This programme is for the following year groups Years 4-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-13

Suitable for Years 4–13, with adaptations available for younger learners through hands-on, sensory activities and senior students through analytical or design-based projects.
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Toi Iwaiwa: He Toi Kakano Rau celebrates the artistry, innovation, and cultural meaning of Māori textile traditions. Learners will explore how Māori transformed native plants such as harakeke, kiekie, and pīngao into finely woven taonga – from kākahu and tukutuku to everyday tools and adornments. The session combines storytelling, taonga handling, and design exploration to connect the creative process to whakapapa, environment, and identity. Students will discover how traditional knowledge, materials science, and sustainability intersect in Māori weaving practices, and how these artforms continue to evolve today.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand Māori textile traditions as taonga, expressing whakapapa, tikanga, identity, and relationships with people, whenua, and atua
• Explore Māori weaving materials and processes, examining how native plants are transformed through traditional knowledge, sustainability, and innovation
• Respond creatively and critically to Māori textile artforms, demonstrating how these traditions continue to evolve in contemporary contexts