Visitors to the largest urban park in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland had an opportunity to immerse themselves in traditional Māori games as part of a Sport NZ Ihi Aotearoa initiative.

A kaimahi from Cornwall Park’s Huia Lodge Discovery Hub reached out to Aktive and its He Oranga Poutama team about hosting workshops in Māori games as part of its summer events programme.

He Oranga Poutama is a kaupapa Māori wellbeing programme set up to develop, promote and implement physical activities that are culturally appropriate to Māori.

The Tāmaki Makaurau-based team took up the chance to run taonga tākaro (traditional Māori games) to engage whānau, rangatahi and tamariki, build connections and have fun at the same time.

Led by Aktive's He Oranga Poutama kaiwhakahaere (adviser) Desiree Heke-Ready, the sessions involved rākau (stick) games, tākaro-a-ringa (hand games), tititorea (Māori short stick game) and poi toa (pass and catch poi game).

The sessions began with te mauri (life force) to build connections and ended with a porowhita (a circle) whereby participants shared one thing they enjoyed about their experience.

“I loved being outside having fun with my mum and learning new games,” said one tamariki.

“I loved throwing the poi around and trying to catch it on the full,” said another.

A third couldn’t wait to tell their friends at work what they’d learnt.

The best part, Desiree says, was seeing whānau playing and interacting with each other and, more importantly, having fun and lots of laughs.

“Most participants were whānau – mums, dads, kids, grandparents, grandchildren – and they saw it as a great opportunity to learn some traditional Māori games, to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather,” she says.

Through word of mouth, the He Oranga Poutama team has also run successful taonga tākaro sessions at school holiday programmes throughout Tāmaki Makaurau.

“We’ve had holiday programme co-ordinators come to us after hearing great things about the mahi we do within the community and they’ve invited us to run similar sessions with them,” says Desiree.

“It’s been amazing allowing these tamariki to explore and experience some traditional Māori games that they can play with their friends and whānau.

“I have been running the theme of hononga/connection with games I teach, connection either through a person, an item or a feeling/wairua.

“By the end of these sessions the tamariki can understand what connection really means.”

Desiree is now keen to take taonga tākaro into the wider community and on to community and school marae.

“We see and hear the impact these sessions have on our tamariki and whānau. To take them into the wider community and on to marae would be a wonderful next step."