Mythical Creatures Challenges for Children

Mythical Creatures Summer Challenges logo with an illustration of a hippogriff - a creature of an eagle's head and wings on a horses body. .

To collect the Mythical Creatures trading cards, do any or all of the challenges listed below.
Most of the challenges require you to take of photo of yourself doing the challenge.
Visit any branch of Whangarei District Libraries and bring proof of having done the challenge such as photos, artwork, written review, etc.
Some challenges only require you to visit a library to get a Mythical Creatures card!

These challenges are designed for children aged 5 to 11.

Download and print the challenges for children(PDF, 1MB)

Two fairies walking together in the bush.

Challenge 1: Fairies

Go on a Bush Walk

Set off on an exciting bush walk, either locally or across New Zealand. Take a photo while on your adventure as proof to collect the Fairies card.
Bush walks and activity suggestions:

  • AH Reed Memorial Park Canopy Walk
    Take a photo by one of the big Kauri trees
  • Pukenui Forest Loop (Three Mile Bush Road)
    8 km loop walk through native bush and farmland.
  • Motukiore Island Walk
    Easy 5.1km return walk across a causeway. Explore the tidal pools for shells, seaweed and crabs and take a photo of yourself there.

More walks in the Whangārei area

A dragon sitting on limestone rocks beside a lake.

Challenge 2: Gnome

Visit Stems on Apotu Flower Farm

Pack a snack and head to a local flower growing farm. The farm also offers a 'pick-your-own' flower experience for a fee. Mention that you're participating in the Libraries’ Mythical Creatures Summer Challenge.
Collect your Gnome card from Brooke during your visit.

You will need to book a time online before visiting the farm. Entry cost is $5 per person, plus extra if you want to pick flowers to take home.

Address: 223 Apotu Road, Kauri Whangārei.
Phone: 021 165 0992
Book a visit to Stems on Apotu

A dragon sitting on limestone rocks beside a lake.

Challenge 3: Dragon

Visit Lake Waro in Hikurangi

Take a photo of yourself next to the limestone formations to collect the Dragon card.

Know before you go:

  • This area is grazed, livestock may be present.
  • Sinkholes are a common feature of limestone karst landscapes. Take extreme care and closely supervise small children.
  • It is important to keep to the marked track.
  • The lake is deep with near vertical sides. Only strong swimmers should swim in the freshwater lake as it is not as buoyant as salt water.

For more information about the area, visit DOC's website:
Waro Limestone Scenic Reserve Walk

A Mermaid, a mythical woman that has the lower body and tail of a fish, sitting on rocks beside a beach.

Challenge 4: Mermaid

Visit a Beach

Set out for a beach adventure anywhere around New Zealand. Take a photo of the activities you did at the beach to collect the Mermaid card. We’d love to see!
Here are some beach activity ideas:

  • Write your name in the sand with driftwood, shells, feathers, stones or rocks.
  • Collect whatever you can find (twigs, stones, leaves, seaweed, wildflowers) and create a work of art.
  • Bring a bubble wand and solution and chase the bubbles down the beach.
  • Have a sandcastle building competition.
  • Explore tide pools to discover marine life like crabs, starfish and small fish.  The rock pools at Whale Bay are great for this.

A Griffin, a mythical creature that has the head, wings and claws of an eagle combined with a lion's body, in a playground.

Challenge 5: Griffin

Visit a Playground

Spend time at a playground either locally or anywhere around New Zealand.
What did you play on? What was your favourite feature of the playground? Did you have a picnic there?
Take a photo and share your experience with a Librarian to collect a Griffin card.

A Vampire, a mythical human-like being with fangs and pale skin, cooking in a kitchen with bats flying around.

Challenge 6: Vampire

Make a Treat that a Mythical Creature Would Enjoy

Here are some ideas for inspiration:

  • Fairy Berry Wands
    Make skewers of strawberries, grapes, and marshmallows with a stars-haped fruit on top. Decorate with a drizzle of chocolate or rainbow sprinkles.
  • Unicorn Rainbow Pops
    Frozen yogurt pops layered with colorful fruit puree (strawberry, mango, blueberry). Add edible glitter or sprinkles before freezing for extra sparkle.
  • Bloody Berry Bites:
    Mini chocolate cupcakes topped with cream cheese frosting and a drizzle of raspberry sauce. Add fake fangs for extra fun

Take a photo as proof to collect your Vampire card.

A Basilisk, a mythical giant snake-like creature, in a library.

Challenge 7: Basilisk

Visit the Kamo Library

While you're there, borrow a jigsaw puzzle, book or DVD movie and ask the Librarian for a Basiisk card.
Or if you take a jigsaw puzzle home, take a photo of yourself beside the completed puzzle. We love to see what they look like when they are finished!
Kamo Library

A Cerberus, a mythical gigantic dog-like creature with 3 heads in a library.

Challenge 8: Cerberus

Visit the Onerahi Library

Have you managed to visit all the branch libraries yet? Tell the Librarian if you have and ask for a Cerberus card. Don’t forget to borrow a book, magazine, DVD movie or jigsaw puzzle while you are there.
Onerahi Library

A Centaur, a mythical creature that has a human head and torso and a horse's lower body and legs, in a library.

Challenge 9: Centaur

Visit the Tikipunga Library

While you're there, borrow a book, magazine or a jigsaw puzzle and ask the Librarian for a Centaur card.
Tikipunga Library

An Alicanto, a mythical golden glowing bird in a library.

