The Prehistoric Earth: April School Holiday Programme
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the discovery of dinosaur bones in Aotearoa by diving into nearly 50 fun, hands-on and free events at your local library over the holidays!

50 years ago, in 1975, pioneering New Zealand palaeontologist Joan Wiffen made an astonishing discovery -- a tailbone vertebra of an as-yet unidentified therapod dinosaur. Though it would take four long years before the fossilised bone was confirmed in 1979 to have belonged to a dinosaur, this momentous discovery totally revolutionised palaeontologists' understanding of the geology and fauna of prehistoric Aotearoa.
50 years later, in 2025, we are celebrating Joan's discoveries by bringing the dinosaurs to you at your local library. Learn about ancient landforms and the creatures that roamed them! Use Greek or Latin to design your own dinosaur, be a palaeontologist for a day with GNS Science | Te Pū Ao, travel back in time to search for specimens, try out a fun new craft activity, and much more!
You can visit our event calendar below to see the full schedule of events over the holidays, or read on to check out the list of events below and join us to create wonderful memories with your friends and whānau.

The dinosaurs are taking over at Te Awa-a-Taia | Kilbirnie Library!
Events with GNS Science | Te Pū Ao
Become an earth scientist for a day with help from some of Aotearoa's foremost experts in geology and palaeontology.
We are incredibly grateful to the team at GNS Science | Te Pū Ao for generously donating their time and expertise to bring the geology and animals of ancient Aotearoa to life in our libraries. Join us for these free events where you'll get some hands-on experience in one of four earth science disciplines: geology, volcanology, seismology, or palaeontology.
Geologist for a Day: Sediment Cores and the Secrets of Life Underground
Discover the secrets of life that only rocks can reveal! Sample a sediment core, search its contents for pollen grains, DNA strands, and other signs of life, and find out how real palaeontologists are using this kind of science to uncover what life may have looked like in the lakes of early Aotearoa.
For ages 10+ with their caregivers.
- Karori Library | Te Māhanga – Thursday 17 April, 10.30 - 11.30am
Palaeontologist for a Day: Dinosaur Fossil Dig
Uncover the stories that fossils can tell us about our world! Explore a selection of real micro- and macro-fossils from the National Palaeontological Collection, learn how to work your way around a microscope like a pro, and participate in a fossil dig field expedition right here in the library.
For ages 10-14 with their caregivers. Registrations are required.
- Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library | Te Takapū o Patukawenga – Tuesday 15 April, 10.30am - 12pm
Volcanologist for a Day: Volcanoes and Natural Hazards
Learn about the inner workings and ancient origins of volcanoes and other natural hazards in our environment! Get up close and personal with volcanic rocks, discover how eruptions and earthquakes occur, and even create your own volcano in the field outside the library - how high will your eruption go?
For ages 8-12 with their caregivers.
- Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie) Library

