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Play stories

from around Aotearoa

See what others around New Zealand are doing to promote play and well-being with tamariki. 

Palmy – a PLAYful city

Amazing things can happen when you pair passionate people who share a playful vision for their city and those who are dedicated to advocating for play.

Palmy - A Playful City
Te Hau Kori partnership delivers first play qualification

Thanks to the Te Hau Kori partnership between Sport New Zealand Ihi Aotearoa and Te Herenga Waka | Victoria University, Aotearoa now has its first formal postgraduate qualification in “play”, as part of the Master of Physical Activity and Hauora programme.

Aotearoa's First Formal Play Qualification
Soft play equipment sees neurodiverse tamariki bloom

New soft play equipment at a Far North primary school is helping neurodiverse tamariki to grow in confidence and ability. The students now have a safe space for them to freely express their sensory and energy needs while also supporting their physical, social and emotional development.

Soft play equipment sees neurodiverse tamariki bloom
Nature Club at North East Valley Normal School, Dunedin

Supported by the Sport Otago Play Lead and the Tū Manawa fund, Nature Club focuses on play-based learning in the environment for tamariki to develop life skills. Every week, a group of tamariki get to have fun and learn in sessions such as the mud kitchen, rimu polishing, dam building and playing with clay collected from the garden.

Nature Club at North East Valley Normal School, Dunedin
Play Lab at Kaikorai Valley College, Dunedin

Play Lab is a tool using universal design for teachers, teacher aides and learning assistants to support students to learn through movement, with a focus on tamariki whaikaha (disabled children) to find their strengths and improve confidence in all learning contexts. Sport NZ's Disability Inclusion Fund is supporting Sport Otago to introduce Play Lab to 15 schools across Otago.

Play Lab at Kaikorai Valley College, Dunedin
Whānau connect through taonga tākaro in Tāmaki Makaurau

Visitors to the largest urban park in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland had an opportunity to immerse themselves in traditional Māori games – thanks to a collaboration between Aktive's He Oranga Poutama kaiwhakahaere and Cornwall Park Huia Lodge Discovery Hub.

Whānau connect through taonga tākaro in Tāmaki Makaurau
Train project gets Gisborne chugging along

Gisborne Local Play Advocate, Katie Kennedy is helping Gisborne District Council consciously and positively impact play opportunities for Tairāwhiti tamariki and whānau. Find out more in this story about one of Katie's favourite projects.

Train project gets Gisborne chugging along
Play Streets are easy – and fun!

Play Advisor, Manumea Durie worked with the residents of a quiet cul-de-sac in Palmerston North to make a Play Street a reality. Find out how easy it is to set up a Play Street and why playing in neighbourhoods is important.

Play Streets are easy – and fun!
Palmerston North libraries loan more than books

Four Palmerston North libraries have introduced Play Libraries to give tamariki and rangatahi access to play equipment. Thanks to Tū Mānawa funding through Sport Manawatu, and support from Palmerston North City Council, the initiative to get kids more physically active through play is proving a huge success.

Palmerston North libraries loan more than books – play gear too!
Play Festival, Stanhope Road School

Auckland’s Stanhope Road School had an awesome Play Festival, during Play Week Aotearoa 7-13 November 2022, where tamariki, whānau, staff and the neighbourhood joined in lots of fun and activities.

Play Festival, Stanhope Road School
The power of unstructured play at Onehunga Primary School

Onehunga Primary School has been changing the way it fosters playful opportunities, as a result of the collective effort of the school’s leadership team, teaching staff and importantly – the tamariki.

The power of unstructured play at Onehunga Primary School
Play has big impact on neurodiverse tamariki

Dunedin-based neurodiverse tamariki are now more comfortable engaging in play at school thanks to ‘Tauparapara/Play Dates with Mates’. The initiative helped the tamariki develop their emotional regulation, social skills and confidence in a play setting.

Play has big impact on neurodiverse tamariki
Play projects benefit students and their school environment

The Enviro Club at Helensville Primary School, Auckland has seen students take on projects around the school grounds to both engage them in play and help the environment at the same time.

Play projects benefit students and their school environment
Lifting ākonga and whānau wellbeing through Mau Rākau

A Mau Rākau programme has had a positive impact on students in Palmerston North through a collaborative approach and te ao Māori practises promoting fitness, confidence, and well-being. 

Lifting ākonga and whānau wellbeing through Mau Rākau
Case Study: Ōtautahi Play Streets project

This initiative, funded through the Waka Kotahi Innovating Streets for People, was run by Sport Canterbury with support from Christchurch City Council and Sport NZ. It was created to bring tamariki and their whānau together, strengthen neighbourhood connections and encourage ‘kids to be kids’ – playing and enjoying the outdoors.

Case Study: Ōtautahi Play Streets project
Food and play is a recipe for success in Southland

Thanks to Tū Manawa funding, Invercargill food rescue agency KiwiHarvest is including ‘play packs’ in the food parcels it delivers to local whānau. This pilot aims to bring about positive change through improving whānau connection, activity and confidence through play.

Food and play is a recipe for success in Southland
Schools embrace unstructured free play

The Puketāpapa Play Project is a collaboration between Sport Auckland, Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and the Roskill Schools Cluster that involves 11 primary schools. It’s a new play initiative that is the first of its kind in New Zealand. 

Schools embrace unstructured free play
Fun for the whole whānau during footie season

New Plymouth Rangers AFC successfully applied for Tū Manawa funding through Sport Taranaki for a play project to keep the children of parents playing at weekends engaged, and to run play sessions during the football season.

Fun for the whole whānau during footie season
Tāmokohia te whenua enriching lives through play

Imagine tamariki going to kura and getting more than an education; a place where they could connect more with the whenua, recite whakapapa and learn Māori kupu.

Tāmokohia te whenua enriching lives through play
Students swing into action

A new piece of play equipment at an Otago primary school is providing a more inclusive environment for its students.

Students swing into action
Play trailer teaching valuable lessons

A new play trailer in Northland is removing barriers to participation and giving everyone play opportunities.

Play trailer teaching valuable lessons
Families brave cold to play over winter

Children and their families tapped into their creativity during a play initiative at outdoor concerts held in the small Tasman town of Richmond.

Families brave cold to play over winter
Pukutākaro programme helps tamariki lead play

After Epuni Primary School’s playground had to be pulled down because it had become unsafe, “Active in the Hutt” from the Hutt City Council delivered the Pukutākaro free play programme and students took the lead on increasing play at school. 

Pukutākaro programme helps tamariki lead play at Epuni School
New ways to play keeping Favona School students active

Children at Favona School in Mangere have new ways to be active, develop skills and have fun through play thanks to a new Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa project funded through CLM Community Sport. 

New ways to play keeping Favona School students active
Play Pod at West Spreydon

Play has been put at the top of Te Ara Koropiko – West Spreydon School’s agenda with the arrival of a new Play Pod.

New play initiatives
Loose Parts Play Park in Pahiatua

Tamariki in the rural community of Pahiatua have new play opportunities thanks to the development of a loose parts play park. Based at the Bush Multisport venue, the play park encourages tamariki to play, create, and build in unique and creative ways.

Loose Parts Play Park in Pahiatua
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