Nature Play Programs

Our nature play sessions run under a Forest Schooling philosophy.

The philosophy behind forest schooling includes:
- an inquiry-based approach to learning
- repeated exposure to the same natural place over time 
- allowing children to feel achievement by taking small risks
- being outside in all kinds of weather
​    (*aside from extreme weather events)

We offer programming for school groups, ECE centres, and private groups here on our learning farm or off-site.

We also host Nature Play meetups - family friendly adventures open to the community.  Join the Facebook page: Nature Play in Whanganui to find out about our next get together. 

Watch a video of our Nature Play programme in action. ​

What your day will look like:
Each day and each group are different, we like to follow the lead of the group and see how the day unfolds. But generally…
Sessions take place on our 5 ha learning farm (or at another location when appropriate). We gear up with proper footwear and mud trousers and have our welcome circle. We then take a short walk to our morning tea location and may take some time to feed and pet the animals along the way.

After morning tea, we have a play in an area called “The Pines”. After playing we wash hands and decide on a plan for the rest of the day. This may involve venturing down the big hill to our stream, set in an area of re-establishing native bush.

​After lunch and a play, we finish our day with stories and a song. In additional sessions, as children get more comfortable in the space, we may venture to other parts of the property that are a bit further afield.
 
Toileting:  All of our areas of play have rustic compost toilet systems and handwashing stations.

Accessibility: Please let us know of your group’s needs and we can create a program that will work for you in an appropriate location.

What We Provide:

• a full day of play at our learning farm
• an experienced facilitator
• mud trousers  and jackets for all children to use
• RAMS forms
• whanau information sheet
• sample learning documentation resources

What We Need From You:

• a group of 6 children or more
• enough adults to create a 1:5 ratio (our facilitator can be included)
• proper footwear for all participants (no jandals, no bare feet)
• water bottles or cups for all participants
• snacks and lunch​

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Click here to see one way our Nature Play programme could be integrated into the NZ Curriculum.

Price:  $200/ day (2 hours minimum – 4+ hours recommended)
**We require a minimum booking at least 3 sessions – as repeated exposure
​to the same environment allows children to dive deeper into their learning.**