Children explored shape matching using colourful rings and sticks, carefully aligning each piece to complete the picture cards. This focused, hands-on activity supported early maths concepts, problem-solving, and fine motor control as children concentrated, adjusted, and persevered with their designs.

Tamariki were quick to spot hungry caterpillars on the swan plant. Over the coming weeks, we will be watching them grow, change and eventually emerge as monarchs. It’s a simple but powerful way to explore nature, life cycles and the wonder happening right outside our door.

Children don’t just stack blocks—they problem-solve, negotiate, rebuild and push through frustration. Block play is a practical workout in perseverance and resilience: towers fall, plans change, and new strategies emerge. Through trial and error, tamariki learn that effort matters, failure is part of learning, and success feels earned.

Our preschool children enjoyed the sunny weather with some water balloon fun, tossing balloons to friends and laughing as they splashed around. This hands-on water play supports social interaction, cooperative play and emotional regulation, helping children manage both excitement and frustration and express emotions safely.

Today children explored blocks of ice using small hammers, discovering how force, temperature and texture change the ice as it breaks apart. There was plenty of excitement as they tapped, smashed and chipped away, watching pieces crack and melt in the warm air. This simple sensory activity builds fine motor skills, hand–eye coordination and early science understanding. It also gives children a safe way to experiment with tools, feel capable, and explore cause and effect through real action.

Sometimes small additions can spark big learning! By adding photos to the playdough table, preschool children were inspired to create a variety of pasta shapes. This simple play enhancement extends children’s interests, encourages creativity, and supports imaginative play while supporting cultural connections and children learn about different foods.

On a hot summer day, our preschool children enjoyed some simple outdoor play with a sprinkler. Running, splashing, and laughing, they experienced the joy of water play while staying cool. Activities like this support early learning, gross motor development, and social skills, all while keeping playtime fun and safe. Sometimes the simplest summer fun is the best way for children to connect, explore, and enjoy the outdoors.

Today a small group of children helped deliver food to our local community pantry. As we walked, we talked about how some families need extra support and how donations can make a real difference.

These simple discussions build awareness, empathy and a sense of responsibility. Children learned that helping doesn’t have to be big or complicated—small contributions add up, and communities are stronger when we look out for each other.

“Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi.”
With your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive.

Today our preschool children prepared their own sandwiches for morning kai, choosing bread, selecting healthy toppings and doing the spreading themselves. This simple food preparation activity supports early learning outcomes such as independent eating, fine motor skills and self-help skills. Children took ownership of their kai and made confident food choices—proof that independence grows when they get real opportunities to do things for themselves.

Over the Christmas break we took the chance to complete some preschool playground maintenance, including replenishing and topping up the bark chip safety surface in our outdoor play area. The children were eager to be part of the action, grabbing spades and helping to spread the new bark. Once finished, they carried out their own “bounce testing” — jumping up and down to make sure the outdoor play space felt just right. This hands-on early learning moment linked teamwork, physical activity and playground safety.

He rau ringa e oti ai

Our preschoolers headed out for a neighbourhood walk to explore the nearby construction site. With diggers, cranes, and plenty of questions, children observed how the new overpass is taking shape. This project will be ongoing for some time, and once completed it will create a safer walk to school for local families. It’s a great chance for children to see real-world engineering in action and track the progress as it unfolds.

After the Christmas break, our preschool children joyfully reunited, greeting each other with big hugs and excited smiles. These moments of connection support early learning and social-emotional development, helping children build strong friendships and a sense of belonging. Returning to school after a holiday break is a perfect time to foster childhood connections, confidence, and positive relationships in the preschool environment.

Last minute rain changed our christmas plans but the children still got the opportunity to perform their christmas songs and dancing to a room of parents and special whānau.

Our tamariki enjoyed playing in the whānau corner today, making kai with our new pretend food. This imaginative play is vital for their development, allowing them to explore ideas, emotions, and social roles in a safe and creative way. Through offering a range of kai, they can connect with their own cultures and learn about others. During these experiences, they practised communication, cooperation, problem-solving, and empathy—building social skills, creativity, and confidence while making sense of the world around them.

Our toddlers have been loving familiar stories this week — turning pages, opening the flap, joining in with repeated phrases, and anticipating what comes next!

Revisiting well-loved books builds confidence, strengthens memory, and deepens their understanding of language and story structure. You can see their joy as they recognise favourite characters and proudly “read” along!

Our older tamariki enjoy their grouptime where we plan activities that will help them get ready for school. This small group activity focused on sequencing and storytelling. They practised ordering events, using descriptive language, and sharing ideas with others—building confidence, communication, and early literacy skills for a smooth transition to kura.

A simple game of cricket offers so much more than physical play — it’s a powerful way for preschoolers to develop social and emotional skills.

As they take turns to bat and bowl, children learn about fairness, patience, and respect for others. Working together as a team builds communication, cooperation, and a sense of belonging.

We’re so lucky to have such a big backyard for our tamariki to run, play, and learn together — the perfect space for big games and even bigger learning!

Today the children combined their interest in magnetic construction and sensory play, building boxes to fill with sensory materials. Through observing their peers, they explored through trial and error and showed perseverance and creativity.

Our tamariki were all in for a game of Snakes and Ladders today! What looked like pure fun was actually rich learning in action — recognising numbers, counting spaces, reading symbols, and practising early literacy.

Our tamariki headed out to explore the neighbourhood, on the lookout for numbers in the real world after working hard to recognise them during group time.

This hands-on experience strengthened their number knowledge, early numeracy skills, and sense of curiosity, while also building connections with our local community.