Waitangi Day Celebrations - 2019

Waitangi Day Celebrations 2019

"Partnership - Participation - Protection"

We had lots of fun playing games including a special treat where our tamariki had the opportunity to experience spin and marble art and bubble wands which contributed to the most amazing day. As well as art and bubbles, there was also the opportunity to try kite making by weaving Nikau Palm. 

We all enjoyed shared kai that included treats like watermelon, fruit platters, kiwi slices, pikelets and mini pavlova. After kai the tamariki participated in a feet decorating activity before taking part in our classic 'kiwi feet' parade. The day was complete when we had fun with the water squirts and slippery slide.


Spin Art

Belle and Leo's Mum Kat was a tireless support at the spin art machine.  This was a waiting game as every child wanted to have a turn...sometimes more than one turn!  Kat played the game well, showing great warmth, kindness and enthusiasm to all the children as they waited patiently.  

Thank you Kat, you are a super star!

Marbling

Paua's Mum Janine is the gift that keeps on giving! 

 Janine is the kind of person who always puts her hand up to help, even going the extra mile to partner with the teaching team to offer extraordinary learning experiences for tamariki attending our centre.  Spin art, marbling and bubble wands were due to her generosity.  We are so grateful for Janine, her creativity, her generosity, aroha, warmth and respect for people is a real asset to our learning community.  Thanks Janine!

Kia maumahara ke tōnā mana āhua ake

Cherish your absolute uniqueness

Weaving 

We had so many parents come to share their time, energy, aroha and support on the day. Our heartfelt thanks goes to each and everyone of them for making this such a spectacular day.

Weaving was a lovely game to play under the shade of the big tree.  We express our gratitude to Angela and Raelene for their gentle support and guidance towards children attempting a very tricky activity!

  

Bubble wands

After all this activity it's time for kai...

Kiwi kai

'Kiwi Feet' decorating

Who would have thought that painting 'kiwi feet' would be so much fun!  A massive thank you to all our parents for supporting and joining children in this quirky activity, you're awesome!

 But wait there's more...

Slime! 

What an absolutely fabulous day!  It's great to be a Kiwi...we had so much fun!

Play dough is fun

Almost all children enjoy playing with play dough. With this in mind I set up a play dough activity to entice our children who like to cook in the sand pit.  I wanted to see if the same cooking interest could be extended through play dough.

Boston showed the first interest. He makes great cup cakes in the sand pit however was a bit hesitant to participate with the play dough at first. When he warmed up he made wonderful cup cakes and then went onto make lolly pops and carried them through the kindergarten to see you who would like one. The play dough provided a great boost of confidence and he returned to the play dough a couple of days later to make more lolly pops.

"Who wants a cup cake or a lolly pop"? said Boston

Play dough is a great activity for all children as it requires no special skills and is an open ended activity where the imagination can run wild.

What would children create given the opportunity to use natural resources from the environment?

I will make a fish snail" said Shing

"I can make a caterpillar" - said Taupaki

A few days later, we changed the colour and provided different materials...now what would children create?

I make a crocodile" - said Quin

 "I made an entire family of insects" - Ella

 "I made a snow man and look his head comes off" - said Zoey

"Its a dinosaur, but I make a bear cause bears go in caves and a bad bear eats them " said Jai

 "I make a spider.  Eight legs, I count to eight legs. Spiders have a lot of mouths, more than me they have 3" - said Abbie

"It's a man" said Natalie

 "I make ice-cream cause I like ice-cream vanilla and chocolate" - said Belle

 "I making a giant" - said Lucas

"I make people", I like this play dough and I didn't know I like play dough"  said Jackson

The benefits of play dough include... 

• fine motor skill development, 
• it encourages creativity and imagination, 
• it is often a calming activity, 
• it is a social activity that can support the development of friendships, 
• play dough also supports literacy and numeracy,
• and most of all it is fun!