Learning growing and exploring with school camps and excursions

School camps and excursions are more than just fun trips—they’re hands on learning experiences that can deliver deep, connected learning for students in a variety of subject areas and competencies. 

School camps are a safe and controlled environment to experience new things. For many tamariki, a school camp is their first extended period away from their whānau, and it can give them a sense of independence, responsibility and self-sufficiency that improves self-esteem. Being with their peers also promotes strong social bonding, and many ākonga will overcome challenges together and build their teamwork skills.

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Fostering confidence and self-management is the foundation of a strong and successful learner, and these qualities are enhanced when school trips are combined with outdoor adventures. Camps are usually a way for ākonga to experience the great outdoors, and when combined with adventures such as rock climbing and kayaking, students can build a reciprocal relationship with the outdoors and learn about how to safely, respectfully and sustainably interact with Papatūānuku.

If camping is not right for your student group, excursions are a way to bring lessons to life. Many excursion destinations have experienced external educators, who can link excursions to specific learning areas and provide resources to maximise engagement and deep learning for your class. Excursions are often a crucial way to synthesise and connect information due to their hands on nature, and can enhance learning outcomes across the curriculum.

Below are just some of the learning opportunities available across New Zealand, which offer hands-on learning experiences across the curriculum. 

Spanning 185 hectares of open space, Orana Wildlife Park is home to New Zealand’s only gorillas and is globally recognised for its contributions to breeding programs for endangered native and exotic species. 

Orana’s dedicated education team create bespoke programmes tailored to align with your specific curriculum learning outcomes, providing a personalised approach to ensure that each visit is enriching and bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world application. Orana provides its own RAMS documents to participating schools, eliminating the need to undertake additional on-site risk assessments. Programmes are tailored to fit your schedule, and the team can also provide pre- and post-visit assistance to enhance learning both before and after your visit.  

Learning takes place outside using the zoo as the classroom, providing students with an immersive experience that brings curriculum concepts to life such as ecosystems, adaptations, and sustainability. Experienced educators guide students, fostering their curiosity and critical thinking while nurturing a deeper understanding of our natural world. Sensory experiences such as hearing animal sounds and observing behaviours leave lasting impactful memories, inspiring tamariki to be kaitiaki of the natural environment.

Stardome offers a hands-on opportunity for students to learn about space, history and more. Recently, the team has refined their approach to ākonga learning sessions, making them more interactive, fun and engaging. As an observatory and planetarium, the team at Stardome offers crossover and context-based learning in line with modern pedagogical approaches. Stardome will launch a refreshed and consolidated education programme this term. 

Stardome offers flexible learning environments for ākonga. From their solar scope on the Zeiss telescope (used during the sunny months), to the unmatched planetarium experience, and the newly redesigned gallery space that includes te reo Māori translations completed by Hemi Kelly, Stardome can offer sessions that appeal to a wide range of age-groups and learning objectives.

Complementing school visits to the planetarium, Stardome also offers teacher PD in Earth and Space Science, and Matariki. These sessions are aimed at equipping teachers with the tools to deliver these topics with confidence in their classroom.

Riverside Adventures’ EOTC programmes give school groups a way to engage with the world outside the classroom. With a range of activities on offer—like biking, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, and the popular “amazing race” adventures—students get to step out of their comfort zones, build confidence, and learn by doing. 

Every school has different needs, so the team at Riverside Adventures can adapt to suit different contexts. Whether it’s a single-day excursion or multi-day activities, Riverside Adventures can tailor a schedule that suits your group’s ages, abilities, and learning goals.  

Riverside Adventures can come right to your school or meet at various outdoor spots to create the perfect set-up. The instructors are not only skilled in outdoor activities, they’re also passionate educators who focus on safety, teamwork, leadership, and problem solving.

With Riverside Adventures, students will develop essential life skills, discover their strengths, and learn to trust and collaborate with each other, all while having fun. By swapping the usual classroom walls for fresh air, open skies, and mud underfoot, these activities can help student’s grow and learn in ways that last long after the activities are done.

ROCKUP Adventure Activities offers students fun, safe and engaging adventure-based learning activities including an exciting portable eight-metre-high rock-climbing wall and archery programmes.

ROCKUP activities help students develop self-esteem, confidence, trust, teamwork, safety awareness and positive behavioural learning. Shared student experience builds and strengthens bonds, leadership skills and creates positive camaraderie and friendships. The programmes utilise buddy networking, goal setting, consequences for action strategies and interactive teamwork in an encouraging, positive, safe and supportive environment. ROCKUP programmes build self-esteem, develop confidence and instil life skills.

Teachers can sit back and observe the programme or join in for some ROCKUP fun to develop a closer rapport with their students.  

ROCKUP delivers portable rock-climbing walls and activities to your school or camp venue.  Choose from more than 30 activities including archery, rifle shooting, paint ball alley, axe throwing (rubber mallet type axes with velcro targets), giant earth balls, interactive inflatable games, kayaks, raft and Bivouac building programmes, rubix cube puzzles, spider webs and top team challenges.

