Event Details
Whānau day
Saturday 18 April see’s the return of Whānau Day at Toitoi for Lift Off Festival! Based in the Municipal Buildings section of Toitoi,
Enter a completely transformed Toitoi where exploration, discovery, and creativity overflow!
Whānau day has everything that will ignite little imaginations, with theatre shows, interactive backstage tours, roaming characters, immersive experiences, playmaking spaces, storytelling, and even a Club Kids with a DJ! Find a surprise around every corner, have a go at something new, and get your free Creativity Passport stamped!
Most activities are free to just pop in and have a go, with only a handful of events you’ll need to book and pay for.
TICKETED EVENTS
The Ice Cream is Melting, 10.30am & 2.30pm (50mins), $25 per person, Opera House
Siblings Bonnie and Nikau have been promised a special treat, ice creams! But it’s a hot day and on the way home the ice creams begin to melt...
Their journey home becomes an epic adventure that transforms important issues around environmental change into a double scoop of delight. Sprinkled with aerial acrobatics, contortion, ice cream juggling and more, the siblings work their way through environmental issues to get the ice cream safely home for the whānau.
Children and families delight in this silly, fun and sweet story told through the wonders of circus. Book Now
FREE EVENTS
Little Wonders, 12pm – 2pm, starting every 10 minutes Opera House Old Foyer
Little Wonders is a progressive theatre experience that transforms usually unseen parts of the Opera House into playful, living performance spaces. Witness the auditorium, backstage, scene dock, alley way and hidden nooks and crannies become the stage for vibrant performances, secret installations, pop-up poetry, and unexpected encounters. Tours last are 30mins. Limited spaces for each session. Bookings essential. No cost
The Re-cycled Rainforest 10am – 3pm, Cushing Foyer
Step into a world where imagination grows wild! Recycled Rainforest invites children to help build a vibrant rainforest using everyday recycled materials. From cardboard tree trunks and bottle cap beetles to paper bag birds and fabric scrap vines, tamariki will work together to create a living, colourful ecosystem, crafted entirely from items that might otherwise end up in the bin.
Along the way, kids will explore themes of sustainability, teamwork and creativity, learning how small actions can make a big difference for our planet. Guided by friendly facilitators, they’ll build, paint, invent creatures, and watch their rainforest transform as everyone adds their own creations.
Perfect for curious hands and imaginative minds, Recycled Rainforest is an unforgettable, eco-friendly arts adventure where creativity takes root and the jungle comes to life, one recycled treasure at a time.
Creation Station
Join our artists in residence to design, create, and make cool stuff! It’s all about You! Create your own magazine cover, learn how to make a poetry collage, develop your own costumes and participate in other fun interactive activities.
Storyfort, 10am - 2pm, every half hour, 2nd floor Opera House foyer
Join us in the all-kids-designed story-fort. We will have an array of local multi-language storytellers, from vibrant artists to champion bookreaders, ready to share stories, legends, fairy tales, and yarns from around the world. An inclusive and welcoming space that celebrates our diverse voices and cultures throughout Aotearoa.
Sound Lab, 11am – 1.30pm, Laneway
Step into the Sound Lab and let tamariki become instant composers! Using a special electronic drum pad to create beautiful melodies with no experience needed, all supported by a live ambient soundtrack that makes every note fit perfectly. Playful and empowering, it’s a chance for kids to explore sound, build confidence, and discover the music inside them.
Creative Play with Loose Enz, 10am – 3pm, Tama Tūranga Huata room
We let kids go loose with a playground of loose parts and junk play resources, letting their imaginations soar as they build and create a world of their own.
