Slimy and legless in action!

Our very new and exciting Slimy and Legless programme begins today. Slimy and Legless focuses on the endangered Taranaki giant snail (Powelliphanta "Egmont") that lurks deep within the Egmont National Park.

Did you know that the Powelliphanta snail loves to eat earthworms, and sucks them up through their mouth like we eat spaghetti?! (Thanks to DOC for our Powelliphanta fact of the day!)

When we heard that, we had to learn more about the Powelliphanta, as well as the garden snails that we find in our own garden. In fact, Slimy and Legless features some very special guests, one of whom our educators Keri and Hoani are getting to know in this photo:

Do you have any fascinating facts about snails? Have you seen a Powelliphanta snail up close? Leave us a comment - we love to hear your feedback.

Check out more about the Slimy and Legless lesson or contact us to book your class.

Free Taranaki Wars teacher resource!

The Taranaki Wars: A Teaching Resource was produced by Puke Ariki in 2010 as part of the award winning exhibition Te Ahi Kā Roa, Te Ahi Kātoro Taranaki War 1860–2010: Our Legacy - Our Challenge .

We have copies of this resource available free for teachers and schools. Please contact us for your copy.

The Taranaki Wars: A Teaching Resource


The Taranaki Wars fought in the 1860s are a part of New Zealand’s history that everyone should be aware of. The dodgy land deals, the villains and heroes, the warriors and peace-makers. It’s all part of what happened and is retold here in this CD Rom. Discover the key figures from the past, learn about the battles, the forts, the pa sites and weapons used. Find out why the Taranaki Wars have been called ‘the never ending war’ and how the wars were a result of unrest and disappointment with the Treaty of Waitangi.

The activities on the CD Rom, in English and te reo, are aligned to the New Zealand Curriculum and unit plans and teaching guidelines are included, along with social inquiry templates. Teachers of the social sciences will find this resource a valuable complement to the units of study on the Treaty of Waitangi, Human Rights and Social Justice.

Welcome back!

What a fantastic weekend of World Cup Rugby - congratulations to the All Blacks. Still haven't had your fill of all things relating to the oval ball? Our fun programme for the It's Not Just a Game exhibition at Puke Ariki runs for two more weeks, and we have spaces available for the weeks beginning Monday 31 October and Monday 7 November. We suggest you get in quick - just like Richie to the breakdown - and as well as learning about the history of rugby in Taranaki, your students can kick a winning goal just like Dan Carter...or Colin Slade...or Piri Weepu...or Steven Donald!

Our Educator Erin with pupils enjoying the Rucks, Boots and Bulls lesson. Go the Amber and Black! Photo: Trevor Read.

Check out the full details for Rucks Boots and Bulls and the other Term 4 programmes.

This is Us: School Kids Get Hands On

The latest copy of This is Us is hot off the press!

This is Us is a quarterly publication sharing all the news and happenings at Puke Ariki. The Education team make the pages of Issue 7 twice - firstly with a photo of Educator Hoani Eriwata on page 6 and the recent whole school visit from West End School on the back page.

Check out the latest edition of This is Us here or enjoy our previous editions here.

Term 4 update

Our 'Notebook' newsletter was emailed to all Taranaki schools last week, giving you an update on our upcoming programmes for Term 4. Read the newsletter here.

Contact us to make a booking - we'd love to see your class at Puke Ariki next term.

Pre-school visits are GO!

We're happy to announce some exciting changes to our pre-school programmes at Puke Ariki.

We often have groups of young children who visit us with their kindergarten or daycare. We're all very excited that we can now offer you a more formalised range of programmes to suit your visit: a 'We Love the Library' session with our fabulous children's librarians,  'Mad about the Museum' with our Museum Educators, or the soon-to-be released self-guided Ruru trail (coming soon!).

Each session runs for 30 minutes - perfect timing for the little ones.

Visit the Puke Ariki website for more details and information on how to book.