Whānau challenges
Try some creative challenges at home with your whānau. Each challenge is connected to Te Papa’s collections or expertise.
Create an image of your favourite manu (bird)Waihangatia tētahi mātātuhi o tō tino manu
Birds are an iconic part of Aotearoa. What’s your favourite bird from New Zealand? Create an image of it! The manu can be extinct or living.
Education type
Whānau challenge
Inspiration
Collections Online
See how artists have portrayed birds in the art collection
North Island Giant Moa. Dinornis novaezealandiae. From the series: Extinct Birds of New Zealand, 2005, by Paul Martinson. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Te Papa (2006-0010-1/17)
Lois White, Song birds, 1979, drawing on paper. Te Papa (CA000497/003/0001)
Birds Online
Birds Online is an amazing resource which has all of the birds both living and extinct found in New Zealand. You can look through thousands of photos, see where the birds live/lived, and even hear what they sound like!
Watch videos about manu
Why do we keep specimens?: Scientist, Andrew Stewart explains why museums keep specimens.
Making life-size moa skeletons: Moa are the tallest birds ever known, and were completely unique to Aotearoa New Zealand. See how the Te Papa team overcame the challenges of putting male and female moa skeletons on display.
See how an albatross is taxidermied: See how taxidermist Peter Wells worked on two albatross, mounted in their mating ritual display.
Filming the elusive kiwi in the 1940s: Bird expert, Colin Miskelly, comments on recently rediscovered 1940s footage of a kiwi, and explains how far wildlife documentaries have come in the last 70 years.
See how others took on the challenge!
Make a 3D version of an abstract 2D artwork
Early childhood, Primary
Choose an artwork from the collections and try and replicate it in 3D – you can use everyday objects and materials at home, or make it on the computer.
Whānau challenge