Whakatipu Wild School

Whakatipu Wild School Whakatipu Wild School Charitable Trust exists to nurture wonder and wellness in kids.

Bookings are now open for our Spring Holiday Programme! Book via Humanitix by using the links below or seraching for Wha...
23/08/2026

Bookings are now open for our Spring Holiday Programme! Book via Humanitix by using the links below or seraching for Whakatipu Wild School.

To book for Wild School (5 - 10 year olds) use the link below
https://events.humanitix.com/wild-school-spring-holiday-programme-2026
Mon, Wed, Fri Both weeks

To book for Wild Kindy (3.5 - 6 year olds) use the link below
https://events.humanitix.com/wild-kindy-spring-holiday-programme-2026
Tues & Thurs Both weeks

Sessions are 9am - 3pm, $75 + bf per day

Enrolments Open on Monday 24 August 10am - SAVE THE DATE! Spring is in the air, the temperatures are slowly rising and n...
19/08/2026

Enrolments Open on Monday 24 August 10am - SAVE THE DATE!

Spring is in the air, the temperatures are slowly rising and new buds are beginning to form on trees, soon to blossom. We are leaping into our Spring Holiday Programme bookings for both our Wild School (5 - 10 year olds) & Wild Kindy (3.5 - 6 year olds) Holiday Programmes.

We will be running programmes for both weeks of the September/October School holidays. Details below

Wild Kindy Holiday Programme
Both weeks - Frankton Scout Den
Tuesdays & Thursdays

Wild School Holiday Programme
Week 1 - Lake Hayes Reserve
Week 2 - Kelvin Heights
Both weeks - Monday, Wedesday & Friday

9am - 3pm, $75 +bf per day
All bookings must be completed through Humanitix. Tickets for your chosen day/s will be able to be purchased from 10am Monday 23 August 2026.

All bookings MUST be completed by the child's parent/gaurdian.

We're Hiring! - Casual/On-Call RelieverDo you believe children thrive when they have the freedom to explore, take meanin...
17/08/2026

We're Hiring! - Casual/On-Call Reliever

Do you believe children thrive when they have the freedom to explore, take meaningful risks, get muddy and build a genuine relationship with the natural world?

Whakatipu Wild School is looking for a capable, flexible and enthusiastic casual reliever to join our team from September. You’ll work across both our Wild Kindy and Wild School programmes, supporting children aged 3–10 in nature spaces throughout the Queenstown area.

Our programmes are guided by three core values:
Care for ourselves, others and the environment
Courage to take risks, face challenges and try new things
Curiosity to explore, wonder, create and solve problems

We’re looking for someone who genuinely connects with these values and understands that outdoor education is about more than simply taking children outside.

Our ideal person will be warm, playful and responsive, while also confident with boundaries, group management and safety. You’ll need to be comfortable working outdoors in all kinds of weather and ready to follow the interests, ideas and adventures that emerge from each day.

A relevant qualification is preferred, although current teacher registration is not required. You will need proven experience working with children under 10 and a sound understanding of their wellbeing, development and safety. A current first-aid certificate would be an advantage, and a full driver licence is required.

This is a casual, on-call reliever position, with hours offered as needed across our programmes. Programme days run from 8.15am–3.15pm across various nature spaces in the Queenstown area. There may also be opportunities for additional hours during our School Holiday programmes.

Flexibility, reliability and the ability to step confidently into an established team are essential.

To apply, please email your cover letter, and CV, including two references to [email protected]

In your cover letter, we’d love to hear about your experience working with children, your relationship with the outdoors and why you think you would be a good fit for Wild School.

Trial days commencing in August 2026. Required to be available from September 2026.

Discover the wonder of Wild Kindy before committing to a full-term enrolment. Our 3 week trial is designed to help famil...
15/07/2026

Discover the wonder of Wild Kindy before committing to a full-term enrolment. Our 3 week trial is designed to help families discover whether the programme is the right fit for their child.

Email us at [email protected] and we will discuss the options with you.

Spaces available for Term 3 starting Tuesday 21 July or Thursday 23 July

01/07/2026

When the temperatures drop below zero, our curiosity level hits 100!

The past two days (Wild Kindy & Wild School) we’ve wrapped up warm, heading out into the cold with our ice explorer hats on. Magnifying glasses in hands we stopped to investigate the discoveries of permafrost crystals growing in shady spots and the intricate patterns formed in the ice.

With us we took mini buckets of warm water and paint brushes, using them to experiment with melting ice, letter writing and ice art work by melting the frozen patches of ice.

So much joy was shared with our School kids today with a frosty ice fight including the teachers, which brought laughter & collaboration whilst learning about the physical properties of the light and soft, yet spiky & sparkly looking ice crystals.

How lucky are we to have such distinct seasons that allow us to have such rich experiential learning. ❄️ ⛄️ ❄️

13/06/2026

Besides the obvious joy and wonder that bubbles bring, what else is happening here??

During this play we talked about our inner urges, the thoughts that arrive with us to do something impulsively.

Our inner urge was to race up and POP the bubble or get as close as possible to do so. As the guide, I encouraged children to resist the urge, to practice self control. A new focus was set, to see how long we could keep the bubble off the ground. The mind redirected to a collaborative goal, so everyone could enjoy the bubble as long as possible.

This gave us time to notice; colours, wind direction, wobbles & shapes, distance, and effect methods of creating the bubbles.

Loose parts + uninterrupted play in action at Wild Kindy. The observations = deep engagement, collaborative problem solv...
10/06/2026

Loose parts + uninterrupted play in action at Wild Kindy. The observations = deep engagement, collaborative problem solving, designing & construction, evolving & expanding ideas, resourcefulness.

This play lasted 2-3 hours (with meal breaks) and involved an evolution of ideas. From simple ramp racing to extending the track, adding corners, adding jumps, building walls and finally adding water to experiment with the child’s “what happens if…?” inner curiosity.

We can often be mislead into thinking that children get more from a day filled with different experiences, activities, tasks. When the real gift is time. Time to get deeply absorbed into their play, to let creative thinking to kick into its highest level, to solve problems, design and do real work with their hands.

This is when the child’s brain is ALIVE and those neurological pathways are firing and strengthening, building skills that are vital for our changing world 🤖🧠💡

Our Winter Wild Kindy Holiday Programme is NOW OPEN for enrolments! This programme is for 3.5-6 year olds only. Bookings...
01/06/2026

Our Winter Wild Kindy Holiday Programme is NOW OPEN for enrolments!
This programme is for 3.5-6 year olds only. Bookings MUST be made by the child's parent/guardian
Book now via humanitix! Newsletter subscribers, check your inbox for the link. You can also find the link in our Linktree in our instagram bio.

or Copy & Paste the below link
https://events.humanitix.com/wild-kindy-winter-holiday-programme

29/04/2026

This Summer our Friday crew built connections and memories in our local awa, Bush Creek.
Just a short stroll down stream from the play space, we spend two afternoons deeply engaged with hands-on learning, searching for tiny specs of gold.

The real essence of the experience was the collaboration and sharing of knowledge and skills amongst the children. They worked together and shared tips to help each other feel success.

And yes, we do find some tiny specs of gold!

Address

Queenstown

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4pm
Friday 8:30am - 4pm

Telephone

+64211606112

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