Best Things to Do in Auckland With Kids
The best things to do in Auckland with kids include Kelly Tarlton's aquarium, MOTAT, the Sky Tower and Weta Workshop Unleashed, alongside the free options like the beaches and the easier volcano walks.
What are the best things to do with kids in Auckland?
Auckland mixes paid attractions with easy free outdoor fun, which suits families. On a budget you have the beaches, the cones and the parks. For paid attractions there is a solid set of indoor and all-weather options, useful when the weather turns. A good trip usually alternates the two, an attraction in the morning and a beach or park in the afternoon.
The big attractions
A few reliable hits anchor a family visit. Kelly Tarlton's is an underwater aquarium with sharks and penguins, near Mission Bay. MOTAT, the Museum of Transport and Technology at Western Springs, is hands-on and sprawling. The Sky Tower gives the city's big view and a glass lift, and Weta Workshop Unleashed in the city centre is an interactive behind-the-scenes film experience older kids love.
Free and outdoor options
Plenty keeps kids busy for nothing. The city beaches at Mission Bay and Takapuna are easy swims with ice cream nearby. One Tree Hill in Cornwall Park has sheep and space to run, and is a gentle climb for small legs. Western Springs has a lake and birdlife, and the Auckland Domain has room to roam. These fill the gaps between paid attractions cheaply.
Tips for a family day
Keep it flexible and weather-led. Save the indoor attractions like Kelly Tarlton's, MOTAT and Weta Unleashed for grey or wet days, and use the fine days for beaches and cones. Go earlier to beat both heat and crowds, and build in downtime. Auckland's compact centre and good bus and ferry network make it easy to chain a couple of things without long travel.
Plan a family day that works
Guide AKL maps the attractions, beaches and easy walks, with the practical detail families need. Works offline.
Explore Guide AKLRelated: Best free things to do in Auckland.