Children’s Day events kick off this Sunday and will run over two weekends in Hamilton, giving our kids double the love.

Children’s Day is celebrated nationally on Sunday 1 March and we have special offers and activities on Sunday 1 March at Hamilton Gardens, Hamilton Zoo and Waterworld.

Then next Saturday 7 March we continue a 10-year tradition of doubling the fun with an extra Hamilton Children’s Day! Free fun activities for children in will be at Garden Place, Hamilton Central Library and Waikato Museum.

This Sunday is the last day of the Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival, so there will be family-friendly events all over the Gardens to enjoy including Sofija’s Garden in the Medici Court (Italian Renaissance Garden). This magical children’s performance will be playing at 10am and 1.30pm and is a ticketed event.

Ask at the Information Centre for the Gardens’ activity sheets for kids or print them out at home.

Hamilton Zoo is offering free entry all day Sunday 1 March for up to four children (3 to 15 years) per paying adult and free face painting between 10am and 2pm.

Waterworld is offering free entry for up to four children (5 to 15 years) per paying adult and the hydroslide will be $3 all-day.

On Saturday 7 March, Garden Place, the Central Library and Waikato Museum will be the place to be for families.

In Garden Place amusement rides, inflatables, live entertainment, face painting, a market and more will be free to enjoy from 10am to 2pm. Chalk fest and Youth Zone are also in and around Garden Place, with major prizes up for grabs!

The Central Library has a range of free activities, with retro board games, Lego in the library and PlayStation competitions throughout the day.

Waikato Museum will have free entry to both Exscite and Inventors and Innovations: Waikato Bright Sparks, which is only free once a year on Children’s Day.

The Museum has themed their Children’s Day events around dinosaurs as Saturday 7 March is also the opening day of the blockbuster exhibition Dinosaur rEvolution: Secrets of Survival. The exhibition will carry an admission charge, but the Museum is hosting other free fun on the day.

There’ll be face painting and dinosaur-related activities in front of the Museum and on the forecourt and dinosaur-related crafts inside.

A Story Walk, Dinosaur Stomp Trail, will begin at the Museum and end in the Library. Children will receive a card at the start of the story, then will need to find story boards in shop windows between the museum and the library while following dinosaur footprints.

When the day is over, the whole family can travel free with complimentary adult Busit passes for use on the Saturday. These will be available at the front desk in the Museum foyer.

With two dates to choose from, make sure to enjoy Hamilton’s events and celebrate our kids by having the most fun possible.

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