Christchurch, Family Activities

Proactive Martial Arts provide children from as young as 4 years old and up to build life-skills in taking turns, managing anger, following directions, teamwork, self-esteem, attention span and a positive attitude.  Offering courses for 4-7 years (Tigers), 8-11 years (Pathers) and 12-15 years (Xtreme Martial Arts) and Freestyle Martial Arts for those aged 16+ years. Offered in four locations around Christchurch, call us today for chat about what our program can offer your family.

Crate Escape is an exciting real life escape game in the middle of Christchurch. You and a group of friends are confined to a room, full of hidden clues, locks and puzzles for 60 minutes.  Your goal is to solve all the puzzles and escape with time to spare!  Crate Escape is great for friends and family or as a team-building activity, birthday party idea for schools, clubs or other groups. Everyone must WORK TOGETHER to escape from the room.

See, touch and feed a variety of farm animals and learn about their history and contribution to the New Zealand economy. Bring the family have a picnic or barbeque while enjoying our natural environment with shelter and shade.

Alpine Ice caters for all ice skating requirements including private hire, private lessons, public ice skating or to be the host of your next birthday party.

Christchurch Paddleboarding is the first paddleboarding school to be accredited in New Zealand and provides fun and exciting lessons for the kids, adults or all of you as a family group. Get onto the water in a safe and controlled environment, hop onto our sturdy, stable inflatable paddleboards and experience the joy and freedom of the SUP! Our lessons take you from beginner to confident and competent with professional instruction and a tried and tested format. Once you realise how much fun this is, you'll be hooked! We also hire and sell Red Air (the world's leading and best-selling inflatable).

The TranzAlpine scenic train journeys between Christchurch and Greymouth, crossing from one coast of NZ to the other.  You'll see the fields of the Canterbury Plains and farmland, followed by spectacular gorges and river valleys of the Waimakariri River.  Featuring huge panoramic windows and an on board licensed café, make it a day trip or stay and explore some more.

This spectacular all-ages, all-abilities playground is named after one of Canterbury's much-loved authors, Margaret Mahy. Plenty of thought and planning has gone into making the playground an amazing place for all. Here's what you'll find:
- Playground equipment, like the 4 metre wide-slide and double flying fox.
- Sand play, swings, rockers and a crawl tunnel for toddlers.
- Water cannons, sprinklers and a splash pad with controllable jets.
- Separate activity zones for different age groups.
- Food and beverage retailers - Rollickin' Gelato, Berry Healthy Real Fruit Ice Cream, Mo Coffee and Bueno Cantina.
- Lawn picnic areas and seating.
- Public toilet, change facilities and shade canopy.
- And plenty more to discover!
The Playground is free to visit and open all day everyday. There is a free car park at 177 Armagh Street.

The Court Theatre is a professional theatre company based in Christchurch that houses an air-conditioned 390 seat auditorium. Offering a range of entertaining theatre performances year round for young and old including regular shows for the family. Check out their website for ‘What’s on’ including their ‘upcoming shows’ and look out for those performances that will run during the school holidays. Got a budding performer? Check out their education and training school holiday programme for kids aged 9-15 years.

Step back in time at one of NZ's premier Heritage Attractions! Lots of interactive fun and activities for the family. Ferrymead Heritage Park is a great place to take the kids and have fun as you 'step back in time'.