Remember the carefree days of running through the woods, spotlight, building forts from old blankets, or imagining your next adventure with friends??  At Peria School, this sense of imagination is alive and well!  It’s in the way children transform a couple of pallets into a pirate ship, or how the sound of laughter and creativity fills the air as they design kites and build complex structures. For many adults, these core memories of play, where nothing seemed impossible, stay with them for life. The joy of creating something from nothing, risk taking, testing limits and discovering new possibilities is the foundation for growth and learning.

Students from year 1 to 8 have the freedom to explore, create, and grow in rich and natural outdoor spaces. Activities such as tree climbing, hut making, gardening, water play, fruit picking, and rodent trapping teach valuable skills while promoting physical and emotional well-being for all students.  From the amazing and historic “Food Forest”, ample trees, mud and sand pies made on the outdoor kitchen, an outdoor stage for performances, in ground trampoline to the bike track, green house and nature confidence course, the school encourages both structured and unstructured play.

Students learn by interacting with their surroundings like climbing trees, building huts from recycled materials like pallets and wood, and engaging in gardening projects. “Allowing them to play when things get too much is calming, especially for students with trauma, as the physical activity (like jumping) helps them regulate themselves and their emotions” says Principal Ari Williams. 

Many students come from hunting and gathering families and thrive in this environment.  Bringing their skills from home to school, sharing their trapping knowledge with classmates and teachers, teaching them how to create traps and understand the local wildlife all while protecting their plentiful food sources.

The school's wide variety of outdoor areas caters to all age groups, allowing older students to engage in more challenging activities while juniors can explore freely. Teacher Whaea Frances explains how having the different spaces in the yard allows students to engage in age-appropriate activities, join in with different age groups as well as having spaces for seniors to retreat to.  “One of the students asked if we could make kites, so we’re working on that project now,” says Teacher Aide Nina who is passionate about learning through play. Nina tells Amy, Sport Northland’s Healthy Active Learning School Connector that students frequently engage in imaginative play, such as building with pallets and recycled goods, showing the problem-solving skills and imagination being used as they figure out how to bring their ideas to life. This emphasis on play has not only transformed the outdoor spaces but has also crept into the classrooms and technology rooms.  

Each class have a shelf allocated to them with containers etc full of the resources or projects they have put away to continue with later.  Principal Ari Williams is intentional about aligning these play-based learning experiences with the principles of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). STEM concepts are supporting the education behind building huts or creating with recycled materials, they’re practicing engineering, problem-solving, and design thinking. In the garden, they’re experimenting with biology, sustainability, and the environment. In the outdoor spaces, students experiment with physical forces like balance and gravity while climbing trees or constructing their huts. In the classrooms, these physical experiences feed into projects that apply mathematical concepts, like measuring and calculating, and scientific principles, such as ecosystems and energy.  Ari says, “We aim to ensure our students are learning focused, and are supported and nurtured to develop both academically and holistically. Our grounds are flourishing providing a great environment to play in and ample opportunities to explore education sustainably and environmentally.  We are in a beautiful spot with access to the bush, beaches, farms, streams and nature and we aim to ensure that our students make the most of learning through our rich and diverse environment.”

Play is a powerful tool for learning and growth and Peria School are proving this.  By combining structured activities with opportunities for free play and the right amount of scaffolding, students are encouraged to explore, create, and connect with nature.  Principal Ari Williams explains, “People only see it as play but it’s all learning focused.”  Using STEM principles provides students with real-world learning opportunities that bridge creativity, critical thinking, and academic growth. Peria School is a place where play isn’t just fun—it’s an essential part of learning, knowing yourself and is helping every student thrive in and out of the classroom.

Article written by Amy Murray, Healthy Active Learning School Connector