The dinosaurs have even broken into Tūhura | The HIVE at Johnsonville Library! Here you can see a juvenile T-rex making friends with one of our librarians.
Events with your librarians
Baby Roar and Rhyme
A fun and educational programme for parents and carers to interact with their babies through songs and stories. Rhyme, rhythm, repetition and music are the building blocks of language for pēpi. At these dinosaur-themed sessions, we will be enjoying tunes about our prehistoric friends. Kuhu mai, join us!
Recommended for tamariki aged 0 – 2 years with their caregivers.
- Johnsonville Library | Waitohi:
- Te Awe Library:
- Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library | Te Takapū o Patukawenga:
Build-A-Dinosaur
Enter the mind of an enterprising palaeontologist as you 'discover,' name and create a brand-new dinosaur species!
Play a cue-card game to select the Greek and Latin terms that will describe your dinosaur – will they be spiny-nosed or an ocean-dweller? – then use craft materials to bring your dinosaur to life!
Recommended for tamariki aged 8+ with their caregivers.
- Johnsonville Library | Waitohi – Wednesday 16 April, 2-3pm
- Te Awe Library – Wednesday 16 April, 2-3pm
- Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie) Library | Te Awa-a-Taia – Wednesday 23 April, 11am-12pm
CRAFTosaurus
Whether it's the towering Brontosaurus or the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex, these prehistoric giants ignite our imaginations and our creativity. Help us bring some prehistoric fun into the library with an afternoon of fun, simple dinosaur crafts for the whole whānau to enjoy.
Recommended for tamariki aged 5+ with their caregivers.
Paper Plate Dinosaurs
- Wadestown Library | Ōtari – Wednesday 16 April, 11am-12pm
- Island Bay Library | Tapu Te Ranga – Thursday 17 April, 2-3pm
- Khandallah Library | Tari-kākā – Wednesday 23 April, 11am-12pm (registrations required)
- Te Awe Library – Wednesday 23 April, 2-3pm
Skeleton Art
- Te Awe Library – Tuesday 15 April, 10.30-11.30am
- Te Tūhunga Rau | Strathmore Park Community Centres – Thursday 24 April, 10.30-11.30am
Paper Plate Dinosaurs AND Skeleton Art
- Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library | Te Takapū o Patukawenga – Thursday 17 April, 2-3pm
- Johnsonville Library | Waitohi – Tuesday 22 April, 2-3pm
Dinochorus
Terrible roars, shrieking squawks, noble trumpeting and playful chirps! How do you think dinosaurs really sounded?
At these fun, hands-on workshops, tamariki will engage creatively with theories of dinosaur vocalisation before recording their own collaborative soundscape! All audio equipment will be provided.
Recommended for rangatahi aged 8+. Those under 14 must be accompanied by a caregiver. Please note that registrations are essential for this programme as spaces are limited.
- Johnsonville Library | Waitohi – Thursday 17 April, 2-3pm (registrations required)
- Miramar Library | Motu-kairangi – Tuesday 22 April, 2-3pm (registrations required)
Dinosaur Egg Bath Bombs
The last dinosaur hatched from its egg millions of years ago... until now! Come along to the library to make your own bath bomb egg that will hatch a dinosaur!
Recommended for tamariki aged 6+ with their caregivers.
- Johnsonville Library | Waitohi – Monday 14 April, 2-3pm
- Island Bay Community Centre – Thursday 24 April, 10.30-11.30am
- Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library | Te Takapū o Patukawenga – Thursday 24 April, 10.30-11.30am
Dinosaur Dress-up Storytime
Join us at your local whare pukapuka for an uproarious storytime of dinosaur tales! Make sure to wear your coolest dinosaur-themed clothes or even a dino costume if you're lucky enough to have one!
For tamariki of all ages with their caregivers.
- Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library | Te Takapū o Patukawenga – Monday 14 April, 10.30-11am
- Karori Library | Te Māhanga – Tuesday 15 April, 10.30-11am
- Johnsonville Library | Waitohi:
Expedition Chicxulub*
Step into the shoes of a time-travelling scientist and solve puzzles to find the three dino specimens hidden around the library – all before the asteroid strikes!
This is a self-directed activity for tamariki aged 7+ with their caregivers.
This activity will be taking place at all libraries except Te Awe and Wadestown throughout the holidays – just turn up any time and let the expedition begin!
*Chicxulub is the name given to the asteroid that collided with Earth 66 million years ago which led to the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Fossil Footprint Workshop
Calling all tamariki who love all things dinosaur! Join us at the library to learn about how fossils are formed and have a go at creating your own fossil footprint. Form dinosaur prints in clay and compare them to your pets and even your own footprints!
Recommended for tamariki aged 5+ with their caregivers.
- Johnsonville Library | Waitohi – Tuesday 15 April, 2-3pm
- Karori Library | Te Māhanga – Wednesday 16 April, 11am-12pm (registrations required)
- Newtown Library | Ngā Puna Waiora – Wednesday 16 April, 3-4pm
- Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library | Te Takapū o Patukawenga – Wednesday 23 April, 2-3pm
LEGO®saurus
Let's build – let's explore – let's create! Come along to the library to create your LEGO® dinosaur masterpiece. You can use our books to choose a dinosaur to create, or design your own, brand-new prehistoric creature.
Recommended for tamariki aged 5+ with their caregivers.
- Te Awe Library:
- Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library | Te Takapū o Patukawenga – Wednesday 16 April, 2-3pm
- Johnsonville Library | Waitohi – Thursday 24 April, 2-3pm
Parasaurolophus Nest Eggs
Visiting the library over the holidays? Decorate your own dinosaur egg and add it to the Parasaurolophus nest in the children's area. What special designs will your egg have?
This activity will be taking place at all libraries except Island Bay Library throughout the holidays – just come along any time and join in on the fun!
Pter-riffic Whānau Film
Bring your dino-loving whānau together for a free family movie! Movies chosen will have a G or PG rating and are suitable for families with young children.
Contact the library directly to find out which movie is screening. Whichever film is chosen, it's certain to be pter-riffic!
These family-friendly events are suitable for children of all ages accompanied by their caregivers.
- Wadestown Library | Ōtari – Wednesday 23 April, 10.30am-12pm
- Johnsonville Library | Waitohi – Sunday 27 April, 1.30-3pm
Stop-Motion Workshop: Dinosaur Edition
Join us at the library for a crash course in how to create a stop motion movie. Use a library device to create a dinosaur-inspired clip using LEGO®, a few dinosaurs, Stop Motion Studio, and maybe even a comet or two!
Recommended for rangatahi aged 8+ with their caregivers. Please note that registrations are essential for this event as spaces are limited.
- Cummings Park (Ngaio) Library | Korimako – Wednesday 16 April, 2-3pm (registrations required)

Congratulations for making it to the end of this post! As a reward, here is a photo of two T-rexes carefully looking after a fellow fossil outside Motu-kairangi | Miramar Library.