Activities for Kids

Honu/ Sea Turtles

Calling all kaitiaki! Want to learn how to be turtle-y terrific guardians for marine life? Join our Conservation Learning Team as they explore sea turtles (honu) and our role in helping them when they visit New Zealand waters.

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Tara Iti/ NZ Fairy Tern

Join us for some creative activities all about one of the rarest birds in the world – the tara iti ( New Zealand fairy tern)!

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Tuna/ NZ Longfin Eel

Today we’re learning about the largest freshwater eel in the world; the New Zealand longfin eel / tuna!

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Kākāpō

Join us for some creative activities all about a special endemic manu (bird), the kākāpō! Learn facts about this taonga, how to pronounce their te reo name, draw your own feathered friend, and create your own kākāpō inspired breakfast!

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Takahē

Get to know one of New Zealand's most elusive manu - the South Island takahē - which was believed to be extinct until it was rediscovered about 75 years ago! You will learn all about these flightless birds, the threats they face in the wild and how saving them starts with managing ourselves and our animals at home. Get out your craft supplies and explore creative ways to connect with nature - so you can become even better kaitiaki for wildlife and wild spaces!

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Kawakawa

Learn more about the endemic kawakawa – its use as rongoā (medicine), how it is dispersed within our native forests, and some creative ways to draw and craft with inspiration from this iconic tipu (plant).

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How to Draw a Giraffe, Elephant, Tiger, Kiwi and Tuatara

Have you ever wanted to learn to draw your favourite animal? Download this guide to show you how!

Tip: You don’t need a printer for this.

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Make a Giraffe picture

Make an awesome giraffe outline on a surface around your home - just like the giraffes at the Zoo!

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Make a butterfly

Make a beautiful butterfly with just two pieces of paper and a ribbon. 

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Create your own backyard insect and animal art

Learn how to make art using simple materials from your garden!

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Colour in the takahē

Download this terrific takahe activity sheet, thanks to our friends at DoC.

Tip: Parts of this can be done without a printer.

Download

 

Colour in the whio

Tip: Printer is required

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Spot the animals and colour in

Not just for kids... adults can colour in too!

Tip: Printer is required

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Each day use these prompts as inspiration to draw/paint/ink/sculpt an animal of your choice and send it to us!

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Learn about ungulates and their hooves and complete the fun science experiment. 

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Create your very own nature frame to capture some special moments outside! Download our guide to find out how and see some of our examples.

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We've put together a selection of free board games for you and your whānau.

Printer-friendly gameboard
This is a printer-friendly gameboard that can be used with all the board games on the Auckland Zoo Kids website.

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Takahē game
Go on a journey with a takahe back to the wild.

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Whio game
Help navigate the whio duckling down the river back to its family.

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South East Asia Jungle Track Construction game
See what it takes to build a brand new habitat at Auckland Zoo.

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Be like an animal game
Go on a virtual journey around Auckland Zoo. Can you be like the animals you see?

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Tasmanian devil game
Tasmanian devils can give birth to up to 40 babies! But life can be tough. Can you survive the life of a Tasmanian devil?

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Put these whio through a bootcamp and get them ready for the wild!

This is an interactive online game, thanks to our friends at DoC.

Play game

Can you find the mischevious serval hiding in plain sight?

Download game

Takahē Quiz

Test your knowledge on one of the most famous conservation icons!

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All about elephants

Elephants have a great memory! Can you remember all the elephant facts? Challenge your friends and family.

test your knowledge

 

Name that animal group

Stuck at home with your family? Guess what family groups of other animals are called. Test your friends and family.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

 

Cheetah Quiz

Try not to cheat your way through this cheetah quiz

Test your knowledge

 

Red panda - true or false

You know they are cute, but how much more do you know about red panda?

Test your knowledge

 

My Zoo book – WildWork edition

Did you know that Auckland Zoo does loads of conservation work outside the zoo! Check out the My Zoo book and then test your knowledge with this quiz.

Test your knowledge

 

Quiz: My Zoo book – Natural Treasures edition

Check out the My Zoo book all about New Zealand animals. Then you can test your knowledge with this quiz.

Test your knowledge

 

Quiz: My Zoo book – Bugs edition

Auckland Zoo is home to some bugs and animals that eat bugs! Check out the My Zoo book to find out more and then test your knowledge with this quiz.

Test your knowledge

 

Quiz: My Zoo book – Summer edition

How do you keep cool on a summers day? Check out the My Zoo book to find out how the animals at Auckland Zoo beat the heat and then test your knowledge with this quiz.

Test your knowledge

 

Quiz: My Zoo book - Africa edition

Check out the My Zoo book all about Africa and the animals that live there. Then you can test your knowledge with this quiz.

Test your knowledge

Africa at Auckland Zoo Wordfind

There are herds of African animals that call Auckland Zoo home, can you find them all?

Africa Wordfind

 

Australia at Auckland Zoo

G’day! Take a walk through the Aussie bush track and see what you can find.

Australia Wordfind

 

Birds at Auckland Zoo

There is a flock-load of birds at Auckland Zoo! Can you find them all?

