Our pick of family-friendly events from 8 – 10 May 2026. Here’s what’s on for kids this Mother’s Day weekend in Christchurch.
Right, so Mother’s Day weekend is upon us, and before you default to breakfast in bed and a supermarket bunch of tulips, Christchurch has quietly lined up a genuinely good spread of things to do. Whether you’re celebrating Mum, keeping little ones busy, or just desperate to leave the house, there’s something here for you. Here’s what we’d put in the diary.
Search our events calendar for more family-friendly events for kids here.
What’s on for kids this weekend in Christchurch:
Night Run at Steam Scene
There is something deeply satisfying about a miniature train at night. Something about the scale and the darkness and the fact that everyone, regardless of age, suddenly becomes very serious about the whole affair. Steam Scene’s Night Run delivers exactly that: rides on the miniature trains and the full-sized Bush Railway, all lit up on a Saturday evening with food trucks on hand so dinner is sorted too. It’s the kind of outing that sounds low-key until you’re there and realise everyone’s having an absolutely brilliant time.
When: Saturday 9 May, 4pm to 9pm
Where: Steam Scene, 621 McLeans Island Road, McLeans Island
How much: $2 to $20
Parklands Market Day and Book Fair
A market with a book fair attached is a dangerous combination for anyone with a child who has Opinions About Books (which is most of them). Parklands Baptist Community Church is hosting a mix of local handmade crafts, car boots, homewares, and a huge selection of books for all ages. Add a coffee van, a cake stall, and a BBQ and this is essentially a perfect Saturday morning with very little effort required on your part. Entry is free. Bring cash. Leave budget at home.
When: Saturday 9 May, 9.30am to 1pm
Where: Parklands Baptist Community Church, 180 Queenspark Drive, Parklands
How much: Free
Mother’s Day Market at The Palms
Forty-plus artisan stalls is a serious number, and The Palms has pulled together a solid one: jewellery, skincare, candles, soaps, home décor, sweet treats, and the general atmosphere of somewhere you could genuinely spend a few hours without noticing. Kids are sorted with face painting and DIY crafts from 11am to 3pm — including making something for Mum, which is either very convenient or very on the nose depending on how you look at it. Free gift wrapping is available on the day, and the first 50 customers to spend $100 get a goodie bag. Arrive early if that’s your goal.
When: Saturday 9 May, 9am to 6pm
Where: The Palms Shopping Centre, 18 Marshland Road, Shirley
How much: Free entry
Ōtautahi Festival of Archaeology
Cookie excavation. That’s it, that’s the pitch. Yes, there are also real archaeologists with real artefacts, hands-on excavation activities, Heritage New Zealand, Canterbury Museum, face painting, and a Junior Archaeologist passport to collect stamps in — but at the end of the day, your child is going to tell everyone at school they dug up a cookie. Kate Sheppard House hosts this free, drop-in event as part of Archaeology Week 2026, and it genuinely earns its place in the weekend.
When: Saturday 9 May, 11am to 2pm
Where: Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House, 83 Clyde Road, Ilam
How much: Koha
Mother’s Day Paint & Sip at Westfield Riccarton
If Mum has been wanting an excuse to stand in front of a canvas and make something without anyone asking her for a snack, this is it. Westfield Riccarton has partnered with Gemma Rae for a Paint & Sip workshop on Saturday morning, with a complimentary San Pellegrino thrown in. It runs for an hour, multiple time slots are available, and it’s located on Level 2 outside Decjuba. Worth noting: this one is 16 and over, so it’s more of a Mum-and-older-kids or Mum-only affair. Book ahead.
When: Saturday 9 May, 10am to 11am (multiple slots available)
Where: Westfield Riccarton, Level 2 outside Decjuba
How much: Ticketed — book via the link below
Mother’s Day Mini Photo Frame Workshop at South City
For the kids who want to actually make something for Mum rather than just hand over something you bought in the checkout queue, The Make Company has set up a drop-in craft station at South City Shopping Centre. The project is a mini photo frame — personal, handmade, and genuinely likely to end up on a shelf somewhere. It takes about 30 minutes, all materials are provided, and it’s free. The team will be there to help with ideas, which is useful when your five-year-old decides the frame needs fifteen stickers and a drawing of a shark.
When: Saturday 9 May, 11am to 2pm
Where: South City Shopping Centre, 555 Colombo Street
How much: Free
The Seekers Mākete at The Arts Centre
A weekly reminder that Christchurch has a genuinely good market scene. Every Saturday, The Arts Centre’s Market Square fills up with artisans, street food, live music, and the particular atmosphere of a place that feels good to wander through with no agenda. Handcrafted jewellery, pottery, art, pastries, tunes — it’s the kind of morning that costs either nothing or everything depending on your willpower. A solid option for any point in the weekend when you just need to get outside.
When: Every Saturday, 10am to 4pm
Where: The Arts Centre, Market Square, Christchurch
How much: Free entry
Ferrymead Heritage Park — Free Entry for Mum
Ferrymead on a regular day is already a solid outing. Ferrymead on Mother’s Day, when Mum gets in free, is even better. Spend the afternoon wandering through heritage buildings, open exhibits, and grounds that are genuinely lovely for a picnic. There’s no agenda to keep, no queue to stand in, and enough to see that it doesn’t feel like you’re just killing time. It’s the kind of day out that turns into a memory without anyone trying particularly hard. Pack something good to eat.
When: Sunday 10 May, 10am to 4pm
Where: Ferrymead Heritage Park, 50 Ferrymead Park Drive, Ferrymead
How much: $15 to $60 (free entry for Mum on the day)
Monster Music Mum Jam
Following a successful run in 2025, Monster Music is back with the Mum Jam — a Mother’s Day afternoon where Mums perform alongside their tamariki at A Rolling Stone on Colombo Street. Guitar, vocals, drums, full band setups — the format is wide open, and the whole point is that Mums get to step up and play. It’s equal parts performance and celebration, and the kind of thing that will be talked about in your household for considerably longer than breakfast in bed would have been.
When: Sunday 10 May, 2pm to 4pm
Where: A Rolling Stone, 579 Colombo Street, Christchurch Central
How much: Check the Facebook event for ticketing details
And next weekend — our Mother’s Day event is still to come
If you missed this weekend or just want to keep the celebrations going, we’ve partnered with Messy Mates NZ and Unic Picnic for two sessions on Sunday 17 May at Messy Mates in Hornby, and both are genuinely worth booking.
The morning session (10am to 12pm) is the craft and coffee one: paint a terracotta pot or make a handprint artwork in a photo frame, with morning tea on hand and the kids fully occupied. Something sweet to take home, zero mess at your place.
The afternoon session (1pm to 3pm) leans into the chaos: t-shirt painting, sensory studio, messy trays, and a photographer there to capture all of it. The kind of afternoon that looks incredible in photos and requires a bath immediately afterwards.
When: Sunday 17 May — 10am to 12pm or 1pm to 3pm
Where: Messy Mates, 418 Main South Road, Hornby
How much: $69 one adult + one child, $25 each additional child
