Imagine Play Inspire

23/03/2026

What if the holidays looked a little slower this year?

Not packed. Not scheduled back-to-back with activities. Just... spacious. ❤️

Creative Calm is a small, intentional holiday experience I'm running in Ōakura in April, for just two children at a time, over three mornings.

We will hunt for materials at the beach or the park. Then we're bringing those treasures back and see what wants to be made.

The children lead. I follow. Supporting and encouraging as and when needed.

Making things without the pressure to finish at a specific time, no template to follow, and no "one right way" of doing it.

Just curiosity, materials, and a lot of space to move at their own pace. And play, oh yes, there will be so much time to play. 😁

I've been calling it Creative Calm because that's what I've been hearing from parents lately, that they notice the calm in their children during, and often also after our sessions. A content, peaceful kind of quiet.

Details: April 7–9 and April 13–15, 9am–12pm, Ōakura.
$300 per child for all three mornings. 1 x spot left in the second week (*pending*).
DM to jump on the waitlist.

19/03/2026

Adults, here's something for you this May...

I'm running a 4-week workshop series called Creativity Playground.

It's designed for adults who want to make things with their hands. Without pressure, without expectation, and without anyone checking if it looks like what it's supposed to.

This isn't a class where you learn a technique and replicate it. It's a space to follow your curiosity, experiment with materials, and rediscover what it feels like to make something just for the joy of making it.

I've spent 20 years designing creative play experiences for children, and what I keep coming back to is... adults need this just as much! And honestly, I think now more than ever.

The permission to play, to be messy, to try something and change your mind and try again... to get out of your head and let go of the things you've been carrying... it's nourishing in a way that's hard to explain until you're experiencing it.

You don't need to be "good at art." You just need to do it.

More details in the good ol' bio link section. Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions or can't find the link ❤️

18/03/2026

When I went to primary school, I started with after-school guitar lessons.

It was classical guitar and my first teacher was... well, let's say 'classical' probably describes it pretty well.

When learning a new piece, she made me start it over, from the beginning, every single time I made a mistake.

Every. Single. Time.

I can still feel the tension I experienced back then. My fingers shaking nervously, and my frustration growing with each mistake (which didn't help me focus). And because I was trying to be a 'good girl' I was also working hard not to show how frustrated I felt.

I was playing so carefully, so rigidly, so afraid of the wrong note that the music itself kind of disappeared. There was no beauty in it, no joy.

In a way, it stopped being music at all and became something to get through without failing. 😖

We eventually changed teachers. Not because I had spoken up to my parents about this but simply because the teacher moved out of town.

My parents then booked me in with someone who had quite the different approach. Someone who let me mess it up, who giggled with me through the stumbles and the wrong chords, who treated mistakes as information rather than failure or "evidence" that I haven't been practising enough outside the classes.

The joy of playing guitar slowly came back...

I've recently been thinking about this specific memory a lot. I wonder if, in its own way, it contributed to the work that I'm doing today.

Helping kids and adults to welcome mistakes, celebrate them, even. Creating spaces to mess up, be imperfect, explore, play - without a fear of judgement or failure. To experience joy, calm and the pride of making something that's purely 'you'.

Welcoming mistakes and enjoying the process doesn't mean we have to lower our standards, or settle for less. Often, it actually tends to work the other way around. When the fear of getting it wrong is removed, we get more courageous.

Mistakes stop being obstacles and start being part of the making, information rather than evidence of failure... and sometimes the moments we think "Eeek, I got it all wrong" turn into unexpected, beautiful things we couldn't have planned any better. ❤️

16/03/2026

Something a little different these school holidays...

Creative Calm is a very small, boutique holiday experience I'm running here in Ōakura this April, and I so cannot wait!

Just two children, over three mornings, with space to slow down, follow their curiosity, and make things that feel entirely their own.

We will forage for materials at the beach and park. We'll work with clay, paint, and whatever the young creatives are drawn to each morning. We'll make, explore, and possibly (probably) get a bit muddy.

