Make the most of the school holidays with these free summer events at Parnell Library!
Collage your Christmas Cards
Wednesday 17 December
1pm-5pm
Drop-in event
Drop in and make your own unique Christmas cards using upcycled magazines, paper and collage materials. Free, fun and open to all ages. Come get creative and make something special to take home!
Christmas Storytime in the Domain
Monday 22 December
10am-11am
Join Parnell Library for a festive Christmas-themed storytime in the beautiful Auckland Domain. Dress in your favourite Christmas outfit or colours and enjoy a selection of seasonal picture books. We’ll depart from Parnell Library at 10am for a short walk to a shady spot in the Domain. If you arrive after 10am, please ask at the library for the exact location.
Dungeons & Dragons
Tuesday 13 January
2pm-4pm
Join Parnell Library for an exciting game of Dungeons and Dragons! Ages 10-16, adult supervision required. This event is wheelchair accessible. Spots are limited—please message Parnell Library to confirm your attendance.
Author talk with Weng Wai Chan
Monday 19 January
10am-11am
Join author Weng Wai Chan for an interactive session on her award-winning children’s book Lizard’s Tale, an adventure mystery set in 1940s Singapore. Presented in English, Mandarin, or Cantonese, the talk explores her inspiration – including growing up in multicultural Singapore – the novel’s themes of war and spies, book excerpts, Weng Wai’s writing process, and her love of books and reading.
Lizard’s Tale won the New Zealand Junior Fiction Book Award and the Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction. It is aimed at age 8+.
‘It’s Singapore in 1940, war is just around the corner-but twelve-year-old Lizard doesn’t know that. He lives in Chinatown above a tailor’s shop, surviving on his wits and hustling for odd jobs.
When he steals a small teak box containing a Japanese code book from a Raffles Hotel suite, he finds himself in a dangerous world of wartime espionage. Lizard doesn’t know who to trust. How is the mysterious book inside the box connected to his friend Lili, a girl full of secrets and fighting skills? Can he trust her, or will she betray him in the end?’
Make a Sun Catcher
Wednesday 21 January
2pm-4pm
Join us at Parnell Library for a creative, eco-friendly craft session! Make a beautiful sun catcher using recycled cardboard and plastic, then decorate it with paint and dried flowers. Take your masterpiece home and watch it sparkle in the sunlight. Thank you to the ReCreators for hosting this event and to Creative NZ for funding.
STEM Workshop for women and girls
Tuesday 27 January
3.15pm-5.15pm
Women and girls are welcome to this STEM workshop, with a focus on coding robotics. This workshop will be hosted by Brain Play with funding from Waitematā Local Board.
Seed Ball Workshop: Help our Pollinators!
Saturday 31 January
10am-11am
Buzz on over to Parnell Library for a hands-on, eco-friendly craft session to attract bees, butterflies, and other important pollinators!
Kids are invited to roll up their sleeves, mixing clay, soil, and a blend of wildflower and native seeds to create their own seed balls. These “throw and grow” creations can be used in home gardens or dropped in suitable spots around the neighbourhood to encourage pollinator-friendly spaces.
Pirates of the Library: The Search for Sunken Treasure!
Monday 2 February
2pm-3pm
Ahoy, mateys! Set sail for adventure at Parnell Library in our pirate-themed scavenger hunt. Start with your treasure map and follow clues, solve riddles, and complete fun challenges to uncover the sunken treasure hidden somewhere in the library! Feel free to come dressed as a pirate or your favourite book character. Suitable for ages 5+ with parental supervision
