Best Beaches to Visit in Christchurch and Canterbury with Kids
Christchurch and the wider Canterbury region are often known for their beautiful parks, historic buildings, and iconic gardens—but they also offer some of the best outdoor places to explore with babies and children.
If you’re looking for family-friendly beaches in Canterbury, you’ll find more than just classic summer spots. These kid-friendly coastal areas are perfect year-round, with safe swimming zones, shallow streams for toddlers to paddle in, rock pools to discover, wildlife to spot, and sand dunes and beachside forests to roam. Whether you’re planning a beach day with a baby in tow or an adventurous outing with older kids, Canterbury’s coastline is packed with outdoor fun for the whole family.
Read on to discover our family’s favourite Christchurch and Canterbury beaches to visit with kids in every season—from the popular go-tos to hidden gems even locals may not have explored yet.
Taylors Mistake
Distance: About 18 km / 30 minutes drive from Christchurch CBD
Accessibility: Limited wheelchair/pram access due to terrain and steep walkways
Facilities: Public toilets, ample parking, playground, picnic areas, surf club patrol (summer hours)
Taylors Mistake is a beloved spot for Christchurch families, offering plenty of variety for a full day of exploring. Top tip: start the Taylors Mistake walkway at the northern end of the beach and head over the small hill to Hobson’s Bay, where kids can scramble over rocks and explore rock pools. Back at Taylors Mistake, you’ll find a raw surf beach strewn with natural treasures to collect—driftwood, Neptune’s necklace seaweed, shells, and more. There’s also a small tidal stream/micro-estuary type area that fills with high tide, perfect for little ones to splash and play in the mud.
The surf club provides lifeguard patrols during selected summer hours for safe swimming. Above the beach is a simple playground featuring a climbing tower, boat bow, and swings. Plenty of green space makes it ideal for picnics, and if you look up, you might spot paragliders coming off the hills above. In summer, an ice cream truck sometimes visits.
Walkways at both ends of the beach—the Taylors Mistake Walkway (north) and the Awaroa Godley Head Walkway (south)—offer fantastic views but feature steep drop-offs, so be cautious with little runners. You might find carrying them in a backpack easier and safer on these trails, or keep them close. The Godley Head walk offers longer adventures, including a stop at Boulder Bay, a lovely beach destination. Parking is plentiful, and public toilets are available.
Sumner
Distance: About 14 km / 20 minute drive from Christchurch CBD
Accessibility: Wheelchair and pram-friendly promenade connecting the beach ends
Facilities: Public toilets, playgrounds, picnic areas, lifeguards (summer), multiple ice cream spots
Sumner is well known and popular for good reason. At one end of the beach, you’ll find Cave Rock, a world of adventure for kids. There’s a stream running through the cave perfect for dam-building—but be cautious as the tide can come through the cave, so keep close to little ones and check tide times first. Lifeguards patrol this end during summer hours. Wide-open sandy spaces provide plenty of room for kids to run free.
Near Cave Rock, Sumner Ice Cream Parlour and Takeaways offer cool treats, or try Utopia Ice further into the village. Basic public toilets are just a short walk along the promenade.
At the other end is Scarborough Beach, featuring a large playground, greenspace, picnic tables with permanent shade umbrellas, and plenty of trees for natural shade. The playground has a big climbing tower with slides, a rope climbing structure, swings, and a splash pool—perfect for younger kids who prefer calmer water to surf. Scarborough Ice Cream is right next to the splash pool for something sweet.
A wheelchair- and pram-friendly path connects both ends of the beach via the Sumner promenade, which has recently been extended north past the Red Cliffs and around to Mt Pleasant for a longer urban adventure.
New Brighton Beach
Distance: About 9 km / 15 minute drive from Christchurch CBD
Accessibility: Wheelchair and pram-friendly promenade, parking near facilities
Facilities: Patrolled beach (summer hours), playground with splash pool, toilets, pier, ice cream shops, nearby library
New Brighton has long been a popular seaside spot for families. Start with play on the patrolled beach (summer hours), where you might even spot a local sand artist creating giant sand artwork—join in with your own creations nearby. Walk out along the pier for stunning views along the Canterbury coastline to the Kaikōura Peninsula.
The playground near the beach features a splash pool, a big pirate ship with slides, climbing walls, ropes, log steps, swings, mini trampolines, and musical instruments. Grab a real fruit ice cream at Saturday’s Café or a classic cone at the Deep South Ice Cream Parlour across the road. Mr Whippy often makes an appearance in the carpark south of the pier. If the weather turns, the nearby public library runs cool activities for kids.
North New Brighton and Waimairi Beach
Distance: About 10 km / 15 minute drive from Christchurch CBD
Accessibility: Mostly pram and wheelchair friendly along promenades and sand at low tide + accessibility mat rolled out in summer (North Beach)
Facilities: Limited surf patrol (summer), picnic areas, coffee shop, playgrounds, walking and biking trails
These two beaches sit about 1 km apart and are connected by a walkway atop the sand dunes—perfect for a walking adventure. Alternatively, you can stroll between them along the beach on the hard sand at low tide, which is pram-friendly.
North New Brighton is lively, especially with under-5s playing near the sheltered spot beside the North Beach Coffee Shed (home to excellent coffee!). Picnic tables nestled in the sand dunes provide great spots for kids to explore.
Waimairi Beach features a small pine forest with a few basic fairy doors, connected to the beach by sand dunes with secret pathways throughout. The Southern Pegasus Walkway runs beside Waimairi Beach, a great route for sturdy prams (a bit bumpy) or family bike rides. We love biking here until reaching a hilltop viewpoint with beautiful beach views, then looping back. Adventurous families can bike the full 7 km one way to Spencer Park through Bottle Lake Forest.
