When you can’t make a trip to the Museum, take the kids on a virtual visit with us and brighten up their day with something a little different. We have interactive games, videos and downloadable activities that help to make learning fun. Come and explore online!
Learn about the Ancient Egyptians that lived 5,000 years ago! Unwrap their treasures and secrets in our Treasures & Tales video, take our fun Ancient Egypt quiz and learn to write in hieroglyphics.
Do you know your magma from your lava? Watch a recording of our recent Treasures & Tales online: Volcanoes of Auckland live session, plus a bunch of other volcanoes videos. Test your volcano knowledge in a fun quiz.
The Sea Monsters exhibition may have ended, but you can go on a journey of discovery via this page of Sea Monsters activities, videos and more.
Native plant activities
Impress your friends by becoming an expert on Aotearoa's native plants with these fun activities!
While you’re out and about in your neighbourhood, see if you can spot these plants commonly found around Tāmaki Makaurau.
Thank you to Ewen Cameron, Ricky-Lee Erickson, Bernice Moore, Ruby Moore, Dhahara Ranatunga, Tom Rowlands, Mereana Taungapeau and Robert Vennell for helping create our native plant crosswords.
Treasures & Tales online: The Insect World
Watch this recording of our recent Tūhura Taonga ā tuihono: Te Aitanga a Pēpeke te reo Māori learning session.
He weriweri rawa,
He Mīharo rawa,
He paku rawa te nuinga o ēnei taonga tino whakahirahira o te taiao.
Tūhuratia te ao o te Aitanga ā-Pēpeke. Me wānanga tātou katoa he aha ētahi o ōna uri kua kitea? Me pēhea ēnei ngārara e tiaki ana i te taiao me tātou anō hoki?
Koinei ngā tino pātai ā ngā Mātai rapu ngārara.
Catching moths is a very easy and fun thing to do. I got the idea from a work trip my mum [Auckland Museum Collection Manager (Land Fauna) Ruby Moore] took me to, they had a big sheet and a torch and you could get a container to get anything you wanted. It was like a supermarket full of wonderful moths.
At home it is easy to set up your own light trap. All you need is a clear outside space (decks are perfect for it), a strong torch, a white sheet, and the ability to stay up late. I set up my own moth trapping during lockdown, and when I first laid out the sheet and turned the light on it was only a few minutes before a moth landed on the sheet. We saw Scopula rubraria, and Capua intractana moths as well as lots of other night-time insects. Luckily my mum had lots of containers to put them in for taking photos.
Moths in the city must be very confused because of the artificial lights which they think are moons: “How many moons are there in this city?”
By Bernice Moore, Citizen Scientist
Activities
Downloadable activities to do at home
You asked, we answered!
We put out a call for Kiwi kids to submit their burning questions about Auckland Museum. We received queries about everything from dinosaurs to war memorial to natural science. Here are our curators' replies to some of those tough questions.
Video playlists for kids
Tune in to the new season of Bug Hunter and get a special behind-the-scenes look at the Museum's collection of creepy-crawlies. Hear all about the bzzzzzness of Mason Wasps with our very own Keziah D'Souza from the Museum's entomology team.
Mana Aotūroa: Fast facts about whales
Get up close, zoom in, spin them round. Animals, skulls, bones and more!