Christchurch Mums https://christchurchmums.com Keeping mums connected and kids having fun! Sun, 07 Jun 2020 08:39:22 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ https://s0.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.png <link>https://christchurchmums.com</link> </image> <atom:link href="https://christchurchmums.com/osd.xml" rel="search" title="" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml"/> <atom:link href="https://christchurchmums.com/?pushpress=hub" rel="hub"/> <item> <title>Free Things to do in Christchurch https://christchurchmums.com/2020/04/30/21-free-things-to-do-in-christchurch/ https://christchurchmums.com/2020/04/30/21-free-things-to-do-in-christchurch/#respond Thu, 30 Apr 2020 04:07:32 +0000 http://babygetgreen.wordpress.com/?p=91 Continue reading "Free Things to do in Christchurch"]]> Start here to find great mini adventures to have in Christchurch with your kids!

1.  Go to Riccarton bush – feed old bread to the ducks and walk the bush walk.

2.  Take a picnic to Hagley Park or to the Botanic Gardens. There are so many places to walk around and things to look at. Feed the ducks, let the kids play at the playground, or enjoy an outdoor concert during the summer months. Bring a blanket and books to read together.

3.  Tour around the Canterbury Museum. It has changing exhibits and is located in the Botanic Gardens (see above).

4.  Go to the Air Force Museum. It is free to enter. If you’re up for spending a bit, there are a variety of tours ($5-8 per person) you can check out as well as a child’s scavenger hunt ($5 including a prize) to take part in.

5.  Go to one of the great paddling pools in the area – the whale at Brighton beach or the pools by the playground at the Botanic gardens. Abberley park and Woodham Park also have pools. Or swim at one of the beaches (Sumner, Brighton, or the bays around by Lyttelton).

6.  Walk the New Brighton pier. Then head to the sand and build castle on the beach.

7.  Find a park and have a play and a picnic. Or do a bit of work ahead of time and set up a treasure hunt at your local park. There is a list of popular parks on the Christchurch City Council page. Some favourites Victoria park, the Groynes and Spencer Park. Woodham Park has a pool, a newer playground and a bird avery.

8.  Head up the port hills to Sign of the Takahe or Sign of the Kiwi. Both of the buildings at these locations are currently closed due to the earthquakes, but the views are still amazing. There are trails to hike around and lots of views to enjoy.

9.  Fly a kite at the beach or at the top of the port hills (Victoria Park is a good place).

10.  Visit animals at the animal park opposite the Spencer Park motor camp entrance. There are chickens, bunnies, peacocks, aviaries and kune kune pigs. You walk through their enclosures at your own pace.

11. Want to see more animals? Visit the SPCA and cuddle the kittens or go to an Animates pet store.

12.  Head to one of the great weekend or weekday artisan or farmer‘s markets – most happen on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

13.  Watch planes take off at the back of the airport.

14.  Ride bikes at Bottle Lake Forest or the Westburn Bike Park (it has a mini road system for kids).

15.  Check out one of the festivals that happen throughout the year. Check out which festivals happen each month.  Some of our favourites are World Buskers Festival (January), Festival of Flowers (Feb/March), Kidsfest (June/July). Are you here during the summer? Check out the Summertimes calendar. So much happening!

16.  Head to your local library. Storytimes and Babytimes happen each week during school terms. Check it out on the ChCh Mums’ events calendar.

17.  Go to the nearest community garden and get your hands dirty! Get involved in your local area through healthy habits! This is a great experience for kids.

18.  Collect shells at the beach – either Sumner or New Brighton. Or collect something else when in a local park – rocks, leaves, flowers, etc.

19.  Walk around the CBD red zone – see the changes that have occurred and observe what’s happening.

20. Go to Imagination Station –  a charity based organisation in Cathedral Junction where parents can bring their children to play with Lego for free, 10:00am-06:00pm seven days a week.

