Autumn Holiday Bingo is top of the list for these April school holidays, says Rachel. Found on the Nature Connector part of the website, just like bingo, there are many possibilities, from making nature art and then photographing it, to going on a bug hunt, to picking up litter and 22 other activities.
"A lichen hunt is great fun," said Rachel.
"You might find something on the bark of trees or on rocks that is called lichen. Or is it a fungi?"
The website has a picture page with all the different types of lichen, and then you can watch a video. Rachel says a lichen scavenger hunt could turn into a holiday-long activity with the children looking for lichen everywhere you go.
Kids Greening Taupō also has location-specific activities. For instance, there is an Opepe Forest scavenger hunt.
"You print out the one page handout with small pictures of the different types of plants found in Opepe Forest, and then see how many you can identify as you walk along the trail," said Rachel.
A Thompson family favourite is to collect the Kiwi Guardian medals. A Department of Conservation initiative, the idea is to follow the adventure map and explore the Kiwi Guardian trail. On each trail there is one Kiwi Guardian pole with a code word. You send in the code word and DoC sends you a medal.
"We planned our last holiday around collecting these medals. The kids loved it," said Rachel.
She says the Taupō District is particularly blessed with Kiwi Guardian trails beside Lake Taupō near the town, at Spa Thermal Park, at the Waipāhīhī Botanical Gardens, at the Tongariro National Trout Centre, and beside Lake Rotopounamu. For more information go to www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/toyota-kiwi-guardians
And the best thing of all? These activities are all free of charge.
