Jump on your bikes and explore your neighborhood – head down streets you’ve never been down before, and let the kids choose “left or right”.

Or pack the bikes into the car and make your way to one of the city’s best tracks – there’s Te ara tahuna estuary cycleway in Orewa, you can follow the Pink Path in the central city, take the Northwestern Path to Henderson, or divert along the way and visit Te Atatu or Waterview and the fantastic playground there. Or head in the other direction, from the city towards Mission Bay.

For mountain bike riders who are seeking adventure, check out Hunua Trails and Woodhill Mountain Bike Park.

‘Tis the season to pick and eat strawberries. You’ll find most strawberry places dotted throughout the south and north-west of the city. Many offer deals to pick your own and eat along the way and most also sell icecreams. Some offer more incentives to visit, such as Zaberri in Riverhead which has a huge inflatable obstacle course and at Bell’s Berries in Takanini you can help feed goats Barry and Garry and Bubba the lamb at 10.30am and 3.30pm each day.

We’re spoilt for choice when it comes to beaches to swim at in Tamaki Makaurau, but make sure you check it’s safe before you venture out. Auckland Council’s Safe Swim website has live information on water quality and swimming conditions.

Or visit one of the city’s swimming pools. Parnell Baths, Albany Stadium and Point Erin Pools are favourites, and the Grey Lynn Paddling Pool, right next to the park, is great for toddlers – plus it’s free!

From 2-17 January, Auckland Botanic Gardens in Manurewa will come alive with DinoFest. Tickets include a dinosaur encounter with a life-size Triceratops, baby dinosaurs, two-legged meat-eating dinos and 'Big Herb', a plant-eating titanosaur. There’s also kids’ activities and a Dinosaur Trail with a full-size T-Rex. Make a day of it – bring a picnic and explore the gardens and take a dip at the Totara Park Pool nearby.

With 53 volcanoes in Auckland you could visit one a week for a year, and still have one more to check out.

There’s Māngere Mountain in the south, Maungawhau/Mount Eden in central Auckland and Takarunga/ Mount Victoria and North Head in the north – and many others scattered throughout the city. Catch a boat to Rangitoto Island for an extra special experience the kids are bound to love.

It might seem a bit mundane to us adults, but kids LOVE train and bus rides – especially if it is a double-decker. Find a new playground to visit, and then figure out how to get there on public transport. Or discover somewhere new by jumping on a train and letting your children decide where you get off.

For a miniature experience, head out to Manukau Live Steamers in Māngere or the Waipuna Miniature Railway in Mount Wellington for miniature train rides on Sundays – but check their websites first to make sure they are running.

Learn about New Zealand’s voyaging history at the Maritime Museum on the city’s waterfront. Explore the museum’s exhibitions, head out on a sailing and if you visit on Saturday and Sunday mornings you can take a free guided tour. Make sure you stick around to hear the daily cannon fire at 12 noon each day.

MOTAT is lighting up once again with its Christmas Lights event. There'll be entertainment, Santa, carol singers and movie screenings every night until Christmas eve.

There’s something for everyone at Auckland War Memorial Museum, and if you’re a Lego fan you’re in for a treat. Brickman Awesome: Epic LEGO® Brick Creations exhibition is on until 28 February.

The Torpedo Bay Navy Museum near Devonport is also a great place for kids, with a café at the entry and a playground outside.

There are more than 4000 parks in Auckland, so there’s always a new one to discover. Spend a day at Cornwall Park, Epsom, and another day at Shakespear Regional Park in Whangaparaoa – or even a night, as there’s a campground on site. Catch the ferry to explore the new playground at Devonport, or check out one of the city’s few parks with splash pads. Head north-west to check out Royal Road Reserve or visit the popular Mission Bay in the city’s eastern suburbs.

For those looking for a real exciting challenge, Auckland has you covered. Climb trees, wriggle through a suspended tunnel and zipline at Tree Adventures in Woodhill, race your friends and family gokarting, play Lasertag, spend a day at Rainbow’s End, go skiing at Snowplanet or whitewater rafting at Vector Wero.

Feed some animals and ride a pony at one of Auckland’s family-friendly farms. There’s Crystal Mountain and Kiwi Valley Farm out west and Ambury Park and Clevedon Animal Farm south of the city. Visit Auckland Zoo and see the last elephants in New Zealand before they go overseas, or head out to Māngere to Butterfly Creek – a favourite spot for Auckland families.