Don’t let bad weather rain on school holiday fun
Rainy weather will not stop a plethora of events and activities from happening in Tauranga these school holidays.
Options range from a Matariki puppet show to a robot workshop, a film festival for children and much more.
The forecast in the Bay of Plenty will start out reasonable, with heavy rain expected on Monday.
Metservice meteorologist Angus Hines said Saturday would be a “reasonable day” with a few showers and strong westerlies.
Sunday would be much the same with wind, rain and sunny breaks in between, he said.
It would turn “very wet” on Monday with a low-pressure system set to bring widespread and possibly heavy rain and strong wind to the region. This weather would likely continue on Tuesday, he said.
He urged people to keep a “pretty close eye” on severe weather watches and warnings.
The weather would ease on Wednesday but it was likely some showers would continue for the second half of the week, he said.
He also said temperatures next week would likely be muggy and “relatively warm” as the air was coming from warm waters north of New Zealand.
Scheduled events Matariki Glow Show
The all-new, giant-scale puppet show will take place at Baycourt on Tuesday, July 19. Showing times 10am and 1pm.
The Biggest Little Circus
From high-skilled juggling, aerial acrobatics and even a human changing room — this 45-minute family-friendly circus will show at the Lion Foundation Centre on Tuesday, July 19. Showing times 11am and 2pm.
Sunny Side Up Children’s Film Festival
Short animated films by New Zealanders and people from across the world, at the Historic Village on Tuesday, July 19, with showing times during the day.
Lanterns & Lights Parade Night
The Katikati event will take place on Friday, July 22 at 5pm running from Kotahi Lane to the Katikati Town Centre.
Armageddon Expo
The event featuring sci-fi, gaming, anime, collectables, TV and movie stars and comics will get underway at Trustpower Baypark Arena in Mount Maunganui. Saturday, July 23 until Sunday, July 24.
More information about all of the above events can be found at www.bayofplentynz.com
Library activities for children and teens
Robot Rotation
Drop-in sessions will be held at various libraries across Tauranga where children (for 7-plus years) can try out robots in a series of fun tasks. No booking is required. Photo Bomb
Children of all ages can listen to a story and then create their own photobomb cardboard frame to turn themselves into a silly character, using craft supplies provided by the library. This activity is being held across various libraries across Tauranga during the school holidays.
Inkling Art
In a two-hour session with Inkling Art you will be able to learn how to draw manga-style illustrations. Booking required, suitable for ages 11-18.
Sew-a-circuit
Children can create their own animal bookmark that lights up in a session introducing 5-10-yearolds to the world of electronics. In a tweens and teens session, you will have the chance to create a minimonster cushion that glows.
Go to the Tauranga City Libraries website for more information and to book.
Staying well these school holidays
Bay of Plenty District Health Board’s chief medical officer Dr
Luke Bradford said children should rest, play and reconnect with wha¯nau these holidays. Resting was particularly important for those who had been hit hard with
winter illness recently, he said.
He anticipated the school holidays would act as a circuit breaker for the circulation of seasonal flu, colds and Covid.
“The fact they are not going to be in the classrooms for the next two weeks we are hoping will slow the spread of these viruses.”
Those who hadn’t already should also get vaccinated against Covid-19 and influenza.
He also encouraged those travelling on public transport and part of big indoor activities to practise mask-wearing.
In a social media post, Unite Against Covid-19 urged families travelling to make sure they had a plan in case they become infected, or become a household contact.
Some of these tips included:
■ Plan how to get home safely to isolate — you can only return home if you can drive there.
■ Talk through the plan with your travelling companions.
■ If you cannot drive home, it is likely you will need to stay where you are for your isolation period
■ If you get cold, flu or Covid symptoms, get tested immediately.