Both beaches have limited summer patrols by surf life-saving clubs and often host surf life saving events that are fun to watch.
Spencer Beach
Distance: About 16 km / 20 minute drive from Christchurch CBD
Accessibility: Parking available; walking and biking trails accessible with effort
Facilities: Surf life-saving club patrol (summer), playground, animal park, mini golf, picnic areas
Spencer Beach is a classic surf life-saving club beach with a cluster of little shallow pools (at the time of writing) in the sand at low tide—perfect for little ones to splash safely. These pools warm in the sun and offer calmer water than the surf.
Behind the beach, Bottle Lake Forest offers a network of walking and biking trails. Spencer Park features an adventure playground, a small animal park, mini golf, and picnic areas. Nearby is Brooklands Lagoon, where you can find bird-viewing platforms and family-friendly trails along the water.
Waikuku Beach
Distance: About 30 km / 30 minute drive north of Christchurch CBD
Accessibility: Parking and accessible trails, bike and walking trails suitable for families
Facilities: Playground, paddling pool, campground, beach toy library, picnic areas
Waikuku is a quiet beach village with a beautiful surf beach, pine forest, multiple playgrounds, an estuary, and extensive bike and walking trails connecting to nearby towns. Keep an eye out for shags (cormorants) nesting in trees as you arrive.
There’s a beach toy library where kids can borrow toys for the sand. A viewing platform offers views of the beach and surfers. Older kids can learn about the sand dune preservation project from informative signs.
Behind the beach, the pine forest invites nature play. Nearby, the Ashley Rakahuri Estuary is great for bird spotting and walking or biking along the Ashley River shared-use trail. Waikuku Beach Domain has a playground with an epic flying fox, tennis courts, a half pipe, and a paddling pool. There are several smaller playgrounds in the area. For families wanting to stay overnight, there’s a campground to really soak in the area.
Southshore Spit Reserve
Distance: About 14 km / 20 minute drive from Christchurch CBD
Accessibility: Mostly flat walking trails; some beach access may be uneven - not pram or wheelchair friendly
Facilities: Picnic areas, benches, no swimming on the beach side; estuary swimming when safe
Southshore Spit offers a wild beach experience close to the city. On one side is a windswept beach; on the other, a calm estuary. The Southshore Spit Reserve Loop walk covers about 1.5 km and is a good way to explore the reserve, with side trails to explore beaches, sand dunes, and estuary shores. You can spot crabs and estuary birds in the estuary waters. The beach itself is not suitable for swimming, but the estuary is swim-safe when given the green light by LAWA.
Birdlings Flat
Distance: About 44 km / 45 minute drive from Christchurch CBD
Accessibility: Parking and walking trails; some uneven terrain, not pram or wheelchair friendly on the rocky beach
Facilities: Small playground, access to Little River Rail Trail, basic toilets
For a more rugged adventure, Birdlings Flat offers natural beauty and a treasure trove of beach finds. This isn’t a swimming beach but is covered in interesting rocks, pebbles, and rows of driftwood. You might spot Hector’s dolphins, fur seals, or even southern right whales on rare occasions.
There’s a small playground behind the beach. Cycling enthusiasts can enjoy the Little River Rail Trail here, either for short rides or the full journey to Little River.
Lyttelton Harbour Bays
Distance: Various distances
Accessibility: Varies by bay; some walking trails and playgrounds accessible
Facilities: Playgrounds, jetties, picnic areas, basic public toilets at each spot
The Lyttelton Harbour features numerous bays along its coastline. Magazine Bay, a small rocky beach, starts the journey, followed by Corsair and Cass Bays, each with nautical-themed playgrounds. Governors Bay has a jetty and walking trails, and Maori Bay requires a short walk along a trail.
Continuing past Diamond Harbour, discover less-visited gems like Purau Bay, one of our recent favourites. Purau has a jetty lined with colourful dinghies perfect for fishing at high tide, a reserve with a small playground, and picnic areas. The rocky beach covered in shells is great for little explorers.
Tumbledown Bay
Distance: About 70 km / 1 hr 15 minute drive from Christchurch CBD (on Banks Peninsula)
Accessibility: Gravel road with steep sections; 500m walk to beach with some stiles
Facilities: Portaloos, parking, picnic areas
The adventure begins with a steep and narrow gravel road to stunning Tumbledown Bay on Banks Peninsula. Be prepared to carry your gear about 500m along a track to the beach—using a beach trolley is handy, but you’ll need to lift it over some stiles which could be a two-person job.
Once there, you’ll find a gorgeous rugged beach with clear shallow waters perfect for spotting fish, seals swimming nearby, and surfers riding waves. Sand pools around rocks offer safe spots for closely supervised splashing, and the gentle gradient means the water is good for swimming. There is plenty of large driftwood for building beach huts. A stream flows to the beach, ideal for classic dam-building missions. If you haven’t been here yet, you need to get there and experience it for yourself.
Christchurch and Canterbury offer a fantastic variety of family-friendly beaches that suit babies, toddlers, and older kids alike. From easy-access playgrounds and splash pools to wild, rugged coastal adventures, there’s something here for every family’s vibe and pace. Whether you want a short day trip close to the city or a scenic beach getaway further afield, these beaches provide safe swimming zones, and engaging natural features.
Remember to check lifeguard patrol times in summer, pack sun protection, and bring picnic gear to enjoy the green spaces and expansive sandy beaches. Pack a pram or carrier to enjoy the many trails on offer nearby or wander the beaches with baby on board. With so many beautiful spots to explore, your family’s next favourite beach day is just around the corner!
