Overview
Since 2012, Te Papa has been working with a small group of New Zealand children and their families to build a collection of objects that represent the lives and experiences of young people growing up in New Zealand.
The participants and their families are part of the University of Auckland’s Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal study, a research project that follows the lives of more than 6000 young people and provides an up-to-date picture of what it is like to grow up in New Zealand in the 21st century. The study provides in-depth information about a range of factors that influence children’s development over time, including health and wellbeing, education, and the wider family and societal environment. It also focuses on language, culture, and religion, and reflects on how these are expressed in everyday life.
Objects and stories collected as part of Te Papa’s Collecting Childhood project provide charming and poignant glimpses into the daily lives of children and young people in Aotearoa New Zealand.