The July school holidays in New Zealand often arrive with chilly mornings, rainy afternoons and children full of energy. While trips out are always fun, it isn’t always practical to leave the house every day.
The good news is that some of the best school holiday activities for NZ kids can happen right at home.
Whether you’re looking for something creative, screen-free or simply different to do this winter, these ideas are easy to set up and will help keep little imaginations busy.
1. Create a Face Painting Adventure
Sometimes all it takes is a little paint to transform an ordinary afternoon.
One minute your child is a roaring dinosaur, and the next they’re a magical unicorn, superhero or butterfly. Face painting encourages imaginative play long after the painting is finished, making it much more than a simple art activity.
Even better, it’s a low-mess activity that’s quick to set up and easy to pack away.
2. Host a Dress-Up Day
Let your children choose a character, then help bring it to life with costumes and face paint.
Whether they become pirates, fairies, jungle animals or superheroes, dress-up play encourages storytelling, confidence and imagination.
Pairing costumes with face painting makes the experience even more memorable and gives children plenty of inspiration for their next adventure.
3. Create an Indoor Treasure Hunt
Hide clues throughout the house that lead to a small surprise, favourite snack or special activity.
You can theme the treasure hunt around dinosaurs, fairies, pirates or animals to make it even more exciting.
It’s a simple way to encourage movement, problem-solving and imaginative play when the weather isn’t cooperating.
4. Enjoy a Family Craft Afternoon
Gather paper, cardboard, colouring pencils, glue and anything else you already have around the house.
Children don’t need expensive supplies to be creative. Cardboard boxes can become castles, paper plates can become masks and old magazines can be turned into colourful collages.
Sometimes the simplest craft sessions become the most memorable.
5. Build an Indoor Fort
Blankets, cushions and a few dining chairs are all you need to create the ultimate winter hideaway.
Once the fort is built, it can become a reading nook, castle, campsite or secret clubhouse where kids can spend hours creating their own adventures.
Add books, torches, favourite toys or a picnic lunch to make it feel even more special.
6. Learn One New Face Paint Design Each Day
Instead of treating face painting as a one-off activity, turn it into a school holiday challenge.
Choose one new design each day and work through it together. Children love seeing their skills improve, especially when they can follow simple step-by-step guides.
By the end of the holidays, they could have mastered butterflies, tigers, dinosaurs, unicorns and more.
7. Turn Story Time Into an Adventure
Choose your child’s favourite book, then bring its characters to life.
Reading about lions? Paint a lion face. Reading about butterflies? Become one. A dinosaur story can quickly turn into an afternoon of roaring, stomping and imaginative play.
This small addition transforms story time into an interactive experience that children will want to repeat.
8. Put on a Family Show
Encourage the kids to create their own play, dance performance or puppet show using toys, costumes and anything they can find around the house.
They can choose their characters, create a simple story and perform it for the rest of the family.
Adding face paint or handmade costumes makes the performance feel even more exciting.
9. Bake Something Together
Cold, rainy afternoons are perfect for baking.
Simple recipes such as muffins, biscuits or homemade pizzas give children the chance to measure, mix and decorate while learning useful kitchen skills.
The best reward is sitting down and enjoying your creations together afterwards.
10. Finish With a Family Movie Night
After a day of creative play, wind down with a cosy family movie night.
Build a blanket fort, make some popcorn and let everyone wear their favourite pyjamas.
You could even choose a movie that matches the day’s face painting theme, whether that’s animals, fairies, dinosaurs or superheroes.
Why Parents Love Face Painting During the School Holidays
Parents are often searching for activities that are:
- Easy to set up
- Low-mess
- Screen-free
- Suitable for different ages
- Fun enough to enjoy again and again
Face painting ticks every box. With simple step-by-step guides and everything included in one kit, it's an easy way to keep children entertained indoors without hours of preparation or cleaning up afterwards. Best of all, the imaginative play continues long after the face paint is dry.
Looking for a Kids Face Paint Kit in NZ?
If you’re searching for a kids face paint kit, Palette Pals was created to make face painting easy for beginners.
Each kit includes vibrant face paints, brushes, sponges, stencils and easy step-by-step guides, so families can start creating straight away.
Whether your children want to become butterflies, dinosaurs, animals, or unicorns, everything they need is included in one box.
It’s a fun, low-mess way to keep children entertained indoors throughout the winter school holidays while encouraging creativity, confidence and imaginative play.
Explore the Palette Pals range and make this winter’s school holidays your most colourful yet.
