Nature Kids School Holiday Programme - Our Days.
Our fun and fascinating School Holiday Programme gets your kids outdoors - exploring and connecting with nature, all day. It combines creative and adventurous experiences and free nature play.
So, what actually happens at Nature Kids School Holiday Programme?!
Our small group sessions run from 9 am till 3 pm most days during the school holidays. Our Nature Base is in one of the Mount or Tauranga's beautiful parks, reserves or beaches. And at The Nest, in Waihi Beach.
Our day starts by getting to know each other, we choose a Nature Name for the day. We try to choose one that rhymes or starts with the same letter as our own name. So, I've been Kathy Kowhai, Kokako, Kekeno just to name a few. We use our nature names for a game and throughout the day.
The Nature Kids can make their own Nature Notebook to use during the day and to take home. The kids love writing, drawing, and pressing found bits of nature in them. We write an entry at the beginning of each session, including our daily focus and our kaupapa (what we do) which are always Caring and Curious!
At Nature Kids we talk about being caring and curious. The kids come up with all sorts of incredible ideas, with the main idea being that we care for each other and nature. And that we are curious about nature and each other (we are all different and that's a good thing).
We start with a fun Awaken Activity designed to get the kids engaged (this doesn't take much). And after our morning kai we head off from base exploring, the focus for this is always different depending on the daily theme. For example we could be going on a Rockpool Ramble, being Bird Nerds, or even creating Stick Shelters.
There are SO many experiences to be had and each day at Nature Kids has a different focus or theme. And, each day brings something new because nature always has something magic to share with us.
We usually eat our lunch up (or under) a tree. There is something really special about eating outside, especially in a tree - food just tastes SO much yummier and we are always SO hungry from our adventures.
Our time is spent exploring, discovering, creating, writing, drawing, and playing based on our theme for the day. There are specific experiences and activities planned, but it is also child-led, so often the kids take the learning and adventuring in a different direction which is wonderful!
The Nature Kids LOVE creating nature art, it could be drawing, designing nature mandalas or sculptures, making mud faces, or nature wands, and SO much more.
I absolutely love seeing the Nature Kids connecting, learning and exploring in nature where they learn in a truly meaningful way, often without even knowing it. I also love seeing their natural curiosity come alive and their confidence soar. Nature time is one of the BEST things you can give your kids to help them grow and thrive. And Nature needs our kids to know it and care for it too.
If you’d like to find out more click here: Nature Kids School Holiday Programme
Did you know we also run a Nature School - Nature Kids Weekdays