Kidsfest logo.

 

Kidsfest annual winter school holiday festival

Kidsfest is New Zealand’s largest and longest-running children’s festival, held annually in the July school holidays. It was created in 1992 to bring winter holiday fun to children aged up to 13 years (primary-school aged).

 

Events happen all around Christchurch, Waimakariri and Selwyn districts. Each year the colourful Kidsfest booklets are distributed to schools and libraries throughout the area. They list all the details of events happening in each district. You can also browse all the events in the region on the Kidsfest website, launched with the brochure each year.

 

Kidsfest is an opportunity for a broad range of community groups, amateur and professional entertainers and related businesses to produce special events for children, many of which are free or have a minimal charge to attend.

 

Kidsfest is celebrating its 21st anniversary in 2012 - bigger and better than ever!

 

If you are interested in running an event in the Waimakariri District please contact Mark O’Connell at Waimakariri District Libraries – (03) 311 8901.

 

See what events we have planned for July 2012.

 

Kidsfest website: updated annually with details of all the events in the region plus games, puzzles and downloads

 

KIDSFEST 2011 at Waimakariri District Libraries

Attendance was strong at our KidsFest events and feedback has been extremely positive. The Library events were coordinated by a team of Library staff led by Mark O’Connell across a range of venues in the district. The activities were open to children of all ages and tickets for the shows were sold through the Libraries in Rangiora and Kaiapoi. The programme included:

 

  • Family Night at the Rangiora Library saw 60 children and 28 adults making paper bag masks which was great fun. The parents took this task very seriously and the cleaners are still finding glitter around the bookshelves. The children enjoyed parading and doing The Birdie Dance in their masks. The Library staff performed a number of poems and readings and led the audience in a range of interactive songs of entertaining literary merit.
  • El Gregoe Magic Shows were attended by 180 people in Rangiora and 135 in Kaiapoi. El Gregoe managed to produce his macaw as promised, to the delight of the children.
  • Acclaimed children’s author, Margaret Mahy charmed her audience of 86 with recitations of works such as “Bubble Trouble” and an old favourite about the things that you lose, and find, “Down the back of the chair”.
  • The Great Carrot and Pickle Show thrilled 189 children as clowns, Carrot and Pickles cavorted about the stage in Kaiapoi.
  • Children were all over the Libraries, excitedly carrying out a search for hidden clues on a Library Treasure Hunt. Over the two weeks of school holidays more than 300 children enjoyed this activity at the Libraries in Rangiora, Kaiapoi and Oxford.

 

 

  1. Treasure hunt at Oxford Library.
    Oxford Library Treasure Hunt
    August 04, 2011
  2. Margaret Mahy.
    Margaret Mahy
    August 04, 2011
  3. Margaret Mahy visiting Kaiapoi.
    Margaret Mahy visit
    August 04, 2011
  4. Library staff performing.
    Library Staff Perform
    August 04, 2011
  5. Crafty Bird Masks.
    Crafty Birds
    August 04, 2011
  6. Craftmaking.
    Craftmaking
    August 04, 2011
  7. Bird Mask.
    Bird Mask
    August 04, 2011
  8. Bird Mask.
    Bird Mask 2
    August 04, 2011

Kidsfest 2010 at Waimakariri District Libraries

Kidsfest 2010 was a great success at Waimakariri District Libraries again last year. Over 500 kids took part in events in and around the three libraries. Performers Craig Smith and Liz Weir performed to sold-out audiences in Rangiora and Kaiapoi and the Great Paper Plane competition saw paper craft flying around the books!

 

View the photo gallery from Kidsfest 2010.