Natural Leaders

31/07/2026

The OG’s are back. Today was a return of the one match challenge. And planning for our service projects for the year.

20/07/2026

Our Gateway students from Taita College just completed a loose parts play toy collection using nothing but recycled materials from the tip shop in Wellington. They designed and built a water wall that was donated to Newtown school. This was the first time we ran in collaboration with Cahoots and we were mighty proud of the outcome. The school received a sensory table made from an old bed, a Taniwha game made from discarded cover sheets on building materials and pallets and the waterwall was another two packing sheet and heaps of pallets and random bits saved from the tip.

Looking forward to our next series that will take place in Term 4.

09/06/2026

Digging up your dahlias and have excess you would love to see go to a good cause? Natural Leaders will be starting a flower farm in term 3 that will support youth development and the loneliness epidemic by pairing schools with retirement village residents who will receive some of the flowers. The students learn, and the residents get a visit and a bit of floral love in the mix.

Message us and we will arrange pick up. (Also we are looking for green thumbed volunteers to help with the project. If this sounds like your jam reach out as well.)

07/06/2026

If you are planning on buying any bulbs this year please do it through this link because it will help us fund our next Natural Leaders Project, which we will be announcing soon.

Browse our online store. We have the largest selection of bulbs online in New Zealand. Dahlias are available to order NOW! At NZ Bulbs, we know bulbs because we grow bulbs. Since 1957. Dahlias Garlic Peonies Potted Bulbs Spring Bulb Deals Spring Special Bulbs Lilies Anemones Daffodils Dutch Irises P...

06/06/2026

06/06/2026

Have you heard of loose parts play? It's a way of playing that doesn't tell the child how the play is supposed to happen. It lets them explore and create with their imagination. It's why a cardboard box can sometimes become more amazing than the toy that came in it.

Creating change can work like that too. You look at a bunch of world problems, layer them together, and see what you can build that solves several things at once.

That's exactly what this Gateway programme does.
It helps underfunded kindergartens get quality loose parts play equipment. It helps the environment by requiring that equipment be made from 90% recycled materials saved from the Wellington landfill. And it gives girls and gender minorities a safe, inclusive space to learn how to build things (shoutout to Cahoots).

We started by taking the students to Mt Cook Preschool for a day, following the tamariki around to watch how they played. Their job was to dream up something they could make that would enhance the preschool's quite tight play space. Mt Cook has already done a wonderful job creating natural play areas on a limited budget, but they were keen to add variety.

The students rose to it. They decided to build a water wall, a space where kids can experiment with the physics of water. And our facilitator Mandi went down a deep Pinterest rabbit hole and ended up designing a taniwha game that turned out to be just as popular with the older students and adults as it was with the little ones.
The girls are working out of Cahoots, sourcing materials from the Wellington Tip Shop and recycling pallets.

The programme runs again in Term 3, and we'd love to hear from you if you're interested. Wellington kindies can request the items the students make. And we're open to up to 6 girls or gender minorities joining the programme. Reach out to find out more.

The program has been funded by Wellington City Council's Waste Minimization fund as well as Christine Taylor Foundation and Wellington COGS funding.
https://naturalleaders.nz/gateway/

16/11/2025

Craig...would you know anything about this?

23/10/2025

How cool is this!

A Taupō family of six has walked the length of the country along the Te Araroa trail, homeschooling all the way, having never done an overnight hike before.