Things to do in Rotorua with kids

Things to do with kids in Rotorua range from a farm show with baby animals to ziplines over waterfalls, so the trick is matching the day to your kids' ages and energy. The experiences below are grouped by type of day, with the rest of the family trip across things to do in Rotorua.

Farm shows and animals for younger kids

The Agrodome farm tour and show at 141 Western Road is the easiest win for younger children. The farm show features a live sheep shearing demonstration, 19 breeds of sheep and farm dogs showing off their skills, and kids can milk a cow and hand-feed animals. A tour of the 350-acre farm on an ATV, a playful sheep auction and a farmyard nursery full of baby animals fill out a 2.5-hour visit, and family tickets are listed for two adults and two children.

The Agrodome sits next door to Velocity Valley on State Highway 5, which makes it easy to combine with the rides for a family with mixed ages.

Family hot pools and geothermal learning

At Polynesian Spa, 1000 Hinemoa Street, the Family Pools at Polynesian Spa are the area where children can swim and get their heads under. They include a large geothermally heated freshwater pool, shallow hot mineral pools and a small hydro slide, with free onsite car parking. The spa's other bathing areas, the Deluxe Lake Spa, Pavilion Pools and Private Bathing, have no access between them, so the ticket decides where your family ends up.

Te Puia turns a geothermal valley into a learning day. The 90-minute Te Rā guided tour at Te Puia walks past geysers, mud pools and native bush, takes in Pōhutu Geyser and stops at the Kiwi Conservation Centre, where kiwi live in a specially designed nocturnal enclosure. Carving and flax weaving demonstrations run at the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute.

The Te Puia guided tour with a cultural performance adds a 30-minute haka performance in a carved meeting house, with performances scheduled through the late morning and early afternoon. Te Puia is at 20 Hemo Road, about 2.5km south of central Rotorua.

Rides and drops at Velocity Valley for bigger kids

Velocity Valley is at 1335 Paradise Valley Road, Ngongotaha, about 10km from Rotorua township on State Highway 5. A local bus runs from town at 10-minute intervals, or you can drive yourself. The park opens at 9am, closes at 4pm on weekdays and stays open to 5pm on weekends and school holidays.

The Swoop and Plunge swing lifts riders 40 metres in a harness, face down, and the rider controls the release for a drop that reaches 130km/h. The 43-metre Vertigo drop is a four-second freefall into a safety net, one person at a time. The Agrojet jet boat sprint covers a 1km course with a professional driver, 3Gs of force and 360-degree turns.

Velocity Valley activity packages let each person pick their rides, including the Shweeb, a human-powered racing pod you pedal lying back over a 600m course. Every package is for one person only, so rides can't be shared within a group.

Ziplines over waterfalls at Ōkere Falls

The Ōkere Falls zipline tour is a 2.5-hour trip over the Kaituna River. It strings together four ziplines, a swing bridge and more than 400 metres of boardwalk through native forest, passes three waterfalls at up to 40km/h and stops for Māori tea. Two local guides share the history of the site, and each guest plants a native tree in their name. Departures run from 9am to 3pm daily except Christmas Day, from 761 State Highway 33, and family tickets are available.

Matching the day to your kids

Younger children suit the Agrodome and the Family Pools, which are built around animals and shallow water. The 90-minute Te Puia tour and the 2.5-hour zipline tour ask more of kids' attention spans, and the Velocity Valley rides are the ones to save for older kids, since several carry minimum ages and weights.

Evenings work for families too. Te Puia, Mitai Maori Village and Te Pa Tu sell child tickets for Rotorua hangi dinners with cultural performances. For a bigger day out around Ngongotaha, look at Rotorua theme parks, and for wet weather, try Rotorua rainy day activities.

For family trips beyond the region, there are things to do with kids across Australia and New Zealand too.

Frequently asked questions

What can toddlers do in Rotorua?

The Agrodome farm show lets children hand-feed animals and find baby animals in the farmyard nursery, and the Family Pools at Polynesian Spa have shallow hot mineral pools and a small hydro slide. The Agrodome lists infant tickets for ages 0 to 2 and child tickets from age 3.

Is Velocity Valley suitable for children?

The Vertigo drop at Velocity Valley has a minimum age of 10 and a weight range of 45kg to 110kg, and riders under 16 need parental consent. Other Velocity Valley rides set their own limits, so check the ride before booking.

What is the minimum age for the Ōkere Falls zipline in Rotorua?

The Ōkere Falls zipline tour has a minimum age of 5, and guests up to 15 must be accompanied by a guardian over 18. Guests also need to be able to walk about 400m through the forest on the boardwalks.

Which Rotorua hot pools suit children?

The Family Pools at Polynesian Spa suit children, because it is the one bathing area where they can swim and get their heads under. Child tickets are listed for ages 5 to 14.

What is there to do in Rotorua with kids at night?

Māori cultural evenings with a hangi dinner run at Te Puia, Mitai Maori Village and Te Pa Tu, and each lists child tickets. Te Puia and Te Pa Tu cover ages 5 to 15, and Mitai covers ages 5 to 13.

How do I get to Velocity Valley without a car?

Velocity Valley is about 10km from Rotorua township on State Highway 5, next to the Agrodome, and a local bus runs from town at 10-minute intervals.

Do the Te Puia tours suit kids?

Te Puia lists child tickets for ages 5 to 15 and infant tickets for ages 0 to 4 on its guided tours, which include a close look at kiwi in the Kiwi Conservation Centre.

Choose between animals, pools, rides or ziplines, check the opening hours and book a date. Whatever is left over for the rest of the trip is in Rotorua things to do.