Nature Kids
Weekday Nature School
A grounding pause, one day a week, in-term.
One day a week, your child steps out of the classroom and into nature — to explore, create, play and learn at their own pace.
To breathe. To be. To grow.
Supported by a qualified, experienced and caring teacher, Nature School builds confidence, curiosity and a deep love of self and the natural world.
Welcome to Nature School — our one-day-a-week, in-term programme for kids aged 6 to 12.
We blend intentional learning with free nature play, with a focus on child-led exploration. In small, mixed-age groups, children grow and thrive — developing curiosity, creativity, and a genuine care for self, others and nature.
Nature School runs for 9 weeks each term across two beautiful locations in Tauranga — Mount Maunganui and Te Puna.
Created and facilitated by Kathy Broadhead, a qualified and experienced educator with over 25 years in education. At Nature School we value relationship and weave our kaupapa of whakaute — respect for ourselves, others and nature — through all we do.
"We have witnessed our child transform. He has become a calm, confident, self-assured person. It's amazing to hear him easily describe experiences and emotions — all while communicating in a respectful, open and direct way. Nature School has provided a weekly reset from the pressures of mainstream education. It has fostered both his love of learning and self. When we first enrolled I was unsure if the financial commitment would be worthwhile — but it absolutely is. There is immense value in what is done here!" - Pip
Thrive at Nature School
In this nature based, engaging and supportive setting your child will thrive and develop:
Curiosity
Creativity
Confidence
Self Regulation and Management
Problem Solving skills
Resilience
Developing tūrangawaewae, feeling empowered and connected to place
Communication and Collaboration skills
Emotional, Physical and Spiritual wellbeing
Empathy, Love and Care
Sense of Joy and Wonder
So much more!
With small groups (ratio 1 to 9) children develop strong social-emotional skills and learn to care for themselves, others and nature.
Converging evidence strongly suggests experiences of nature boost academic learning, personal development, and environmental stewardship - click here to read the research.
Kathy, you've had such a positive impact on our daughter's life since joining Nature School with you. She's grown in confidence, made new friendships and connected with nature in a special way. It's been life changing for her after years of struggling in the mainstream school setting. Nature School is now her favourite day of the week. The way you run the programme and nurture the young people in your care is so wonderful. We appreciate you! - Sarah
Our Nature School Days
At Nature School, we blend intentional learning experiences and free nature play, with a focus on child-led learning. We spend our day connecting with and exploring nature; we are curious, we observe, discuss, create, and play. Our term focus is linked to our location, the season and what is happening in nature at this time.
Our experiences can include a focus on:
Seasons, including seasonal celebrations
Nature Art and Creativity
Birds, Bees, Bugs and all living things
Ecosystems and interconnections in nature
Trees, plants and planting
Wild food, gardening, rongoa māori
Creating, building, nature arts and crafts
Nature connection experiences
Exploration of land, forest, stream, pond, beach, rock pools, sandy shore and more depending on our location
Nature yoga and mindfulness
And so much more!
Nature always has something magic to share so every day is different at Nature School.
Created & Held by,
Kathy Broadhead (MEd, PGDipT, BSc), a qualified and experienced teacher and environmental educator with over 20 years working in a variety of education roles. Kathy is a supportive and nurturing educator, she created Nature Kids in 2018 and started Nature School in 2019, you can read more here. At Nature School we value relationship and weave our kaupapa of whakaute, respect for ourselves, others and nature through all we do. Kathy is joined by other exceptional educators from time to time.
Nature School is ideal as a grounding pause one-day-a-week from mainstream school - under the Education Act, schools may authorise any student to attend education outside the school. This is often referred to as a one-day school, and we currently have a number of awesome kids from mainstream school with us. It is also perfect for homeschoolers.
The Nature School program that Kathy runs is fantastic. Our son can’t wait to attend each week and raves about it on the way home each time. He learns so much, has lots of fun, and leaves each week full of excitement. Kathy provides a nurturing environment for all kids participating and gets to know each child as their true individual selves. We can’t recommend this program enough!" - Garyn & Jason
Nature School Includes
Full day session from 9am to 3pm
Small group sizes (1-9 ratio)
Nature Notebook and supplies for nature crafts
Afternoon snack and drink (either Pukeko Poo, aka oat mlyk hot chocolate or Weta Wee, aka reduce sugar fruit juice).
Cost
$725 - 9 week term ~ payment plans available
When and Where
Nature School runs every school term - see booking form for dates and locations
In Mount Maunganui and Te Puna Tauranga we explore in special public nature spaces
Bookings: are essential as numbers are limited
Nature Kids is completely nature-based, the drop-off and pick-up point are at our base for the day, see schedule below
Important Information
Click here to read our Nature Kids Terms and Booking Information
Contact Kathy for our Health + Safety Documents and Child Protection Policy.
Due to the nature of our sessions operating in public nature spaces, Nature Kids may not be suitable for kids with high level needs, please contact Kathy to discuss.