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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​

​​​
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.**

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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • What We Do
    • Contact
  • Permaculture
  • Forest Schooling
  • Healthy Homes
  • Blog
  • Upcoming Events
  • Friends of The ECO School