GrandFriends NZ

14/09/2026

This week is Te Wiki o te Reo Māori | Māori Language Week/

Want to bring a little more te reo Māori into family life? Try learning simple words and numbers together and using them in everyday activities, or letting the kids teach you what te reo they've learnt at school.

Swipe through for some simple ideas to try during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori.

You can find more resources here: https://www.reomaori.co.nz/ideas

12/09/2026

When it comes to the weekend, what are you doing?

Choose your reaction
👍 LIKE = Outdoor Adventures (nature walks, parks, playgrounds, beaches, sports)
❤️ LOVE = Indoor Fun (board games, reading, movies, baking)

Tell us your favourite activity in the comments.

18/08/2026

This week is Netsafe's NetSafety Week. If you are interested in how to help your kids navigate the online world, you might like to sign up for this webinar happening this evening.

We're pleased to announce our guest speakers for our upcoming Netsafety Week webinar, Raising Safe and Resilient Kids Online.

Joining us for this practical discussion are international and New Zealand experts:

🔹 Dr Elizabeth Milovidov – Senior Director for Global Parental Advocacy, Roblox
🔹 Dr Cara Swit – Professor at University of Canterbury

Facilitated by Alex Patrick, Education and Product Manager at Netsafe.

Together, they'll share practical advice to help parents and caregivers navigate gaming, social media, AI and the online challenges young people face today.

📅 Tuesday 18 August | 7:00–8:00pm NZT

🎟️ Register now to secure your free place:
https://netsafe-org-nz.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_h_w0jwSaTRiwkyMfWRdiRw

Can't make the live session? Register anyway and we'll send you the recording afterwards.

05/08/2026

Have you heard? We're excited to have launched our new initiative - Chatty Café!

GrandFriends is a New Zealand charity dedicated to beating loneliness and isolation by connecting families and older people — creating space for special moments, mutual support, and lasting memories.

The Chatty Café NZ Scheme carries that same feeling out into cafés and community venues around the country, so that connection isn't just for families — it's for everyone.

Chatty Tables are springing up across the country, so head to the website and see if there's one near you. Don't see a local venue and know a spot that would be a great fit? Fill in our referral form, and we'll reach out to them.

Find out more at www.chattycafe.co.nz

13/07/2026

Running out of ideas as we get into the second week of the school holidays? Check out these suggestions for winter activities, whatever the weather.

18/05/2026

This week is Youth Week. It's a week to "recognise the value, awesomeness, and impact of rangatahi, and to champion a society that supports young people to thrive". This year's theme is ‘Our Voices Matter, We Deserve to Be Heard’. You can find out more at the Ara Taiohi website: https://www.arataiohi.org.nz/

04/05/2026

Are you a family looking for some support and wisdom from the older generation? Or an older person with some time and love to give who would like to connect with a local family? GrandFriends connects people across the generations for mutual support, sharing of activities and making memories. Find out more at www.grandfriends.nz

09/04/2026

Fancy a challenge? Sign up to learn a new dance and join in with this Dance Around the World event.

As part of Global Intergenerational Week, we’re supporting Dance Around the World, led by the Australian Institute for Intergenerational Practice (AIIP).

Now in its third year, this global event brings people together across generations through a shared dance, happening on 24 April.

You can:
learn the dance beforehand and join live
or
take part in your own group, film it, and send it in

Either way, you’ll be part of something happening around the world.

It’s simple, inclusive, and open to everyone.

To take part, follow the link to learn the dance, and sign up. - https://www.genconnectnz.org/giw26

04/04/2026

Happy Easter from the team at GrandFriends.

02/04/2026

🐰 Easter is here, and with it the school holidays. If you are looking for some easy ways to keep the kids entertained this Easter, we’ve pulled together a few fun, low-stress ideas you can try at home

Whether you’ve got an hour to fill or a whole long weekend, there’s something here to keep everyone happy (and maybe even tire them out a bit…).

What’s your go-to Easter activity with the kids? Share your ideas below! 🐣