Nature Kids
School Holiday Club
Would you like your child to explore and play in nature with small groups of curious kids? To have fun and make friends while being supported by qualified, experienced and caring teacher? Build their confidence, curiosity and creativity through nature experiences and free play?
Nature Kids is our small group programme, where kids connect with and learn in nature. Days are filled with creative and adventurous experiences, plenty of free nature play, for ages 6–12.
Completely nature-based in Mount Maunganui and Waihi Beach in beautiful public nature spaces.
At Nature Kids Holiday Club, we:
Explore, create and play in nature all day
Are part of a small group of curious kids
Are guided by a caring, experienced and qualified teacher
Build confidence, curiosity, self-management, creativity - and so much more!
Operate every school holidays from 9am to 3pm
At Nature Kids we spend our days connecting with, exploring and playing in nature, we blend intentional learning experiences and free nature play, with a focus on child-led learning. Our daily focus is linked to our location, the season and what is happening in nature around us.
Our experiences can include a focus on:
Seasons, including seasonal celebrations
Birds, Bees, Bugs and all living things
Ecosystems and interconnections in nature
Trees, plants and planting
Wild food, gardening, tea making
Creating, building, nature arts and crafts
Nature connection & mindfulness
Exploring land, forest, stream, pond, beach, rock pools, sandy shore and more (location dependant)
Nature yoga
And so much more!
Nature always has something magic to share so every day is different at Nature Kids!
Facilitated 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 who values relationship development highly. She created Nature Kids in 2018 and it and other nature programmes has been running ever since. Read more here. Kathy is joined by other caring and exceptional educators from time to time.
“What a fantastic day!! See you next holidays and thanks for taking such great care of our boy!! He had a blast!”
“We love your programme, the kids come back so calm, grounded and full of stories”
“Kids are absolutely raving about their day! Both had such fun and made very cool memories. Thank you!”
- She absolutely loved her day. It was so awesome to see the kids with big smiles when we dropped them off and picked them up each day. Thanks so much for organising such awesome holiday programmes”
School Holiday Programme Includes
An opportunity to connect with, explore and learn in nature in a nurturing environment, all day
Sessions from 9am to 3pm daily
Small group sizes (maximum 1-9 ratio)
All materials for nature craft, including making a nature notebook to take home
A snack and drink for the afternoon (Pukeko Poo, aka oat milk hot chocolate or Weta Wee, aka reduced sugar fruit juice).
Cost
$70 per child per day
When and Where
Nature Kids runs every school holidays across the Bay of Plenty - in Mount Maunganui and Waihi Beach.
See the Nature Kids Holiday Programme Booking Page for specific dates and locations.
In Mount Maunganui our base is Hopukiore, Mt Drury, in Waihi Beach our base is Pōhutukawa Park — we explore the beautiful nature spaces within walking distance.
Nature Kids is completely nature-based, the drop-off and pick-up point are at our base for the day
“Nature Kids has been such a wonderful discovery for our family and easily stands out from other school holiday programmes. The small group size allows for children to shine as they observe and learn from the world around them. I'm always delighted to hear what the kids have been up to and amazed at the variety of nature-based activities Kathy organises. She creates such a gentle, respectful and nurturing environment which allows kids to thrive”
-Katie
Important Information
Click here to read our Nature Kids Terms and Booking Information
We still operate in wet and or windy weather as long as it is safe to do so. We believe there is 'no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing'. While we do have some shelter available it is important to send your Nature Kid prepared for all weather experiences and they will love it. If the weather is looking very stormy and not safe for us to be outside for long periods a revised plan or meeting place will be advised. Please read the full Booking information (linked above) for more details.
Contact Kathy for copies of 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.