Bird Wordfind

 

Te reo animals at Auckland Zoo

All of these animal names are in te reo maori. Do you know what they all are?

Te Reo Wordfind

 

Te Wao Nui at Auckland Zoo

Te Wao Nui is a place to appreciate the wildlife found in New Zealand. Can you find all these unique animals?

Te Wao Nui Wordfind

 

Ectotherms at Auckland Zoo

What is an ectotherm? It’s an animal that maintains its body temperature using the surrounding environment – like a frog or a lizard. Can you find all the ectotherms?

Ectotherm Wordfind

 

Mammals at Auckland Zoo

Mammals great and small can be found at Auckland Zoo. What ones can you find?

Mammal Wordfind

Animal Crossword

Discover some of the animals Auckland Zoo supports in the wild.
 

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Check out our printable bingo games!

 

Have a look at our printable animal bingo for 2 - 6 players!

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Have a look at our picture Wharewhare (bingo)!

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Stuck at home with your family? Guess what family groups of other animals are called. Test your friends and family.

Click here

Can you piece together some of your favourite animals at Auckland Zoo. Remember to check back as we will be adding more of your favourites soon.

Click here

Look at these tricky pictures and have fun trying to figure them out. What animals do you see? 

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Can you move like an animal? Why don't you grab some chalk and create your own animal obstacle course!

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Our My Zoo Booklets are awesome ways to bring the Zoo to you. Featuring activities, games, puzzles, and more, it's an awesome and fun resource for your whānau.

Wild Work!

In this edition, we're celebrating some of the animals that  we support around the world with our Wild Work. You can also learn how you can help our native wildlife at home.

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Bugs!

In this edition, we're celebrating bugs! Discover how amazing and diverse bugs can be and how important they are to some of our animals.

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Summer!

Check out this activity book to learn about some of your favourite animals at Auckland Zoo and how they like to cool off in the heat.

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Natural Treasures!

In this edition, we're celebrating our natural treasures - New Zealand's amazing wildlife! Learn what makes our wildlife unique in the animal world and complete the animal profile.

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Africa!

Africa is the second largest continent, it's home to over 1,100 species of mammals and over 2,600 species of birds. Discover the African animals that live at Auckland Zoo and see if you can answer the questions in the book.

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Find out if you have pests or pals in your backyard with this tracking tunnel.

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We're going on a bug hunt! How many bugs can you find at home?

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Create a nectar feeder for your backyard and watch the birds fly in!

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Make a safe and welcoming home for wētā to live in.

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Go on a scavenger hunt in your backyard! See how many creatures and backyard features you can find!

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Here at Auckland Zoo, we're passionate about conserving wildlife and wild places through science. We'd like to invite you to get involved and survey your area in this fun, 5-minute activity!

Learn More

Connecting with nature is great for your mental health, take a moment to be mindful on your daily walk and look at your surroundings through a focused lens. 
Each day challenge yourself to find three examples of these contrasting partnerships.

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Next time you are out for a walk in nature try to find something for each the ngā tae (colours) - practice the kupu for ngā tae at the same time!

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Try to spot different kinds of tipu or rākau - these could be trees, shrubs, grasses, vegetables, vines or moss. Choose a few to explore more closely.

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Let’s go on a safari, but for ngā kapua. In your backyard, on your walk or even through a window in your home, see if you can find some interesting kapua shapes.

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Trainee Keeper for a Day – Primates

Go through the stages of our at-home Keeper Training Camp and learn more about working with primates to become a Trainee Primate Keeper at Auckland Zoo! You can then share what you have learnt with your friends and whānau.

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Trainee Keeper for a Day – Ectotherms

Go through the stages of our at-home Keeper Training Camp and learn more about working with ectotherms to become a Trainee Ectotherm Keeper at Auckland Zoo! You can then share what you have learnt with your friends and whānau.

Download

 

Trainee Keeper for a Day – Carnivores

Go through the stages of our at-home Keeper Training Camp and learn more about working with carnivores to become a Trainee Carnivore Keeper at Auckland Zoo! You can then share what you have learnt with your friends and whānau.

Download

 

Trainee Keeper for a Day – Ungulates

Go through the stages of our at-home Keeper Training Camp and learn more about working with ungulates (an animal that has hooves) to become a Trainee Ungulate Keeper at Auckland Zoo! You can then share what you have learnt with your friends and whānau.

Download

There are different ways we can connect with nature! Take part in our challenge to notice nature in 30 different ways!

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Staying fit and healthy whilst having fun is something the whole family can do during lockdown – and we’ve got just the activity!

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On your marks, get set, go! All you need for this is a stopwatch, notebook, pen and.... some fast legs! Who's the fastest animal in your house?

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The dance helps flamingos to make a new friend, so they march, they preen, they salute and they bend. Have a go and share your moves with us!

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Be like the animals at Auckland Zoo and let your senses connect you to your surroundings.

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Find a quiet space and take some time out to move like ngā kararehe (animals) from Te Whare Kararehe o Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland Zoo)!

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