Jumping for Joy at Freyberg Community School

For the students of Freyberg Community School in Te Atatū, playtime has never been more fun now that their new Jumping Pillow has been installed. Leading the way as the first school in Aotearoa with a Jumping Pillow, what started as a dream over ten years ago, has made it’s way into reality thanks to a Tū Manawa application and the efforts of their Principal, Maria Dopheide. When Freyberg Community School worked with Tuia Waitākere in 2025 on their Voices of Tamariki Report, one thing was clear – they wanted to jump. “There were quite a lot of comments from kids that we didn’t have any jumping activities or equipment at school and they wanted to be able to jump, so we’re fulfilling that promise to them by giving them a place that they can jump and be active with their friends.” Maria Dopheide, Freyberg Community School Principal told us.

From that 2025 Voices of Tamariki Report came the idea of applying for funding through the Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa, which was made quick and painless with the support of Nat (Healthy Active Learning Advisor) and Chloe (Play Systems Innovator) from Tuia Waitākere. "…she [Nat] was super helpful. She checked it all for us and made sure the application was up to standard and had all of the correct information.” Maria says.

The Tū Manawa application was successful, which helped the school to purchase the pillow itself, and then used community support to pay for the installation and infrastructure surrounding the pillow. A key focus for Tuia Waitākere and the Tū Manawa funding that we manage is finding diverse and inclusive ways for West Auckland communities to get moving. The jumping pillow isn’t just a great example of thinking outside of the box to find creative and fun ways to get kids moving, it’s also something that will have long term benefits for the tamariki who use it, something that’s already started to be evident.

Research shows the social benefits to children who frequently play on and around trampolines, which are transferred to a Jumping Pillow – not just building social and interpersonal skills and growing their health and safety awareness but also benefitting users physically too. “A jumping pillow gives tamariki something most school grounds can’t: a big, shared space to bounce, fall, tumble and try again. That kind of play builds balance, coordination and confidence, and it lets children test their own limits in a setting that’s been designed to hold them.” Play Systems Innovator at Tuia Waitākere, Chloe Alderton says.

For the team at Tuia Waitākere who support community in their Tū Manawa funding applications, there is hope that the Jumping Pillow at Freyberg Community School sparks a wider conversation about what play at school can look like, and will encourage more play-based funding applications.

If you still need more convincing on the benefits of a jumping Pillow, hear directly from some of the students who use it daily:

“You can jump on something now, we used to not have anything to jump on and it’s way funner than just the park.”

“We usually used to play on the playground or the field, or under the canopy. The playground’s not even bouncy. My favourite thing about the jumping pillow it that it’s very bouncy, and you can jump on it and it’s safe if you fall on it.”

“I like jumping on it. I think it’s fun for my classroom.”

“We take turns, and it’s super fun going on it. My favourite thing is that nearly everyone in my class can go on it.”

If you have an idea on how to get your school or community moving or using play in an active way and want to talk more about how the Tū Manawa Fund might be able to support you, get in touch with a member of the Tuia Waitākere whānau today!