Looking through a microscope opens up a whole new world of discovery! Tamariki get to explore tiny details, ask big questions, and see things they never knew were there — sparking curiosity, wonder, and a love of learning.

Play is how tamariki learn, connect, and grow. It’s more than fun — it helps them make sense of the world and develop lifelong skills. Through play, children express manaakitanga (care), whanaungatanga (belonging), ako (shared learning), and kaitiakitanga (guardianship). Every moment matters — and we honour them all.

A bright pink sunrise greeting us, bathing the preschool in a gentle, dreamy light. The sky seemed to whisper ata mārie, setting a peaceful and magical tone for the day’s adventures.

Throughout the day, our tamariki are supported to find quiet moments to rest, reflect, and recharge. These peaceful times often include reading pukapuka with a kaiako, nurturing a love of stories while building language and listening skills. Sharing books in a calm, unhurried way helps strengthen relationships and supports each child’s sense of wellbeing — hauora.

Our preschool had a very special visitor — a tiny playful puppy with a wagging tail and a big heart! The children were full of excitement as they gently patted and played with our furry friend. Visits like this support early childhood development by encouraging empathy, confidence, and calm through animal interaction.

Intentional teaching happens throughout our preschool day, blending learning with play. In this planned activity, tamariki explored colour mixing, discovering how different colours blend to make new ones. This hands-on activity sparked curiosity and creativity while helping develop language skills as children talked about their discoveries. By thoughtfully planning activities, intentional teaching build on their children’s skills and knowledge and helps them build confidence and a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

Our tamariki worked together to build a tall tower using magnetic tiles. With creativity and teamwork, they carefully stacked each piece, learning about balance, shapes, and problem-solving along the way. Watching their confidence grow as the tower reached higher was inspiring. This hands-on activity encouraged cooperation, communication, and patience—important skills for young learners. It was exciting to see how collaboration turned simple tiles into a towering success!

Our tamariki brought vegetables from home and our garden to make a special soup. They peeled and cut the veggies themselves, learning teamwork and care. That evening, we shared the warm soup at our Matariki family celebration, welcoming new beginnings and togetherness. Thank you to our families for supporting this meaningful meal and connection.

Bundled up and warm, the tamariki embraced the fresh air with enthusiasm! They showed fantastic kotahitanga (teamwork) as they built rivers, lakes, mud cakes, and pipes. They collaborated, solved problems, and brought their imaginative ideas to life.

This hands-on outdoor play supported early childhood problem-solving, teamwork in preschool, and imaginative learning — key skills for young learners. Exploring nature while working together nurtures creativity and social development in tamariki.

After reading Grandma McGarvey and the Treasure Hunt, kaiako asked, “Do we have treasure at preschool?” That question sparked big excitement — and soon the tamariki were busy creating their own treasure maps.

While they ate kai, kaiako secretly hid some treasure and marked Xs on their maps. The real-life treasure hunt that followed was full of teamwork, problem-solving, and joyful discovery.

What started as a simple story turned into a morning of fun, learning, and adventure. Ka rawe, tamariki mā!

This morning, tamariki discovered a flooded patch of grass after last night’s rain. Inspired, they jumped into action to “save the city,” gathering buckets, pipes, and trucks to build a water-diversion system.

Over an hour of rich, imaginative play unfolded, full of problem-solving, teamwork, and creative thinking. Each child brought their own ideas, showing collaboration and a strong sense of purpose.

Ka pai tamariki – what a team!

Exploring Big School – Te Haerenga ki te Kura!

This week, a small group of curious tamariki visited Addington School for a special adventure!

We met the welcoming office staff, explored the sick bay, and had thoughtful chats about who looks after us at school. The shiny trophy cabinet caught everyone's eye — sparking big dreams and imaginations!

In the new entrant classroom, we learned where our bags go, found the toilets, and joined in beautifully at mat time. We ended the visit with fun in the playground, reconnecting with old friends and enjoying energetic play.

A wonderful morning full of ako (learning), whakawhanaungatanga (connections), and growing excitement for kura.

Ka mau te wehi, tamariki mā!

To welcome winter, we had a fun Preschool PJ Day! Tamariki wore their favourite pyjamas, cosy and warm. We celebrated with yummy pancakes and warm Milo for morning kai, sharing smiles and laughter. After kai, we snuggled up to watch a movie together — a perfect way to stay warm and connected. Ngā mihi nui to all whānau for supporting this special day. He ra makariri, he ra harikoa!

There's something special about seeing tamariki helping out with some of the more unusual jobs we do at preschool - todays job was moving some big branches. these little kaitiaki (guardians) are learning more than just practical skills — they’re connecting with Papatūānuku, building resilience, and growing a sense of responsibility. It's teamwork, whānau-style, where every small hand makes a big difference.

Walking into preschool, our families are greeted by a little waving Chinese lucky cat much to the delight of the children! This small moment of manākitanga helps them to build a familiar arrival routine making them feel safe, calm, and welcomed.

We came together with whānau to celebrate our beautiful mums with a special Mother’s Day High Tea. It was a time of manaakitanga — showing care and hospitality — as we shared kai, laughter, and connection.

The tamariki helped prepare special gifts to show their aroha, and the atmosphere was filled with warmth, whanaungatanga, and gratitude. Thank you to everyone who joined us — what a special way to celebrate our fabulous Mums!

Painting lets toddlers explore creativity, develop motor skills, and express themselves. Every brushstroke is a step in their journey of discovery and self-expression!

In preschool, learning through play underpins most of what is taught. The children had lined up some magnetic toys so with some intentional questioning from the teacher, this was extended to counting how many and then measuring using the magentic toys, all the while their social skills, problem solving and negotiation skills were being refined,

At preschool, we try to make learning fun and based on the children’s interests we observe during play.

Our preschoolers recently celebrated Eid with a fun and meaningful shared lunch. The children learned about Eid’s traditions, including family time and the spirit of giving. Everyone brought a dish to share, creating a warm, festive atmosphere where laughter and kindness filled the room. It was a wonderful day of celebrating culture and community!

We celebrated the Sinhalese and Tamil New Year at preschool. In Sri Lanka this is a time of renewal, harvest and cultural harmony. Our day will filled with bright colours, dancing and music.