The day, the term, the year

This is the whole day.
Including the boring parts.

Nothing here is a bell. The times are a rhythm children get to know, and they bend when something worth exploring turns up: a bird, a new idea, a conversation worth finishing.

Tuesday or Thursday · Term 4

A typical summer rhythm.
Terms 2 & 3 usually run 30 minutes earlier.

Before arrival

Getting here

Shuttle times and stops are still being confirmed. Register your interest when you enquire; the team will follow up before allocating seats.

10:30

Arrival & hui

Compulsory

Sign in with a kaiako, share anything we need to know, and say goodbye. Then we gather for roll call, safety kōrero, the term’s waiata and a story from the nature school library.

Around 11:00

Discovery Basics

Optional

Half an hour, sometimes longer if it’s going well. One themed, hands-on activity carrying reading, maths and science together, pitched three ways for Tui, Kea and Moa.

The open middle

Time to follow an idea

Free play and exploration across the paddock, the trees and the riverbank. Building, gardening, making, playing. Children return to whatever they started last week: a shelter, a length of cordage, a knitting project.

Kai, around midday. Time to sit, eat and drink together, without rushing everyone out of a project. In the cooler terms, children can contribute to a shared meal over the fire.

1:00–3:00

Specialist Workshop

Optional

The day’s organised, hands-on skill. It might be thirty minutes with everyone together, or longer in small, staggered groups with individual guidance. There is room for games and further exploration around it.

3:30–4:00

Afternoon hui

Compulsory

Everything used gets tidied and returned first. Then stories from the day, reflection, waiata and sometimes a few minutes of stillness before heading home.

After 4:00

Home time

Children leave with their agreed collector or confirmed shuttle arrangement. The team will share the collection point and transport details before the first day.

Before you enquire. is this a fit?

We’d rather talk through the practical things early. Our days involve:

Tamariki aged 6–16
A full day outside, in changing weather
Uneven ground, trees and the riverbank
Learning to use tools, fire and water with guidance
Returning to the same group each week

Tell us about your child and the support that helps them participate. We’ll discuss arrangements together before offering a place.

Enrol your child

Mixed age, on purpose

A twelve-year-old teaching a seven-year-old a knot gets to understand it twice. Discovery activities are adapted for three approximate learning groups.

Tui6–7

Kea8–11

Moa12+

In your child’s bag

Named. All of it. Named.

Water bottleLunch & snacksSpare clothesRaincoatSeasonal layersOutdoor footwear

The full kit guide

The practical things

16 places
per session day.

$70 per week, with sibling discounts. Term 4: 10:30am – 4:00pm.

Fees & dates

Ngā mahi · Specialist workshops

So much to
get your hands into.

Practical skills that build on each other. Workshops follow a three-year cycle and the seasons, with time to practise, experiment and return to a project.

Making cordage
Bread over the fire
Natural pigments
Plant identification
Knots & lashings
Navigation
Growing food
Carving & tool care
Food preservation
Basket making
First aid
Fire & campfire cooking
Reading the landscape
Sewing & mending
Harvesting
Making things together

How the learning works

The year. 2026

Following the seasons.
Making room to pause.

The usual shape is eight weeks in Terms 1 and 4, and six weeks in Terms 2 and 3. Check the calendar for each year’s arrangements.

Term 1 · 8 weeks

Long summer days

10:30am – 4:00pm

Tue 10 Feb – 31 Mar
Thu 12 Feb – 2 Apr

Term 2 · 6 weeks

The cooler months

10:00am – 3:30pm

Tue 21 Apr – 26 May
Thu 23 Apr – 28 May

Term 3 · No sessions

Not running in 2026

Term 3 is not running in 2026.

Term 4 · 8 weeks

Everything growing