]]> https://christchurchmums.com/2020/04/30/21-free-things-to-do-in-christchurch/feed/ 0 babygetgreen Christchurch activities $10 or less https://christchurchmums.com/2020/04/30/christchurch-activities-10-or-less/ https://christchurchmums.com/2020/04/30/christchurch-activities-10-or-less/#respond Thu, 30 Apr 2020 04:07:22 +0000 http://babygetgreen.wordpress.com/?p=95 Continue reading "Christchurch activities $10 or less"]]> Have you looked at the free things to do in Christchurch and want more? Here are 9 things that are fun and will cost you $10 or less…

1.  Wharenui pool has a $3 swim for preschooler & parent (as well as other community pools)

2.  Go to Pioneer for a swim or a tumble with your toddler ($3.50 for each session).

3.  The Air Force Museum has a variety of tours ($5-8 per person) you can check out as well as a child’s scavenger hunt ($5 including a prize) to take part in.

4.  Halswell Miniature Trains is open every Sunday (1-4pm), weather permitting. $2 per person.

5.  Ice Trampoline and Tumbling sports in Rangiora has a $5 drop in session time. They also have preschool sessions.

6.  Get some fish and chips for tea and bring it to the park of choice (see #7 in the Free Things to do in ChCh page). Or eat it at the beach. Enjoy being together with friends or family!

7.  Grab a cup of coffee or a treat while your kids play. Search our Facebook forum for child friendly cafes here in Christchurch. There are some great options!

8.  Take a ride on the bus. See different parts of the city and suburbs than what you’re used to. For as little as $1.15 – 3.20, you can enjoy the sights.

9.  Head to Lyttelton – to their Saturday market, the weekly garage sales or to grab a coffee.

]]> https://christchurchmums.com/2020/04/30/christchurch-activities-10-or-less/feed/ 0 babygetgreen Parks, Trails, and Getting Active https://christchurchmums.com/2020/04/30/parks-trails-and-getting-active/ https://christchurchmums.com/2020/04/30/parks-trails-and-getting-active/#respond Thu, 30 Apr 2020 04:07:20 +0000 http://babygetgreen.wordpress.com/?p=108 Continue reading "Parks, Trails, and Getting Active"]]> I think that everyone probably has their favourite parks and, most likely, it is the one nearest them! It’s great to live in the “Garden City” and have such great access to the various parks and playgrounds around the city.

Here is info to get you started…

  • A list of parks, including playgrounds (A to Z) provided by Christchurch City Council
  • For a map pdf of the various parks and what there is to do there (ie. walking, biking, picnicking) go here.
  • For information on park walks, go here.

Information on trails

The Port Hills and it’s trails, go here.

And for walking/biking along the river, go here.

Get Active!

I’ve found that it’s so easy to get active in Christchurch! There are many opportunities to get outside. There are lots of places to visit – the porthills, beach, walking trails, parks…

Looking for active things to do as a family? Check out the Active Canterbury Network! It’s been a good reminder for us to get out and active!

The Active Canterbury Network is a coalition of agencies, trusts and organisations that promote physical activity and support people to lead active lives.  They have a strong community focus, supporting local activity providers, promoting events and providing an information hub.  If you are looking for physical activity information, or ideas on how to activate your family, check out the Active Canterbury website, it crammed packed with info and links to places, spaces and activities for kids.

Specific links include:

Are you looking for a specific activity?

There is also a search function on their homepage that links to the CINCH database – a good way to find out about activities around the city (you can search by location).  You can also call the 0800 ACTIVE phone service and ask.  Its FREE and provided by Sport Canterbury.

If you’re looking for activity ideas, or interested in getting more active – you may benefit from the information under Starting Out.  There is also info on Green Prescription and Be Active on the site – a great service for Mum’s needing extra support to get active.  You need a referral from a GP or Health professional but Sport Canterbury can help with this. Find more information about this service here.

