Christchurch Winter School Holidays 2026 — Family Activities & Ideas

Christchurch schools follow the national Term 2 dates. Matariki on Friday 10 July is a public holiday inside the break, with free council events around the city — popular attractions get busy that long weekend.

The International Antarctic Centre is the perfect winter outing — and feeling the storm room's wind chill makes the real Christchurch cold seem positively mild. There's a Hägglunds ride, little blue penguins and an aquarium too. It's a splurge at around $59/adult and $39/child, so allow a good two to three hours to get your money's worth, and book online for cheaper combo tickets.

Winter is also ice-skating season. Alpine Ice Sports Centre runs public sessions all year and is a fun, cheap morning for school-age kids and up; skate hire is included for around $20 a person.

Christchurch is generous with free attractions. Canterbury Museum (check its current redevelopment/temporary site status) and the Air Force Museum at Wigram are both free, with real aircraft kids can get close to. The Christchurch Art Gallery is free with family trails, and Riverside Market is free to wander with cheap eats for lunch.

Wrap up warm and the animals are often more active in the cool. Willowbank Wildlife Reserve has a nocturnal kiwi house (a winter highlight) plus farmyard favourites, while Orana Wildlife Park is NZ's only open-range zoo with lions, giraffes and the rhino feed. The Botanic Gardens and Hagley Park are free, with the warm glasshouses a lovely escape from the cold.

Hanmer Springs is the classic Canterbury winter day trip — about 90 minutes north, with hot pools, hydroslides, a warm lazy river and a toddler pool, often with snow on the surrounding hills. Entry is around $28/adult, $16/child.

For snow, Mt Hutt is roughly 90 minutes away and has a good kids' ski school; Porters is closer (about an hour) and great for beginners. Even if you don't ski, a snow-play day is a memorable winter outing — bring waterproof gloves and snow gear.

For a wet Canterbury day, the city has plenty of warm, dry options beyond the museums. Trampoline parks, bowling, indoor climbing and the leisure pools all keep kids busy out of the weather.

A great mixed day: start at the free Air Force Museum at Wigram when it opens, where the kids can climb into cockpits and try the simulators, then warm up with a packed lunch. In the afternoon, head to Alpine Ice for a public skating session, finishing at Tūranga library to thaw out and read. Total spend for a family of four: around $80, mostly the skating.

Christchurch is easy on the wallet thanks to its free flagship attractions, with the Antarctic Centre, wildlife parks and Hanmer Springs the bigger spends. Here's a rough guide for a family of four.