Keeping yourself, let alone children entertained during a nationwide lockdown might seem like a stressful task. But thanks to our technology-savvy modern world, there are many virtual activities that will help pass the time and keep everyone in the house entertained. We've listed some of our favourite kid-friendly activities from the virtual city centre below that are definitely worth adding to your new weekly schedules.
Colouring In Competition | Smith & Caughey's
To get into the Easter spirit, Smith & Caughey's have a great colouring in exercise and competition running for children 12 years and under. Simply download the colouring in sheet on their website, fill it in with flair, submit it and you'll go in the draw to win an Easter prize pack which includes a bunny soft toy, book and puzzle.
Get musical and join a community orchestra | Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra
If your child is a budding musician this fun exercise is definitely worth a go. Instrumentalists of all ages and skill levels who love orchestral music have a chance to join the APO with their virtual community play along. Simply upload a video of your child following the instructions on the APO Virtual Community page, and they'll appear in a video playing with APO counterparts performing Radetsky March by Johann Strauss Sr. The music has been specially arranged so everyone can join in.
Image credit: Cassia Facebook page
Kids cooking classes | with Sid Sahrawat from Cassia
From feijoa crumble to mushroom and prosciutto pizza and more, chef and owner of fine dining restaurant Cassia, Sid Sahrawat will be reactivating his "Hospobaby" Facebook and Instagram accounts for the next few weeks to share a series of online cooking classes every Wednesday. Hospobaby is the place to go for recipes and ideas to get kids cooking and the videos will feature Sid's own children as sous chefs! The classes are as below:
08 April: Baked beans, bacon and bagels + Feijoa Crumble with vanilla mascarpone
15 April: Balinese chicken with cucumber and mint salad
22 April: Mushroom and prosciutto pizza
Born to Move online exercise classes | Les Mills x TVNZ
Every weekday at 3pm, tune into TVNZ 2 for a Les Mills workout designed specifically for kids. Born to Move is the perfect way to keep the kids busy while engaging in some fun exercise and burning off some steam - a win win!
Watch a movie | Academy Cinemas on Demand
Beside sharing their top movie recommendations, Academy Cinemas is set to launch its Academy on Demand service on Wednesday April 8, which will mean you'll be able to rent new released or classic titles from them to watch in the comfort of your home. So if you're looking to keep the kids entertained, build a fort in the living room, make some popcorn and get the laptop set up for a movie marathon!
Get creative | Ellen Melville Centre
Unleash your inner creative with Ellen Melville Centre's creative writing and short film competitions. For all the details follow the Ellen Melville Centre Facebook page - all ages welcome to take part!
Read a book together | With Auckland Libraries
Auckland Central City Library, along with the rest of the countries may be closed at the moment, but that doesn't mean you can't access great reads for yourself and the kids - it's still as easy as ever. Download an eBook via OverDrive or through the Libby, by OverDrive app. It features Auckland Libraries' largest collection of eBooks, covering more than 180,000 fiction and non-fiction titles. Pick a book together and take turns reading a chapter each to read aloud. Alternatively, you can download an audio book and sit back relax, and have the book read to you.