Wild Learners

Just a few of the amazing creations made at our junior rangers crafting day at the

Kids creativity blows my mind at times!! Their beautiful artworks will be on display at the Sanctuary Open Weekend on March 28th/29th. Come along and check them out, and sign up for the Junior Ranger program if you haven’t already!

Working on our engineering skills with mini hut building in the forest. (Which quickly became the development of a whole community and creative industry… houses, roads, shops, trade! Kids are incredible).

Exploring the world on a tiny scale today, and getting very creative with forest camouflage!

Looking closely at small worlds within the ngahere…

Today we brought some technology into the forest, a tool to help us see the often unseen and mysterious world of tiny things hidden in the patterns of leaves, and the living creatures within the leaf litter of the forest floor. So many unexpected surprises!

We also tested our bravery by doing big things- balancing on high logs and jumping off the top! Amazing to see the growth and confidence that can happen in a single afternoon of intentional play! 🌿

Getting to know the locals at the today. After the rain everyone was out and about and we made lots of exciting discoveries!

It was all about looking closely and paying attention to the wild world around us today… paying SO much attention in fact, that wild and wonderful faces and creatures kept being found!

There is so much creativity and curiosity in this beautiful little group of tamariki!

Shooting into a fantastic start for Wild Learners 2025 edition!

We’re mixing things up this season with shorter classes over a couple of days, and our first few days have been wonderful. From exploring the stream to making bows and arrows, and developing our senses through blindfolded Burma trails and games in the forest, we’re off to a great start. 🌿

Is your child looking for a little WILD in their learning this term?!

Wild Learners have spaces available for ~4-7 year olds on Monday afternoons (12-3pm), and for ~8+ year olds on Tuesday afternoons (12-3pm). Our term begins the week of 10/2, and runs for 9 weeks.

MONDAYS: WILD (LITTLE) LEARNERS
Our afternoons are full of learning and exploration. Mondays are for nature-based holistic learning, focusing on gentle exploration of the Wild World around us, learning about local flora and fauna, safe play in the outdoors, as well as incorporating early literacy and numeracy through play and story.

We run an 'emergent curriculum'- which means that each day evolves based on the groups interests, needs and strengths.

TUESDAYS: WILD LEARNERS
Tuesdays are for adventure... with a mix of forest school philosophies, place-based learning and Outdoor Education, our Wild Adventures are full of excitement. With a focus on Outdoor Survival and Adventure skills, students can expect to gain skills in bushcraft and outdoor recreation while they learn about New Zealand's unique and beautiful natural ecosystems.

Cost: $25 per child, per day.

Wild Learners operates out of my home at the end of Brook Street (near the Brook Sanctuary), with some adventures taking us further afield. 2025 will be our fourth year of bringing nature based education to Nelson tamariki. More information about our program can be found at https://wildlearners.wixsite.com/website, otherwise get in touch-- either for a visit or to book a space for term one.

Small Group Education | Wild Learners | Nelson Wild Learners offers bespoke small-group education for Nelson Homeschoolers.

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Exciting plans for 2025! https://wix.to/vFWyRkC

A New Direction for 2025 Exciting plans are afoot for 2025! After taking a break last term so our oldest Wild Learner could give school a go, we're back better than ever for the new year. With our growing family come changing needs and dynamics, and more adventures pulling us all in different directions. With this comes the...

Today we celebrated our final day of Wild Learners (for now…!) with so much fun, laughter, challenges, and friendship. I’ve been so lucky to run this program with Nelson tamariki for the past three years, but we’re taking a bit of a break next term as Mabel (our oldest Wild Learner) tries out school for a term.

Education has always been the general road I’ve travelled on- from teaching my toys as a kid, delving into learning as a tertiary student, through to working in classrooms as an adult. I’ve read countless books on how children learn, what they should learn, why they should learn… But for me, education in the outdoors is absolutely where it’s at. The way children come alive and confront challenges, the way they “wake up” to the world around them and notice so much, the laughter and fun that is had when not confined within four walls… it can’t be measured in a test or exam, but the learning is priceless. So though it’s “Ka Kite” to Wild Learners just for the moment, you can be sure we’ll be back with more outdoor adventures soon!! 🌿