Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery has a host of activities for children during the school holidays, with educational art activities themed around Matariki and a photo contest in conjunction with Central Cinema (which shares the same building).

Manager Paula Stephenson said there are a range of activities as part of the museum’s Matariki celebrations, and a Matariki Passport for children to get stamped as they complete each craft.

“It’s for the whole school holidays so they don’t have to do it all at once. They can come back on a few different days to finish the passport,” she said.

Video screens tell stories of Matariki, so children and adults can learn more about the constellation and the meaning of the individual stars in Maori legend, before making their own creations that connect with those meanings.

A kapa haka, storytelling and art afternoon is planned; adults and children can learn how to weave Harakeke whetu, or flax stars; and budding shutterbugs can learn how to photograph the night sky. Registrations are required for these activities as numbers are limited, so sign up by emailing [email protected] to express your interest and get further details.

A treasure hunt to find the Matariki stars hidden in the museum is a chance for one lucky child to win a $50 Warehouse voucher. 

The photo competition takes the theme of Cats in the Museum (running at Central Cinema over the school holidays) a whisker further, with entrants asked to photograph their favourite cat or kitten and submit the picture.

The feline photos will be displayed at the museum, with the public voting on which they like best.

Friends Charlie Trochon and Marco and Nico McKey were in the museum earlier this week with their mothers, making fish to go on the museum wall or take home.

Charlie’s mother, Sharne Paranihi, said they had learned of the school holiday programme through word of mouth, and the children had been excited to attend.

“Way too excited,” she said. 

“It started two days ago and hasn’t stopped.”