Things to Do with Kids by Area
Auckland is big — pick your side of town. Each area guide lists the best family-friendly parks, beaches, museums and play centres near you, with ages, prices and facilities.
What each area actually has
Counted from this site’s own listings. The differences are larger than most people expect, and they decide what a wet Saturday looks like where you live.
Swipe the table sideways for every column →
| Area | Places | Indoor | Free | Beaches | Cafés | Pram-friendly | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City | 24 | 13 | 12 | 2 | 16 | 21 | See all → |
| North Shore | 14 | 3 | 11 | 6 | 16 | 10 | See all → |
| West | 14 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 8 | See all → |
| South | 14 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 11 | See all → |
| East | 8 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 7 | See all → |
Indoor counts places that are indoors or have a substantial indoor part. Pram-friendly means a pram gets to the part you actually came for, not just the entrance.
Reading the table
- • Central has the indoor options — thirteen of them, more than twice any other area — and almost everything there takes a pram. The gap in our list is water: the central pool we list, Parnell Baths, is outdoor and seasonal — for a wet Saturday swim, the council's indoor Tepid Baths is in the city centre (it closes for a few weeks of maintenance each spring — check Auckland Leisure before you go).
- • North Shore has the most beaches, and about as many cafés as the city centre. The east-facing coast from Devonport to Orewa is the sheltered side.
- • East is the thinnest indoors — one place. Its beaches are the calm kind, which makes it good with small children on a fine day and awkward on a wet one.
- • West has the lowest share of pram-friendly places, and that is the terrain rather than an oversight: its best places are bush tracks and surf beaches. Our listings put a minimum age of five on the three west-coast surf beaches.
- • South has no beaches on this site at all. What it does have is parks, an indoor council pool at Ōtāhuhu, and Butterfly Creek and Rainbow's End, which both have indoor sections for a wet day.
From Takapuna and Milford beaches to Long Bay Regional Park and the play centres around Albany, the North Shore is packed with family-friendly spots. Here are the best places to take the kids — with ages, prices, and facilities.
Explore North Shore →East Auckland — Pakuranga, Botany, Howick and the Pohutukawa Coast — has some of the city's best parks, calm beaches and the Lloyd Elsmore pool for wet days. These are our favourite family outings on this side of town.
Explore East Auckland →Central Auckland puts world-class museums, the Domain, harbour beaches and waterfront playgrounds within easy reach. Here's where to take the kids in the city and the eastern bays.
Explore Central Auckland →West Auckland is wild and green — the Waitākere Ranges, black-sand surf beaches, kauri walks and the West Wave aquatic centre. These are the best west-side spots for a weekend with kids.
Explore West Auckland →South Auckland has the Botanic Gardens, regional parks, Ōtāhuhu's indoor pool and Rainbow's End — plenty of affordable family fun. Here are our picks for a great day out down south.
Explore South Auckland →