Child Friendly Waiheke Island 
Kids are very welcome on Waiheke Island and there are plenty of wonderful activities for families and things to do with children on Waiheke. Almost all of our lovely Waiheke holiday houses welcome children and in particular, many of these Waiheke holiday homes are family friendly. Read on to discover some of the exciting and fun adventures for children on Waiheke.
Family friendly accommodation on Waiheke Island
Almost all of our beautiful Waiheke holiday homes, holiday cottages, beach houses and Waiheke holiday apartments welcome children - and many will welcome your Furry child as well - check out our
Pet Friendly holiday homes on Waiheke here. :-)
To view Waiheke Holiday Homes which are suitable for children, enter 'child friendly' into the keyword search above, along with your dates and we'll show you plenty of wonderful family friendly Waiheke Island accommodation options. Each home also displays an icon indicating if it is suitable for children or not.
Free Things to Do with Children on Waiheke
Waiheke is a fabulous place to enjoy with children and a really wonderful spot to spend a lovely long weekend or even better, the School holidays. Here is a great School Holidays Guide to Waiheke. There are lots of Things to Do with kids on Waiheke Island in any weather and kid friendly Waiheke activities don't need to cost money!
As we mentioned, we have lots of fabulous, family friendly and child friendly Waiheke holiday houses available for school holidays - in winter they're warm and toasty and in summer they're cool and spacious. Talk to us anytime if you would like help to choose the perfect family friendly Waiheke holiday home!
Contact Us.
We're currently compiling a full list of all the fun things to do with kids on Waiheke Island - it'll be here very soon! But here is a start to keep you going in the meantime.
Waiheke Island Beaches - the Best Beaches in New Zealand
One of the Best Free things to do with children on Waiheke Island is to simply Go To The Beach! The lovely white sands and safe swimming beaches on Waiheke make them some of the best beaches in the world and we think you and your kids will likely agree! In summer the waters are warm and swimming is safe. The sands are clean and white and just perfect for sand castle building! In the cooler months, the water may be a little cold for swimming, though there are many local Waiheke Island kids who brave the seas during the winter months and would disagree!
There are lots of free things to do on Waiheke Island beaches in the winter and summer - from sandcastle building to ball games, with loads of room for those rogue balls. From running and jumping races along the beach to writing huge messages in the sand with sticks or designing your own sand town with houses and roads to boot. From climbing the pohutukawa trees lining the beach to wandering around the rock pools at low tide looking at the sea life - there are just so many fun things to do on Waiheke in winter or summer!
Waiheke Island playgrounds for kids
Another thing to add to our list of Free activities with children on Waiheke Island is to visit all of our excellent playgrounds as well as our wonderful Waiheke Island Parks and Reserves. There are great Waiheke Island childrens playgrounds around the Island, sure to please even the most discerning playground connoisseur and with a range of childrens playground equipment for all ages.
One of our favourites is the Palm Beach Playground and Reserve which is in a beautiful spot right on the beachfront at Palm Beach and also has a lovely large grassy reserve, perfect for ball games, running races and games of all kinds. The bonus is that this lovely area also has picnic tables and free gas BBQs so why not make a family day of it. You can relax and enjoy the beautiful views over Palm Beach and the bay while the children play on the playground or build sand castles in front of you on the beach. Sheer bliss!
Another favourite playground is the Little Oneroa Playground and Reserve. This great playground is also right on the beachfront and has free gas BBQs and picnic tables as well as beautiful huge trees for shade on hot summers days and lovely sunny grass areas for cooler days. The Little Oneroa Store is located right across the road to supply mum and dad with a coffee and the kids with ice creams and there's an excellent Takeaways shop right behind the Little Oneroa Store for some of the best fish and chips and burgers on Waiheke.
The playground at The Causeway & Wharf Road in Ostend is the newest of the Waiheke playgrounds and this one has gorgeous views over the bay and the Waiheke houseboats as well as some great play equipment to keep the kids entertained.
Tin Boat Reserve and Playground at Onetangi is one that pleases the kids because it's really a tin boat playground! And the beach is just a short wander along the road when it's time for a swim or a play in the sand. The lovely beachfront cafes are also just a hop skip and a jump away on the Onetangi Beachfront.
Onetangi Sports Park is another great space for kids and big kids to play and run free. There are excellent tennis courts where you bring along your own raquets and balls and for alot of the year the goals are up on the playing fields. There are plenty of walks in the area as well as the Waiheke Island mountain biking trails for all levels and abilities. And if you haven't already tried Frisbee Golf, then the Waiheke frisbee golf course is the perfect place to give it a go. 
An entertaining hour can be spent feeding and simply watching the Waiheke Island Rooster Community. Right inside the entrance to the Onetangi Sports Park at O'Brien Road, park off the road and enjoy the sight of dozens and dozens of beautifully coloured roosters. Take some food along and let the kids feed the roosters and ducks.
Waiheke Island Skate Park is located along Ostend Road just near Placemakers and is a favourite spot for skating and roller blading on Waiheke Island.
Kiwi Hunting Expeditions are a favourite with many children and
Waiheke Island native forest walks provide some fabulous places to have fun. There are many interesting walks on Waiheke and most are perfectly suitable for kids as well. Head over to our
Waiheke Walks page for some more details and ideas of places to go walking with kids on Waiheke Island.
