Vehicle access: Our vehicle entrance will be reduced to one lane from 25 July until the end of November 2022, due to the construction of a new set of traffic lights outside Te Papa.
Info about vehicle access to Te Papa 25 Jul – Nov 2022

  1. Home
  2. Discover the collections
  3. Read, watch, play

Te Papa at home

Jigsaw puzzles, activity books, hundreds of hours of videos covering Aotearoa New Zealand’s vast history, quizzes, hubs on specialist topics, whānau challenges, and inspiration points to keep you active at home.

Or try your luck by searching your home town, your surname, or even a favourite flower on Collections Online

  • Two people looking at the camera
    Raranga Matihiko TV – Home learning

    Raranga Matihiko TV – Home learning

    The Raranga Matihiko team and our Learning team have created 16 episodes, designed for home learning for junior and senior students, that weave digital technologies around museum taonga, and exploring kaitiakitanga (guardianship and protection).

  • Skull of a Haast’s eagle
    Online jigsaw puzzles using our collections

    Online jigsaw puzzles using our collections

    Take a moment or two to relax with online jigsaw puzzles using taonga from our collections. Come back frequently to find new ones!

  • =""
    He Paki Taonga i a Māui

    He Paki Taonga i a Māui

    ‘He Paki Taonga i a Māui’ is a series of 18 short films for tamariki aged 7-11, and tells stories about taonga in Te Papa’s collection.

  • Image of an animal made up of three separate pictures: the head of a kiwi, the body of a squirrel, and the legs of a bird
    Surreal activities

    Surreal activities

    Drawing, writing, randomness, surrealism: unlock your mind with these lo-fi activities – fun for children and adults alike!

  • Print of two huia birds
    Dive into the collections

    Dive into the collections

    Explore 800,000 artworks, taonga, photographs, collection objects, and botanical and zoological specimens from Te Papa’s collections. Learn about different cultures – or your own! – or find inspiration for your own artworks.

  • =""
    Te reo Māori activity book

    Te reo Māori activity book

    Celebrate Māori language by learning Māori words and phrases through simple activities. Download two free activity books for kids – focused on pronunciation, the other includes more word searches, crossword, colouring pages, and stories.

  • The inside of an activity book
    The colossal squid activity book

    The colossal squid activity book

    An activity book to help kids explore the bizarre anatomy of the colossal squid, where it lives, how it came to Te Papa, and what it eats.

  • Computer-generated image of the activity book lying open showing its cover and inside pages
    Matariki activity book

    Matariki activity book

    Learn about Matariki through fun kids' activities. Featuring word searches, colouring pages, games, and stories, discover what's important during Matariki.

    Education resource

  • Front cover of the Tokelau language activity book and some inside pages picturing the Tokelau flag
    Tokelau language activity book

    Tokelau language activity book

    Find out about Tokelau’s atolls, designs, and flag. As well as kupu (words) for food, emotions, animals, numbers, and body parts! Fun for all the kāiga (family).

    Activity book

  • Three kids make a rainbow from toys and other household items
    Whānau challenges

    Whānau challenges

    Try some creative challenges at home with your whānau. Each challenge is connected to Te Papa’s collections or expertise.

  • Queenstown flooded 1878
    Quiz: How well do you know Aotearoa New Zealand?

    Quiz: How well do you know Aotearoa New Zealand?

    Do you recognise New Zealand in the 1800s and 1900s? Guess where these images by historic photographers Muir & Moodie and the Burton Brothers were taken.

  • =""
    Quiz: How well do you know your New Zealand birds?

    Quiz: How well do you know your New Zealand birds?

    Do you know the difference between a hihi and a huia? Or how many species of kiwi there are in NZ? Put your native bird knowledge to the test.

  • Jade pendant in a human form
    Te reo Māori quiz

    Te reo Māori quiz

    Brush up on your basic te reo Māori through a quick quiz!

  • A starry sky over a darkened landscape
    Watch: Taikura Kapa Haka 2021

    Watch: Taikura Kapa Haka 2021

    Watch each Taikura Kapa Haka group as they perform within their own rohe, as well as interviews with members of that group about their experiences within Taikura Kapa Haka and what this means to them in 2021.

