Free Family Fun and Affordable Family Activities

Frisbee Golf

Take the kids to play frisbee golf in the Queenstown Gardens. Frisbee golf or disc golf is very similar to regular golf, only instead of hitting balls into holes, you throw frisbees into baskets. The Queenstown course has 18 baskets, and it has to be one of the prettiest disc golf courses in the world with its groves of pine trees, and plantings of colourful flowers.

Frisbee golf is great for families. There’s no age limit, it’s easy to learn, and if the kids get tired you can dip out any time. The course is free to play and the Queenstown Ice Arena will hire you discs for Frisbee golf for $6.00 each.

Time Tripper

Learning local history can be fun. The Time Tripper Underwater Experience travels back in time. Dramatic animations introduce you to the dinosaurs that roamed the region. Learn about the geological formation of Lake Whakatipu and hear the Māori legend of the lake.

After the show, the theatre becomes an underwater observatory, where you get an eel’s eye view of diving ducks, eels, and trout in this entertaining experience for all ages. A family ticket is $50. Adults are $20, kids $10, and infants under 2 are free.

The Best Queenstown Playgrounds

Queenstown is blessed with some excellent playgrounds. All are in beautiful locations, and many are also near to cafés where parents can replenish their energy supplies with a coffee.

Queenstown Lakefront Playground

This playground got a big revamp a few years ago, with new slides, climbing frames, and interactive musical features, while preserving the iconic rope swings that have entertained generations of little Queenstowners. Sit under the shady willow trees, or relax on the beach and watch the boats go by with a coffee from the Bathhouse Café nearby.

Hanleys Farm

A 20-minute drive from Queenstown, on bus Route #4, the Hanley’s Farm playground has sides, swings, built-in mini trampolines and a sandpit complete with a digger Located directly opposite the Farmhouse Café, it’s the perfect playground for a fluffy stop afterward. And if your kids haven’t had enough of a playground fix, we recommend checking out the brand-new Howden Park adventure playground down past the Kawarau Primary School on Howden Drive. It comes complete with a bbq area, seesaws, swings, multiple slides, swing bridges, tunnels and more.

Kelvin Heights Playground

Another lovely, lakefront playground, Kelvin Heights is also a 20-minute drive from central Queenstown, or you can take bus Route #3. This simple, old-school playground by the lake, has a slide, swings, and a fort. The appeal is the location by the beach. Pack your towels for swimming and a picnic.. You can also walk around the 3.5km Kelvin Heights Peninsula Trail spotting sculptures by New Zealand artists as you go.

Queenstown Pump Tracks

Pump tracks are fun cycle loop tracks with plenty of ups and downs. They’re called pump tracks because riders get momentum by pumping their weight. If you start at the top of a rise you can get round the whole track without pedalling.

These tracks are a great way for kids to learn mountain biking skills, as they can practise jumps and curves in a safe environment. If they take a tumble, the worst that’s going to happen is they’ll get a fright and a graze. Pump tracks are suitable for kids from 4, and you can use any type of bike.

There are several pump tracks in Queenstown. Jack’s Point pump track is ideal for beginners because it has smaller rollers and berms and it’s less busy. Just before Jacks’ Point, Hanley’s Farm pump track is an epic track for all skills and ages. It’s also right next to a great playground, and an outdoor gym. There are also a couple of pump tracks in central Arrowtown, with a small loop track particularly good for little legs.

Walking and Biking with Kids

You’re absolutely spoilt for choice for beautiful family-friendly trails in and around Queenstown. Here are three of our favourites. There are more family-friendly cycling trails here and family-friendly walks that take less than two hours here. There are plenty of places to rent bikes and helmets in Queenstown, and staff will help you find the right bikes for your kids, while giving you advice on their favourite trails.

Queenstown Gardens to Frankton Marina

This easy trail runs beside the lake with spectacular views across to The Remarkables and towards Walter Peak. It’s 6km to Frankton or 12km return, but of course no one’s saying you have to go the whole way. There are plenty of lovely spots to stop for photos, paddling, or a picnic. The Boat Shed Café at Frankton Marina is a lovely spot for lunch.

Arrowtown Millennium Trail

This family-friendly 3.25km trail takes about an hour. You start at historic Dudley’s Cottage in Arrowtown and walk or cycle beside the Arrow River. Perfect for a summers day, because you can stop for dips in swimming holes or try out the rope swings.

Bob’s Cove

This easy 3km walking track winds through beautiful forest, down to the lake shore. There you’ll find a secluded bay with stunning views. It’s a wonderful place for a picnic or a swim off the jetty. The track is accessed from the road to Glenorchy, 14km from Queenstown.

Animal Spotting

The Queenstown beach and the lakeside trail are great places for kids to spot ducks. Please don’t feed the ducks bread or other human food, as they can’t digest it and it’s terribly bad for their poor tums.

Kiwi Park is eight acres of forest wildlife sanctuary right in the heart of Queenstown. Their kiwi house is one of the largest kiwi houses in the country, a wonderful experience for kids. Kiwi Park also breeds endangered native reptiles and bird species whose numbers are low in the wild. Kids can have exciting animal encounters and learn about conservation in fun talks.

The Glenorchy Lagoon walkway is a wonderful place to see New Zealand wading birds.

Boardwalks over the wetlands offer vantage points. You may catch sight of pied stilt, black swans, South Island pied oystercatcher, Australasian bittern, New Zealand shoveller, grey teal (in spring), grey duck, and scaup. New Zealand falcons and swamp harriers also visit.

Take the drive slightly further afield to the Glenorchy Animal Experience and feed the farm animals before walking the Routeburn Nature Walk. This is a gentle nature hike suitable for the whole family that meanders through beech forest at the start of the Routeburn Track. You may see and hear fantails, yellowheads, bellbirds, bush robins, and tui. Interpretation panels along the way introduce you to the native plants and birds.

Arrowtown’s Lake’s District Museum

This fun, family-friendly museum in historic Arrowtown is a great place to visit with kids. Displays explore Māori history in the region, European colonisation, and the goldrush era. The museum includes three historic buildings, including an 1880s schoolhouse and the town’s original bank. The basement has been set out to represent old Arrowtown with an old butcher’s shop, a saddle maker’s workshop, a blacksmith, and a bakery.

You can also hire gold pans at the museum, head down to Arrow River and try panning for gold. Explore the old Chinese goldminers’ village while you’re there. A display at the museum tells you more about this remarkable community and how they contributed to New Zealand. Adults cost $10, kids $5, kids under 5 are free, and a family pass is $25.

Remarkables Market

This excellent market runs from September to April every Saturday from 9:00am-2:00pm. Shop for produce and gifts from local artisans and crafters. There are plenty of budget-friendly food options with food trucks and coffee caravans. The market is zero waste so bring your reusable cups, food containers and cutlery.

There’s a lovely stretch of grass where kids can run around and let off steam, a sandpit, and a great playground (the old equipment was recycled to be part of the market site when the lakeside playground got its upgrade). Live music plays, and there’s plenty of space to lay down a picnic blanket and set up basecamp. The market is even dog friendly.

Classes and Workshops at Te Atamira

Te Atamira is a community arts and culture space in Frankton. The airy space hosts exhibitions, performances, and events, while resident artists offer a wide range of dance, music, and art workshops and classes.

Classes for kids vary, but there’s always an exciting line up of events. Recent activities include sculpting your pet in clay, screen acting classes for teens, and a crochet workshop. They often run school holiday programmes for kids. You can check out what’s on here. Some events are free, and classes start from $30.