kids unplugged

In a world where tamariki are tethered to technology, "kids unplugged" is a vibrant, short-form documentary series showcasing kids choosing wild adventure over Wi-Fi — inspiring a healthier, happier generation through outdoor play, community, and connection.

The internet used to be an escape from the real world, now the real world is an escape from the internet....

Today’s kids are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis — and one of the biggest culprits is excessive screen time.   With research proving a phone-based childhood leads to anxiety, unhappiness and social isolation, kids unplugged will demonstrate that a play-based childhood builds resilient, happy, healthy, more than capable young people.  It champions children living life unplugged from their screens - mountain bikers, surfers, hikers, and environmental kaitiaki - kids whose playgrounds are the ocean, rivers and mountains.

Through their eyes, we witness the transformative power of outdoor adventure and its role in shaping strong, capable, and deeply connected individuals. Their stories, struggles, and triumphs will inspire audiences to rethink what childhood should be. We’ll show that thriving childhoods don’t happen behind screens — they happen outside, unplugged, and together.

We're aiming to film our first series this winter -  five episodes starting in the Bay of Plenty (& then hopefully beyond)— but to make it happen, we need your support to get this series off the ground!