New Sand

The sandpit is always a popular place to play at kindergarten.

The level of the sand in the sandpit has been looking a little low as of late, so we thought we'd top it up a little. At Bream Bay Kindergarten we don't believe in doing things by halves, so a little bit of sand wasn't a few wheelbarrow loads and it wasn't a trailer load of sand either... we were very fortunate to have Atlas Concrete donate a truckload of sand!

The children watched (from a safe distance) the huge truck manoeuvre within the confines of the kindergarten playground. 

The children have relished having new sand in the sandpit this week and it has been a popular and creative place to play and learn.

"Children have always been intrigued by sand play. They dig in sand, sift it, build with it, pour it, enjoy the feel and smell of it, pretend with it, and explore how it moves. Sand is well-suited to the explorative and imaginative nature of young children.

There is no right way to use sand. It invites participation; it permits children to make and test hypotheses; it stretches the imagination; it provides a potentially soothing sensory experience; and it is an excellent avenue for children to learn physical, cognitive, and social skills." (Crosser, 2008).

There are many benefits of sand play. 

Sand play benefits language development as children communicate with each other. They learn social skills as they work together and share a limited space. Children develop and add to their sensory vocabulary as sand can be gritty, fine, coarse, rough, smooth, dry, squishy,... 

and what better way to feel the sand than to cover yourself with it!

Sand play also promotes physical development. Children develop large muscle skills when they dig, shovel, lift, and scoop sand. They improve small muscle control and hand-eye coordination when they mould, pat, and pour sand.

Children also learn about and experience impermanence. Sandcastles get squashed and roads get wiped away. In the sandpit everything changes, nothing stays the same. Children learn to enjoy the moment and create something new next time. 

"Whether shaped into castles, dug, dripped, sifted, or buried, sand can take many different forms, thus offering endless opportunities for fun and learning". (Pathways, 2017).

Working Bee 2017

Recently we had a working bee at the kindergarten to get a few jobs done.  

Every time we hold one of these events, we are amazed by people's commitment to community.

This year we would like to thank Darren and Paula Matich for their valued service.  They supplied an enormous amount of top quality bark for us to replenish our gardens at an extremely generous rate and speedy delivery time.

 

The children enjoyed watching the truck back up and dump the bark.

With our bark delivered we were ready to go...

On the day of our working bee people generously gave time, resources and energy which helped to get things done.  We honestly couldn't have done it without the positive and hard working attitude from people within our kindergarten community.  We are so blessed!

No excuses!  Even our gorgeous pregnant Mum's get involved!

We thought we'd never get through the bark!  It was hot, back braking work however when a community gets in to help each other, it's very rewarding and extremely satisfying!

Getting creative

Building new kai tables out of recycled materials...lol making it up as you go along!

Construction begins on a new carpentry area.

What's amazing to us, is that even people who haven't got children attending our kindergarten came along to lend a helping hand...how cool is that!!

Working with and for young children is so obviously a priority for people in our community...evidence that it really does take a whole village to raise a child.

Tamariki getting in on the action

 There were a lot of jobs to do...moving the enormous mountain of bark proved a real challenge.  It was so hot which made it hard going.  Everyone worked together to get the job done and there was a real sense of achievement when the pile got smaller and smaller!

Charlie was a hard worker too.  He seemed to relish the task and being part of the team doubled the enjoyment.  

This community event gave many of the children present the opportunity to experience first hand the joy you feel when you step outside yourself and commit to the service of others. 

Charlie was definitely feeling it and expressed pride in his efforts. 

“I’m working hard like my Dad.”

 

This year we set ourselves a mammoth task of re-barking our gardens, creating a new carpentry area, extending our kai area, and making a gate to our a secret garden. Our plans were ambitious however with determination and that wonderful Bream Bay community spirit we achieved above and beyond our expectations.

A heartfelt and special thank you to all of those who participated to make this such a successful day.  Each and every one of you is appreciated very much.

Arohanui

Tania