]]> https://christchurchmums.com/2020/04/30/parks-trails-and-getting-active/feed/ 0 babygetgreen Medical & Dental https://christchurchmums.com/2020/04/30/medical-dental/ https://christchurchmums.com/2020/04/30/medical-dental/#respond Thu, 30 Apr 2020 04:07:17 +0000 http://babygetgreen.wordpress.com/?p=115 Continue reading "Medical & Dental"]]> General Health Info

Children can visit the doctor for free

Enrolling with a GP makes your visits cheaper

Local listings for Christchurch doctors (whitepages link)

Healthline

Phone: 0800 611 116

Available: 24 hours a day, seven days a week

Call Healthline if you’re:

  • feeling unwell – but not sure whether you need to see a doctor
  • needing some urgent advice about a family member or friend who’s sick
  • on holiday and want to know where the nearest doctor or pharmacy is
  • Healthline nurses are specialists in assessing and advising over the phone (if you need to talk to someone in your own language, Healthline can usually arrange this using an interpreting service.)
  • Breastfeeding info
  • NZ Immunisation guidelines

Dental

The Community Dental Service (CDS) provides FREE oral health services for eligible 0-18 year olds, in Canterbury and South Canterbury.

For more information on FREE dental care please call 0800 TALK TEETH (0800 825 582) or visit  www.cdhb.health.nz/dentalcare

]]> https://christchurchmums.com/2020/04/30/medical-dental/feed/ 0 babygetgreen School Info https://christchurchmums.com/2020/04/30/school-info/ https://christchurchmums.com/2020/04/30/school-info/#respond Thu, 30 Apr 2020 04:07:14 +0000 http://babygetgreen.wordpress.com/?p=121 Continue reading "School Info"]]> As with most things, I have found that the best way to find/pick the best doctor, school and other essentials is to ask other mums (and go with a sense of peace).

As I started looking for a school here in Christchurch for our oldest child we went to the schools, hung out at the playgrounds after school and talked with mums. I asked them about their experiences, what made them chose that particular school and if they were happy with their choice.

I had the same experience with finding a doctor’s office. I emailed a group of mums and asked where they went. On both choices I have been thrilled and haven’t looked back. Each person’s experience is unique and helpful.

Here is some basic info that was useful to me in my decision making process…

www.zoodle.co.nz – This is a great site for finding what school zone you are in. You can enter a street address and get property information. At the bottom of the information page are a list of the local schools. It then shows whether the address is in the school zone or not. Keep in mind that sometimes an address may be zoned for the secondary school, but not the primary.

http://www.tki.org.nz/Schools – Here you can enter a school name and it shows you information about the school, including the decile rating. A decile rating indicates the socio-economic status of an area. 1 is the lowest and 10 is the highest. This isn’t necessarily an indicator of the quality of the school, but can be useful.

Other helpful links when looking for schools (give a list of schools in Christchurch)

]]> https://christchurchmums.com/2020/04/30/school-info/feed/ 0 babygetgreen Parenting & Settling in ChCh Resources https://christchurchmums.com/2020/04/30/parenting-settling-in-chch-resources/ https://christchurchmums.com/2020/04/30/parenting-settling-in-chch-resources/#respond Thu, 30 Apr 2020 04:07:11 +0000 http://babygetgreen.wordpress.com/?p=103 Continue reading "Parenting & Settling in ChCh Resources"]]> Welcome to Christchurch!

Are you brand new to the area?

Migrating here from another country?  Check out Settlement Support.

Find out how medical and dental services work here and school info here

Check out your local plunket for parenting support.

Looking for general information on parenting? Get a kiwi perspective on parenting. Check out these sites!

Kidz go – a family travel website for New Zealand – http://www.kidzgo.co.nz/

Kiwi Families – “to provide comprehensive practical parenting advice for New Zealand parents” – http://www.kiwifamilies.co.nz/

]]> https://christchurchmums.com/2020/04/30/parenting-settling-in-chch-resources/feed/ 0 babygetgreen