By the end of this programme all schools will have:

• A shared purpose among akōnga, kaiako, and management to establish their own loose parts shed.

• A core team of teachers assembled, who will be upskilled and supported to lead this initiative.

• A shared experience of observing loose parts play in action within their own context to emphasise its value with kaiako.

• A strengthened relationship with the play lead at their respective Regional Sports Trust (RST).

• A detailed action plan with clearly defined responsibilities to maintain momentum.

• Access to a range of resources and a passionate play coach.

• Ongoing, gentle accountability from the play coach on a termly basis.
  

Our KICKSTARTER programme consists of three steps:

Step 1 – Before 

A play lead will be established within the school to oversee all communications between the school and the lead play coach. The play lead will be invited to join a Zoom meeting to discuss the school’s current situation and how to prepare management and kaiako for this initiative. At this point, a connection will be made between the school’s play lead and their Regional Sports Trust (RST) Play lead.

Before the school year begins, kaiako will be invited to attend a group hui at either The Tamaki Zero Waste Hub in Mt Wellington or the Wairau Zero Waste Hub on the North Shore. During this hui, the play coach will guide them on how to access the centre and advise on durable loose parts. Kaiako will then be able to select a collection of loose parts to take back to their school to kickstart their own collection.

The school’s play lead will then assemble a core group of 2-5 kaiako who are interested in play to work alongside them in this initiative. This core team will receive a webinar to watch together, which will cover the theory of loose parts play and outline the steps to get started.

Finally, the play lead will schedule a planning session with JM’s lead play coach to organize how the upcoming play day for their ākonga will be conducted.

Step 2. During

All schools will receive one full day of loose parts play with their students, conducted within their own environment. This session will be facilitated by our play coaches, allowing kaiako to learn alongside them. Attending kaiako will be provided with basic information about loose parts and the teacher’s role in supporting the play to ensure a successful experience. A full breakdown of how the day will run can be found in our FAQ’s.

This day is a crucial step in the process, as it offers the entire school a tangible experience of what loose parts play looks and feels like. Kaiako are likely to have many “aha” moments, making it a powerful introduction to discussing the benefits of play with the school and the wider community.

Step 3. After

Directly following their day of play, the core team will participate in a face-to-face workshop with our play coach from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Here, they will review the steps for starting a shed that were provided in the webinar. An action plan will be drafted and shared after the meeting, with each kaiako assigned different responsibilities to help distribute the workload.

All schools will be asked to invest in a second coaching session at their own cost of $250 + GST. This session will take place 4-6 weeks after the initial coaching session and will serve to reunite the team and review progress on their respective actions.

As a final step, schools will be encouraged to reconnect with their RST play lead to discuss accessing additional Tū Manawa funding. This funding may be used to provide more play opportunities within your school or organise community play days to educate the wider community about the value of play

This programme is only for:

• Schools looking to activate their own loose parts offering.

• Kura within the Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) region.

• Schools that registered their interest with us when we applied for funding in September 2025.

Important Information About Costs to the School:

We will be applying for funding to cover the majority of the costs for this programme. However, there will be a small commitment of $250+GST from schools for an additional coaching session to ensure ongoing accountability.

Please note that we may only receive partial funding for this programme. If this occurs, we will need to review and discuss the next steps.