibitions/accelerate-driving-new-zealand/

Bubble Dome

Computer learning combines with lateral thinking and problem solving.
For further information: www.bubbledome.com

Conscious Kids

Free play in a natural setting with as little assistance as possible from equipment and technology. We will provide basic equipment suitable to exploring the outdoors: ropes, tarpaulins, bungees, compass, magnifying glasses, knives (to be used with supervision) and some art equipment.
For further information: www.consciouskids.co.nz

Yoobee

Our School Holiday Programmes offer high school students a great opportunity to get creative, have fun and learn new skills in the ever-changing world of design. Remember that because Yoobee is an MoE-authorised tertiary provider, you can use STAR funding to send students on these courses.
For further information: www.yoobee.ac.nz/media/210200/july-sh-2018.pdf

Waikato

Conscious Kids

Free play in a natural setting with as little assistance as possible from equipment and technology. We will provide basic equipment suitable to exploring the outdoors: ropes, tarpaulins, bungees, compass, magnifying glasses, knives (to be used with supervision) and some art equipment.
For further information: ​www.consciouskids.co.nz

Te Awamutu Space Centre

Interactive displays, activities, telescopes and a collection of space-related artefacts and memorabilia.
For further information: www.spacecentre.nz

Waikato Museum

School holiday programme
Have fun at the Museum these school holidays with ‘exciting’ science, magical arts, Spectacular Slime Challenge and lots more creative activities!
For further information: http://waikatomuseum.co.nz/exhibitions-and-events/view/2145883110/july-2018-school-holiday-programme-waikato-museum-hamilton

New Plymouth

Puke Ariki

Permian monsters: palaeontology experience
This is your chance to wear your best adventurer outfit. Learn more about fossils, palaeontology and the science behind the discovery of million year old creatures!
Spaces are limited and bookings are required, call 06 759 6060 to book. Suitable for 8–10 year olds.
11 July, 10am–12pm or 2–4pm
For further information: http://pukeariki.com/Exhibitions/Coming-Soon

If you like dinosaurs, check out these resources.

Wellington

Space Place

Winter science shows
Light is vital to our everyday lives but what is it? Come and find out all about light in this 25 minute show over the school holidays at Space Place. Learn how you can use light to trick your friends and see how you can generate light from very ordinary household objects
9–20 July, shows at 12:45 pm and 1:45 pm daily
For further information: www.museumswellington.org.nz/winter-science-shows/

Let there be light!
Learn about how light enables us to see the world around us. Get answers to all the questions you never knew you had: Why do your eyes adjust to light when you go inside on a sunny day or go out late at night? How do cameras ‘see’? Why do your eyes work the way they do? To top it all off, create stunning light art with long-exposure photography and make a pinhole viewer that will turn your world upside down!
18 and 19 July, 9 am–2 pm.
For further information and to book: www.museumswellington.org.nz/winter-school-holidays-let-there-be-light/

Find out more about our light resources in this article or see our light and colour topic.

Wellington Zoo

School holiday programme
Keeping your kids entertained during the school holidays might sometimes feel like wrangling wild animals, so why not let the professionals take over?
For further information: https://wellingtonzoo.com/experiences/holiday-programmes/

Wilderkids

Wilderkids is a school holiday programme based in Wellington’s Town Belt which gets kids exploring the nature in our city’s fringes. Children will have a fun-filled, outdoors day with the Sustainability Trust education team – learning hands-on about the birds, bees, trees, creepy crawlies and everything else that lives and breathes in our forests.
https://sustaintrust.org.nz/pages/school-holiday-programmes

Te Papa

Choose your learning adventure at Te Papa’s Holiday Programme. Join fun educator-led workshops and use cutting-edge technology to explore our exhibitions and collections. Get hands-on with everything from stop-motion animation to toy making!
For further information: www.tepapa.govt.nz/learn/hinatore-learning-lab/holiday-learning-programme

Christchurch

The Arts Centre

KidsFest – amazing atoms
Dress as an olden-day student and explore the hands-on Rutherford’s Den exhibit. Enjoy activities in the historic lab and classroom where Lord Ernest Rutherford studied and craft a cool science project.
For further information: www.artscentre.org.nz/rutherford-den/kidsfest-amazing-atoms/

Art Gallery

KidsFest: The Moon and crawling colours
We start this activity by reading Jimmy and Jane and the Tale of the Yellow Moon. This colourful, humorous story reveals the unusual daily eating habits of moon-dwelling Lunatrons. Your kids will discover what strange things happen when their diet changes
For further information: https://christchurchartgallery.org.nz/events/kidsfest-the-moon-and-creeping-colour

Botanic Garden

Kidsfest – dino detectives
There's a dinosaur in the gardens and it's eating all the trees! Follow the trail of clues and figure out which of our suspects is responsible...
For further information: www.ccc.govt.nz/parks-and-gardens/christchurch-botanic-gardens/whats-on-at-the-botanic-gardens/whats-on/

Air Force Museum

Rockets and robots
Send robots out to deactivate space bombs, hone up your skills with our STEM-inspired Gravity Games and create an astronaut helmet among many other exciting activities!
For further information: www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/whats-on/what-to-do/holiday-programmes/oscar-endorsed-holiday-programme/school-holiday-programme/

International Antarctic Centre

Need something to entertain your children in the school holidays? Send them to Antarctica! Well…. not literally, but the next best thing! Enrol them in our Holiday Programme and we’ll entertain them and educate them about all things Antarctic!
For further information: www.iceberg.co.nz/our-experiences/school-holiday-activities/

Find out more about Antarctica, we have lots of resources under this topic.

Yoobee

Our School Holiday Programmes offer high school students a great opportunity to get creative, have fun and learn new skills in the ever-changing world of design. And, remember that because Yoobee is an MoE-authorised tertiary provider, you can use STAR funding to send students on these courses.
For further information: www.yoobee.ac.nz/media/210205/star-a4a5-july-shp2-2018.pdf

Dunedin

New Zealand International Science Festival

The New Zealand International Science Festival has over 230 events, 24 venues and over 20 national and international guests heading to Dunedin to celebrate all things science. See the seperate event listing here.

Otago Museum

Explorers club
Each day is different at the Otago Museum holiday programme, sessions range from the winter solstice, under the Ocean, clean energy, saving species and more.
For further information: http://otagomuseum.nz/whats-on/do/programme-and-events/event/explorers-club-july-2018

Tūhura thrills
Join the Otago Museum team as they bring the excitement of Tūhura Otago Community Trust Science Centre to 2 locations. See the seperate event listings: Wall Street and Meridian Mall.

Science matters
Discover states of matter like you’ve never seen before.
In this free lunchtime show, see air turn to liquid, tantalise your taste buds with delicious clouds of tropical juice, and sink your fingers into piles of goo.
For further information: http://otagomuseum.nz/whats-on/do/programme-and-events/event/science-matters-2

Find out more about states of matter, we have lots of resources under this concept.

Mesmerising metamorphosis
Get hands-on exploring the life cycle of a caterpillar as it changes into a butterfly! Listen to Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar read by the University Bookshop's storyteller, create your own caterpillar craft and participate in a special first flight, helping newly-emerged butterflies take flight for the first time in the Tropical Forest.
For further information: http://otagomuseum.nz/whats-on/do/programme-and-events/event/mesmerising-metamorphosis-from-caterpillar-to-butt

Use our search to find lots of great butterfly content.

Muliple locations

Dr Graham's whizz bang science

Prepare yourself for a thrilling science show that explodes through chemistry, physics with bubbles, booms, bangs and occasionally, fire! Shows at Ruatoria, Gisborne, Wairoa and Wellington.