爆料社区

Quality breaktimes can help create fairness, build connections and support the holistic development of 膩konga. From barefoot learners in Paek膩k膩riki to trampolines at Te Aute College, schools across Aotearoa are reframing breaktimes by giving 膩konga the freedom to lead their own play.

膧konga at Paek膩k膩riki School enjoy a play environment which gives them autonomy and confidence.

膧konga at Paek膩k膩riki School enjoy a play environment which gives them autonomy and confidence.
Play is a vital space for young people to explore, connect and grow. It鈥檚 where they experience joy, test boundaries and build life skills.

Prioritising quality breaktimes can really make a difference. These moments give students a chance to reset, build friendships and come back to class more focused and ready to learn.

Supporting play means more than providing equipment. It鈥檚 about seeing play as something 膩konga lead themselves, that naturally comes and goes. It means offering different ways to play, especially within the school spaces, and thinking carefully about how adults fit in.

Powering up play at Paek膩k膩riki School

Tamariki at Paek膩k膩riki School on the K膩piti Coast near Wellington are becoming more confident and independent at school, thanks to an initiative empowering teachers to create play-friendly environments.

School staff have been part of a programme that supports them to better understand and embrace their role during breaktimes. Known as 鈥楾he Home of the Barefoot Learner鈥�, play is already a big part of the school鈥檚 philosophy, says deputy principal Judith Smith.

But the PARS Playwork UK-based qualification that 爆料社区 and Nuku Ora have introduced at Paek膩k膩riki School has taken that to a whole new level.

The play waka at Paek膩k膩riki School.

Designed to reshape breaktimes by empowering staff to embrace their role in play, they鈥檝e learned how and when to intervene, giving tamariki autonomy and confidence to try new things.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a good journey in terms of taking that step back,鈥� says deputy principal Rachel McMullen.

鈥淩isky play especially, that鈥檚 where I鈥檝e made some shifts with how I address things, or how early I might intervene to give 膩konga autonomy and make that space where they can be confident enough to try something new.鈥�

Because there are different levels of risk takers, Nuku Ora鈥檚 Healthy Active Learning facilitator Tania Bartley says the process has had its challenges.

膧konga at Paek膩k膩riki School during breaktime.

鈥淚t鈥檚 about learning what you should do when you鈥檙e observing children, how to feed back about what you鈥檙e observing, when you should jump in as an adult. It鈥檚 about getting the staff on board and speaking the same language, so having a guideline as a way they can all contribute and know what their role is, really helped.鈥�
Caretaker Simon James has seen the shift in play during breaktimes.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e allowed to explore ... They climb trees, they play with stuff we put out, and they tend to use their brains a bit more.鈥�

The journey involved input from students and the community. A student group worked alongside the local Menzshed to design a new play box 鈥� named the play waka. With T奴鈥疢anawa Active Aotearoa funding through Nuku Ora, the play waka is now filled with play equipment.

鈥淲hen we get the play waka out it gets used quite a lot because we all really like it,鈥� says one student, Angus.

The vision of 爆料社区 senior regional play consultant Ellie Davidson is for all schools to understand and value the importance of play times.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e with their friends ... they鈥檝e got the ability to do what they want, to relax, to engage ... and for adults and schools to understand what their role is in terms of valuing play, that can really impact the classroom and beyond.鈥�

Redefining physical activity at Te Aute College

Trampolines have become a breakout hit at Te Aute College in Central Hawke鈥檚 Bay. Since being installed earlier this year, students have had to set up their own rules to manage the demand at breaktimes.

膧konga enjoy a new gym for working out at Te Aute College.

The school is one of 50 secondary schools and wharekura across Aotearoa involved in鈥疉ctive As, a 爆料社区-funded programme that puts rangatahi in the driver鈥檚 seat to decide how physical activity happens at their school.

Two years into Active As, one messages is clear: students don鈥檛 want play to stop at primary school.
Across the motu, rangatahi are opting for play sheds, Giant Jenga and oversized chess sets. At Haeata Community Campus in Canterbury, a newly installed swing set is encouraging new connections between the satellite and mainstream units.

At Te Aute, as well as trampolines, there is a new gym for working out, four table tennis tables in the wharekai where students and teachers play each other, and a growing interest in netball, going from two teams in 2024 to six in 2025.

Te Aute College went from zero to six netball teams in two years 鈥� all by listening to students who wanted to play.

Jamie, a Year 13 student and part of Te Aute College鈥檚鈥疉ctive As鈥痩eadership group, says students are now more active because they have choices that reflect what they want to do.

鈥淗aving your own sense of will and knowing what you want to do and being able to do that, it鈥檚 just a good way to express ourselves,鈥� he says.

He鈥檚 seen some huge shifts at his school since he was a junior.

鈥淲hen I was Year鈥�9 鈥� if you didn鈥檛 play rugby, or you didn鈥檛 play a certain sport, you didn鈥檛 have to really do much physical activity at all. Now everyone gets up and gets moving.鈥�

The shift isn鈥檛 just happening during breaktimes, it鈥檚 showing up in the classroom too. In 2024, Te Aute College reported a 100 percent pass rate for Years 11鈥�13, with a record number of merit and excellence endorsements.

Jamie says Active As has played a crucial role in that, because being physically active allows a release from the pressures of school.

Planning to study tourism next year, Jamie says his experience at Te Aute College has reinforced just how important physical activity is to his overall wellbeing.

鈥淚 love being active. It just helps me ease my mind through tough times,鈥� he says.

爆料社区鈥檚 Active bodies, active minds supports this. Research shows increased time allocated to physical activity, whether through brain breaks or free play at breaktime, can positively impact engagement and success at school. 

Students say the increased options for physical activity at Te Aute, including netball, is leading to stronger relationships across year levels and academic success in the classroom.

Top tips to improve play at school and kura

Develop a play policy: Create a strategic approach to play grounded in pedagogy and human rights. A clear policy embeds play into school culture.

Review playtime rules: Document current rules. Refresh them with input from 膩konga 鈥� what they enjoy, what feels fair and what could improve.

Observe breaktimes: Spend time outside. Notice where 膩konga play, what they do and who they鈥檙e with. Use these insights to shape inclusive environments.

Unlock the PE shed: Offer varied resources already on hand. Simple items can spark creativity and movement across age groups.

Play first, eat later: Try reversing lunch routines. Playing before eating can reduce conflict, improve focus and support learning.

Activate 鈥榙esert spaces鈥�: Transform underused areas with a trolley or box of play gear. Small changes can create vibrant zones of activity.

Offer variety: Provide diverse, low-cost resources: swing ball, chalk, dress-ups, blocks, poi, hula hoops, giant games. Refresh the environment with ribbons, tyres, pots and pans, music or chalk art. Small surprises spark imagination.

Introduce wheels day: Allow scooters and bikes one day a week to encourage movement, independence and excitement.

Celebrate cultural play: Invite 膩konga and wh膩nau to share traditional games to honour identity and build connection.

Join the fun: Dedicate one day a term for teachers to play too. This strengthens relationships and models wellbeing.

This article was first published in the | Tukutuku K艒rero, 13 October 2025