What actually happens at Nelson Nature School

This page is a detailed description of a full day at Nelson Nature School — what it looks, sounds, and feels like from arrival to pick-up. It's written for anyone who wants to understand the experience in depth: new families, schools considering a partnership, researchers, or anyone curious about how forest school actually works in practice.

Before the children arrive

The day starts before 9am for the educators. A site check is completed — walking the area, checking for hazards that may have changed since the last session (fallen branches, new public activity, changes to the stream level), confirming the day's plan is appropriate for the weather and conditions. The activity risk assessment is reviewed between educators — a peer check that is considered one of the most important safety practices at Nelson Nature School. If there is any disagreement about an activity being appropriate, the most conservative decision is made, always.

Weather is checked twice: once the evening before and once on the morning of the session, using multiple sources including MetService, Windy and Yr. Nelson Nature School operates in light rain with appropriate shelter and clothing. In severe weather — significant rain, thunderstorm, high winds near trees — the session is either moved to an indoor shelter site or cancelled. Cancellations are extremely rare. In two years of operation, sessions have been cancelled only once due to severe weather.

Parents are asked not to drop children before 8:50am, so this preparation time is protected.

9:00am — Arrival and morning hui

Children arrive and are welcomed individually. The first gathering of the day — the morning hui — happens within the first thirty minutes. This is not a formal assembly; it is a circle. Children are asked to share their intentions for the day if they want to. Boundaries are discussed — where the group can go, what areas to avoid, any specific hazards relevant to today's site and weather. The safety conversation is child-inclusive by design: a child who understands why a rule exists is far safer than one who simply follows it.

On cold mornings, a warm-up game follows the hui. This is partly practical and partly relational — the physical movement brings the group together in a way that sitting and talking never quite does.

Children carry their own backpacks. They are expected to manage their own food, drink, clothing layers, and personal belongings throughout the day. This is not a small thing. The expectation of self-management is part of the programme. We leave backpacks at base and we do not carry them around for the day.

9:30am — Workshop 1

The first workshop of the day is typically a challenge or group learning project. This might be: a structured introduction to a new skill (knot-tying, whittling, fire safety, harakeke weaving), a physical challenge (tree climbing with professional rock climbing gear, stream crossing), a creative project (land art, map-making, journaling), or a facilitated group experience (a trust exercise, a communication challenge, a conversation about something that happened last week).

All workshops are optional — but encouraged. The facilitators know their group and present workshops in ways that are genuinely inviting rather than obligatory. In practice, almost all children participate, because the activities are interesting and the atmosphere is relaxed. There is no social pressure. A child who wants to observe from a distance is welcome to do so, and the educators understand that observation is itself a form of participation.

Workshop 1 runs for approximately thirty minutes.

10:00am — Morning tea

Everyone comes together to eat. Children who are hungry before this can eat whenever they need to — but morning tea is a social moment. Children sit together, usually in the same general area as the base camp. Educators eat with the children. Conversations happen naturally. This shared food moment is, without fanfare, one of the most important relationship-building parts of the day.

Children eat far more than their parents expect. Physical activity outdoors, particularly in cooler weather, produces real hunger. Nelson Nature School keeps some emergency kai on hand. Parents are asked to pack hearty lunches and substantial morning teas.

10:15am — Free play and offerings / Workshop 2

This is the longest unstructured block of the day. Children direct their own experience. They may continue something from Workshop 1, find their own project in the environment, play with other children, explore alone, or rest. The educators are present and available but not directing. They observe, occasionally join in if invited, and maintain a constant, quiet awareness of where every child is.

Alongside free play, educators set out "offerings" — materials or invitations that children can engage with if they choose. A pile of sticks and rope near the stream. Clay from the riverbank. A collection of seed pods. A tarp rigged between two trees with a view. These offerings are designed to spark curiosity without compelling participation.

Workshop 2 runs within this block — a second, shorter session focused on bush skills or eco-literacy. This might cover: identifying native plants and their uses, Leave No Trace principles, reading weather signs, basic first aid, food preparation over a camp stove, weaving with natural materials, rope skills and knots. The connection to te ao Māori — plant names in te reo, concepts like kaitiakitanga and manaakitanga, the relationship between people and whenua — is woven into these sessions naturally rather than announced as a formal topic.

12:00pm — Lunch

The full group comes together again. Lunch is longer than morning tea — around thirty minutes — and is one of the day's natural rest points. Children eat, talk, sometimes lie in the sun. Educators check in informally with individual children. The pace drops.

12:30pm — Afternoon free play, offerings, and pack-up

The afternoon free play block mirrors the morning one but has a different energy — children are more settled, relationships within the group are warmer, and the play tends to go deeper. Projects that started in the morning continue. Children who were cautious earlier are often bolder. The group finds its rhythm.

At some point in the afternoon, children begin pack-up — gathering their belongings, picking up any rubbish within the area (leave no trace is practiced, not preached), and returning borrowed materials to the equipment bags. Children are responsible for this process.