Hillary Outdoors provides transformative experiences that immerse students in the outdoors. Through outdoor education, Hillary Outdoors provides opportunities for youth development that build confidence, forge lasting friendships, and empower students to embrace new challenges. Their residential programmes are delivered from two Centres: Tongariro and Coromandel, which are tailored to each school’s specific goals. Whether focusing on resilience, leadership, or strengthening student connections, Hillary Outdoors co-develops bespoke experiences that foster growth over multiple days, weeks and even years.

Through hands-on activities, students can also complete NCEA unit and achievement standards, further enhancing the educational value of their time in the outdoors.

Eden Park is more than a stadium, it’s a living classroom. At Eden Park, the stadium is a blank canvas that allows room for students’ creativity. A visit to the stadium supports students to step out of their everyday routine and into a world of discovery, where education comes alive.

Imagine unleashing the power of the haka in the home changing room, where Kiwi sporting legends prepare for greatness. Schools will feel the energy and passion, all while learning more about this element of New Zealand culture.

Eden Park also offers tailored tours for any curriculum. From exploring the architectural marvels of stadium design, to diving into the history that shaped Eden Park, the science behind peak sports performance, or sustainability initiatives, these tours are crafted to complement your classroom curriculum.

These experiences don’t just teach, they encourage collaboration, critical thinking, and a passion for learning that students will carry forward into every aspect of their lives. Learning through experience helps students bridge the gap between theory and practice. Whether your students are studying history, science, art, or culture, this is a unique opportunity to connect their lessons to the real world in a dynamic and exciting way.

School trips to Butterfly Creek provide students with an opportunity to explore and connect with nature while learning about a wide variety of animals and creatures. Located in Auckland, this destination is perfect for an educational day out, regardless of the weather, as 75 percent of its exhibits are undercover.

The tropical Butterfly House, home to over 800 butterflies, offers an immersive experience for those interested in insects and lifecycles. Kiwi Forest, part of a national breeding programme, provides a rare chance to see New Zealand’s national bird in a special nocturnal setting. At Buttermilk Farm, students can interact with friendly farm animals like goats, rabbits, alpacas, and guinea pigs.

A standout attraction is Dinosaur Kingdom, featuring over 50 life-size models that roar and move, bringing prehistory to life for young palaeontologists. The Mythical Creatures exhibit supports students learning about myths and legends from around the world, showcasing dragons, serpents, and other legendary beings.

Butterfly Creek also offers several free animal encounters, including an impressive crocodile show. Schools can enhance their visit with 15-minute educational talks on topics such as dinosaurs, butterflies, kiwi, wētāpunga, or eels. 

Formerly known as Waikato Museum, Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery is an all-weather education venue in the heart of the Kiingitanga region. Te Whare Taonga o Waikato is proud to showcase many taonga of Kirikiriroa Hamilton and the Waikato—such as the magnificent waka taua Te Winika—and to share the region’s complex histories with all who visit. The education programmes on offer cover arts, social sciences, history, science and tangata whenua themes, and are available to all levels from primary to tertiary.

Te Whare Taonga o Waikato is perfectly placed to support teachers with the new Aotearoa Histories and Art curricula. Nothing compares to students being able to encounter taonga, historical objects and artworks firsthand, with educators bringing their narratives to life through hands-on activities, puuraakau and other koorero.

The education team will manaaki students and teachers throughout their visit, from planning or timetables to meet-and-greet and farewells. For them, it is an honour to participate in the transmission of valuable cultural knowledge, so they work hard to make every museum visit as rich and memorable as possible for tauira and teachers alike.

Hanmer Springs is a great location for school trips and camps with multiple accommodation options within an easy distance from Christchurch. Hanmer Springs Attractions offers activities from one central hub within easy access of the village, making it ideal for school groups. There’s plenty of parking and space for students to eat lunch outdoors or on the covered balcony.  

Activities are available for all ages and tastes, including jet boating, grade-two river rafting, bungy jumping, paintball, laser clay shooting, and quad bike treks (minimum ages may apply). Multiple activities can be combined in a day to customise your experience.  

School groups can also rest assured with Hanmer Springs Attractions, as they have a strong focus on health and safety. They are the only activity operator in Hurunui with Qualmark Gold and AdventureMark accreditation for top safety practices and an all-twin engine jet boat fleet.

Auckland Zoo offers a variety of engaging conservation learning sessions that bring the wonders of wildlife and conservation directly to your ākonga. These sessions are designed to complement the New Zealand Curriculum, providing hands-on, experiential learning that fosters a deep connection to the natural world. Each session is led by expert facilitators who bring a wealth of local and global conservation learning knowledge and passion to the classroom. By participating in these sessions, students not only gain valuable knowledge but also develop a sense of responsibility and stewardship for the environment.

One of the standout sessions is Sustainability, offering an opportunity for students to engage with real-world environmental issues in an interactive and meaningful way.

Through hands-on activities, storytelling, and practical examples, students will learn how small actions can lead to significant positive changes for our planet.

The sustainability session learning outcomes are tailored for different age groups with curriculum links for primary, intermediate and secondary students. Students will be encouraged to take informed action—applying what they have learnt to make ethical decisions, make a difference in their own backyard and live sustainably.