Free museum entry for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand

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

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    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).

  • Ko Rata me ngā Tamariki a Tāne | Rata and the Children of Tane

    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.

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    Surreal activities

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

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    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.

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    Te reo Māori activity book

    Primary

    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.

    Activity book

  • The inside of an activity book

    The colossal squid activity book

    Primary

    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. Suitable for ages 10+.

    Activity book

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    Matariki activity book

    Primary

    Learn about Matariki through fun kids’ activities. Featuring word searches, colouring pages, games, and stories, discover what's important during Matariki – whetū, kōrero, kai, whenua, whānau, and the Maramataka.

    Activity book

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

    Tokelau language activity book

    Early childhood, Primary

    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

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

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    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.

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    Watch: 15 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!

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    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

    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

    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.

  • 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

    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.

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    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

    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.

  • A rat in a tree attacking a bird in a nest at nighttime.

    The Current

    Idea: Soil connects us to culture, food, nature, people, and place, so we shouldn’t treat soil like rubbish.

    How do you feel about this idea?

  • General view of the Ko Rongowhakaata exhibition, showing a Māori meeting house

    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.

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    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.