  • A man works on one of the giant model's faces.
    Watch: 11 years of Te Papa videos

    Watch: 11 years of Te Papa videos

    We’ve been creating videos and posting them on YouTube since 2009, so there’s no shortage of things to watch – from a live squid dissection to kapa haka to curators talking about art, there’s something for everyone. Even brush up on your te reo Māori!

  • A lady reads inside under a parasol
    The stay at home quiz

    The stay at home quiz

    Board games, television, sewing, weaving, cooking – many of us are trying to keep ourselves entertained while staying at home. Perhaps this quiz, using items from the collections, will help inspire your next project or activity.

  • A set of bones in a flat plaster cast on a black background
    Fossils and dinosaurs

    Fossils and dinosaurs

    Te Papa’s collections and research on dinosaur bones, animals, and plant fossils from past geological ages, and the people involved in the discovery of their remains.

  • two fashion dummies with two outfits on in front of a steel frame and a dark background
    Fashioning ourselves: clothing, identity and culture

    Fashioning ourselves: clothing, identity and culture

    From woollens to workwear, pōtae (hats) to Panamas, feathers to fur, and khakis to korowai (cloaks). Explore stories that highlight the influences, industry, and imagination of fashion in New Zealand through our collections, exhibitions and research.

  • Green fence with a hand-painted sign on it saying, 'Give nothing to racism' in green and black.
    Antiracism and activism

    Antiracism and activism

    Articles on protest, decolonisation, and antiracism from our experts and across the web.

  • Portrait of Chris Parker wearing a felt hat. The hat features tiny versions of the key New Zealand public figures during Covid-19, a bag of flour, a tiny self-portrait of Chris wearing his orange hoodie, and a tiny official Covid-19 symbol
    LGBTQI+ histories of Aotearoa New Zealand

    LGBTQI+ histories of Aotearoa New Zealand

    Explore queer objects, artworks, and stories in Te Papa’s collections and discover more about the rich histories of Aotearoa New Zealand’s LGBTQI+ communities and icons – including the AIDS Quilt, Carmen Rupe, and Xena: Warrior Princess.

  • A tiny book with a illustrations of a Kea and a Kākāriki is held in the hands of someone wearing blue gloves
    Read, watch, play

    Read, watch, play

    Explore New Zealand’s rich history through pictures, quizzes, videos, and articles. Learn about the natural environment, Pacific and Māori culture, and everything in between – from vintage fashion to rugby.

  • An abstract painting dominated by the colour blue. A white table with white flowers floats in the middle of the frame, flanked on the left by an austere brown chair and on the right by a large table with a bowl of fruit and various other things on it
    Arotahi | Focus: A slow art experience

    Arotahi | Focus: A slow art experience

    A mindful viewing experience using taonga from the national collection. Find somewhere quiet and comfortable, put your headphones on, and take a few minutes to focus on looking.

  • =""
    The Current

    The Current

    Add your voice to The Current and help solve New Zealand’s toughest nature challenges. We’ll share your anonymous response with researchers via data.govt.nz.

  • General view of the Ko Rongowhakaata exhibition, showing a Māori meeting house
    Walkthrough tour of Ko Rongowhakaata: The Story of Light and Shadow

    Walkthrough tour of Ko Rongowhakaata: The Story of Light and Shadow

    Take a virtual walkthrough of the exhibition Ko Rongowhakaata: The Story of Light and Shadow wherever you are, and explore the land, people, and stories of Rongowhakaata, an iwi whose unique art reflects their innate creativity, rich history, and innovative spirit. Ko Rongowhakaata closed in February 2022.

  • Maramataka dial is displayed on a wall. To the left, a plant hangs into the frame. To the right, a taxidermied penguin appears in the frame. Under the dial can be seen an open book
    How to use the Maramataka | Māori lunar calendar

    How to use the Maramataka | Māori lunar calendar

    Print a Maramataka dial, explore its energy levels, and use it to plan activities with your whānau.

  • Closeup of a tattoo on a man's thighs
    Tatau: Sāmoan tattoo

    Tatau: Sāmoan tattoo

    Explore the history of Sāmoan tatau, watch interviews with people talking about what their tatau means to them, and discover objects and photographs within our collections.