Every time school holidays approach, many parents begin the familiar juggle, working out which nan, aunty, uncle, or cousin might be available, or whether a holiday programme is even affordable.
For whānau with tamariki in kura kaupapa Māori or Māori-medium education, the challenge is even sharper.
Holiday programmes grounded in te reo Māori, tikanga and te ao Māori are rare across the country, and often difficult to fund in ways that are affordable for whānau.
In Ōtautahi, that gap led to the creation of Give Us Your Kids, a kaupapa Māori holiday programme established by Pūruatia Trust.
Trustee Ariana Stevens says the idea grew directly out of conversations with whānau, who said there were no bilingual or full-immersion out-of-school options available for their tamariki.
“Ko te nuinga, ko te katoa rānei o ngā hōtaka hararei he kaupapa mō te hapori whānui, engari ko ngā tūāpapa ko te reo Pākehā me ngā kaupapa nō iwi kē,” Stevens said.
The programme’s name, Give Us Your Kids, was coined by rangatahi involved in early scoping work in 2024.
It was deliberately designed to be a bit cheeky, while also reflecting both the kaupapa and the realities facing whānau.
For Stevens, the kaupapa was born out of her personal experiences as a māmā and as a kura kaupapa teacher, noticing that when reo Māori was not present in the home, there was often a significant reintegration period when tauira returned to kura after the holidays.
“I a au e whakatipu ana i aku tamarik,i kāore aku kōwhiringa i ngā hararei ki te noho tonu rāua ki te ao Māori… i rongo au i tērā uauatanga ki runga i ngā whānau.”
She says there has also been increasing pressure on kaupapa Māori learning environments, as opportunities to engage with te reo Māori become more limited within the mainstream schooling system.
“Kei te mōhio tātou e mimiti haere ana te reo me ngā kaupapa Māori i roto i ngā kura.”
Stevens says that this has left many tamariki missing out on reo Māori-rich experiences, particularly outside the classroom.
“Huri noa i te motu i raro i tēnei kāwanatanga, nā reira e mate kai ana ā tātou tamariki ki ēnei momo. Ehara i te mea ahakoa ngā hiahia o ngā kaiako i roto i ngā kura, e uaua ana tā rātou whāngai i ēnei momo wheako i runga i ngā taumahatanga o ngā marautanga hou me ērā momo.”
She says kaupapa like Give Us Your Kids are able to operate differently, precisely because they sit outside formal education structures.
“Nā reira he motuhake ake ēnei āhuatanga, ēnei hōtaka, ka kore rawa te kāwanatanga e whai wāhi ki ngā whakaritenga. He rawe tērā ki a au.”
Give Us Your Kids was delivered as a series of pilot programmes in 2025, testing how kaupapa Māori out-of-school care could work in practice.
The programme is underway for January 2026, with further holiday programmes planned throughout the year.
Stevens says one of the strengths of the programme is its inclusivity, with tamariki from a range of backgrounds able to take part.
“Ka mutu ka wātea ēnei momo hōtaka ki ngā tamariki katoa, kua whai wāhi mai ētahi tamariki nō ahurea kē. Me te whakahoki kōrero mai o ngā whānau, he nui ngā hua, he rawe ērā momo wheako ki a rātou.”
She says the kaupapa has also helped reconnect learning in the classroom with learning at home.
“Nā reira ki a au nei he ara wātea tēnei ki a tātou ki te tuitui anō i te tau kāinga ki waenga i a tātou, ahakoa ngā kauparetanga o te wā, koia.”
Beyond care, Give Us Your Kids is also focused on workforce development, helping rangatahi gain real-world experience while supporting younger tamariki.
“Ko tētahi atu taha o Give Us Your Kids ko te whakawhanake i te hunga rangatahi hei kaitiaki tamariki… kua rite rātou ki te tuku invoices, ki te whakarite i ngā taxes, ērā momo pūkenga.”
Other kaupapa across the motu
Similar kaupapa are also operating in other parts of the country.
In Te Whanganui-a-Tara, a bilingual holiday programme run at Tawa Recreation Centre by Wellington City Council offers another model of how reo Māori can be supported beyond the classroom.
The programme forms part of the council’s wider school holiday offerings and runs during the January school holidays, providing full-day care for tamariki aged between five and twelve.
Activities are delivered in both English and te reo Māori, with te ao Māori concepts woven through games, creative activities and trip days, alongside sports and play-based learning.
Council kaimahi for the programme, Walter Zamalis, says inclusivity is central to its approach.
“He reo rua mō te tamariki katoa, he paku kaha kōrero Māori, he iti, he nui… he nuinga kore rānei.”
He says the focus is on creating an environment where tamariki feel safe to participate, learn and grow in their reo Māori.
“Ki te mau he ao marutau mō ngā tamariki ki te kōrero i te reo Māori.”
*Additional photos and footage for GUYK, credit to Maxwell Tiweka of Maxwell Productions
