We chat with influencer, makeup artist and creative force behind @chelseacreativeco_, Chelsea Ellis about her favourite child-friendly spots in Christchurch.
Starting her journey as a sought-after wedding makeup artist and influencer while embracing the joys of motherhood, Chelsea is not only the creative force behind @chelseacreativeco_ but also a devoted mum to her energetic 18-month-old, Maverick. From fashion (think adorable matching outfits with her little one!) to top-notch product finds and relatable day-in-the-life snippets, Chelsea has quickly established herself as a trusted voice for parents looking for inspiration, so we couldn’t wait to hear her favourite picks! Read on for Chelsea Ellis’ top spots for kids in Christchurch.
Hi Chelsea! Tell us a bit about yourself…
How many kids do you have? One boy, Maverick (Mav)
What age are they? 18 months
How many years have you lived in Christchurch: 8 years!
Tell us a bit about what you do for work: I am a mum first, wedding makeup and brow artist, and I share snippets of our days over at @chelseaelliss_
We’re spoilt for choice with great eateries in Christchurch, and even better when they cater for kids! Tell us, what is your favourite…
Child-friendly café in Christchurch: We are yet to go, but The Station in Rangiora is highly recommended, so we must make the trip!
Child-friendly pub: The Brown Pub in Methven. It has an outdoor area that is fenced in 👌🏻
Café to go for a fluffy: We aren’t big fluffy fans yet, but we’d probably get one to go near Hagley and set off on a walk!
Ice cream spot: Rollickin Gelato, every time.
Bakery to take the kids to: Oooh not something we’ve done, but LeBakermen is amazing.
Farmers market to potter around – kids in tow: Ohoka. Lots of room to run around and a big playground right there too!
Restaurant or café to treat the kids: Anywhere with hot chips and t-sauce.
We’re always on the hunt for cool, child-friendly spots and things to do in Christchurch, tell us, what is your favourite…
Weekly playgroups to entertain the littles:
- Medbury Music – Tessa is absolutely fantastic with the children and I could recommend it more… if you can get in! Bookings are by the term and there is a waitlist.
- We love, love, love, our Tuesday mornings with Born to Play. Laura has so much passion and puts so much time and effort into her beautiful play classes.
- Another wonderful playgroup is Play with Wonder. I believe they do three sessions a week, and they have the most beautiful resources and set up such gorgeous play stations for children to enjoy.
Shopping mall to take the kids to in Christchurch: We are local to Northlands but The Palms is also fab with their little playground.
Free thing to do: Airforce Museum on a rainy day, otherwise you’ll find us at a park!
Attraction to take little ones to: Anywhere with construction happening! We are in our building and diggers era atm.
Place to feed the ducks: The Groynes! Take the dog for a play too if you have one. There are beaut spots for a picnic and a play in the playground.
Spot for a family picnic: Up the Port Hills! Lots to explore up there and beautiful views.
Child-friendly hikes and walking trails: We haven’t done many as Mav only started walking in Winter, but we grew up in mid-Canterbury and love Awa Awa Rata in Methven.
Destination for a day trip: Methven, always! Go through the Rakaia Gorge and stop at the river, head up the hills for a walk, and pop into the pools and the pubs, there’s great bike tracks, too!
Pool or splash pad to hit during summer: Any local council pool. Sumner during the week when it’s quiet.
Community Garden to explore: We are spoilt in Christchurch but you can’t beat Hagley or Mona Vale.
Creating content and exploring is a big part of your growing community, so we’d love to know some of the best places that you have found and top play spots in The Garden City. Shout out your favourite…
Playground to take the kids to in Christchurch: Elephant Park is such a hit every time.
Place to go on a rainy day: Libraries, Airforce Museum or Chipmunks if we need to burn some energy.
Nature play area or wak: Northwood Reserve is a great place to let your little one lead the way and spot the ducks.
Place to play in the snow near Christchurch: Castle Hill or Methven!
Local toy shop: Tiny Toy Shop is our fave.
NZ small businesses for kids: Husk Home, Sienna Blair, Bel and Bow, and Bear & Moo. We love dressing Mav in fun outfits and supporting NZ businesses, so these are all faves of ours!
Venue to hire or place to book for birthday parties: The Welder or local halls/maybe playcentres? Then your classic Willowbank/Chipmunks parties!
Pump/scooter track: McLeans Island, or if you’re in Woodend, the park on Parsonage Road has a cute track! There’s also one just off Memorial Ave, Westbury Reserve I believe – it has been a while!
Beach for making sandcastles: Waimairi is a fave, there’s a cafe nearby too.
At-home activity for keeping kids entertained: Anything water play for us! Fill up the tuff tray and chuck in spoons and cups, hand over the hose and embrace the mess.
Place to go… when you just don’t know where to go: Our closest park, always!
And of course, we parents need some TLC. Shout out your fave…
Date night activity/restaurant: Our ultimate favourite restaurants are 5th Street, The Athens Yacht Club, and King of Snake for special occasions. Silky Otter for a movie or bowling/arcades for some fun!
Place to go for a night out with the girls: I hardly drink these days as the day after isn’t worth it, but you can’t beat a good place to eat like Chiwahwah or Kaiser. I’m GF so there’s lots of options at both places! We also love a cheeky late night hot choc at Coffee Culture.
Place to go for some ‘me’ time: Love a spot of shopping or a trip to Mecca by myself! Otherwise if I’m pampering or relaxing, getting my hair or nails done is always nice! I got to Hair by Tessa in Lincoln.
Spa in Christchurch: Moss Spa!
Nail salon in Christchurch: 1999 House of Nails
Instagram accounts for some mindless scrolling: …… we are renovating so I love Three Birds!
Parenting hack: Maybe not so much a hack, but something I remind myself when things feel a bit hard when we’re out and about, is that parenting has its challenges at home, you may aswell see the world and have your hard moments in a beautiful place.
Any other child-friendly gems that we MUST know about? I’m a big believer that everywhere is child-friendly, children are experiencing the world for the first time, let them experience your favourite things too, it’ll look different but everything is so much more special looking at it through their eyes.
You can follow Chelsea Ellis on Instagram here.
Images courtesy of Chelsea Ellis.
