A Timaru-based early childhood group has been encouraging local children to play outside for over a decade.
Early childhood teacher Donna McPherson launched Haere Mai Ki Waho, translated as ‘‘Come outside with me’’, in 2016.
She said that over the years she had provided a free nature experience one morning a week for children alongside their whānau.
Ms McPherson, who has a bachelor of early childhood education degree and a certificate in environmental management, said the group had been formed as an opportunity for children in the region to get out and about with nature.
These group activities ranged from beach clean ups, sessions in the rain, kite flying and just ‘‘being’’ in nature.
The setting often changed and sessions had taken place at Caroline Bay beach, Claremont Bush, Timaru Botanical Gardens, Peel Forest and the Ōtipua Wetland.
Ms McPherson said there had been a significant amount of research into the benefits of children being in an outdoor learning environment.
Registered in early childhood education, Ms McPherson said the concept of the group stemmed from an ongoing professional and personal commitment to help children connect with the joy of nature, ‘‘or reconnect’’ not only to the outdoors, but to the ‘‘uniqueness’’ of the area.
She said making memorable moments in the natural world provided stronger connections with nature not only in that moment, but in the future as well.
She was always moved when years later people recalled a moment at a place they had visited on her session.
In 2022 the group received an Aoraki conservation award.
‘‘This award enabled the purchase of predator traps, for a backyard trapping ongoing project, and a bat detector which is lent out.’’
The importance of teacher wellbeing prompted Ms McPherson to create workshops for adults.
The workshop was presented at the International Art in ECE conference in England in 2023 and Australia in 2025.
These workshops have also been presented locally to ECE teachers.
As well as providing the free sessions Ms McPherson has enjoyed providing sessions — for koha or a minimum fee — to a range of education settings and groups.
She said the free sessions over the last few years have had less uptake from tamariki and whānau which has prompted the decision to provide ‘‘pop-up’’ sessions in 2026.
She employed Facebook to lure her 700 followers and their children into nature, share session details as well as information relating to nature, education and similar community events.
She said making memorable moments in the natural world provided stronger connections with nature not only in that moment, but in the future as well.
