The April school holidays are only two weeks away! This year, Wellington City Libraries is inviting you to join us for General Nerdery all through the holiday period, from the 17th of April to the 2nd of May.
Everyone has something they’re nerdy about, our librarians included. For some, it’s tech-y stuff like robots and VR that get them going; for others, it might be comic books or movies; some of the more adventurous among us don armour, shield and sword for fantasy adventures in games like Dungeons and Dragons. Whatever you get nerdy about, there’s something for you at your local library during the April school holidays! If you’re a bit older, don’t worry — there’s plenty on for teens too. Click here for the lowdown on what’s on for teens! If you want to see the entire event calendar, click here. If you’re a kid — read on!
Join us for nerdy events you can really sink your teeth into!
Board Game Builders
Whether you’ve been dreaming up your own version of Snakes and Ladders, or have a whole new tabletop game world in mind, this event is for you! Join us at Te Awe Library to learn about how your can use our special templates to build your own custom board game that you can then take home and play with your friends and family! All materials will be supplied.
Board Games Builders is suitable for children aged 5+ with their caregivers.
- Te Awe Library, Friday 23 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm
City Nature Challenge: Wellington Bioblitz!
Throughout the holidays, people from all over the world are participating in the City Nature Challenge! Wellington is teeming with wildlife, from the mountains to the sea. You can get involved in the City Nature Challenge Wellington Bioblitz using the iNaturalist app — just take a picture of a plant or animal you find and upload it to the app! Click here to join in on the fun, and don’t forget to pick up a special City Nature Challenge activity sheet from your local library during the holidays.
Crazy Collages
Have you ever looked at an old book or magazine and thought, “This would really look a lot better if I tore it apart and made it into art?” We have, too! Come along to Te Awe Library and join our librarians in repurposing some old magazines into beautiful works of art that you can be proud of.
Crazy Collages is suitable for children aged 5+ with their caregivers.
- Te Awe Library, Wednesday 28 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm
El’s Party!
To celebrate the end of the school holidays, you are invited to a special party right here in the library! Do you want to play party games? Do you enjoy dance and song? Then grab your brown-up, bring them to Te Awe Library, and be prepared to have entirely too much fun with El, our very own party librarian!
El’s Party is perfect for children aged 5+ with their caregivers.
- Te Awe Library, Thursday 29 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm
Embroider Your Own Patch
Join us at Johnsonville Library during the school holidays to learn how to embroider your own patch that you can sew onto your clothes, schoolbag, or jacket! Wear your nerdy finery with pride and chill with like-minded folks in the library while picking up a new skill. Materials will be provided, and registrations are not required.
Embroider Your Own Patch is suitable for children aged 9+ with their caregivers.
- Johnsonville Library, Tuesday 20 April, 2.00 – 5.00pm
- Johnsonville Library, Tuesday 27 April, 2.00 – 5.00pm
Experience VR
Virtual reality (VR) offers us a new and exciting way to learn about and experience the world around us. From 3D painting and virtual sculpting to exploring some of the world’s most extreme locations, this is your opportunity to experience VR from the safety and comfort of your local library.
Experience VR! is suitable for children aged 9+ accompanied by their caregivers, and teens of all ages.
- Karori Library, Tuesday 20 April, 3.30 – 4.30pm
- Cummings Park (Ngaio) Library, Thursday 29 April, 3.30 – 4.30pm
Family Movie Afternoon
Bring a cushion and a bottle of water and relax at our FREE, fun family movie afternoons — popcorn will be supplied! All movies chosen will have a G rating, and are suitable for families with young children. Contact the host library to find out which movies are screening!
Family Movie Afternoons are suitable for children of all ages with their caregivers.
- Te Awe Library, Monday 19 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm
- Karori Library, Wednesday 28 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm
- Te Awe Library, Friday 30 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm
Fort Night
Fancy yourself a builder, engineer, architect, or artist? Join us at Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library to put your skills to the test by helping us turn the library’s children’s and teens sections into a magnificent, interconnected box fort! Drop in and have a go, or stay for the whole time and watch your masterpiece take shape, from foundation to parapet.
Fort Night is suitable for children aged 5+ with their caregivers, and teens of all ages.
- Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library, Thursday 22 April, 4.00 – 6.00pm
- Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library, Thursday 29 April, 4.00 – 6.00pm
LEGO® Time
Come down to the library and get creative in these free-build sessions with our extensive LEGO® collections. Builders of all ages and experience levels are welcome to get stuck in.
LEGO® Time is suitable for children aged 5+ and their caregivers, and everyone is welcome.
- Te Awe Library, Sunday 18 April, 11.00am – 12.00pm
- Te Awe Library, Thursday 22 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm
- Te Awe Library, Tuesday 27 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm
- Te Awe Library, Sunday 2 May, 11.00am – 12.00pm
Let’s Go LEGO®
Let’s build — let’s explore — let’s create! Come along to your local library to create your LEGO® masterpiece. At Let’s Go LEGO® your brickish nerdery will be put to the test as you work your way through our special themed challenges.
Let’s Go LEGO® is suitable for children aged 5+ with their caregivers.
- Karori Library, Saturday 17 April, 2.00 – 3.00pm
- Newtown Library, Monday 19 April, 3.30 – 4.30pm
- Brooklyn Library, Tuesday 20 April, 2 – 3:30pm
- Miramar Library, Thursday 22 April, 3.30 – 4.30pm
Plus, come along for a special ‘under the sea’ themed LEGO® building session at Wadestown Library:
- Wadestown Library, Wednesday 21 April, 3.00 – 5.00pm
Meet the Robots
Ever wondered what goes on inside the mind of a robot? Join us at Te Awe Library to meet some of our resident library robots, find out how they work, and then try your hand at programming them! No prior coding knowledge is required.
Meet the Robots is suitable for children aged 5+ with their caregivers.
- Te Awe Library, Wednesday 21 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm
Myths and Music
The magic of storytelling takes many forms, and myths and legends in many parts of the world have often been told through music. Join our librarians for a musical journey through Celtic and Maori mythology — and be prepared to make some noise of your own!
Myths and Music is suitable for children of all ages with their caregivers.
- Johnsonville Library, Friday 23 April, 3.00 – 4.00pm
- Johnsonville Library, Friday 30 April, 3.00 – 4.00pm
Nature Heroes: Board Game Creation Workshop
Johnsonville Library is excited to work with VIVITA Aotearoa to bring this VIVISTOP Mini pop-up programme to the library. During this 5-day workshop, you will learn about the concepts of design thinking, engage in creative problem solving, learn to use software and hardware and other tools in the library’s Tūhura HIVE Makerspace, and then apply these lessons to the creation of a board game centred around the theme of conservation.
This workshop is FREE. Space is limited to 15 participants. Click here to register. Nature Heroes: Board Game Creation Workshop is suitable for young creators aged 9-15.
- Johnsonville Library, Tuesday 27 April to Saturday 1 May inclusive, 10.00am – 12.00pm
Paper Plane Cloudracers
Join us at Te Awe Library to bring your aeronautic dreams to life as paper planes! Learn new designs, construct your plane, then see how your design fares against our librarians in the paper plane aviation race of the century. All materials will be supplied.
Paper Plane Cloudracers is suitable for children aged 5+ with their caregivers.
- Te Awe Library, Tuesday 20 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm
