Articles

Kia Ora,

We have been immersing ourselves in the celebration of Matariki, the Maori New Year. here at Lollipops Millennium. This is a significant cultural event where people, whānau, and communities come together to reflect on the past year, celebrate the present, and plan for future.

We have been preparing for this by reading Maori stories and creating art crafts such as flex weaving, koru, and kites. We discussed the nine stars of Matariki, each star's role and responsibility, and how some of their role is relevant to our life.

We made "Berry Smoothie" and discussed our favourite food from trees, as Tupuānuku is the star connected to food from the sky, such as birds, berries, and fruits. We talked about our family, as Pōhutukawa is the star connected to our family. We discussed how we can take care of the waterways of our home or where we come from, as Waitī is the star that cares for rivers, lakes, springs, and wetlands. Weather is changeable; we let children feel the wind and put their hands out to feel the raindrops; what can we see? What is the weather? How are birds, the land, and the sky? Waipunarangi and Ururangi are the stars connected to the rain and aspects of the weather. Therefore, we made kites.

As a part of the celebration the children have been exploring Kaitiakitanga (Maori concept of guardianship of the sky, the sea, and the land) through gardening in the preschool. The children protect and look after the environment, develop their connection with nature, and foster a sense of cultural awareness. The children engaged in gardening activities, such as planting, caring, and observing the plants. They had hands-on learning opportunities and encouraged their sense of responsibility towards the environment.

 So, the children also walked to the vegetable shop and bought vegetables to prepare a roast for the occasion of Matariki. It was a fun experience. We also went to the Panmure library to witness some songs from a Kohanga reo centre.

At Lollipops Millennium, we love celebrating all events related to all cultures - it gives children a sense of belonging and an opportunity to learn and appreciate diversity on our community. The events are always a major hit with the children, it helps them create great memories which we like to share and keep talking about long after the event.