Christmas is family time

Christmas is a traditional time for families to gather, to share presents and good food, and to start their holidays. Christchurch has many long-standing family Christmas traditions – going to a favourite camping ground with family and friends, the YMCA carols by candlelight, the Santa Parade, a picnic at the Motukarara races… there are many great family activities in Christchurch which don’t cost the earth. We also have resources to help you stay relaxed.

Things for families to do

Not only are libraries great places to visit, our resources will help you find things to do at home and around town that don’t cost the earth. Banish the holiday blahs by trying some of these options:

• Christmas in Christchurch
• Learning Centre Holiday Programmes
• The Pulse What’s On for stuff for teens to do and places to go and things to do
• Be there - Christchurch events database

Lend a hand

There are plenty of ways you can volunteer to help others over Christmas. As a family, sort through unused toys and games to give to Christmas appeals; volunteer at places which offer a meal and company on Christmas Day; help voluntary agencies keep their food banks and clothing shops full over Christmas and New Year.

If you think volunteering might be your thing, we have some useful links to get you started.

Get crafty together

Make your own Christmas presents, cards and decorations – start now by looking through the great range of books and magazines we have on this topic.

• Christmas crafts
• Christmas decorations
• Create – links to help teens get crafty
• Hobbies
• Our Māori section has weaving and fibre art resources, including making a putiputi and making a star
• Try children’s Christmas craft activities from Activityvillage.co.uk.

Get out and about

Avoid the stress and chaos of the malls and enjoy some of Canterbury’s great picnic spots and parks this summer. Many Christchurch parks have great equipment for children. You can find specific parks and facilities on the Christchurch City Council website. If you want to head to Banks Peninsula, there are many parks and picnic spots available.

Christchurch’s more popular parks and family attractions include:

• The Groynes
• Spencer Park
• Woodend
• Port Hills
• Bottle Lake
• Walkways
• Dog parks
• Botanic Gardens
• Canterbury Museum
• Christchurch Art Gallery

Peninsula walks

There are some great Department of Conservation (DOC) walks around Banks Peninsula and the wider Canterbury area, ranging from 10 minutes to several hours. Visit Quail Island - get there by Black Cat Cruises from Lyttelton Harbour. Ferries run daily between December and March. It is easily explored in a day and has a great swimming beach. DOC’s Godley Head Walking Tracks include the one-hour round-trip Tunnel Walk and the three-hour round-trip Taylors Mistake Walkway. Public Transport takes you as far as Sumner and Lyttelton. Check out DOC’s A-Z of Canterbury Tracks and Walks for a comprehensive list.

Be active

You can be active – walk, cycle, catch the bus to the beach for a swim, visit the local recreation and sport centres, or have a wander through the many community markets. Christchurch City Council has a comprehensive guide to pools, parks, walks, events, sports and recreation options in the city.

Staying relaxed at Christmas

Christmas can be stressful – the library has a page of recommended resources for relaxation. Relationship Services has a helpful list of Christmas tips for families. They also offer thoughts and advice on how to make family occasions happy occasions.

Let libraries help you relax

Lazing about with music, magazines, DVDs and books on your holidays is the perfect way to wind down from a busy year and the stresses of the Christmas season. So feel free to do nothing except visit the library as a family and come away with armloads of good stuff! Explore our OverDrive service which lets you download audiobooks to most brands of MP3 players from home and our Playaway titles where you get the audiobook and the player. OverDrive also allows you to download e-books.

• Christmas films
• Christmas stories
• Christmas music
• Christchurch City Libraries’ Christmas holiday hours
• Christchurch City Council’s holiday hours

Relaxation resources from our collection include

• Job stress - books, CDs, electronic resources
• Stress – books, CDs, electronic resources
• Music for relaxation – CDs
• New Age music – CDs
• Ambient music – CDs

Community information directory CINCH lists community organisations and classes that can help you with

• Stress management
• Meditation
• Families

How to budget your family through Christmas

Christchurch City Libraries have great resources to help you save money and manage your budget over that stressful Christmas time.

Try a holiday programme

Christchurch City Libraries runs a number of accessible, safe and affordable activities for children during their school holidays. These programmes are suitable for children aged between five and 15.

Christchurch City Council holiday programmes for five- to 13-year-olds include sport and recreation options.