Get unstuck: The Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai school holiday checklist round 2

Ngā Whetū Hei Whai weaving workshops
We’re inviting the community to contribute to a large-scale artwork which will be woven into the fabric of the new Naenae Pool & Fitness Centre, opening in 2024. Weave stars, connect to the Million Stars to End Violence project and learn about the story of Te Ngaengae. The resulting stars will be photographed and incorporated into a vinyl film which will be applied to the windows of the new swimming pool. Participants will have their stars returned to them as a solid memento of their contribution to the project. With three wānanga/workshops been and gone, we have one more left on Tuesday 26 September from 2pm-4pm at the Naenae Neighbourhood Hub – bring the whānau along and join in!

Fire and Emergency NZ Safety Demo
Fire and Emergency NZ will be at the Kōraunui Stokes Valley Neighbourhood Hub Saturday 30 September from 11am-3pm. They will be joined by Rural Fire from Wainuiomata and the Martinborough fire brigade. There will be live demonstrations, a kitchen fire safety trailer, you can participate in a VR escape challenge and join in on free giveaways. Firefighter gear will also be available for your tamariki to try on!

Visit Petone Settlers Museum
If your tamariki are interested in a bit of history, visit the Petone Settlers Museum! Learn about Honiana Te Puni-kokopu and Te Wharepouri – significant ariki (leaders) from the 1800s. Experience the stories of the early European settlers, and learn about some of our local people and communities. You can also explore the impacts of industrialisation, and the increasing pace of cultural change with stories about local factories, Bodgies and Widgies and local entrepreneurs. Located on the Esplanade in Petone, the museum is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10am-4pm. Your tamariki will head back to school excited to share their newfound knowledge with their peers. Learn more here: https://www.huttcity.govt.nz/arts-and-culture/museums/petone-settlers-museum

Join in on an event at The Dowse Art Museum
Located at 45 Laings Road, The Dowse Art Museum comprises an array of exciting, weird and wonderful exhibitions. Besides the amazing exhibitions that they have on display, they also have some great school holiday events. Have your tamariki join in on a Painting and Sculpture workshop (27 September), AI Collage Art workshop (3 October) and a Whānau Drop In: Clean and Create! session (28 September). Learn more about these workshops here: https://dowse.org.nz/exhibitions-and-events/events/current

Check out a local beach
As the weather gets warmer, the beaches in our neighbourhood become more inviting! We have multiple awesome beaches in Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt – from swimming beaches to great walking beaches.

Local beaches include Days Bay Beach, which is located at 123 Jackson Street in Eastbourne. It is a popular sandy beach for our local community to swim at, walk and relax in the sunshine. Bring your whānau along and embrace the warmer weather!

Rona Bay Beach is another awesome beach located in Eastbourne (6 Marine Parade). It is a sand and pebble beach, and it verges a large park.

Petone beach is a wonderful spot for walking along and is safe for swimming in most places. Lions Park playground is nearby for your tamariki to go wild, along with the Lions Park Model Railway which operates on Sundays between 1pm and 4pm in clear weather.

Please remember to make sure you and your tamariki are careful and safe, in and around the water.

Take a trip down to your local Neighbourhood Hub
At the start of each month, we publish the What’s On, which features events and activities happening that month at our local Neighbourhood Hubs. Check out the latest What’s On and bring your tamariki to an event of interest.

In our October edition, we have the Sketch Club at War Memorial Library, Huia Pool Fun Zone (giant inflatables, kids pool flying fox!), movies, games, Baby Bounce & Rhyme, paint plant pots session and lots more! See what’s happening at your nearest hub: hutt.city/whatsonoctober