2:15pm — Sit spot and facilitation

One of the quieter and more distinctive parts of the Nelson Nature School day. Children are invited to find their own spot — a tree, a bank, a patch of sun — and sit alone for a few minutes. No phones, no conversation. Just sitting. For many children, particularly those who have never experienced deliberate stillness in nature, this is uncomfortable at first and then quietly profound.

Following the sit spot, there is a short facilitated reflection moment — a personal or relational check-in. This might be a question offered to the group ("What did you notice today that surprised you?"), a pair conversation, a moment to share something from the sit spot, or a simple acknowledgment of the day. The facilitation is light-handed. Its purpose is to help children develop the habit of reflection — of noticing their own inner experience — which is one of the less visible but most important things Nelson Nature School is growing.

2:45pm — Pick-up

The group arrives at the pick-up point (always the same as drop-off, unless parents are called) at 2:45pm, often playing a game together while they wait. Pick-up is deliberately active and social — parents often linger. Educators are available for brief conversations at pick-up. For anything more substantial, a phone call or email is always welcome.

What parents notice over time

The changes are often gradual and then suddenly obvious. A child who was reluctant to try new things starts suggesting them. A child who struggled to resolve conflict with peers begins to navigate it. A child who seemed physically cautious climbs a tree they would have refused three months ago. A child who never sat still for more than two minutes asks for another five minutes before heading home.

The parents who tell us the most are usually the ones who weren't sure it would work for their child. The ones who said, "I don't know — she's quite shy" or "he tends to have a hard time with groups." These are often the families who stay the longest.

Practical information for families

Drop-off: 8:50am–9:00am at the session location (confirmed by text the evening before if there is any change) Pick-up: 2:45pm at the same location Contact during the day: Elena 022 5445 244 (texts read immediately; calls answered when not supervising children) Email: NelsonNatureSchool@gmail.com

What to bring every day, regardless of weather: gumboots or sturdy shoes, layers appropriate to the season (no cotton in winter — polyester and fleece only), a warm jacket, waterproof rain jacket and pants, a hearty lunch, substantial morning tea, a full water bottle, togs in summer, a full change of clothes (two changes if your child loves getting wet), any personal medication.

Nelson Nature School. Wednesdays in Marsden Valley, Stoke. Thursdays in Brook Valley, Nelson. Tuesdays after school at Enner Glynn South Reserve. nelsonnatureschool.com | nelsonnatureschool@gmail.com | 022 5445 244

What families say

The best way to understand what Nelson Nature School is — and whether it might be right for your child — is to hear from the families who are already here. These are real Google reviews from current and recent Nelson Nature School families.

"Nature School day is Indie's favourite day of the week — she'd give Nelson Nature School a 10/10 rating. There is so much evidence to support this way of learning and it is beautiful that we have this available to us in Nelson." — Maitai Whare Iti, Nelson Nature School parent

"Our daughter has never really been an outside girl — normally complains a lot when it comes to walking or any physical activities, and is normally very shy to new environments. This is her favourite day of every week. She learns and remembers so much, and there's also less complaining when we have to walk now." — Torza Mason, Nelson Nature School parent

"My kids are climbing trees, exploring ideas and new friendships, being educated about their discoveries of insects, foods, birds... playing in streams and finding small fish or kōura. They build huts, make rafts, shape wood, make tree swings, paint on rocks, kayak on streams, do nature arts and crafts. I plan to keep my kids at Nelson Nature School with Elena for as long as they can be there — best decision for my kids in regards to their education." — Lana O, Nelson Nature School parent

"Our son has been going to Nelson Nature School for a while now. Elena is so passionate about what she does and this shines through in the enthusiasm our son has for attending. His passions are respected and encouraged in a way that allows learning to take place in an authentic way." — Terina McKenna, Nelson Nature School parent

"Our daughter settled into Nelson Nature School within minutes. The educators are passionate and really focus on the children and their interests — very knowledgeable when it comes to flora and fauna. My daughter feels really proud at the end of the day when she has learned new facts and challenged herself." — Ellie Jacobson, Nelson Nature School parent

"It's rare in the US, where we're from, to have anything like this available for kids once they start formal schooling — even though we all know how important experiential learning and outdoor time is. The kids in Nelson are so lucky to have this opportunity available to them." — Creal Z, visiting family from the United States

"I was very impressed to see the group of Nelson Nature School kids working together building a bridge over a stream — so many layers of important learnings happening, from communication to negotiation to discipline and collective problem solving, all while outside in the forest." — Ben, local community member All reviews can be read in full on the Nelson Nature School Google profile.

Nelson Nature School is one of the few places in the Nelson, Stoke, and Whakatū region where primary-aged children spend a full day every week doing things that matter to them — building, exploring, making friends, getting muddy, learning without knowing they're learning. If you are looking for something meaningful to do with your child in Nelson — something that goes beyond a holiday activity or a one-off experience — this is a programme worth knowing about.

If your child is curious, energetic, sensitive, outdoorsy, shy, adventurous, neurodiverse, home-schooled, struggling at school, or simply happier when they're outside — there is very likely a place for them here.

Contact Nelson Nature School: NelsonNatureSchool@gmail.com | 022 5445 244 | nelsonnatureschool.com