Skip the endless spending and still keep your sanity these school holidays – yes, really.
The kids are off school until Sunday 19 July, and if your household budget is already feeling the pinch, you’re far from alone. Between rising costs and the eight-week gap between school holidays and standard annual leave, this stretch is when a lot of North Shore parents quietly start doing the maths on childcare, activities, and how to keep everyone entertained without blowing the budget.
The good news: some of the best things to do with kids on this side of the bridge cost little or nothing at all, and this year, the break lines up with Matariki (Friday 10 July), which means there’s a whole run of free local events built right in.
Libraries are doing more than you think
Birkenhead, Takapuna, Devonport and Northcote libraries all run school holiday activities, and most of it is free. Story times, craft sessions, school holiday challenges – it’s worth checking each library’s noticeboard or Auckland Libraries’ website.
Matariki, right on your doorstep
This year’s break has Matariki built in, and the North Shore has its own lineup worth rugging up for – from the Devonport Star Trail (shop-window stargazing for the kids, running through to 8 July) to the Takapuna Matariki Market on Saturday 11 July at Hurstmere Road’s Waiwharariki Anzac Square, with market stalls, live music and free workshops from 9am to 2pm. It’s a full free day out, and it doesn’t get much more local than that.
Beaches, parks and bush walks
Takapuna Beach, Bayswater Marina, Barrys Point Reserve, the Northcote foreshore and crater walk… the North Shore has no shortage of free outdoor space, whatever the weather. A brisk winter walk along the water or an hour at the playground costs nothing and, if research on kids’ development is anything to go by, does more for them than another hour of screen time. Pack a thermos, wrap up warm, and let them run.
Local Mall Activities
Glenfield Mall, Shore City (Takapuna) and other local malls usually have no-cost activities scheduled for the school holidays – and it’s inside so it’s on whatever the weather. Check out your local mall website or social media.
Share the load
If you’re working through the break, the eight-week mismatch between term time and annual leave is real, and it’s one of those quiet financial pressures that doesn’t always get talked about. If you’ve got family or friends nearby, coordinating shared holiday care, even for just a day or two, can take real pressure off both the calendar and the budget. It’s a very North Shore thing to do: lean on your neighbours, your school community, your local networks.
A word on planning
None of this requires a spreadsheet, but a rough plan for the fortnight (a couple of library sessions, a beach day, the Matariki market, one home day with a big craft project) tends to save both money and sanity compared to figuring it out day by day. The school holidays don’t have to be expensive to be good. Sometimes the free stuff, done well, is the best of the lot.
Beyond the break: keep the free fun going
If the holidays wrap up before you’ve run out of ideas, North Shore families don’t need to wait for the next school break. NorthArt, the community gallery at 1 Ernie Mays Street in Northcote, runs a free Art Club for kids on select Saturdays – the next session lands Saturday 25 July at 2pm, just as everyone’s back into the school routine. It’s open to all, kids just need an adult along, and it’s the kind of low-key, no-cost outing worth keeping on the radar year-round, not just during the holidays.