Fishing with kids on Waiheke
All kids love fishing! Whether they're big kids of little kids, everyone loves fishing. And the various wharves on Waiheke make perfect places to make fishing with kids easy and enjoyable for everyone. For the littlies, why not put them in a floatation device or life jacket, even over the top of their winter jackets, so you can relax and enjoy the experience as well.
Hand lines and bait can be purchased from any of the Waiheke petrol stations - BP Oneroa, Gasoline Ally at Ostend and Challenge at Onetangi. And for the more serious fisherpeople, the
Ox fishing store in Ostend has just about everything your fishy heart could desire.
Here is a list of wharves on Waiheke where you can go fishing -
Matiatia old wharf can be found at the end of Oceanview Road in Oneroa, and beside the main wharf where the Fullers Waiheke Ferry arrives.
Kennedy Point Breakwater is at the end of Donald Bruce Road close to the Sealink Waiheke Ferry terminal.
Rocky Bay Wharf is at the Rocky Bay memorial cruising club in Pohutukawa Avenue at Rocky Bay.
Orapiu Wharf is at the peaceful eastern end of Waiheke. Why not combine it with a visit to Stony Batter or Man o War Vineyard?
Fishermans Rock is not a wharf but is great for fishing and located at the end of Newton Road, Oneroa
Things to do with kids on Waiheke Island on wet days or in winter
Winter on Waiheke is more often than not bright and sunny with lovely blue sky and crystal clear air. You can usually enjoy all the family friendly outdoor activities Waiheke Island has to offer, even in the winter months. We also have plenty of interesting indoor activities for kids on Waiheke Island and just because it might be cooler, rainy days on Waiheke Island can still be great fun for you and the kids and there are plenty of things to do in winter on Waiheke as well as plenty of free things to do on wet days in Waiheke. A pair of gumboots and a raincoat could be useful for wandering around on the rocks at low tide or playing in the Waiheke native bush trails on a showery day.
Visit the beautiful
Waiheke Community Library. Our fabulous new Waiheke Library is a great place for you and the kids to chill out and relax on a wet day on Waiheke and whatever the weather, the library is a great place to visit. During the school holidays the Waiheke Library runs some amazing holiday programs with some really great events and workshops for kids, different each week. Check out the
Waiheke Island Library website for full details.
Go to the Movies at our wonderful and wacky Waiheke Community Cinema in the Artworks complex in Oneroa Village. The Waiheke Cinema is such fun. Patrons relax on comfortable sofas and enjoy the latest blockbuster movies on a large screen. It's so comfy the odd dad or grandad have been known to doze off during the movie. During the school holidays there are always great movies for kids at the Waiheke Movies. We recommend making a booking as it can be very popular and it's also a good idea to get there early to make sure you can have your pick of the best spot and the most cosy and comfortable sofas.
Waiheke Arts and Crafts in Ostend has a really excellent selection of toys, games and art supplies for the budding artists in your family.
Take Note in Oneroa Village has a fabulous selection of books and board games as well as lots of other goodies to keep the kids occupied on a wet day.
The Ostend Gallery often run school holiday programs for kids aged 7– 12 years. With the help of a couple of artists and plenty of art supplies, your kids can have a wonderful time being creative! Check out the Ostend Gallery here.
More things to do with kids on Waiheke Island
Eco Zip Waiheke is a great experience for teens and older kids as well as their mums and dads. The ride is exhilarating and the views are simply breath taking! Find the latest information at the
EcoZip Waiheke website.
Kayak Adventures with Kids -
Waiheke Island Golf Course. Waiheke Island Golf Club and Golf Course is to be found along the Onetangi Road Straight and is a great place to enjoy a round of golf with your children. The Waiheke Golf Course is 9 holes and is a beautiful place! Visit the Waiheke Golf Club website for current details.
Horse Riding on Waiheke Island. We have 2 horse riding stables on Waiheke. Waiheke Horse Tours are located at Woodside Bay and Waiheke Equestrian is along Onetangi Road in the heart of the Onetangi Wineries belt.
Wild on Waiheke kids playground, archery and clay bird shooting. Kids and furry kids are very welcome at
Wild on Waiheke in the vineyard area along the Onetangi Road straight. It's a great place for kids and big kids where you can Eat & Drink & Play all in the one place. Check out the
Wild on Waiheke website for full details.
Where to eat with Kids on Waiheke
There are plenty of child friendly cafes and restaurants on Waiheke. You'll be spoilt for choice. Wander around Oneroa Village and you'll find a great selection of cafes and restaurants as well as takeaways. Sol Cafe at the top of the village is popular as it has a large sunny courtyard and plenty of room for kids as well as a kids menu.
Arcadia Cafe and restaurant in Palm Beach also has an outdoor area and kids menu.
For something more upmarket we can recommend Three Seven Two on the beachfront at Onetangi which also has heaps of outdoor space and room for the children, as well as being right across the road from 2kms of white sand beach! There are also great takeaway options all around the Island making it easy to enjoy a picnic at the beach. The free public gas BBQs at all of the main beaches are perfect for a family friendly lunch or dinner as well.
School Holiday Guide to Waiheke Island - there are endless fun and exciting things to do on Waiheke Island in the School Holidays. Walks on Waiheke will keep everyone interested. A visit to any of the Waiheke Island beaches will keep everyone happy and occupied for hours even in the cooler months.
