Canterbury kids in for a treat this holiday weekend

With the Canterbury heat nearing drought-like conditions and school holidays drawing to an imminent close, the prospect of a public holiday breaking up the first week back is enough to excite even the biggest bookworm. So kids: hide those pens, pencils and books away in the schoolbag, and keep sunhats, sunglasses and sunscreen in close reach as anticipation for the fourth annual New Zealand Sandcastle Competition this Waitangi weekend continues to grow.

Held at Christchurch’s New Brighton beach, there a number of categories at the 2015 New Zealand Sandcastle Competition, but perhaps the most exciting for young Cantabrians is the Kids N’ Kastles competition sponsored by The Palms Shopping Centre.

The Kids N’ Kastles competition is open for children between the ages of five and 12, and there are some great prizes such as a brand new bike ready to be won. There will also be a treasure hunt with ‘treasure’ buried deep down inside an existing sculpture for lucky locals to participate in. With only 50 nuggets of treasure hidden, one entry space will be drawn each day right up until 5 February, 2015 at The Palms Shopping Centre.

Jessica Barnett, marketing manager at The Palms, is excited to once again be part of what is now an iconic event in the Canterbury calendar.

“It’s exciting to be part of such a family-friendly day out. We’ve had a long-standing association with the New Zealand Sandcastle Competition and every year we’re blown away by the sculpture talent that is alive and well in Canterbury – particularly in the Kids N’ Kastles category! We love being involved with this competition because we know the importance of being active and enjoying the outdoors and there’s no better time for kids to do that than at the beach in summer.

“This competition is also great because it encourages families within our community to come along for the day where they can all enjoy the atmosphere, the stalls, the crafts and have a good time with each other - plus we always see the competitive streak that runs deep through our Canterbury blood!”

What: Kids N’ Kastles and The Palms Treasure Hunt
When: Saturday 7 February, 2015
Where: New Brighton Beach (the beach area in front of the southern car park by the Library on Marine Parade)