Welcome to Bush Kindy Term 1 2026! We are excited to welcome everyone back to our Avonside site for our warmest term of the year! The summer season brings long, sunny days perfect for exploring, playing, and connecting with nature.

IMPORTANT: PLEASE SHARE THIS PAGE WITH ANY CAREGIVERS WHO WILL BE ATTENDING THROUGH THE TERM WITH YOUR CHILD/REN.

At the start of each term, we have a safety video for you to watch at home, which reduces the amount of time the children need to listen to adults talking to each other at the start of each term. In addition, we still have a safety hui at the beginning of each session to cover weather, any safety information relevant for that day and what is available during the session for play.

Please watch the safety video BEFORE arriving at your first session of Bush Kindy.  Please ensure any other caregivers also watch the safety video BEFORE arriving for their first session of Bush Kindy.

ADDRESS / LOCATION

The site is located in ‘red zone’ land, beside the Climate Action Campus, 44 Cowlishaw Street, Avonside.

START TIME

Please arrive at 9.30 am to give yourself time to unload from your car, set up your blanket and sign in. Morning hui starts at 9.45 am so please try to be on time.

WHAT TO WEAR / BRING

Term 1 can be hot, but we can still have some fresh days too. A jersey/hoodie to start is helpful, as will be sun hats and sunscreen. If it looks like rain, a rain jacket, overalls, and gumboots work well if you have them. There can be some mosquitoes in the summer, so repellent is helpful. If you or your children experience hayfever, having your own antihistamines on hand is advisable as we are not able to dispense any medications.

Please remember to bring your own drinking vessel/cup to each session, as we often make hot or cold drinks to share. Also bring your own kai (food), water, and a picnic blanket to sit on so your child is comfortable throughout the day. We operate rain or shine, so being prepared and having clothes for all types of weather is essential!

WHEN YOU ARRIVE

Please sign-in on the register each week. Once registered, make your way to the kai area and set up your family space for the morning.  Once most families have arrived and settled in, we will meet in a group hui.

HOW SESSIONS WORK

The sessions starts with a hui (meeting) at 9.45 am where we have karakia, talk about the weather, connect and share what invitations are available for the day.  If you arrive after the hui, please ensure you speak with the facilitator to get a rundown of any safety information shared and the day’s plan.  After the hui, children are free to choose how and where they want to play. There are invitations available, and sometimes we will go on walks or invite tamariki to come and help us in the garden.  Everything is optional, nothing is compulsory.  We have rolling kai – you eat and drink when you want to.  We will start packing up around 11.40 am, and will ask for help from tamariki and whānau.  We will finish our session with a closing hui.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

You are responsible for your children during sessions. Your facilitator will carry out a site safety check each session and share any new hazards to the group during the morning hui. The nature of the site means that it does have a number of hazards that you and your tamariki will need to assess. The facilitator is there for support, so please ask for support or help if you need it.

We sometimes have tools and fire available (fire is more likely in the colder months). Please ensure your children are actively supervised during these times. Your facilitator will give instructions on how to use the equipment and stay safe, but parents are required to be present or near, depending on the age/ability of your child. If you are unsure at any time, please ask your facilitator for support or guidance.

Please don’t bring toys from home. This is a nature play session, and there is plenty to play with and explore.

FACEBOOK GROUP

We have a private Facebook group where we provide ALL COMMUNICATIONS during the term and share photos after each session – please come and join it here. If your Facebook name is different from your booking name, please ensure you list this in the section when asking to join (to help us to recognise you or you might be declined).

TOILET

We have a toilet available. The toilets are used by other people who use the indoor spaces, so please be mindful and check that it is left tidy after use.  Any issues with the toilets please advise your facilitator.  Please take any soiled nappies home with you.

CAN’T COME ONE WEEK?

If you can’t attend one week or have illness in your whanau and need to stay home, please text Jasmine for Tuesdays on 0272048542, Vita for Wednesdays on 0210 287 7916 and Jane for Thursdays on 027 976 0840.

OLDER SIBLINGS ATTENDING

If you have older children you want to take out of school for a day every so often, we are happy to have them come along. For this, we ask for $10, which can be paid into the account that you paid the term fees. Please let your facilitator know the day before the session if you want to do this and make payment online.  If you have people staying with you from out of town and want to bring them along, please get in touch and let us know, and we can do our best to accommodate. Please note this is only open for people staying with you, not local friends who want to join.

ADMINISTRATION

During the term, if you have any administrative questions, please email Vanessa at info@littlekiwisnatureplay.com.

For other queries, comments or questions, please email nature@littlekiwisnatureplay.com.

The philosophy behind the sessions is around child-led play in nature, with nature and through nature. We will encourage adults to move towards observing their children’s play as much as possible, but we also recognise that all children are different, and this is a continuum that can take time to move along. We want to acknowledge that some children will spend a lot of time beside their parents and may need more hands-on support. This is normal, as is the child who walks off from their parent or carer to not be seen until the end of the session.

We all know our children best, so please follow your instincts with what feels suitable for your child. We will offer some ideas on how to support your child best in nature play, so please come and chat any time during the session.

Something else we encourage is not helping your child to achieve something that is beyond their abilities. This might be greeted with frustration, which can feel uncomfortable, but there are reasons for it. For example, if we help them to a place that they can’t get to themselves, e.g. up a ladder to the platform, they might not be capable enough to keep themselves safe or get themselves down without assistance. Frustration can become perseverance and is also great for building resilience and problem solving too. 

There are things to do when young children are trying to climb something that they may fall off, and if you are interested in my perspective on this, check out my blog to read more.

During the sessions, parents often enjoy discussing child development, risky play, nature play, mental health and well-being, as all these things are encompassed in our sessions. So please feel free to chat with your facilitator or other parents about these topics – it’s a great environment to do so.