For any parent or caregiver, finding the right balance in your child's life is like a 10,000 piece jigsaw...and sometimes it feels like there's a piece missing.

From creative endeavours like dance, drama, painting or music to sports, cultural events, homework, social life and family time - it can be hard to fit everything in with all of life's other demands and pressures.

But the latest research from Auckland's Univeristy of Technology's (AUT) Growing Up in New Zealand report serves as a reminder why the arts is such an important part of that make up.

Released on Children's Day (2 March), the research project looks at the wellbeing benefits for 12-year-olds from extracurricular/free-time arts, culture and recreation, and put together in partnership between AUT and Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage (MCH).

The Growing Up in New Zealand research project follows the lives of more than 6,000 young people and their families from before birth. In 2024, the first specific report studying 12-year-old’s participation and experiences with arts, culture and recreation activities was completed.

"This is the most comprehensive research to date that shows a diverse range of wellbeing benefits are achieved when our rangatahi participate in arts, cultural and recreational activities," states AUT lecturer, and lead researcher, Dr Rebecca Evans.

"Kids that do at least five extracurricular activities (like sport practice, music lessons or kapa haka) have the strongest wellbeing scores. This effect was also seen where young people participated in at least four regular free-time activities (like drawing or playing outdoors)."

MCH Deputy Secretary Policy, Performance & Insights, Emily Fabling states "Our children are engaging with arts and culture through playing sport or belonging to a performing arts group, participating in ngā toi Māori, reading books or listening to music.

"The report shows that children who took part in these activities experience better wellbeing. Some of these benefits include better outcomes in health, peer- and parent-child relationships, quality of life, cultural identity and school engagement.

"The findings this year strengthen the recommendations from the first report released in 2024 and continue to build on what we already know - that ultimately, engagement in arts, culture and recreation activities is essential for our young people." 

Dr Rebecca Evans adds "Our report took into account a holistic view of young people’s wellbeing, and was framed using a Māori model of health that considered many different aspects, such as a person’s wairua (spiritual health), and here tangata (social and familial ties).

"Findings suggest that regularly getting involved is linked to markedly better wellbeing in all of these areas.

"We also specifically examined participation in ngā toi Māori activities and found that they contribute positively to wellbeing across demographics, including better school engagement. The report suggests that opportunities to engage in ngā toi Māori activities should be provided whenever possible."