Challenge 10: Alicanto

Visit Whangārei Central Library

Hang out for a while and enjoy the space, maybe even have a hot chocolate at the No.7 Espresso Café.  Say hi to Joseph who runs the café.  Remember to borrow a book, magazine, jigsaw puzzle or DVD movie. And don’t forget to ask for your Alicanto card from the Information desk.
Whangārei Central Library

A Cyclops, a mythical giant with one eye in the middle of his forehead, holding a wooden staff and standing in the countryside with dark thunder clouds and lightening overhead.

Challenge 11: Cyclops

Visit one of the Community Libraries

Drop by one of the Community Libraries in the Whangārei District. The Cyclops card can be collected from all of these libraries.
Check our website for locations and opening hours - Matāpouri Community Library is temporarily closed.

Community Libraries

A Phoenix, a mythical bird with brilliant red and gold feathers standing on a bench in a laboratory.

Challenge 12: Phoenix

Mythical Creature Inspired Science Experiment

Take out a book about science experiments from one of our libraries and try one of the experiments. Take a photo and share your experiment and its results with a Librarian when you collect the Phoenix card.
Browse books about science experiments in the library catalogue

A Hippogriff, a mythical creature with the head and wings on an eagle combined with a horse's body, in an art studio.

Challenge 13: Hippogriff

Make a Mythical Creature Diorama Scene

Diorama’s can be made from boxes or egg cartons.
We are super excited to see your creations! Take a photo as proof or bring in what you have made to show a Librarian to collect the Hippogriff card.
Click the link below for some ideas to spark your imagination.
Dioramas

A Roc, a mythical giant bird playing with LEGO bricks.

Challenge 14: Roc

Love LEGO?

This challenge is for you! Create anything you want out of LEGO, but we'd especially love to see a mythical creature.
Take a photo as proof and show it to a Librarian to collect your Roc card.

A young girl and a boy sitting in a forest by a stream at night reading books and surrounded by Will-o-the-Wisps, mythical spirits depicted as small glowing lights and light trails.

Challenge 15: Will-o’-the-Wisp

Mythical Creature Book or Movie Review

Write a review for a book you have read or movie you have watched that features a mythical creature.
In your review, tell us:  

  • What is the story about?
  • Who is the mythical creature and what makes them special?
  • Did you like the story or movie? Why or why not?
  • Would you recommend it to a friend?

Take your review or a photo of it to show a Librarian and collect the Will-o’-the-Wisp card.

A Sasquatch, a mythical large ape-like creature sitting under a tree readig a book.

Challenge 16: Sasquatch

Keep a Reading Log Over Summer

You can decide if you want to read a certain number of minutes a day, or you might like to set a goal for books read over the summer, for example 5 books.
Audiobooks and eBooks count too. Check out our free eLibrary

Download the reading log and record the books as you read them. Ask your parents/caregiver to sign it for each book you read.
To collect a Sasquatch card, show your reading log to a Librarian.

Download a reading log(PDF, 454KB)

The Loch Ness Monster, a mythical gigantic eel-like creature wearing earphones and swimming on Loch Ness, Scotland.

Challenge 17: Loch Ness Monster

Create a Musical Playlist for a Wordless Picture Book

Borrow one of our wordless picture books. Think about the feelings and moods in the pictures — are they happy, mysterious, exciting or calm?
Now, create a playlist that matches those feelings. You can:

  • Use GarageBand to make your own music.
  • Pick songs on Spotify that sound like the story.
  • Create body percussion (claps, stomps, snaps) to make rhythms that fit the scenes.

Play your playlist to a librarian to collect the Loch Ness Monster card.
Browse wordless picture books in the library catalogue

A Mountain Troll, a mythical muscular short and stocky human creature with a large nose and pointed ears, sitting in a cave using a laptop computer.

Challenge 18:Mountain Troll

Find Mythical Creature Facts

Search for a fact about a mythical creature using the online version of Encyclopedia Britannica. Did you know that Whangarei District Libraries has free access to the Britannica Library?
Search the encyclopedia (you can do this at a library or anywhere) for a fact about a mythical creature and tell a Librarian what you learnt to collect the Mountain Troll card
Go to Britannica Library

A Werewolf, a mythical shapeshifting part human part wolf creature, playing a dice game in a forest clearing.

Challenge 19:Werewolf

Dice Roll a Mythical Creature

Roll a pair of dice to create your own mythical creature.
Draw the outline head and a body of a mythical creature. Then follow the instructions for the rest of your creature.
Draw a grid with 6 columns and 6 rows. Fill out each square with a mythical creature feature i.e. tail, fur-covered body, hooves.
How to Play:

  1. Roll two dice → one for row, one for column.
  2. Find the feature in the grid.
  3. Add that feature to your creature drawing.
  4. Repeat as many times as you like to build a wild mythical beast!
  5. Don’t forget to name your mythical creature.

We are looking forward to seeing all your creations, so don’t forget to take a photo to collect the Werewolf card.

A Unicorn, a mythical white horse with a spiraled horn on its forehead n a room with an elaborate mask hanging on the wall.

Challenge 20: Unicorn

Create a Mythical Creature Mask

Choose your favourite mythical creature, or invent a brand-new one and design a mask to bring it to life.
You can use cardboard, paper plates, paper bags or any craft materials you have at home. Add horns, wings, glitter, scales, whatever your imagination dreams up!
Go wild with colours and textures, and make your creature as magical, mysterious or fierce as you like.
Think about what makes your creature special - does it breathe fire, live under the sea or soar through the clouds? Show those features in your mask.
Take a photo or wear your mask to the library to collect your Unicorn card.
You can also wear your mask to the Mythical Creatures celebration at Whangārei Central Library on Wednesday 21 January 2026 at 10:00am.

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