You might think that adventure activities and kids don’t mix, but you might be surprised to find that kids can do most adventure activities, and safely! Here are some that your kids might want to try out. Be warned though… some of them you might ‘have” to do with them.
Jet boating
A kiwi classic and a bit of an entry point into adventure tourism, jet boating is great fun for kids. Luckily for us a lot of destinations around New Zealand have jet boating, including Auckland, Queenstown, Rotorua, Taupo and Whanganui.
Bungy jumping
Now, you might be thinking, ‘bungy jumping! What!’ And well that would probably be correct, especially when you find out that kids 10-years and over can bungy with AJ Hackett. However, those under 14-years have to have parental consent and well, for kids it’s a tandem, which means a parent has to do it with them.
Zorbing
Barreling down a hill in a giant inflatable ball is a whole lot of fun, trust us. ZORB Rotorua is the place to go, they have four different tracks to choose from, and you can do it wet or dry. An adventure activity the whole family will adore.
Zip lining
There are loads of places to go zip lining all around the country from Queenstown or Abel Tasman to Rotorua or Waiheke Island. All the different zip lines each have their own restrictions for minimum age and weight, so make sure you check them out before you go. There’s height and speed at play with this activity, but the views are definitely worth it.
Luging
The kids will love racing down the tracks of the luge in either Queenstown or Rotorua. It’s perfect for families with an age range, because there’s normally tracks to suit different skill levels. Make sure you check which ones the kids can do before you go.
Bungy swing
There are a few bungy swings around New Zealand, the Canyon Swing in Queenstown might be the most famous. Poised over the Shooter River, this swing launches you off the highest cliff and swings you 200m with a 60m vertical freefall. We promise it is more fun than it sounds and the view is most definitely worth it. Other bungy swings include the AJ Hackett Ledge Swing and Nevis Swing, both in Queenstown, or try the Taupo Swing. There is an age restriction of 10-years, and parental consent is required for those under 16-years.
Swoop swing
The Swoop Swing at Velocity Valley is another really cool adventure activity to do with kids. There is no age limit, but kids do have to be a minimum of 1 metre tall. The swing puts the power of adrenaline in your own hands, suspended from the height of an 11-storey building and strapped into a body bag, you release the cord to swoop from zero to 130kmph in one second. Sounds like fun if you ask us!
Wild Wire
Wild Wire is where you can conquer the highest waterfall cable climb in the world, and it’s located right here in New Zealand. Wanaka to be precise. Wild Wire have three different climbs, but it’s the easier two that are the best for kids. The easiest track “Go Wild” has a minimum age of 10-years, and the level above “Wild Thing” has a minimum age of 12-years. However, for active and confident kids they are sometimes willing to make exceptions. At the moment Wild Wire is running a Go Wild Koha climb scheme, where they are asking for a minimum $75 to cover costs, and anything extra is greatly appreciated but not expected.
More fun activities for kids
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