There'll be no rush. No agenda. No end result that has to look a certain way.

Just presence, curiosity and connection. And playful rituals to start and end each session with. Designed and facilitated by an experienced and NZ registered teacher and creative play advocate. 🙋🏽‍♀️

I've been getting such lovely feedback lately about the calm that children (and our parents!) notice after our sessions, which is why I'm playing with this new format. ❤️

April 7–9 and April 13–15, 9am–12pm, Ōakura.
$300 per child for all three mornings.
One spot left in week one, two spots in week two.

A lovely option for friends to come together and make some new core memories, or simply for children who thrive in small group environments. Either way, a gentle, creative space over the holidays is waiting. 🌞

15/03/2026

Some surprising insights from our recent adult weekend workshop...

A couple of weeks ago, on a sunny Saturday, something very special took place… A workshop that’s been in the making for three years, at least. What took me so long? Well, to be honest, …

13/03/2026

"I just love art class."
"Me too."

Overheard at our Little Art Lab, and honestly... same. 😁

There's nothing quite like watching tamariki arrive, settle in, and just... make. No step-by-step instructions to follow, no right answer to find.

Just materials, curiosity, and time that belongs entirely to them.

Reminds me why I do this. ❤️

11/03/2026

*New* whānau workshop coming this weekend ✨

Our Whānau Art Lab at is designed for something a little special... parents and tamariki creating together, on one shared canvas.

Not side by side on separate projects.

Together.

One canvas, your ideas, some gentle prompts for inspiration, and a few creative games to start the session with, getting you both out of your heads, shaking off the inner critic, and getting into the making.

The kind of morning you'll both remember, walking away feeling calm, with new core-memories made.

Ages 5-12, process-led and play-based. ❤️

If this sounds like your kind of Saturday, I'd love to see you there. Link in bio to book your spot.

09/03/2026

Okay, so... it's time to share something I've been wanting to say for a while...

And it may not feel like the biggest news to you, actually. 🙈

But I've gotta say it out loud.

After years of hosting our Art Playgroups, I'm officially stepping away from this offer.

You may have been feeling the shift for a while already, possibly even before I was fully aware that this was happening.

I think, part of me just didn't want to let go of it... for many reasons. These sessions are where Imagine Play Inspire began, and they hold such a special place for me.

Watching your little artists go from "doesn't like to get messy" to sitting right in the middle of the soft, colourful foam (or climbing into our washing-up bucket 😅)... seeing parents relax, sit back or join in, connect with other parents, and just be present alongside their tamariki... those moments were pretty special.

I've even had the privilege of watching some of those same children grow through our programmes, right through to our After School Art Lab. So, so special.

But Imagine Play Inspire is evolving, change truly is the only constant in life (cheesy, but it's just so true!). I'm sure you've noticed that a lot of energy is now flowing into our process-led creative experiences for tamariki (ages 5-12) and increasingly with adults too, offering a space where creativity can be experienced as a tool for self-expression, connection and wellbeing.

If you're looking for a space to connect and play with your youngest tamariki, we're pretty lucky to have a few community-friendly offers to choose from now here in Taranaki! If you haven't already, make sure to check out the new Friday Playgroup at Flourish Taranaki, and Jenn's beautiful nature play programme over at Trails & Tots through The Nature Connection Trust.

But before I go, a few last words of thanks to everyone who brought their tamariki to our Art Playgroups, to those coming back and bringing their friends and spreading the word across our community... thank you, so much. ❤️

PS: Community collaborations & birthday parties will remain a thing. 🌞

04/03/2026

On Saturday, our adults got to play...

I'm still processing this very special afternoon. So much to say... but for now I'm going to just leave these wee moments here, along with a massive thank you to the beautiful women taking the time out of their day and weekend to play, explore and trust the process. �

02/03/2026

February in a little slide show ❤️