Whānau friendly backyards & activities

This year we have six Backyards for Garden Explorers dedicated to providing activities for families, and several events ideal for kids at community and school gardens. All of the kids events are free or koha and they can take open a free packet of seeds (limited supply).

  • Garden inspired rock painting (various locations in Aug, Sept, Oct)

  • Garden rock hide & seek as well as colouring & activity sheet at all Garden Explorer backyards.

  • All sorts of scavenger hunts! Search for native trees, insects, fairies, and native wildlife.

  • Get your hands dirty scooping and cleaning seeds and planting sunflowers!

Garden INSPIRED Rock PAINTING

Various location - keep an eye out!

Rock painting stations will be set up ahead of the Trail, but you can paint at home too!

Keep an eye on our Facebook for rock painting events at the EnviroHub, Govett Brewster Art Gallery and more.

Garden Rock hide & seek

All Garden Explorer Backyards

Take your painted rocks with you and hide them as you explore - find rocks from other explorers in exchange. Didn’t have time to paint a rock? Pick one up from the EnviroHub and join in the fun!

Find the ‘golden rock’ at each backyard to go into the draw to win all sorts of great prizes!

SCAVENGER HUNTS

Insect scavenger hunt (17. Little Insect Farm - South Taranaki) - Hunt out all the special insects hidden around the property (plus enjoy the tramp and swings). 10am-4pm Sat & Sun

Hunt for garden treasures (18. Mountain Road Estate - South Taranaki) - Take part in a eight station scavenger hunt (plus enjoy the playground and watch the fish). 10am-4pm Sat & Sun, 10am-1pm Fri

Native tree treasure hunt (2. Bayly Terraces - Urban NP) - Follow the clues to discover the secrets of native plants & find a hidden fairy garden! 10am-4pm Sat & Sun

Backyard biodiversity survey (9. Eudaimonia - Rural NP) - Become a citizen scientist and help measure the health of the backyard by recording animals you find! 10am-7pm Fri-Sun, 10am-4pm Mon-Wed

Plant a sunflower

11. North Point - North Taranaki

Plant your own sunflower seed to grow at home. 10am-4pm everyday during the Trail.

LIFE OF A SEED

Saturday 12.30-1.30pm 9 Nov

EnviroHub, 28 Park Land Drive, Brooklands

Bring the family along for a hands-on kid-friendly workshop about the life of a seed! We’ll explore different kinds of seeds, ideas for sprouting, and try out harvesting and planting. You’ll come away with a seed to grow at home and a better understanding of why it's important to keep seed saving alive in our communities!